Patents by Inventor Paul Lacy

Paul Lacy 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: 20130139386
    Abstract: An abradable honeycomb is integrally formed in a turbine nozzle sealing flange for engagement with a bucket angel wing to reduce the leakage of air into the turbine's hot gas path. The honeycomb is integrally formed in a turbine nozzle sealing flange using a sinker EDM method to directly sink the honeycomb into the sealing flange itself, so that the honeycomb is an integral part of the flange. For repair, an entirely new honeycomb flange can be made and welded or brazed on to the turbine nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul LACY, Raymond CHUPP, Nuo SHENG
  • Patent number: 8453454
    Abstract: A premixer is provided and includes a peripheral wall defining a mixing chamber therein through which a flow path for a fluid is defined, a nozzle including an annular splitter plate disposed in the flow path within the mixing chamber, the splitter plate including a trailing edge defined in relation to a predominant direction of fluid flow along the flow path and being formed to define a fuel line therein, which is receptive of oil fuel and an annular array of fuel injectors disposed at the trailing edge, which are each fluidly communicative with the fuel line and configured to inject at least the oil fuel into the flow path with the oil fuel being substantially atomized upon injection or substantially immediately after the injection by interaction with the fluid flowing along the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Thomas Edward Johnson, William David York, Baifang Zuo
  • Publication number: 20130115103
    Abstract: An article is disclosed that comprises a thermal material having a first surface and a second surface. The thermal material defines a film hole between the first surface and the second surface, and the film hole includes a metering portion adjacent the first surface and a diffuser portion adjacent the second surface. The metering portion defines a metering hole axis, and the diffuser portion defines a trench. The trench extends substantially parallel to a metering hole axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sandip Dutta, Gary Michael Itzel, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Publication number: 20130094971
    Abstract: A hot gas path component for a turbine system is disclosed. The hot gas path component includes a shell having an exterior surface and an interior surface. The hot gas path component further includes a porous medium having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the exterior surface positioned adjacent to the interior surface of the shell. The porous medium is configured for flowing a cooling medium therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Gene Brzek, Rebecca Christine Malish
  • Publication number: 20130094944
    Abstract: A bucket assembly is disclosed. The bucket assembly includes an airfoil having a generally aerodynamic contour and defining a tip, and a lower body portion extending generally radially inward from the airfoil. The bucket assembly further includes a tip shroud disposed on the tip of the airfoil and comprising a main body and a rail. The rail includes an exterior surface. The exterior surface defines a microchannel. The bucket assembly further includes a cover layer configured on the exterior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Anthony Louis Giglio
  • Publication number: 20130061600
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a temperature a component of a gas turbine is disclosed. A compressed gas for use as a coolant is provided. The coolant is moisturized at a moisturizeing unit. A circulating unit circulates the moisturized coolant to the component of the gas turbine to control the temperature of the component. The coolant can be air, nitrogen, and a mixture of air and nitrogen in various embodiments. The component of the turbine can be a blade of a turbine section of the gas turbine, a turbine nozzle and a combustor, for example. A combustor can combust a mixture of fuel and the moisturized compressed coolant gas to reduce a NOx emission of the gas turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ashok Kumar Anand, Gary Michael Itzel, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Veerappan Muthaiah, Nagarjuna Reddy Thirumala Reddy
  • Publication number: 20130045106
    Abstract: An article is disclosed that includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a coating disposed on the second surface. In addition, the article includes an angled trench at least partially defined in the coating. The angled trench may include a bottom surface, a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed downstream of the first sidewall. The first and second sidewalls may extend from the bottom surface at an angle of less than about 60 degrees. Moreover, the article may include a plurality of holes defined between the first surface and the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 8365532
    Abstract: A nozzle includes an inlet, an outlet, and an axial centerline. A shroud surrounding the axial centerline extends from the inlet to the outlet and defines a circumference. The circumference proximate the inlet is greater than the circumference at a first point downstream of the inlet, and the circumference at the first point downstream of the inlet is less than the circumference at a second point downstream of the first point. A method for supplying a fuel through a nozzle directs a first airflow along a first path and a second airflow along a second path separate from the first path. The method further includes injecting the fuel into at least one of the first path or the second path and accelerating at least one of the first airflow or the second airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Baifang Zuo, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Thomas Edward Johnson, John Charles Intile, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 8333075
