Patents by Inventor Kevin Weston McMahan
Kevin Weston McMahan 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: 11773739Abstract: A flexible seal for sealing between two adjacent gas turbine components includes a forward end, an aft end axially separated from the forward end, and an intermediate portion between the forward end and the aft end. The intermediate portion defines a continuous curve in the circumferential direction, such that the aft end is circumferentially offset from the forward end. In other cases, the forward and aft ends are axially, radially, and circumferentially offset from one another. A method of sealing using the flexible seal includes inserting, in an axial direction, the aft end of the flexible seal into a recess defined by respective seal slots of two adjacent gas turbine components; and pushing the flexible seal in an axial direction through the recess until the forward end is disposed within the recess.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Klara Sezer, Deepak Trivedi
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Patent number: 11231175Abstract: An integrated combustor nozzle includes an inner liner segment; an outer liner segment; and a panel extending radially between the inner and outer liner segments. The panel includes a forward end, an aft end, and a side walls extending axially from the forward end to the aft end. The aft end defines a turbine nozzle having a trailing edge circumferentially offset from the forward end. The inner liner segment has a pair of sealing surfaces, each of which defines a first continuous curve in the circumferential direction. The outer liner segment has a pair of sealing surfaces, each of which defines a second continuous curve in the circumferential direction. In some instances, the curves are monotonic in the circumferential direction. A segmented annular combustor including an array of such integrated combustor nozzles is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Sezer, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Deepak Trivedi
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Patent number: 11215072Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2017Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
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Publication number: 20210324754Abstract: A flexible seal for sealing between two adjacent gas turbine components includes a forward end, an aft end axially separated from the forward end, and an intermediate portion between the forward end and the aft end. The intermediate portion defines a continuous curve in the circumferential direction, such that the aft end is circumferentially offset from the forward end. In other cases, the forward and aft ends are axially, radially, and circumferentially offset from one another. A method of sealing using the flexible seal includes inserting, in an axial direction, the aft end of the flexible seal into a recess defined by respective seal slots of two adjacent gas turbine components; and pushing the flexible seal in an axial direction through the recess until the forward end is disposed within the recess.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Klara Sezer, Deepak Trivedi
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Patent number: 11137143Abstract: A system includes a layered structure. The layered structure includes first and second coalesced layers and an intermediate layer disposed between the first and second coalesced layers. The first and second coalesced layers have a higher degree of coalescence than the intermediate layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2017Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Geoffrey David Myers
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Patent number: 11047248Abstract: A flexible seal for sealing between two adjacent gas turbine components includes a forward end, an aft end axially separated from the forward end, and an intermediate portion between the forward end and the aft end. The intermediate portion defines a continuous curve in the circumferential direction, such that the aft end is circumferentially offset from the forward end. In other cases, the forward and aft ends are axially, radially, and circumferentially offset from one another. A method of sealing using the flexible seal includes inserting, in an axial direction, the aft end of the flexible seal into a recess defined by respective seal slots of two adjacent gas turbine components; and pushing the flexible seal in an axial direction through the recess until the forward end is disposed within the recess.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2018Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Sezer, Deepak Trivedi
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Patent number: 10718224Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2017Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
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Patent number: 10690056Abstract: A segmented annular combustion system includes an alternating arrangement of fuel nozzles and integrated combustor nozzles. The fuel nozzles deliver fuel to the primary combustion zones. The integrated combustor nozzles include an inner liner segment, an outer liner segment, and a fuel injection panel extending between the liner segments. The fuel injection panel includes injection outlets on one or both side walls to deliver a combustible mixture to the secondary combustion zones. Each fuel injection panel, which provides a boundary between adjacent primary and secondary combustion zones, includes an aft end that defines a turbine nozzle. The segmented annular combustion system is part of a gas turbine.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2017Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Stanley Kevin Widener, Michael John Hughes, James Scott Flanagan, Joseph Vincent Citeno, Kevin Weston McMahan
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Patent number: 10684016Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2017Date of Patent: June 16, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III
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Patent number: 10584880Abstract: A segmented annular combustion system includes integrated combustor nozzles, each of which has a fuel injection panel disposed radially between an inner liner segment and an outer liner segment. An aft end portion of the fuel injection panel defines a turbine nozzle. One or more hook plates attached to the outer surfaces of the liner segments are used to mount the integrated combustor nozzle to an inner mounting ring or an outer mounting ring. A mounting strut or mounting tenon(s) attached to the liner segments may also be employed.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2017Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes, Kevin Weston McMahan
