Patents by Inventor Kian McCaldon

Kian McCaldon 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).

  • Patent number: 10184403
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The nozzle has a body and a center axis. The body has an inner circumferential surface circumscribing a central passageway which is coaxial with the center axis. The nozzle also has air passages which extend predominantly radially inward through the body. The air passage outlets of each air passage are circumferentially spaced apart from one another along the inner circumferential surface. Each air passage conveys air through the body toward the nozzle center axis and into the central passageway. The nozzle also has fuel passages which extend through the body. Each fuel passage is disposed within the body between adjacent circumferentially spaced apart air passages and is transverse to the direction of extension of its neighboring air passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Kian McCaldon, Oleg Morenko
  • Patent number: 10156189
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a combustor having a combustor liner assembly and a mounting bracket provided on the combustor liner assembly, a floating collar being slidingly received on the mounting bracket for relative sliding movement in a plane normal to an axis of an igniter opening in the liner assembly. The floating collar includes an annular surface defining a collar opening, and an igniter having an axis concentric with the axis of the collar opening is sealingly engages the annular surface. A plurality of purge openings defined in at least one of the igniter and the floating collar form cooling airflow passages communicating from the plenum to the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Robert Sze, Kian McCaldon, Honza Stastny
  • Publication number: 20180010801
    Abstract: A floating collar assembly for a gas turbine engine combustor includes a ferrule having a peripheral wall and a recessed surface bounded by the peripheral wall, the recessed surface of the ferrule including a particulate collecting groove adjacent the peripheral wall, and a cap secured to the peripheral wall of the ferrule. The recessed surface of the ferrule, an interior surface of the cap and the peripheral wall of the ferrule define a cavity. A floating collar is disposed within the cavity and includes a peripheral flange inwardly spaced a distance from the peripheral wall of the ferrule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Jakub Strzepek, Sri Sreekanth, Kian McCaldon, Honza Stastny, Dan Titrica
  • Publication number: 20160047315
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The nozzle has a body and a center axis. The body has an inner circumferential surface circumscribing a central passageway which is coaxial with the center axis. The nozzle also has air passages which extend predominantly radially inward through the body. The air passage outlets of each air passage are circumferentially spaced apart from one another along the inner circumferential surface. Each air passage conveys air through the body toward the nozzle center axis and into the central passageway. The nozzle also has fuel passages which extend through the body. Each fuel passage is disposed within the body between adjacent circumferentially spaced apart air passages and is transverse to the direction of extension of its neighboring air passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Kian McCaldon, Oleg Morenko
  • Patent number: 9182318
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inspecting cooling holes in a wall of a combustor of a gas turbine engine are disclosed. An exemplary method disclosed may comprise: heating the wall of the combustor; directing a flow of cooling fluid through the one or more cooling holes in the wall of the combustor while the wall is being heated; acquiring a first measurement indicative of a flow rate of the cooling fluid through the one or more cooling holes; and acquiring a second measurement indicative of a cooling effectiveness provided by the cooling fluid flowing through the one or more cooling holes at the flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Kian McCaldon
  • Publication number: 20150211420
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a combustor having a combustor liner assembly and a mounting bracket provided on the combustor liner assembly, a floating collar being slidingly received on the mounting bracket for relative sliding movement in a plane normal to an axis of an igniter opening in the liner assembly. The floating collar includes an annular surface defining a collar opening, and an igniter having an axis concentric with the axis of the collar opening is sealingly engages the annular surface. A plurality of purge openings defined in at least one of the igniter and the floating collar form cooling airflow passages communicating from the plenum to the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Robert Sze, Kian McCaldon, Honza Stastny
  • Publication number: 20150033836
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inspecting cooling holes in a wall of a combustor of a gas turbine engine are disclosed. An exemplary method disclosed may comprise: heating the wall of the combustor; directing a flow of cooling fluid through the one or more cooling holes in the wall of the combustor while the wall is being heated; acquiring a first measurement indicative of a flow rate of the cooling fluid through the one or more cooling holes; and acquiring a second measurement indicative of a cooling effectiveness provided by the cooling fluid flowing through the one or more cooling holes at the flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Kian McCaldon
