Patents by Inventor Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson

Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson 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: 11702985
    Abstract: A thermal management system is provided for incorporation into a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine, the aircraft, or both define a vertical direction. The thermal management system including: a thermal transport bus having a thermal fluid flowing therethrough; a plurality of heat source exchangers in thermal communication with the thermal fluid in the thermal transport bus; and a pump assembly in flow communication with the thermal transport bus, the pump assembly including: a pump; and a pump protection device positioned below the pump along the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brian Gene Brzek, Kevin Edward Hinderliter, Brian Lewis Devendorf, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
  • Patent number: 11680645
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine is positioned between a rotating component and a stationary component of the rotary machine. The seal assembly includes a seal bearing face that opposes the rotating component and a slide device. The slide device is positioned between different fluid pressure volumes in the rotary machine. The slide device axially moves toward the rotating component responsive to pressurization of the rotary machine. The slide device includes cross-over ports and the seal bearing face includes feed ports. The feed ports extend through the seal bearing face to form an aerostatic portion of a film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component. The seal bearing face and/or the rotating component is a non-planar surface that, during rotating motion of the rotating component, forms an aerodynamic portion of the film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
  • Patent number: 11674443
    Abstract: A fuel system for a vehicle having an engine is provided. The fuel system including: a fuel tank for holding a hydrogen fuel in a liquid phase; a fuel delivery assembly extending from the fuel tank to the engine for providing the hydrogen fuel from the fuel tank to the engine; a vaporizer in communication with the fuel delivery assembly for heating the hydrogen fuel in the liquid phase to a gaseous phase, to a supercritical phase, or both; and a high pressure pump in fluid communication with the fuel delivery assembly at a location downstream of the vaporizer for inducing a flow of the hydrogen fuel through the fuel delivery assembly to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignees: General Electric Company, GE Avio S.r.l.
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, David Justin Brady, Justin Paul Smith, Mirko Gernone
  • Patent number: 11624290
    Abstract: An aspirating face seal between high and low pressure regions of a turbomachine at a juncture between rotatable and non-rotatable members of turbomachine includes gas bearing rotatable and non-rotatable face surfaces. Primary and starter seal teeth and optional deflector seal tooth are mounted on seal teeth carrier on rotatable member. Non-rotatable face surface is mounted on an annular slider on the non-rotatable member. A pull-off biasing means urges the annular slider away from the rotatable member and the non-rotatable face surface away from the rotatable surface. A secondary seal is in sealing engagement with the annular slider in the low pressure region and the pull-off biasing means is located radially outwardly of the annular slider in the high pressure region. Biasing means may include coil springs within spring chambers of circumferentially spaced cartridges. Tongues extend inwardly from spring chambers into grooves in slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Christopher Jon Potokar, Hariharan Manickavasagam Sarojini, Arnab Sen, Bikramjit Chatterjee
  • Publication number: 20220145801
    Abstract: A fuel system for a vehicle having an engine is provided. The fuel system including: a fuel tank for holding a hydrogen fuel in a liquid phase; a fuel delivery assembly extending from the fuel tank to the engine for providing the hydrogen fuel from the fuel tank to the engine; a vaporizer in communication with the fuel delivery assembly for heating the hydrogen fuel in the liquid phase to a gaseous phase, to a supercritical phase, or both; and a high pressure pump in fluid communication with the fuel delivery assembly at a location downstream of the vaporizer for inducing a flow of the hydrogen fuel through the fuel delivery assembly to the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, David Justin Brady, Justin Paul Smith, Mirko Gernone
  • Patent number: 11193385
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor section, a turbine section, and a rotary component. The rotary component is attached to and rotatable with a portion of at least one of the compressor section and the turbine section. The turbomachine additionally includes a seal having a gas bearing. The gas bearing defines an inner surface along a radial direction of the turbomachine, a high pressure end, and a low pressure end. The gas bearing supports the rotary component and also prevents an airflow from the high pressure end to the low pressure end between the rotary component and the inner surface of the gas bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Joshua Tyler Mook, Bugra Han Ertas, Jason Joseph Bellardi, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
  • Patent number: 11118469
