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).

  • Publication number: 20160047313
    Abstract: A bushing includes a body extending from a first end to a second end through an intermediate portion. The body includes a passage having a first centerline extending from the first end to the second end. A first alignment member is formed on a first section of the intermediate portion at the first end. The first alignment member includes an outer surface having a plurality of splines configured to be received by a first component to be joined. A second alignment member is formed on a second section of the intermediate portion. The second alignment member includes a second centerline that is off-set relative to the first centerline and is configured to be received by a second component to be joined with the first component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Mark Carmine Bellino, Kevin Weston McMahan, Lucas John Stoia, Christopher Paul Willis
  • Patent number: 9255484
    Abstract: An aft frame and a method for cooling an aft frame are disclosed. In one embodiment, an aft frame for a transition piece in a combustor is disclosed. The combustor includes the transition piece and an impingement sleeve at least partially defining a flow path therebetween. The aft frame includes a body and a generally radially extending cooling passage defined in the body, the cooling passage comprising a first end configured to accept a coolant. The aft frame further includes an exhaust passage defined in the body, the exhaust passage including a first end in communication with the cooling passage and a second end configured for communication with the flow path for flowing the coolant therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David William Cihlar, Patrick Benedict Melton, David Leach, Kevin Weston McMahan
  • Patent number: 9243506
    Abstract: A transition nozzle for use with a turbine assembly is provided. The transition nozzle includes a liner defining a combustion chamber therein, a wrapper circumscribing the liner such that a cooling duct is defined between the wrapper and the liner, a cooling fluid inlet configured to supply a cooling fluid to the cooling duct, and a plurality of ribs coupled between the liner and the wrapper such that a plurality of cooling channels are defined in the cooling duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Ronald James Chila, David Richard Johns
  • Patent number: 9145778
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a head end with a non-circular configuration, a number of fuel nozzles positioned about the head end, and a transition piece extending downstream of the head end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Won-Wook Kim, Kevin Weston McMahan
  • Patent number: 9133722
    Abstract: A system for supplying an injection fluid to a combustor is disclosed. The system includes a transition duct comprising 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 the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The passage defines a combustion chamber. The system further includes a tube providing fluid communication for the injection fluid to flow through the transition duct and into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Ronnie Ray Pentecost, James Scott Flanagan, Won-Wook Kim, Kevin Weston McMahan
  • Publication number: 20150239046
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Geoffrey David Myers
  • Patent number: 9109447
    Abstract: A combustion system including a transition piece and method of forming the transition piece using a cast nickel-based superalloy is provided. The transition piece includes a body defining a flowpath and enclosure, the body having a circular inlet section for receiving combustion product from the combustor and an outlet end for flowing the combustor products into a first stage nozzle of a gas turbine. The transition piece comprises a one-piece single casting construction of the circular inlet section, the body, and the outlet end. The transition piece is formed from a nickel-based superalloy. The transition piece has a thick-to-thin ratio of wall thickness of thick transition to wall thickness of thin transition of about 1.1 to about 2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Arthur Peck, Nicholas Vlessis
  • Patent number: 9097184
    Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, a system includes an annular duct having an inner annular wall and an outer annular wall. The system also includes a plurality of injector vanes configured to mix air and fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture, and configured to inject the air-fuel mixture into a central chamber between the inner and outer annular walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sergey Aleksandrovich Stryapunin, Kevin Weston McMahan, Geoffrey David Myers
  • Patent number: 9080447
    Abstract: Turbine systems are provided. In one embodiment, a turbine system includes a transition duct comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a duct passage extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis. The outlet of the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The duct passage includes an upstream portion extending from the inlet and a downstream portion extending from the outlet. The turbine system further includes a rib extending from an outer surface of the duct passage, the rib dividing the upstream portion and the downstream portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Jaime Javier Maldonado, Daniel Jackson Dillard, James Scott Flanagan
  • Patent number: 9038394
    Abstract: A turbine system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the turbine system includes a transition duct. The transition duct 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 the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The transition duct further includes an interface feature for interfacing with an adjacent transition duct. The turbine system further includes a convolution seal contacting the interface feature to provide a seal between the interface feature and the adjacent transition duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan, Daniel Jackson Dillard, Ronnie Ray Pentecost
  • Publication number: 20150114003
