Patents by Inventor Neal William Grooms

Neal William Grooms 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: 11543128
    Abstract: An insert for an impingement plate and an impingement plate including the insert are disclosed. The impingement plate includes a plurality of cooling holes therein. The insert includes a body including an opening extending longitudinally therethrough. The body also includes a discharge end configured for positioning in an impingement air plenum between the impingement plate and an upstream surface of a combustor cap plate; a flexible insertion end configured for insertion into a respective cooling hole of the plurality of cooling holes; and a fixation element between the discharge end and the flexible insertion end. The fixation element has an outer dimension configured to fixedly couple the body in the respective cooling hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, Charlie Edmond Jones, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 11499480
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly, combustor and related method are disclosed. The combustor cap assembly includes: an impingement plate defining a plurality of impingement cooling holes with a first side of the impingement plate in fluid communication with a cooling air plenum. The assembly also includes a combustor cap plate coupled to the impingement plate, such that an impingement air plenum is defined between a second side of the impingement plate and the combustor cap plate. Tubes extend from at least a portion of the plurality of impingement cooling holes at the second side of the impingement plate and extend partially towards the combustor cap plate through the impingement air plenum. The plurality of impingement cooling holes provides for fluid communication between the cooling air plenum and the impingement air plenum through the tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, Charlie Edmond Jones, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 11371706
    Abstract: The premixed pilot nozzle includes axially elongated tubes defined within a plenum between an outer shroud and a first shroud disposed radially inward of the outer shroud. The tubes extend between tube inlets defined through a forward face and tube outlets defined through an aft face. A second shroud is disposed radially inward of the first shroud, thereby defining a fuel plenum between the first shroud and the second shroud, and the fuel plenum is in communication with a gaseous fuel supply. A fuel injection port, which is positioned between the tube inlet and the tube outlet of each tube, is in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. An air supply configured to fluidly communicate with the tube inlet of each tube. The second shroud defines a second plenum therein, the second plenum being coupled to a source of a non-combustible fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Harper, Neal William Grooms, Yon Han Chong, Benjamin Robert Ryan
  • Publication number: 20220034509
    Abstract: An insert for an impingement plate and an impingement plate including the insert are disclosed. The impingement plate includes a plurality of cooling holes therein. The insert includes a body including an opening extending longitudinally therethrough. The body also includes a discharge end configured for positioning in an impingement air plenum between the impingement plate and an upstream surface of a combustor cap plate; a flexible insertion end configured for insertion into a respective cooling hole of the plurality of cooling holes; and a fixation element between the discharge end and the flexible insertion end. The fixation element has an outer dimension configured to fixedly couple the body in the respective cooling hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, Charlie Edmond Jones, Lucas John Stoia
  • Publication number: 20220034261
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly, combustor and related method are disclosed. The combustor cap assembly includes: an impingement plate defining a plurality of impingement cooling holes with a first side of the impingement plate in fluid communication with a cooling air plenum. The assembly also includes a combustor cap plate coupled to the impingement plate, such that an impingement air plenum is defined between a second side of the impingement plate and the combustor cap plate. Tubes extend from at least a portion of the plurality of impingement cooling holes at the second side of the impingement plate and extend partially towards the combustor cap plate through the impingement air plenum. The plurality of impingement cooling holes provides for fluid communication between the cooling air plenum and the impingement air plenum through the tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, Charlie Edmond Jones, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 10443854
    Abstract: A premix pilot nozzle is disclosed herein. The premix pilot nozzle includes a nozzle body. The nozzle body includes a forward wall, an aft wall, an outer band that extends between the forward wall and the aft wall and a tip portion that extends axially downstream from the aft wall. The nozzle body further defines a fuel inlet plenum that extends coaxially within the nozzle body, a fuel distribution plenum that is defined within the nozzle body radially outwardly from and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet plenum, a plurality of premix passages that extend helically around the fuel inlet plenum within the fuel distribution plenum and a plurality of air passages annularly arranged around the plurality of premix passages. One or more premix passages of the plurality of premix passages are in fluid communication with the fuel distribution plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, James Harper, Yon Han Chong
  • Publication number: 20190186749
    Abstract: The premixed pilot nozzle includes axially elongated tubes defined within a plenum between an outer shroud and a first shroud disposed radially inward of the outer shroud. The tubes extend between tube inlets defined through a forward face and tube outlets defined through an aft face. A second shroud is disposed radially inward of the first shroud, thereby defining a fuel plenum between the first shroud and the second shroud, and the fuel plenum is in communication with a gaseous fuel supply. A fuel injection port, which is positioned between the tube inlet and the tube outlet of each tube, is in fluid communication with the fuel plenum. An air supply configured to fluidly communicate with the tube inlet of each tube. The second shroud defines a second plenum therein, the second plenum being coupled to a source of a non-combustible fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Harper, Neal William Grooms, Yon Han Chong, Benjamin Robert Ryan
  • Publication number: 20170363293
    Abstract: A premix pilot nozzle is disclosed herein. The premix pilot nozzle includes a nozzle body. The nozzle body includes a forward wall, an aft wall, an outer band that extends between the forward wall and the aft wall and a tip portion that extends axially downstream from the aft wall. The nozzle body further defines a fuel inlet plenum that extends coaxially within the nozzle body, a fuel distribution plenum that is defined within the nozzle body radially outwardly from and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet plenum, a plurality of premix passages that extend helically around the fuel inlet plenum within the fuel distribution plenum and a plurality of air passages annularly arranged around the plurality of premix passages. One or more premix passages of the plurality of premix passages are in fluid communication with the fuel distribution plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, James Harper, Yon Han Chong
  • Publication number: 20170363294
    Abstract: A premix pilot nozzle and fuel nozzle assembly are disclosed herein. The premix pilot nozzle includes a nozzle body having a forward wall axially spaced from an aft wall and an outer band that extends axially between the forward wall and the aft wall. An air tube extends coaxially within the nozzle body and defines a cooling air plenum within the nozzle body. A fuel tube extends coaxially within the nozzle body and circumferentially surrounds the air tube so as to define a fuel inlet plenum therebetween. A fuel distribution plenum is defined within the nozzle body and is in fluid communication with the fuel inlet plenum. The nozzle body further includes a plurality of premix tubes. Each premix tube extends helically around the fuel tube within the fuel distribution plenum. One or more of the premix tubes is in fluid communication with the fuel distribution plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, James Harper, Yon Han Chong
  • Publication number: 20090053054
    Abstract: Disclosed is a leakage reducing venturi for a dry low nitric oxides (NOx) emissions combustor, the venturi including a substantially annular outer liner, a substantially annular inner liner, a venturi channel defined by the annular inner liner and the annular outer liner, the venturi channel including a forward end and an aft end, a forward weld disposed in proximity to the forward end of the venturi channel, the forward weld being configured to connect the annular outer liner with the annular inner liner, and an aft weld disposed in proximity to the aft end of the venturi channel, the aft weld being configured to connect the annular outer liner with the annular inner liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neal William Grooms, Jeffrey Scott Lebegue, Derrick Walter Simons