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).
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Patent number: 11746666Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 6, 2021Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Yong W. Kim, John F. Lockyer, Raymond I. Alvarez
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Patent number: 11732611Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 31, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Gusheng Hu, John F. Lockyer, Oscar Sanchez Kuri, George L. Prater
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Publication number: 20230243277Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2022Publication date: August 3, 2023Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Gusheng HU, John F. LOCKYER, Oscar SANCHEZ KURI, George L. PRATER
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Publication number: 20230175410Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2021Publication date: June 8, 2023Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Yong W. KIM, John F. LOCKYER, Raymond I. ALVAREZ
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Patent number: 11459903Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 10, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Yong W. Kim, John F. Lockyer
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Patent number: 11174754Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 26, 2020Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Gusheng Hu, Kevin K. Hirako, Stephan C. Wintner, John F. Lockyer, Charles C. Cornelius, Robert J. Ahrens, Olivier J. Lamicq
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Patent number: 8056346Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 19, 2010Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Stuart A. Greenwood
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Patent number: 7975487Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 20, 2007Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Stuart A. Greenwood, Partha X. Dutta, Ted E. Groocock, Michael D. Fox
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Patent number: 6021570Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 11, 1998Date of Patent: February 8, 2000Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: John F. Lockyer, Kenneth W. Maden
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Patent number: 5836163Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 1996Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: John F. Lockyer, Gareth W. Oskam
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Patent number: 5826423Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 1996Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: John F. Lockyer, Gareth W. Oskam, Douglas C. Rawlins
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Patent number: 5426933Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 11, 1994Date of Patent: June 27, 1995Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Kenneth H. Maden, John F. Lockyer