    Abstract: Transition duct assemblies for turbine systems and turbomachines are provided. In one embodiment, a transition duct assembly includes a plurality of transition ducts disposed in a generally annular array and comprising 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 transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The transition duct assembly further includes an aerodynamic structure defined by the passages of the first transition duct and the second transition duct. The aerodynamic structure includes a pressure side, a suction side, and a trailing edge, the trailing edge having a modified aerodynamic contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Carl Gerard Schott, Clint Luigie Ingram, Gunnar Leif Siden, Sylvain Pierre
  • Patent number: 8978388
    Abstract: A loading assembly for a turbine system is disclosed. The loading assembly includes a transition duct and a load member. The transition duct extends between a fuel nozzle and a turbine section, and has 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 the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The load member extends from the transition duct and is configured to transfer a load between the transition duct and an adjacent transition duct along at least one of the longitudinal axis, the radial axis, or the tangential axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan, Ronnie Ray Pentecost
  • Patent number: 8974179
    Abstract: A turbine system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the turbine system includes a transition duct. The transition duct 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 the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The transition duct further includes an interface member for interfacing with a turbine section. The turbine system further includes a convolution seal contacting the interface member to provide a seal between the interface member and the turbine section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan, Daniel Jackson Dillard, Ronnie Ray Pentecost
  • Patent number: 8966910
    Abstract: A turbine assembly includes a fuel nozzle configured to mix fuel and air and a transition nozzle oriented to receive the fuel and air mixture from the fuel nozzle. The transition nozzle includes a transition portion and a nozzle portion integrally formed with the transition portion. The transition nozzle includes a plurality of openings oriented to channel air to facilitate cooling the transition portion and/or the nozzle portion. The transition portion is oriented to channel combustion gases towards the nozzle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Ronald James Chila, David Richard Johns
  • Patent number: 8915087
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for transferring heat from a transition nozzle. The transition nozzle includes a transition portion, a nozzle portion integrally formed with the transition portion, and at least one surface feature configured to transfer heat away from the transition portion and/or the nozzle portion. The transition portion is oriented to channel the combustion gases towards the nozzle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Ronald James Chila, David Richard Johns
  • Publication number: 20140283520
    Abstract: Turbine systems are provided. In one embodiment, a turbine system includes a transition duct comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a duct passage extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis. The outlet of the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The duct passage includes an upstream portion extending from the inlet and a downstream portion extending from the outlet. The turbine system further includes a rib extending from an outer surface of the duct passage, the rib dividing the upstream portion and the downstream portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Jaime Javier Maldonado, Daniel Jackson Dillard, James Scott Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20140245746
    Abstract: A combustion arrangement includes a combustion section. Also included is an air discharge section downstream of the combustion section. Further included is a transition region disposed between the combustion section and the air discharge section. Yet further included is a transition piece defining the combustion section and the transition region, wherein the transition piece is configured to carry a combusted gas flow from the combustion section to the air discharge section. Also included is a damping device operatively coupled to the transition piece proximate the air discharge section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Shiva Kumar Srinivasan, James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan
  • Patent number: 8769956
    Abstract: A system comprising a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a mounting base and an inlet flow conditioner extending directly from the mounting base in a downstream direction. Moreover, the inlet flow conditioner structurally supports the fuel nozzle without a central support member extending directly from the mounting base inside the inlet flow conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Kevin Weston McMahan, Carl Robert Barker
  • Publication number: 20140150434
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine generally includes a main body having an upstream end axially separated from a downstream end. The main body at least partially defines a fuel supply passage that extends through the upstream end and at least partially through the main body. A fuel distribution manifold is disposed at the downstream end of the main body. The fuel distribution manifold includes a plurality of axially extending passages that extend through the fuel distribution manifold. A plurality of fuel injection ports defines a flow path between the fuel supply passage and each of the plurality of axially extending passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith Cletus Belsom, Kevin Weston McMahan, Larry Lou Thomas
  • Publication number: 20140137535
    Abstract: The present application provides a clocked combustor can array for coherence reduction in a gas turbine engine. The clocked combustor can array may include a number of combustor cans positioned in a circumferential array. A first set of the combustor cans may have a first orientation and a second set of the combustor cans may have a second orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Won-Wook Kim, Kevin Weston McMahan, Shiva Kumar Srinivasan