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Publication number: 20190383488Abstract: An integrated combustor nozzle includes an inner liner segment; an outer liner segment; and a panel extending radially between the inner and outer liner segments. The panel includes a forward end, an aft end, and a side walls extending axially from the forward end to the aft end. The aft end defines a turbine nozzle having a trailing edge circumferentially offset from the forward end. The inner liner segment has a pair of sealing surfaces, each of which defines a first continuous curve in the circumferential direction. The outer liner segment has a pair of sealing surfaces, each of which defines a second continuous curve in the circumferential direction. In some instances, the curves are monotonic in the circumferential direction. A segmented annular combustor including an array of such integrated combustor nozzles is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2018Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Sezer, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Deepak Trivedi
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Publication number: 20190383156Abstract: A flexible seal for sealing between two adjacent gas turbine components includes a forward end, an aft end axially separated from the forward end, and an intermediate portion between the forward end and the aft end. The intermediate portion defines a continuous curve in the circumferential direction, such that the aft end is circumferentially offset from the forward end. In other cases, the forward and aft ends are axially, radially, and circumferentially offset from one another. A method of sealing using the flexible seal includes inserting, in an axial direction, the aft end of the flexible seal into a recess defined by respective seal slots of two adjacent gas turbine components; and pushing the flexible seal in an axial direction through the recess until the forward end is disposed within the recess.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2018Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Russell Pierson DeForest, Kevin Weston McMahan, Victor John Morgan, Ibrahim Sezer, Deepak Trivedi
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Patent number: 10337404Abstract: Turbine nozzle assemblies include a plurality of circumferentially spaced first components and second components, which are designed to provide different amounts of cooling. The second components, which are generally aligned with an opening of transition pieces, are designed to provide more cooling than the first components, which are generally aligned with interfaces between the transition pieces.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2010Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Joseph V. Citeno
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Publication number: 20190112943Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2017Publication date: April 18, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
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Publication number: 20190112936Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2017Publication date: April 18, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
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Publication number: 20190113230Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2017Publication date: April 18, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III
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Patent number: 10260424Abstract: A turbomachine includes a plurality of transition ducts disposed in a generally annular array. Each transition duct includes an inlet, an outlet, and a passage defining an interior and extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis. The outlet of each transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. Each transition duct further includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion. The turbomachine further includes a late injection assembly disposed between the upstream portion and the downstream portion of a transition duct and which provides fluid communication for an injection fluid to flow into the interior downstream of the inlet of the transition duct. The late injection assembly includes a late injection ring.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Scott Flanagan, Kevin Weston McMahan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue
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Patent number: 10260360Abstract: A turbomachine includes a plurality of transition ducts and a support ring assembly. The outlet of a transition duct includes an inner flange and an outer flange. The turbomachine includes bore holes defined in the inner flange and outer flange, mating bore holes defined in the support ring assembly, and mechanical fasteners connecting the inner flange and the outer flange to the support ring assembly. A first one of the bore holes or mating bore holes has a first maximum radial gap and a first maximum tangential gap relative to an associated mechanical fastener. A second one of the bore holes or mating bore holes has a second maximum radial gap and a second maximum tangential gap relative to an associated mechanical fastener. The second maximum radial gap is greater than the first maximum radial gap or the second maximum tangential gap is greater than the first maximum tangential gap.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Scott Flanagan, Kevin Weston McMahan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue
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Patent number: 10260752Abstract: A turbomachine includes a plurality of transition ducts disposed in a generally annular array. Each of the plurality of transition ducts includes an inlet, an outlet, and a passage defining an interior and extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis. The outlet of each of the plurality of transition ducts is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The turbomachine includes a support ring assembly downstream of the plurality of transition ducts along a hot gas path, and a plurality of mechanical fasteners connecting at least one transition duct of the plurality of transition ducts to the support ring assembly. The turbomachine includes a late injection assembly providing fluid communication for an injection fluid to flow into the interior downstream of the inlet of at least one transition duct of the plurality of transition ducts.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan, James Scott Flanagan
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Patent number: 10227883Abstract: A turbomachine includes a plurality of transition ducts disposed in a generally annular array and including a first transition duct and a second transition duct. Each of the plurality of transition ducts includes an inlet, an outlet, and a passage extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis, the outlet of each of the plurality of transition ducts offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The turbomachine further includes a support ring assembly downstream of the plurality of transition ducts along a hot gas path, and a plurality of mechanical fasteners connecting at least one transition duct of the plurality of transition ducts to the support ring assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2016Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, James Scott Flanagan