Patents by Inventor Melbourne James Myers
Melbourne James Myers 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: 20190292913Abstract: A turbine rotor blade including an airfoil, tip shroud, and fillet formed therebetween. The fillet defines a fillet profile variable about the intersection for connecting the tip shroud and airfoil and facilitating aerodynamic airflow. The fillet includes a pressure side fillet. The pressure side fillet comprises a pressure side fillet profile per points within a first set of points of X, Y and Z coordinate values in a Cartesian coordinate system, as set forth in Table I, where X, Y and Z are distances in inches from an origin and, when the points are connected by smooth, continuing arcs, the points define the pressure side fillet profile of the pressure side fillet. The first set of points includes points between and including point 1 and point 50 of each reference plane between and including a reference plane H and a reference plane W, as set forth in Table I.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2018Publication date: September 26, 2019Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Scott Zemitis, Melbourne James Myers, Richard Ryan Pilson, Jacob Charles Perry, II
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Patent number: 10400610Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends from a root end to a tip end, and a tip shroud extending from the tip end. The tip shroud includes a shroud plate that includes a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a primary contact surface configured to couple against an adjacent tip shroud, and a notch extending at least partially downstream from the primary contact surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Melbourne James Myers
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Patent number: 10247006Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention include turbine blades and systems employing such blades. Various particular embodiments include a turbine blade having: an airfoil having: a suction side; a pressure side opposing the suction side; a leading edge spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; and a trailing edge opposing the leading edge and spanning between the pressure side and the suction side, wherein the trailing edge defines a radial throat distribution between the airfoil and an adjacent airfoil; and a base connected with a first end of the airfoil along the suction side, pressure side, trailing edge and the leading edge.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Dennis Scott Holloway, Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Melbourne James Myers, Peter Paul Pirolla, William Scott Zemitis
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Patent number: 10247009Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine system. The rotor blade includes a platform having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface. A shank portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The shank portion and the platform collectively define a shank pocket. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of the platform. The shank portion, the platform, and the airfoil collectively define a cooling passage extending from a cooling passage inlet defined by the shank portion or the platform and directly coupled to the shank pocket through the platform to a cooling passage outlet defined by the airfoil.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Melbourne James Myers, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Stuart Samuel Collins, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Joseph Block
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Patent number: 10066488Abstract: A turbomachine blade is disclosed including an airfoil including a cooling fluid plenum extending therein and a trailing edge cooling opening extending from the cooling fluid plenum through a trailing edge of the airfoil. A platform may couple the airfoil to a shank, the platform including a trailing edge extending downstream relative to the shank. At least one cooling conduit delivers a cooling fluid radially inward from at least one of the cooling fluid plenum and the trailing edge cooling opening to a wheel space that is adjacent the shank and radially inward from the trailing edge of the platform. A related turbomachine is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Xiuzhang James Zhang
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Publication number: 20180230821Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends from a root end to a tip end. A tip shroud extends from the tip end. The turbine blade further includes a pressure side fillet. The pressure side fillet couples the tip end to the tip shroud. The pressure side fillet includes a first protrusion located adjacent to the tip end and a second protrusion located radially inward from the first protrusion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Mahesh Pasupuleti, Bryan David Lewis, Melbourne James Myers
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Publication number: 20180230806Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that includes a root end and a tip end. The tip end is radially spaced from the root end. A tip shroud extends from the tip end. The tip shroud includes a shroud plate. The shroud plate includes a plurality of undulating ridges.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Melbourne James Myers, Dustin Jaime Muller
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Publication number: 20180230820Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends radially between a root end and a tip end, a platform coupled to the root end, and a shank that extends radially inwardly from the platform. The shank includes a cover plate. The cover plate includes an outer surface, an opposite inner surface, and a contoured face that at least partially defines a damper pin slot. The contoured face extends from the outer surface to a first blend edge. The cover plate also includes a blended surface that extends from the first blend edge to a second blend edge. The second blend edge intersects with the inner surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Melbourne James Myers, Richard Ryan Pilson, Calvin Levy Sims
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Publication number: 20180230829Abstract: A method of modifying a shank of a turbine blade from an initial profile to an undercut profile includes removing a first portion of material from an underside of a downstream angel wing of the turbine blade. The downstream angel wing extends axially from a downstream cover plate of the shank. The method also includes removing a second portion of material from a generally axially-extending portion of the downstream cover plate adjacent a dovetail of the turbine blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Felipe Roman-Morales, Melbourne James Myers, Kevin Lee Worley
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Publication number: 20180230828Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends radially between a root end and a tip end, a platform coupled to the root end, and a shank that extends radially inwardly from the platform. The shank includes a downstream cover plate and a downstream angel wing that extends axially from the downstream cover plate. A portion of the downstream cover plate radially outward of the downstream angel wing defines an approximately linear profile. The turbine blade also includes a dovetail region that extends radially inwardly from the shank. A profile of a portion of the downstream cover plate radially inward of the downstream angel wing is recessed relative to the linear profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Felipe Roman-Morales, Melbourne James Myers
