Patents by Inventor Michael Anthony Benjamin

Michael Anthony Benjamin 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: 20210317990
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a trapped vortex combustor and a method for operating trapped vortex combustor. In one embodiment, the trapped vortex combustor comprises a trapped vortex combustion zone and at least one secondary combustion zone disposed downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone. The trapped vortex combustion zone is operable to receive and combust a first fuel and a first air and produce a first combustion product flowing toroidally therein. The at least one secondary combustion zone is operable to receive and combust the first combustion product and at least one second injection consisting of fuel and/or air and produce at least one second combustion product therein. The combustor may reduce the residence time of the highest temperature combustion products and achieve the lower NOx emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Joseph Zelina, Eric John Stevens
  • Patent number: 11092076
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a turbine engine and method for cooling a portion of the combustor assembly, the combustor assembly comprising a combustor liner defining a combustion chamber with an inlet and an outlet, a fuel dome located in the inlet and having a wall adjacent at least a portion of the combustor liner, and a deflector overlying and spaced from at least a portion of the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anquan Wang, Hojjat Nasr, Craig Alan Gonyou, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11073286
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a trapped vortex combustor and a method for operating trapped vortex combustor. In one embodiment, the trapped vortex combustor comprises a trapped vortex combustion zone and at least one secondary combustion zone disposed downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone. The trapped vortex combustion zone is operable to receive and combust a first fuel and a first air and produce a first combustion product flowing toroidally therein. The at least one secondary combustion zone is operable to receive and combust the first combustion product and at least one second injection consisting of fuel and/or air and produce at least one second combustion product therein. The combustor may reduce the residence time of the highest temperature combustion products and achieve the lower NOx emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Joseph Zelina, Eric John Stevens
  • Patent number: 11029029
    Abstract: A fuel injector heat exchanger assembly is provided, in which the fuel injector assembly includes a body defining an outer surface and an inner surface. The body includes a plurality of walls in concentric arrangement. The plurality of walls defines a plurality of passages including a first passage surrounded by a second passage, and a third passage surrounding the second passage. Each passage is fluidly segregated from one another by the plurality of walls. A first conduit wall is defined through the body from the outer surface. The first conduit wall defines a first conduit in fluid communication with the second passage. The first conduit wall fluidly segregates the first conduit from the third passage. The first conduit is configured to admit a flow of fluid from outside the fuel injector into the second passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Varun Swaminathan Lakshmanan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Veeraraju Vanapalli, Karthikeyan Sampath
  • Patent number: 10989411
    Abstract: A turbo machine including a heat exchanger flowpath is generally provided. The turbo machine includes an outer casing extended along an axial direction, a prediffuser defining an inlet passage into a combustion section of the turbo machine, an inner casing extended from the prediffuser, in which a diffuser cavity is defined between the outer casing and the inner casing, a first plenum wall extended outward along a radial direction from the prediffuser, and a second plenum wall extended outward along a radial direction from the prediffuser. The second plenum wall is separated along the axial direction from the first plenum wall. A plenum is defined between the first plenum wall and the second plenum wall. The turbo machine includes a heat exchanger including a first conduit in fluid communication with the diffuser cavity. The first conduit is in fluid communication with a passage, and a second conduit in fluid communication with the passage and the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Sampath, Varun Swaminathan Lakshmanan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Veeraraju Vanapalli
  • Patent number: 10969104
    Abstract: An aft heat shield for a fuel nozzle tip includes: an annular shield wall; an annular shield flange extending radially outward from an aft end of the shield wall; an annular baffle flange surrounding the conical section, and disposed such that an axial gap is defined between the shield flange and the baffle flange, the baffle flange including a radially outer rim extending axially forward therefrom; and a plurality of impingement cooling holes passing through the baffle flange and oriented to as to direct air flow towards the shield wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Tyler Mook, Michael Anthony Benjamin, David Richard Barnhart, Sean James Henderson, Ramon Martinez, Neerav Atul Patel, Mark Richard Shaw
  • Patent number: 10935245
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine is generally provided. The fuel nozzle includes an outer sleeve extended circumferentially around a fuel nozzle centerline and extended along a longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline. The outer sleeve defines a plurality of first radially oriented air inlet ports through the outer sleeve in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline. The fuel nozzle further includes a centerbody positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve. The centerbody is extended along the longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline and wherein the centerbody is concentric to the fuel nozzle centerline and the outer sleeve. The centerbody defines a plurality of second radially oriented air inlet ports through the centerbody in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Manampathy Gangadharan Giridharan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Vishal Sanjay Kediya