  • Patent number: 8303243
    Abstract: An access conduit for access to the interior of a combustor for the washing of the turbine components of a gas turbine engine. The access conduit is secured between a gas generator case and a combustion chamber liner of the combustor. The access conduit has an open outer end accessible from an outer face of the gas generator case and an open inner end exiting in a combustion chamber through the liner. The access conduit has one or more openings disposed in a combustor gap between the gas generator case and the liner of the combustor. A plug is removably secured in the open outer end and extends into the access conduit to obstruct the one or more openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jason Fish, Kian McCaldon
  • Patent number: 7950233
    Abstract: A combustor is provided having one or more apertures adapted to asymmetrically introduce air adjacent the fuel nozzles to reduce smoke resulting from unburned hydrocarbons in a gas turbine engine combustion system by impeding escape of unburned hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Hisham Alkabie, Kian McCaldon
  • Publication number: 20100178158
    Abstract: An access conduit for access to the interior of a combustor for the washing of the turbine components of a gas turbine engine. The access conduit is secured between a gas generator case and a combustion chamber liner of the combustor. The access conduit has an open outer end accessible from an outer face of the gas generator case and an open inner end exiting in a combustion chamber through the liner. The access conduit has one or more openings disposed in a combustor gap between the gas generator case and the liner of the combustor. A plug is removably secured in the open outer end and extends into the access conduit to obstruct the one or more openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Jason Fish, Kian McCaldon
  • Patent number: 7628020
    Abstract: A combustor having a combustor wall with a plurality of angled effusion holes defined therethrough. The tangential component of the hole direction of the effusion holes corresponds to a same rotational direction about the central axis of the combustor. The effusion holes directional arrangement is angled from a radial plane and the combustor liner surfaces in order to promote swirl at the combustor exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Cororation
    Inventors: Hisham Alkabie, Oleg Morenko, Kian McCaldon
  • Publication number: 20070271925
    Abstract: A combustor having a combustor wall with a plurality of angled effusion holes defined therethrough, the tangential component of the hole direction of the effusion holes corresponding to a same rotational direction with respect to the central axis of the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Hisham Alkabie, Oleg Morenko, Kian McCaldon
  • Publication number: 20070227150
    Abstract: A combustor is provided having one or more apertures adapted to asymmetrically introduce air adjacent the fuel nozzles to reduce smoke resulting from unburned hydrocarbons in a gas turbine engine combustion system by impeding escape of unburned hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Hisham Alkabie, Kian McCaldon
  • Patent number: 6871488
    Abstract: A gas fuel nozzle for mounting in a combustor wall of a gas turbine engine, with an at least partially radially-directed array of gas fuel outlets extending beyond an air flow head having an array of compressed air jet apertures around the gas fuel outlets. The air flow head also has a deflector for creating an axial flow of air for deflecting in an axial direction the radially-injected gas fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Saeid Oskooei, Kian McCaldon
  • Publication number: 20040112061
    Abstract: A gas fuel nozzle for mounting in a combustor wall of a gas turbine engine, with an at least partially radially-directed array of gas fuel outlets extending beyond an air flow head having an array of compressed air jet apertures around the gas fuel outlets. The air flow head also has a deflector for creating an axial flow of air for deflecting in an axial direction the radially-injected gas fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Saeid Oskooei, Kian McCaldon
  • Patent number: 6079199
    Abstract: A one piece cold combustor wall for lining the reverse flow hot combustor wall of a gas turbine engine, disposed at a distance from the outer surface of the hot combustor wall. Improved cooling of the hot combustor wall results from the addition of impingement cooling air injected through orifices in the cold combustion wall directed at the hot combustion wall together with film cooling by air conducted between the hot and cold combustor walls. The cold combustor wall is perforated with a pattern of air impingement inlet orifices through the cold combustor wall conducting compressed air from the outer surface of the cold combustor wall in compressed air jets directed at the outer surface of the hot combustor wall. The provision of a cold combustor wall also improves conventional air film cooling by adding impingement cooling and reusing the air after impingement to form a contained air film between the hot and cold walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Kian McCaldon, Robert Ming Lap Aze, Parthasarathy Sampath