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a fluid bearing wall including a bearing face defining a fluid opening through the fluid bearing wall. The seal assembly further includes a tilt member is extended from and attached to the fluid bearing wall. The tilt member defines a fluid passage therethrough in fluid communication with the fluid opening at the bearing face of the fluid bearing wall. The seal assembly still further includes a seal body surrounding the tilt member. A cavity is defined between the tilt member and the seal body. The seal assembly further includes a spring member coupled to the seal body and the fluid bearing wall. A passage is defined between the fluid bearing wall and the seal body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran, Antonio Guijarro Valencia
  • Patent number: 11067003
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a housing circumferentially surrounding an electric machine. The electric machine is supported within the housing. The housing defines a cooling passage proximate to the electric machine. The cooling passage circumferentially surrounds the electric machine and is extended at least partially along a lengthwise direction of the electric machine. The cooling passage provides a flow of fluid therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Sean Christopher Binion, Patrick Michael Marrinan
  • Patent number: 11047481
    Abstract: A seal assembly of a rotary includes a radially oriented plate that axially opposes a front and rear support plates of a stator interface. The seal assembly also includes a film-riding shoe coupled with the radially oriented plate. The shoe forms a shoe fluid bearing between the shoe and a rotating component responsive to rotation of the rotating component and pressurization of fluid in the rotary machine upstream of the stator interface. One or more of the stator interface or the film-riding shoe includes one or more ports or pathways through which higher-pressure fluid upstream of the stator housing in the rotary machine flows to form an aft axial fluid bearing between the radially oriented plate and the rear support plate of the stator interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Steven Douglas Johnson, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
  • Patent number: 11028718
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a turbine rotor, a turbine frame at least partially surrounding the turbine rotor, and an outer diameter seal assembly. The turbine rotor includes an inner shroud, an outer shroud, and at least one connecting airfoil coupling the inner shroud and the outer shroud. The outer shroud includes a plurality of outer shroud airfoils extended inward along a radial direction. The outer diameter seal assembly includes a sliding portion disposed between the turbine frame and the outer shroud of the turbine rotor. The outer diameter seal assembly defines a secondary tooth at the outer shroud radially inward of a longitudinal face of the sliding portion, and a primary tooth defined axially adjacent to a radial face of the sliding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Darek Tomasz Zatorski
  • Publication number: 20210148243
    Abstract: An aspirating face seal between high and low pressure regions of a turbomachine at a juncture between rotatable and non-rotatable members of turbomachine includes gas bearing rotatable and non-rotatable face surfaces. Primary and starter seal teeth and optional deflector seal tooth are mounted on seal teeth carrier on rotatable member. Non-rotatable face surface is mounted on an annular slider on the non-rotatable member. A pull-off biasing means urges the annular slider away from the rotatable member and the non-rotatable face surface away from the rotatable surface. A secondary seal is in sealing engagement with the annular slider in the low pressure region and the pull-off biasing means is located radially outwardly of the annular slider in the high pressure region. Biasing means may include coil springs within spring chambers of circumferentially spaced cartridges. Tongues extend inwardly from spring chambers into grooves in slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Christopher Jon Potokar, Hariharan Manickavasagam Sarojini, Arnab Sen, Bikramjit Chatterjee
  • Publication number: 20210108730
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine is positioned between a rotating component and a stationary component of the rotary machine. The seal assembly includes a seal bearing face that opposes the rotating component and a slide device. The slide device is positioned between different fluid pressure volumes in the rotary machine. The slide device axially moves toward the rotating component responsive to pressurization of the rotary machine. The slide device includes cross-over ports and the seal bearing face includes feed ports. The feed ports extend through the seal bearing face to form an aerostatic portion of a film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component. The seal bearing face and/or the rotating component is a non-planar surface that, during rotating motion of the rotating component, forms an aerodynamic portion of the film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
  • Patent number: 10968762
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a seal assembly for a turbo machine. The seal assembly includes a fluid bearing wall including a bearing face in which the bearing face defines a fluid opening through the fluid bearing wall. The seal assembly further includes a seal body extended circumferentially relative to a centerline axis. The seal body defines a cavity extended at least partially circumferentially through the seal body. A fluid passage is defined through the seal body in fluid communication with the fluid opening through the fluid bearing wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran, Antonio Guijarro Valencia
