Patents by Inventor Patrick M. Pilapil

Patrick M. Pilapil 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: 11377956
    Abstract: A flow inducer assembly and a method for cooling turbine blades of a gas turbine engine are presented. The gas turbine engine includes a rotor disk having circumferentially distributed disk grooves and turbine blades. Each turbine blade includes a blade root inserted into blade mounting section of the disk groove. Seal plates are attached to an aft side circumference of the rotor disk. The flow inducer assembly is integrated to each seal plate at a side facing away from the rotor disk. The flow inducer assembly is configured to function as a paddle due to rotation of the rotor disk and the seal plate therewith during operation of the gas turbine engine to drive ambient air as a cooling fluid into the disk cavity and enter inside of the turbine blade from the blade root for cooling the turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Peter Schröder, Christopher W. Ross, Santiago R. Salazar, Patrick M. Pilapil, Roger Matthews, Kevin Kampka, Joana Verheyen, Ching-Pang Lee, Javan Albright, James McCoy, Sin Chien Siw, Kok-Mun Tham
  • Publication number: 20210301664
    Abstract: A flow inducer assembly and a method for cooling turbine blades of a gas turbine engine are presented. The gas turbine engine includes a rotor disk having circumferentially distributed disk grooves and turbine blades. Each turbine blade includes a blade root inserted into blade mounting section of the disk groove. Seal plates are attached to aft side circumference of the rotor disk. The flow inducer assembly is integrated to each seal plate at a side facing away from the rotor disk. The flow inducer assembly is configured to function as a paddle due to rotation of the rotor disk and the seal plate therewith during operation of the gas turbine engine to drive ambient air as a cooling fluid into the disk cavity and enter inside of the turbine blade from blade root for cooling the turbine blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Peter Schröder, Christopher W. Ross, Santiago R. Salazar, Patrick M. Pilapil, Roger Matthews, Kevin Kampka, Joana Verheyen, Ching-Pang Lee, Javan Albright, James McCoy, Sin Chien Siw, Kok-Mun Tham
  • Patent number: 10215044
    Abstract: An interstage seal system (10) for adjusting the position of an interstage seal during operation of a gas turbine engine (14) to increase efficiency of the seal (12) is disclosed. The interstage seal system (10) may include a interstage seal housing (16) formed from a circumferentially extending housing having a seal (12) positioned on a radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16). The interstage seal housing (16) may biased radially outward via one or more springs (20) to bias the radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16) outwardly. The interstage seal housing (16) may reside in an interstage housing receiving cavity (68). The cavity (68) may be supplied with gases at a higher pressure than on the other side (24) of the seal housing (16) during turbine engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Patrick M. Pilapil, Yan Yin, Joshua D. Kovac
  • Publication number: 20180223683
    Abstract: A turbine arrangement including a rotor and a stator surrounding the rotor and comprising guide vane segments, each guide vane segment comprising an airfoil and a radially inner vane platform. A seal arrangement includes a static seal inward from the inner vane platforms and having a radially extending face plate, first and second cylindrical seal walls extending from outer and inner ends of the annular face plate, an annular seal plate extending radially from the second cylindrical seal wall, and an angel wing extending between the first cylindrical seal wall and the annular seal plate to define a first annular cavity and a second annular cavity. Circumferentially spaced cut-outs define passages through the annular seal plate between the first and second annular cavities and are aligned with fasteners that attach the annular face plate to a support ring for supporting the inner vane platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Kok-Mun Tham, Abdullatif M. Chehab, Patrick M. Pilapil, Yan Yin, Christian Xavier Campbell, Vincent Paul Laurello
  • Publication number: 20170145847
    Abstract: An interstage seal system (10) for adjusting the position of an interstage seal during operation of a gas turbine engine (14) to increase efficiency of the seal (12) is disclosed. The interstage seal system (10) may include a interstage seal housing (16) formed from a circumferentially extending housing having a seal (12) positioned on a radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16). The interstage seal housing (16) may biased radially outward via one or more springs (20) to bias the radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16) outwardly. The interstage seal housing (16) may reside in an interstage housing receiving cavity (68). The cavity (68) may be supplied with gases at a higher pressure than on the other side (24) of the seal housing (16) during turbine engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Patrick M. Pilapil, Yan Yin, Joshua D. Kovac
  • Publication number: 20140321981
    Abstract: A turbine engine shutdown temperature control system configured to foster consistent air temperature within cavities surrounding compressor and turbine blade assemblies to eliminate turbine and compressor blade tip rub during warm restarts of gas turbine engines is disclosed. The turbine engine shutdown temperature control system may include one or more air amplifiers positioned in a turbine case. An exhaust outlet of the air amplifier may extend into a cavity created by a turbine case and may be configured to exhaust air in a generally circumferential direction to entrain air within the cavity to flow circumferentially to establish a consistent air temperature within the cavity thereby preventing uneven cooling of turbine engine components after shutdown and prevent damage to turbine components during a warm restart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Jose L. Rodriguez, David A. Little, Jiping Zhang, Patrick M. Pilapil