  • Publication number: 20210003281
    Abstract: A method for regulating jet wakes in a combustor including: directing compressed fluid into a passageway between a casing and a combustor liner; directing a combustion gas along a combustion zone; discharging a first portion of compressed fluid from the passageway into the combustion zone via a first through-hole which is disposed on a section of a combustor panel in a first circumferential row; and discharging a second portion of the compressed fluid from the passageway into the combustion zone via second through-holes, wherein the second through-holes are disposed on a section of the panel, spaced apart axially and circumferentially, and adjacent to the first through-hole, wherein the second through-holes include a first set of through-holes and a second set of through-holes, the first set of through-holes in a second row and the second set of through-holes in a third row, wherein the second and third rows extend circumferentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Mayank Krisna Amble, Perumallu Vukanti, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 10837643
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for a turbine engine is generally provided. The mixer assembly includes a vane assembly including a plurality of vanes configured to direct a flow of oxidizer to mix with a flow of fuel. The vane assembly includes a fluid diode disposed within a vane flow path between each pair of vanes of the vane assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sibtosh Pal, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Arthur Wesley Johnson, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Allen Michael Danis
  • Patent number: 10823418
    Abstract: A combustor for a turbine engine includes an inner combustion liner and an outer combustion liner together defining at least in part an interior. The interior includes a combustion chamber and a main portion. The combustor also includes an inlet combustion liner at least partially defining the combustion chamber of the interior and including an inlet assembly. The inlet assembly includes at least two cavity air tubes arranged along the axial direction, each cavity air tube extending between an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of each cavity air tube in airflow communication with the combustion chamber for providing the combustion chamber with a flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph Zelina, Sarah Marie Monahan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Sibtosh Pal, William Thomas Ross
  • Patent number: 10816202
    Abstract: A combustor liner, a gas turbine engine including a combustor having the combustor liner, and a method for regulating jet wakes in the combustor are disclosed. The combustor liner includes a panel, at least one first through-hole, and a plurality of second through-holes including first and second set of through-holes. The at least one first through-hole is disposed on a section of the panel in a first row. The plurality of second through-holes is disposed on the section along axial and circumferential directions and arranged adjacent to the at least one first through-hole. The first set and the second set of through-holes are arranged in a second row and a third row respectively. The first, second, and third rows extend along the circumferential direction. The at least one first through-hole and the plurality of second through-holes collectively cover circumferential plane of the section along the first, second, and third rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mayank Krisna Amble, Perumallu Vukanti, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 10808934
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine including an outer sleeve. An upstream end of the outer sleeve defines an inlet opening and a downstream end defines an exit opening, each of which defined within the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve defines a radial opening extended therethrough along the radial direction. At least a portion of the outer sleeve defines a plurality of grooves. The outer sleeve defines a fuel conduit through at least a portion of the outer sleeve outward of the plurality of grooves along the radial direction from the fuel injector centerline. The fuel conduit defines a fuel injection opening inward along the radial direction of the radial opening defined through the outer sleeve. A first member of an arm is coupled to the outer sleeve. A second member of the arm is contoured defining a fuel injection port generally concentric to the fuel injector centerline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Jeffrey Michael Martini, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Pradeep Naik
  • Patent number: 10760793
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fuel nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a centerbody extended along a nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto and an outer sleeve surrounding the centerbody and extended along the nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto. The centerbody defines an outer wall extended at least partially along the nozzle centerline axis in which the centerbody defines a first fuel passage therewithin and one or more first fuel exit openings through the outer wall. Each first fuel exit opening is discrete from another along the outer wall. The outer sleeve and centerbody together define a first air passage therebetween. The first fuel passage and the first fuel exit opening are in fluid communication with the first air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Alfred Albert Mancini, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20200263873
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine is generally provided. The fuel nozzle includes an outer sleeve extended circumferentially around a fuel nozzle centerline and extended along a longitudinal direction co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline. The outer sleeve defines a plurality of first radially oriented air inlet ports through the outer sleeve in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline. A centerbody is positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve. The centerbody includes an outer annular wall extended circumferentially around the fuel nozzle centerline and extended along the longitudinal direction co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline. The outer sleeve further includes a first radial wall extended from a downstream end of the outer annular wall. The centerbody defines a plenum radially inward thereof. The outer annular wall and the outer sleeve together define a first fuel air mixing passage extended along the longitudinal direction therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Vishal Sanjay Kediya