  • Patent number: 10900570
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine is positioned between a rotating component and a stationary component of the rotary machine. The seal assembly includes a seal bearing face that opposes the rotating component and a slide device. The slide device is positioned between different fluid pressure volumes in the rotary machine. The slide device axially moves toward the rotating component responsive to pressurization of the rotary machine. The slide device includes cross-over ports and the seal bearing face includes feed ports. The feed ports extend through the seal bearing face to form an aerostatic portion of a film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component. The seal bearing face and/or the rotating component is a non-planar surface that, during rotating motion of the rotating component, forms an aerodynamic portion of the film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
  • Patent number: 10900369
    Abstract: An aspirating face seal between high and low pressure regions of a turbomachine at a juncture between rotatable and non-rotatable members of turbomachine includes gas bearing rotatable and non-rotatable face surfaces. Primary and starter seal teeth and optional deflector seal tooth are mounted on seal teeth carrier on rotatable member. Non-rotatable face surface is mounted on an annular slider on the non-rotatable member. A pull-off biasing means urges the annular slider away from the rotatable member and the non-rotatable face surface away from the rotatable surface. A secondary seal is in sealing engagement with the annular slider in the low pressure region and the pull-off biasing means is located radially outwardly of the annular slider in the high pressure region. Biasing means may include coil springs within spring chambers of circumferentially spaced cartridges. Tongues extend inwardly from spring chambers into grooves in slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Christopher Jon Potokar, Hariharan Manickavasagam Sarojini, Arnab Sen, Bikramjit Chatterjee
  • Patent number: 10895324
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine includes a seal bearing face that opposes a rotating component of the machine and a slide device coupled with the seal bearing face. The slide device axially moves toward the rotating component responsive to pressurization of the rotary machine. The slide device includes cross-over ports and the seal bearing includes feed ports. The feed ports extend through the seal bearing face to form aerostatic portions of a film bearing between the seal bearing face and the rotating component. The seal bearing face and/or the rotating component has a non-planar surface that, during rotating motion of the rotating component relative to the face of the seal bearing face, forms aerodynamic portions of the film bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Quang Tue Nguyen Tran, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Steven Douglas Johnson, Antonio Guijarro Valencia
  • Patent number: 10890082
    Abstract: An aspirating face seal between high and low pressure regions of a turbomachine at a juncture between rotatable and non-rotatable members of turbomachine includes gas bearing rotatable and non-rotatable face surfaces. A starter seal tooth and optional deflector seal tooth are mounted on a seal teeth carrier on the rotatable member. The primary seal tooth and non-rotatable face surface are mounted on an annular slider on the non-rotatable member. A pull-off biasing means urges the annular slider away from the rotatable member and the non-rotatable face surface away from the rotatable surface. A secondary seal is in sealing engagement with the annular slider in the low-pressure region and the pull-off biasing means is located radially outwardly of the annular slider in the high pressure region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Narendra Anand Hardikar, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
  • Patent number: 10823078
    Abstract: Systems and methods for starting a powerplant are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a starting system of a powerplant includes one or more features that allow for the powerplant to be started electrically with a burst of electrical power and without deriving electrical power from an offboard power source or a relatively heavy onboard energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Christopher James Kroger, Sean Christopher Binion, Scott Douglas Waun
  • Patent number: 10823184
    Abstract: A turbine engine with a stator having axially spaced first and second structural elements along with a rotor and a face seal between the rotor and the stator including a non-rotating gas bearing face coupled to the first and second structural elements, and a rotating gas bearing face coupled to the rotor and confronting the non-rotating gas bearing surface. Introducing airflow to one or multiple parts of the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arnab Sen, Mohamed Musthafa Thoppil, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
  • Patent number: 10781709
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes an engine core defining a higher pressure region and a lower pressure region. A seal can fluidly separate the higher pressure region from the lower pressure region and be movably mounted to a component within the turbine engine, where a side of the seal can confront the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arnab Sen, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Rajesh Kumar, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Robert Proctor, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Steven Douglas Johnson