Patents by Inventor Kenneth Gregory Thomas

Kenneth Gregory Thomas 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).

  • Pin to reduce relative rotational movement of disk and spacer of turbine engine
    Patent number: 10385874
    Abstract: An axial compressor of a turbine engine includes a plurality of disk and spacer pairs oriented along a common axis of rotation. Each of a disk and a spacer of the disk and spacer pairs has a contacting face defining an engagement between the disk and the spacer. The contacting face of each of the disk and the spacer includes a recessed area. A pin has a stem received within the recessed area of the disk and a head received within the recessed area of the spacer. The head of the pin includes at least two flats corresponding to complementary surfaces of the recessed area of the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventor: Kenneth Gregory Thomas
  • PIN TO REDUCE RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF DISK AND SPACER OF TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20180320708
    Abstract: An axial compressor of a turbine engine includes a plurality of disk and spacer pairs oriented along a common axis of rotation. Each of a disk and a spacer of the disk and spacer pairs has a contacting face defining an engagement between the disk and the spacer. The contacting face of each of the disk and the spacer includes a recessed area. A pin has a stem received within the recessed area of the disk and a head received within the recessed area of the spacer. The head of the pin includes at least two flats corresponding to complementary surfaces of the recessed area of the spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventor: Kenneth Gregory Thomas
  • Real time rotation breakaway detection
    Patent number: 9945386
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting the rotation breakaway of a spacer from a compressor rotor disk are disclosed herein. The method includes detecting a disk sensed feature and a spacer sensed feature on the compressor rotor disk and the spacer respectively. The method also includes comparing the timing between the two to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the relative position of the spacer to the compressor rotor disk exceeds a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may be selected to determine whether an imbalance, rubbing, or binding can occur in the gas turbine engine or to determine whether anti-rotation features have been broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: David Tai Wai Lee, Kwok-Kwong Ben Tse, Kenneth Gregory Thomas, Ching Kai Chan, Jorge Hernandez-Maldonado
  • REAL TIME ROTATION BREAKAWAY DETECTION
    Publication number: 20170234320
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting the rotation breakaway of a spacer from a compressor rotor disk are disclosed herein. The method includes detecting a disk sensed feature and a spacer sensed feature on the compressor rotor disk and the spacer respectively. The method also includes comparing the timing between the two to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the relative position of the spacer to the compressor rotor disk exceeds a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may be selected to determine whether an imbalance, rubbing, or binding can occur in the gas turbine engine or to determine whether anti-rotation features have been broken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: SOLAR TURBINES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Tai Wai Lee, Kwok-Kwong Ben Tse, Kenneth Gregory Thomas, Ching Kai Chan, Jorge Hernandez-Maldonado