  • Patent number: 10739006
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes an outer body defining a plurality of openings in an exterior surface. The fuel nozzle also includes a main injection ring disposed at least partially inside the outer body. The main injection ring includes a plurality of fuel posts extending into or through the plurality of openings of the outer body. The plurality of fuel posts include an LP fuel post defining a main fuel orifice, a top surface, and a scarf, the scarf of the LP fuel post extending in the top surface in a first direction relative to the centerline axis away from the main fuel orifice. The plurality of fuel posts also include an HP fuel post defining a main fuel orifice, a top surface, and a scarf, the scarf of the HP fuel post extending in the top surface f in a second direction relative to the centerline axis away from the main fuel orifice, the second direction being at least ninety degrees different than the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Alfred Albert Mancini, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20200217509
    Abstract: A fuel injector heat exchanger assembly is provided, in which the fuel injector assembly includes a body defining an outer surface and an inner surface. The body includes a plurality of walls in concentric arrangement. The plurality of walls defines a plurality of passages including a first passage surrounded by a second passage, and a third passage surrounding the second passage. Each passage is fluidly segregated from one another by the plurality of walls. A first conduit wall is defined through the body from the outer surface. The first conduit wall defines a first conduit in fluid communication with the second passage. The first conduit wall fluidly segregates the first conduit from the third passage. The first conduit is configured to admit a flow of fluid from outside the fuel injector into the second passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Varun Swaminathan Lakshmanan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Veeraraju Vanapalli, Karthikeyan Sampath
  • Publication number: 20200217510
    Abstract: A turbo machine including a heat exchanger flowpath is generally provided. The turbo machine includes an outer casing extended along an axial direction, a prediffuser defining an inlet passage into a combustion section of the turbo machine, an inner casing extended from the prediffuser, in which a diffuser cavity is defined between the outer casing and the inner casing, a first plenum wall extended outward along a radial direction from the prediffuser, and a second plenum wall extended outward along a radial direction from the prediffuser. The second plenum wall is separated along the axial direction from the first plenum wall. A plenum is defined between the first plenum wall and the second plenum wall. The turbo machine includes a heat exchanger including a first conduit in fluid communication with the diffuser cavity. The first conduit is in fluid communication with a passage, and a second conduit in fluid communication with the passage and the plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Sampath, Varun Swaminathan Lakshmanan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Veeraraju Vanapalli
  • Publication number: 20200158343
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine is generally provided. The fuel nozzle includes an outer sleeve extended circumferentially around a fuel nozzle centerline and extended along a longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline. The outer sleeve defines a plurality of first radially oriented air inlet ports through the outer sleeve in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline. The fuel nozzle further includes a centerbody positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve. The centerbody is extended along the longitudinal direction substantially co-directional to the fuel nozzle centerline and wherein the centerbody is concentric to the fuel nozzle centerline and the outer sleeve. The centerbody defines a plurality of second radially oriented air inlet ports through the centerbody in circumferential arrangement relative to the fuel nozzle centerline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Manampathy Gangadharan Giridharan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Vishal Sanjay Kediya
  • Publication number: 20200041129
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for a turbine engine is generally provided. The mixer assembly includes a vane assembly including a plurality of vanes configured to direct a flow of oxidizer to mix with a flow of fuel. The vane assembly includes a fluid diode disposed within a vane flow path between each pair of vanes of the vane assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Sibtosh Pal, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Arthur Wesley Johnson, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Allen Michael Danis
  • Publication number: 20200041128
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle apparatus includes: an outer body having an exterior surface and a plurality of openings in the exterior surface. An inner body is disposed inside the outer body, cooperating with the outer body to define an annular space. A main injection ring is disposed in the annular space and includes an array of fuel posts extending outward therefrom, each fuel post including a perimeter wall defining a lateral surface and a recessed floor. Each fuel post is aligned with one of the openings and separated from the opening by a perimeter gap defined between the opening and the lateral surface. A main fuel gallery extends within the main injection ring. The main injection ring includes plurality of main fuel orifices, each main fuel orifice communicating with the main fuel gallery and extending through one of the fuel posts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Benjamin, Joshua Tyler Mook, Sean James Henderson, Ramon Martinez