Patents by Inventor Kevin Richard Graziano
Kevin Richard Graziano 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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Publication number: 20240026799Abstract: A seal assembly at a rotor-stator interface includes at least one non-contacting seal interface and at least one rub detection feature. The rub detection feature(s) is configured to generate a signal upon the rotor and the stator making contact at the rotor-stator interface and causing wear above a certain threshold at the rotor-stator interface. The seal assembly also includes at least one sensor arranged at the rotor-stator interface. The sensor is configured to sense the signal. The seal assembly further includes a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor(s). The controller is configured to receive the signal and estimate at least one of an amount and a location of the wear at the rotor-stator interface based on the signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2022Publication date: January 25, 2024Inventors: Narendra Anand Hardikar, Deepak Trivedi, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Scott Alan Schimmels, Kevin Richard Graziano
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Patent number: 11761386Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a fuel nozzle during engine operation is provided. Operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer at a first oxidizer flow condition to the combustion chamber, wherein the first oxidizer flow condition comprises an environmental parameter; operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition to produce a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber; comparing the environmental parameter to a first environmental parameter threshold; and transitioning the fuel system to a second fuel flow condition corresponding to a cleaning condition at the fuel nozzle if the environmental parameter is equal to or greater than the first environmental threshold.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2022Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Michael Scott McCambridge, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Publication number: 20220290620Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a fuel nozzle during engine operation is provided. Operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer at a first oxidizer flow condition to the combustion chamber, wherein the first oxidizer flow condition comprises an environmental parameter; operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition to produce a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber; comparing the environmental parameter to a first environmental parameter threshold; and transitioning the fuel system to a second fuel flow condition corresponding to a cleaning condition at the fuel nozzle if the environmental parameter is equal to or greater than the first environmental threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: Michael Scott McCambridge, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Patent number: 11359554Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a fuel nozzle during engine operation is provided. Operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer at a first oxidizer flow condition to the combustion chamber, wherein the first oxidizer flow condition comprises an environmental parameter; operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition to produce a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber; comparing the environmental parameter to a first environmental parameter threshold; and transitioning the fuel system to a second fuel flow condition corresponding to a cleaning condition at the fuel nozzle if the environmental parameter is equal to or greater than the first environmental threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2020Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Michael Scott McCambridge, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Patent number: 11268446Abstract: A gas turbine engine and method of starting, the gas turbine engine having a rotor comprising at least a shaft mounted compressor and turbine, with a casing surrounding the rotor. The method comprises an acceleration phase, a bowed-rotor cooling phase, during the acceleration, and a combustion phase. The bowed-rotor cooling phase comprises a time where the rotational speed of the rotor is maintained below a bowed-rotor threshold speed until a non-bowed condition is satisfied, wherein the air forced through the gas turbine engine cools the rotor. The combustion phase occurs after the bowed-rotor cooling phase and upon reaching the combustion speed, wherein fuel is supplied to the gas turbine engine is turned on.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Joseph Daniel Garrett, III, Mark Edward Linz, Tod Robert Steen, Thomas Charles Swager, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambridge, Robert Charles Hon, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Daniel Roy Kiracofe, Kenneth Kirchmayer, Joseph Roger Broda, Kevin Richard Graziano, Steven Alan Ross, Amid Ansari
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Patent number: 11261803Abstract: A method and system for fuel nozzle cleaning during engine operation is provided. The steps or operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber, operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition, in which the first fuel flow condition provides a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber, operating the fuel system at a second fuel flow condition, in which the second fuel flow condition provides the fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber equal at the first fuel flow condition and the second fuel flow condition, and operating the fuel system at a third fuel flow condition after operating the fuel system at the second fuel flow condition.