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Publication number: 20180230816Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends from a root end to a tip end, and a tip shroud extending from the tip end. The tip shroud includes a shroud plate that includes a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a primary contact surface configured to couple against an adjacent tip shroud, and a notch extending at least partially downstream from the primary contact surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Melbourne James Myers
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Publication number: 20180230819Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that extends from a root end to a tip end, and a tip shroud extending from the tip end. The tip shroud includes a shroud rail that includes a series of regions along a circumferential width of the shroud rail. The series of regions includes a first edge region adjacent to a suction side edge of the tip shroud, and a wide region. A thickness of the wide region is greater than a thickness of the first edge region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Melbourne James Myers
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Publication number: 20180016902Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention include turbine blades and systems employing such blades. Various particular embodiments include a turbine blade having: an airfoil having: a suction side; a pressure side opposing the suction side; a leading edge spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; and a trailing edge opposing the leading edge and spanning between the pressure side and the suction side, wherein the trailing edge defines a radial throat distribution between the airfoil and an adjacent airfoil; and a base connected with a first end of the airfoil along the suction side, pressure side, trailing edge and the leading edge.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2016Publication date: January 18, 2018Inventors: Dennis Scott Holloway, Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Melbourne James Myers, Peter Paul Pirolla, William Scott Zemitis
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Publication number: 20170342841Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine system. The rotor blade includes a platform having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface. A shank portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The shank portion and the platform collectively define a shank pocket. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of the platform. The shank portion, the platform, and the airfoil collectively define a cooling passage extending from a cooling passage inlet defined by the shank portion or the platform and directly coupled to the shank pocket through the platform to a cooling passage outlet defined by the airfoil.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2016Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Melbourne James Myers, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Stuart Samuel Collins, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Joseph Block
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Patent number: 9759070Abstract: The present application provides a turbine bucket. The turbine bucket may include an airfoil and a tip shroud attached to the airfoil. The tip shroud may include a cooling core and an enhanced cooling surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2013Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Robert Joseph Testa, Jr., Haiping Wang
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Publication number: 20170152752Abstract: A turbomachine blade is disclosed including an airfoil including a cooling fluid plenum extending therein and a trailing edge cooling opening extending from the cooling fluid plenum through a trailing edge of the airfoil. A platform may couple the airfoil to a shank, the platform including a trailing edge root extending downstream relative to the shank. At least one cooling conduit delivers a cooling fluid radially inward from at least one of the cooling fluid plenum and the trailing edge cooling opening to a wheel space that is adjacent the shank and radially inward from the trailing edge root. A related turbomachine is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 1, 2017Inventors: Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Xiuzhang James Zhang
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Publication number: 20160362988Abstract: A method is provided for modifying an airfoil shroud located at a tip of a blade of an airfoil, the airfoil shroud having a first end edge, a second end edge, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The method includes locating a reference location in the first end edge of the airfoil shroud, the reference location including a portion of a seal rail extending circumferentially from a radially outer surface of the airfoil shroud, and a fillet extending from the radially outer surface and positioned directly adjacent to the seal rail. The method further includes forming a relief cut in the seal rail and fillet without performing a weld process on the airfoil shroud to remove the reference location, and installing the airfoil shroud in a turbomachine directly following forming the relief cut, wherein modifying the airfoil shroud is complete following forming the relief cut.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Inventors: John David Ward, Kelvin Rono Aaron, James Ryan Connor, Melbourne James Myers, Brad Wilson VanTassel
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Patent number: 9388699Abstract: A cooling circuit for a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion includes a trailing edge cooling circuit portion provided with a first radially outwardly directed inlet passage intermediate leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion of the bucket, extending from a platform portion of the bucket to a location adjacent a radially outer tip of the bucket, and connecting to a second radially inwardly directed passage extending from a location adjacent the radially outer tip to a location adjacent the platform portion. The second radially inwardly directed passage connects to a third trailing edge region passage, and a plurality of crossover passages connect a radially outer half of the second radially inwardly directed passage to a radially outer half of the third trailing edge region passage.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Zhirui Dong, Xiuhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo
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Publication number: 20150064010Abstract: The present application provides a turbine bucket. The turbine bucket may include an airfoil and a tip shroud attached to the airfoil. The tip shroud may include a cooling core and an enhanced cooling surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2013Publication date: March 5, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Robert Joseph Testa, Jr., Haiping Wang
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Publication number: 20150040582Abstract: A cooling circuit for a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion includes a trailing edge cooling circuit portion provided with a first radially outwardly directed inlet passage intermediate leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion of the bucket, extending from a platform portion of the bucket to a location adjacent a radially outer tip of the bucket, and connecting to a second radially inwardly directed passage extending from a location adjacent the radially outer tip to a location adjacent the platform portion. The second radially inwardly directed passage connects to a third trailing edge region passage, and a plurality of crossover passages connect a radially outer half of the second radially inwardly directed passage to a radially outer half of the third trailing edge region passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2013Publication date: February 12, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Zhirui Dong, Xiuhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo