Patents by Inventor Nnawuihe A. Okpara
Nnawuihe A. Okpara 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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Patent number: 11002138Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Hans D. Hamm, Kevin Hirako
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Patent number: 10920597Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon
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Patent number: 10830059Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Jeffrey S. Carullo
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Patent number: 10815791Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Hans D. Hamm, Kevin Hirako
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Patent number: 10718219Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Kevin Hirako
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Publication number: 20200024968Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2018Publication date: January 23, 2020Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon
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Publication number: 20190178087Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Hans D. Hamm, Kevin Hirako
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Publication number: 20190178090Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Jeffrey S. Carullo
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Publication number: 20190178089Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Kevin Hirako
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Publication number: 20190178088Abstract: A turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlets and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal multi-bend heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, and a tip flag cooling system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Applicant: Solar Turbines IncorporatedInventors: Andrew T. Meier, Nnawuihe Okpara, Stephen Edward Pointon, Hans D. Hamm, Kevin Hirako
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Patent number: 6481959Abstract: A supplemental air cooling system for use in gas turbine engines to inhibit the ingestion of hot flow path gases into circumferential locations of turbine disk cavities is provided. The supplemental air cooling is provided through a simple set of cooling air holes located on each side of the turbine nozzle airfoil trailing edges, and proximately placed to be below the turbine nozzle structural element flow discouragers. Turbine disk cavity cooling purge air entering the disk cavity through the cooling air holes produces dynamic pressure cooling air jets which force the incoming hot ingestion air to turn circumferentially and go back out in the flow path before it enters the turbine disk cavity. The result is a decrease in hot gas ingestion, a reduction in disk rotor and static structural metal temperatures, a reduction in the amount of required cooling air flow, and enhanced performance of the gas turbine engine by virtue of improved specific fuel consumption.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2001Date of Patent: November 19, 2002Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventors: Mark C. Morris, William J. Howe, Carl D. Wright, Douglas P. Freiberg, Nnawuihe A. Okpara
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Publication number: 20020159880Abstract: A supplemental air cooling system for use in gas turbine engines to inhibit the ingestion of hot flow path gases into circumferential locations of turbine disk cavities is provided. The supplemental air cooling is provided through a simple set of cooling air holes located on each side of the turbine nozzle airfoil trailing edges, and proximately placed to be below the turbine nozzle structural element flow discouragers. Turbine disk cavity cooling purge air entering the disk cavity through the cooling air holes produces dynamic pressure cooling air jets which force the incoming hot ingestion air to turn circumferentially and go back out in the flow path before it enters the turbine disk cavity. The result is a decrease in hot gas ingestion, a reduction in disk rotor and static structural metal temperatures, a reduction in the amount of required cooling air flow, and enhanced performance of the gas turbine engine by virtue of improved specific fuel consumption.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2001Publication date: October 31, 2002Applicant: Honeywell International, Inc.Inventors: Mark C. Morris, William J. Howe, Carl D. Wright, Douglas P. Freiberg, Nnawuihe A. Okpara
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Patent number: 5772397Abstract: A gas turbine vane or blade having a novel internal structure that allows for cooling under diverse pressure ratios. The vane has an air inlet passage that communicates with an inner cooling cavity positioned between the air passage and the vane's trailing edge. Disposed within this cavity are deflectors, turning members, ribs, and deflecting pins arranged so as to direct the cooling air through the cavity in a manner that minimizes pressure loss. Thus maintaining the velocity and flow of the cooling air.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1996Date of Patent: June 30, 1998Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.Inventors: Mark C. Morris, Nnawuihe A. Okpara, Michael K. Bischoff
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Patent number: 5601399Abstract: A gas turbine vane or blade having a novel internal structure that allows for cooling under low pressure ratios. The vane has an air inlet passage that communicates with an inner cooling cavity positioned between the air passage and the vane's trailing edge. Disposed within this cavity are deflectors, turning members, ribs, and deflecting pins arranged so as to direct the cooling air through the cavity in a manner that minimizes pressure loss. Thus maintaining the velocity and flow of the cooling air.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 1996Date of Patent: February 11, 1997Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.Inventors: Nnawuihe A. Okpara, Chester L. Henry, Michael K. Bischoff
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Patent number: 5468125Abstract: A turbine blade such as a rotor blade or stator vane in a gas turbine engine is provided of the type having an internal flow path for flow-through passage of a cooling gas stream, wherein the turbine blade includes a heat transfer surface designed for improved heat transfer with the cooling gas. The heat transfer surface comprises a regular pattern of turbulator vanes which extend generally transversely to the flow direction of the cooling gas stream, in combination with comparatively shorter heat transfer ribs which extend generally parallel to the gas stream flow direction. The pattern of turbulator vanes and heat transfer ribs provides significantly improved heat transfer between the turbine blade and the cooling gas stream, such that the cooling flow requirement is reduced to result in increased engine efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1994Date of Patent: November 21, 1995Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.Inventors: Nnawuihe Okpara, Chester L. Henry