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2020Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Michael Scott McCambridge, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Publication number: 20210277838Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a fuel nozzle during engine operation is provided. Operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer at a first oxidizer flow condition to the combustion chamber, wherein the first oxidizer flow condition comprises an environmental parameter; operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition to produce a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber; comparing the environmental parameter to a first environmental parameter threshold; and transitioning the fuel system to a second fuel flow condition corresponding to a cleaning condition at the fuel nozzle if the environmental parameter is equal to or greater than the first environmental threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2020Publication date: September 9, 2021Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Michael Scott McCambridge, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Publication number: 20210277796Abstract: A method and system for fuel nozzle cleaning during engine operation is provided. The steps or operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber, operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition, in which the first fuel flow condition provides a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber, operating the fuel system at a second fuel flow condition, in which the second fuel flow condition provides the fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber equal at the first fuel flow condition and the second fuel flow condition, and operating the fuel system at a third fuel flow condition after operating the fuel system at the second fuel flow condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2020Publication date: September 9, 2021Inventors: Michael Scott McCambridge, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Eric John Kress, Kevin Richard Graziano, Brendon Matthew Leeker
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Publication number: 20200240329Abstract: A gas turbine engine and method of starting, the gas turbine engine having a rotor comprising at least a shaft mounted compressor and turbine, with a casing surrounding the rotor. The method comprises an acceleration phase, a bowed-rotor cooling phase, during the acceleration, and a combustion phase. The bowed-rotor cooling phase comprises a time where the rotational speed of the rotor is maintained below a bowed-rotor threshold speed until a non-bowed condition is satisfied, wherein the air forced through the gas turbine engine cools the rotor. The combustion phase occurs after the bowed-rotor cooling phase and upon reaching the combustion speed, wherein fuel is supplied to the gas turbine engine is turned on.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2019Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Amid Ansari, Joseph Roger Broda, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Kevin Richard Graziano, Robert Charles Hon, Kenneth Kirchmayer, Daniel Roy Kiracofe, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambridge, Tod Robert Steen, Thomas Charles Swager
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Patent number: 10724443Abstract: A method of operating a turbine engine that includes actuating a starter motor of the turbine engine such that a motoring speed of the turbine engine increases, and actuating a plurality of variable stator vanes of the turbine engine such that the plurality of variable stator vanes are at least partially open to control the motoring speed of the turbine engine.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2016Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Charles Hon, Thomas Charles Swager, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambridge, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Joseph Roger Broda, Kevin Richard Graziano, Amid Ansari, Kenneth Lee Kirchmayer, Tod Robert Steen, Daniel Roy Kiracofe
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Patent number: 10502139Abstract: A method of starting a gas turbine engine having a rotor comprising at least a shaft-mounted compressor and turbine, with a casing surrounding the rotor includes an acceleration phase, a bowed-rotor cooling phase, during the acceleration, and a combustion phase. The bowed-rotor cooling phase comprises a time where the rotational speed of the rotor is maintained below a bowed-rotor threshold speed until a non-bowed condition is satisfied, wherein the air forced through the gas turbine engine cools the rotor. The combustion phase occurs after the bowed-rotor cooling phase and upon reaching the combustion speed, wherein fuel is supplied to the gas turbine engine.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2015Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Steven Alan Ross, Mark Edward Linz, Joseph Daniel Garrett, III, Amid Ansari, Joseph Roger Broda, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Kevin Richard Graziano, Robert Charles Hon, Kenneth Kirchmayer, Daniel Roy Kiracofe, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambridge, Tod Robert Steen, Thomas Charles Swager
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Publication number: 20170342908Abstract: A method of operating a turbine engine that includes actuating a starter motor of the turbine engine such that a motoring speed of the turbine engine increases, and actuating a plurality of variable stator vanes of the turbine engine such that the plurality of variable stator vanes are at least partially open to control the motoring speed of the turbine engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2016Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Robert Charles Hon, Thomas Charles Swager, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambridge, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Joseph Roger Broda, Kevin Richard Graziano, Amid Ansari, Kenneth Kirchmayer, Tod Robert Steen, Daniel Roy Kiracofe
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Publication number: 20160348588Abstract: A method of starting a gas turbine engine having a rotor comprising at least a shaft mounted compressor and turbine, with a casing surrounding the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2015Publication date: December 1, 2016Inventors: Steven Alan Ross, Mark Edward Linz, Joseph Daniel Garrett, III, Amid Ansari, Joseph Roger Broda, Thomas Earl Gillingham, Kevin Richard Graziano, Robert Charles Hon, Kenneth Kirchmayer, Daniel Roy Kiracofe, Andrew Todd Lehmann, Michael Scott McCambrige, Tod Robert Steen, Thomas Charles Swager