Patents by Inventor John F. Lockyer

John F. Lockyer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11746666
    Abstract: In the turbine of a gas turbine engine, disk cavities exist between rotor and stator assemblies. These disk cavities enable hot gas from the hot gas flow path to ingress between the rotor and stator assemblies with detrimental effects to the durability of the turbine. Thus, a flow discourager is disclosed that can be integrated into the platform of a stator assembly that is downstream from a rotor assembly. The flow discourager comprises a continuous external surface that defines a recirculation zone within a disk cavity that is aft to a rotor assembly to circulate the hot gas back out into the hot gas flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Yong W. Kim, John F. Lockyer, Raymond I. Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11732611
    Abstract: Exhaust outlets (e.g., in a gas turbine engine) are generally made from sections of thin-walled materials (e.g., sheet metal) that are joined by flanges. Due to the length of the exhaust outlet and differing thermal expansion coefficients exhibited by the flanges and the thin-walled materials, these joints are subjected to high mechanical, as well as thermal, stresses. A long-arm flange is disclosed that decouples the mechanical stress from the thermal stress in the flange and distributes the stress, to thereby reduce the stress at the flange interface. Additionally, the long-arm flange can be easily adapted to the specific geometry of any exhaust outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Gusheng Hu, John F. Lockyer, Oscar Sanchez Kuri, George L. Prater
  • Publication number: 20230243277
    Abstract: Exhaust outlets (e.g., in a gas turbine engine) are generally made from sections of thin-walled materials (e.g., sheet metal) that are joined by flanges. Due to the length of the exhaust outlet and differing thermal expansion coefficients exhibited by the flanges and the thin-walled materials, these joints are subjected to high mechanical, as well as thermal, stresses. A long-arm flange is disclosed that decouples the mechanical stress from the thermal stress in the flange and distributes the stress, to thereby reduce the stress at the flange interface. Additionally, the long-arm flange can be easily adapted to the specific geometry of any exhaust outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Gusheng HU, John F. LOCKYER, Oscar SANCHEZ KURI, George L. PRATER
  • Publication number: 20230175410
    Abstract: In the turbine of a gas turbine engine, disk cavities exist between rotor and stator assemblies. These disk cavities enable hot gas from the hot gas flow path to ingress between the rotor and stator assemblies with detrimental effects to the durability of the turbine. Thus, a flow discourager is disclosed that can be integrated into the platform of a stator assembly that is downstream from a rotor assembly. The flow discourager comprises a continuous external surface that defines a recirculation zone within a disk cavity that is aft to a rotor assembly to circulate the hot gas back out into the hot gas flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Yong W. KIM, John F. LOCKYER, Raymond I. ALVAREZ
  • Patent number: 11459903
    Abstract: In the turbine of a gas turbine engine, disk cavities exist between stator and rotor assemblies. These disk cavities enable hot gas from the hot gas flow path to ingress between the stator and rotor assemblies with detrimental effects to the durability of the turbine. Thus, a flow discourager is disclosed that can be mounted to the stator assembly. The flow discourager comprises a continuous external surface that defines a recirculation zone within the disk cavities to circulate the hot gas back out into the hot gas flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Yong W. Kim, John F. Lockyer
  • Patent number: 11174754
    Abstract: A thermal bridge forms a connection between a cold side and a hot side that is capable of withstanding a large temperature differential while high-pressure gas (e.g., air) flows between the two sides within an internal passageway. A cold-side region and hot-side region of the thermal bridge may each have a flange with a plurality of holes. The cold-side region may also include a conical fillet with counterbore recesses to provide access to each of the plurality of holes from a low radial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Gusheng Hu, Kevin K. Hirako, Stephan C. Wintner, John F. Lockyer, Charles C. Cornelius, Robert J. Ahrens, Olivier J. Lamicq
  • Patent number: 8056346
    Abstract: A combustor includes a first wall, a second wall, an injector grommet, a combustor longitudinal axis, and a connection assembly indirectly connecting the first wall to the second wall. A portion of the injector grommet is disposed within a groove of the connection assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Stuart A. Greenwood
  • Patent number: 7975487
    Abstract: A combustor liner assembly includes a liner assembly, including a hot dome, a hot wall, and an impingement shield. The liner assembly further includes a convector assembly. The combustor liner assembly further includes an impingement dome assembly, including a ring-shaped portion defining a plurality of apertures configured to receive a plurality of fuel injectors, and a face. The ring-shaped portion and the face define an annular passage, and the face defines a plurality of apertures and a plurality of orifices. The convector assembly and the impingement dome assembly are operably coupled to one another, and the plurality of orifices of the face are configured such that the hot dome is exposed to air flowing in the annular passage of the impingement dome assembly. The combustor liner assembly is configured to provide flow communication between the annular passage of the impingement dome assembly and the plurality of fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Stuart A. Greenwood, Partha X. Dutta, Ted E. Groocock, Michael D. Fox
  • Patent number: 6021570
    Abstract: Present combustion liners are used to form combustors in which fuel and air are burned and heat energy is directed to a turbine. The construction of the present combustion liners reduces manufacturing cost by reducing assembly time and processing time. An inner and outer liner portion is formed from a single sheet into a generally cylindrical tube. The tube is formed, by a spin forming operation to include a plurality of generally axial portions being interconnected by a plurality of transition portions. The transition portions have a plurality of openings therein to be used for cooling the combustion liner portions. The transition portions also act as stiffeners to support the generally cylindrical configuration of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Kenneth W. Maden
  • Patent number: 5836163
    Abstract: A dual fuel injector includes an apparatus for injecting liquid pilot fuel into a gas turbine engine. The injector includes a liquid pilot fuel feedline having an outlet that sprays fuel on the conically-shaped pintle swirler that causes the fuel to form a cylindrically-shaped film on the interior of a pilot fuel-air mixing passage. The film of fuel is broken up into droplets at a downstream end of the pilot fuel-air mixing passage by shearing forces exerted on the film by separate streams of air flowing within and externally of the pilot fuel-air mixing passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Gareth W. Oskam
  • Patent number: 5826423
    Abstract: A dual fuel injector for injecting liquid and/or gaseous fuel into a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of hollow spoke members for injecting gaseous fuel that are located upstream of a plurality of main air swirling vanes that are in turn upstream of a plurality of air-blast atomizers for injecting main liquid fuel. A pilot fueling arrangement is provided that is capable of starting the gas turbine engine using either gaseous or liquid fuel. The injector includes a labyrinth-shaped cooling passage capable of providing cooling air to cylindrical walls of an injector centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Gareth W. Oskam, Douglas C. Rawlins
  • Patent number: 5426933
    Abstract: Past fuel injection nozzles have attempted to provide a structure to reduce exhaust emissions, generally NOx using water injection. Such nozzles have failed to attain adequate reduction of exhaust emissions. The present fuel injector structure has resulted in reduced NOx emissions. The structure includes a combustor having an axis a first air flow passage, a second air flow passage, a first annular fuel passage and a second annular fuel passage. Positioned in the first air flow passage is a directing device through which water is introduced in a swirling manner and mixed with the air in the first air flow passage. Fuel is introduced into the first and/or second annular fuel passages and mixed with air in the second air flow passage. The mixtures of air and water, and fuel and air are mixed prior to entering the combustion section. The unique structure swirls the air and fuel and the air and water prior to their meeting and mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Maden, John F. Lockyer