    Abstract: A system that includes a turbine fuel nozzle comprising an air-fuel premixer. The air-fuel premixed includes a swirl vane configured to swirl fuel and air in a downstream direction, wherein the swirl vane comprises an internal coolant path from a downstream end portion in an upstream direction through a substantial length of the swirl vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William David York, Thomas Edward Johnson, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Christian Xavier Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8325614
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for connecting, configuring and testing new wireless devices and applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Jasper Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Terrence Poon, Scott Potter, Curtis Govan, Macarlo Namie, Paul Lacy, Amit Gupta
  • Publication number: 20120301319
    Abstract: A turbine component may generally comprise an airfoil having a base and a tip disposed opposite the base. The airfoil may further include a pressure side surface and a suction side surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. An airfoil circuit may be at least partially disposed within the airfoil and may be configured to supply a medium through the airfoil. The turbine component may also include a curved passage defined in the airfoil so as to be in flow communication with the airfoil circuit. Additionally, an outlet may be defined through the pressure side surface or the suction side surface of the airfoil. The outlet may be in flow communication with the curved passage and may have a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of the curved passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Jesse Blair Butler
  • Patent number: 8297059
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor, a combustor operatively connected to the compressor, and an injection nozzle operatively connected to the combustor. The injection nozzle includes a main body having a first end section that extends to a second end section to define an inner flow path. The injection nozzle further includes an outlet arranged at the second end section of the main body, at least one passage that extends within the main body and is fluidly connected to the outlet, and at least one conduit extending between the inner flow path and the at least one passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Publication number: 20120263576
    Abstract: The present embodiments are generally directed toward systems and methods for cooling one or more shroud segments of a gas turbine engine. For example, in a first embodiment, a shroud segment is provided that is configured to at least partially surround a turbine blade of a turbine engine. The shroud segment includes a body and a microchannel disposed in the body. The microchannel is configured to flow a cooling fluid through the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Stephen William Tesh, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 8260523
    Abstract: A method for monitoring and controlling a gas turbine, comprises predicting frequencies of combustion dynamics in a combustor using operating conditions of a gas turbine, receiving a signal from a sensor that is indicative of combustion dynamics in the combustor, and detecting a flashback if a frequency of the received signal does not correspond to the predicted frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kapil Kumar Singh, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Publication number: 20120210718
    Abstract: Method of joining a ceramic matrix composite article to a metallic component by providing the ceramic matrix composite article with a metallic region which bonds to the metallic component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Andres Garcia-Crespo
  • Patent number: 8231128
    Abstract: An integral seal and sealant package includes a prefabricated seal element having multiple surfaces; a high-temperature sealant composition engaged with one or more of the multiple surfaces; and a backer material enclosing the prefabricated seal element and the high-temperature sealant composition. The backer material has composition permitting the backer material to be installed with the seal element and the sealant composition between adjacent components to be sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 8225614
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a shim for sealing two adjacent turbine transition pieces is disclosed. The shim includes a circumferential member that includes a first lateral flange and a second lateral flange. Further, the first and second lateral flanges each comprise a tab configured to mate to a first surface plane and the first and second lateral flanges are configured to mate to a second surface plane, wherein the first and second surface planes are substantially parallel. In addition, the shim includes a first flange extending substantially perpendicular from the circumferential member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Mehmet Demiroglu, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Publication number: 20120183412
    Abstract: A turbine component having a curved cooling passage is disclosed. The turbine component may generally comprise an airfoil having a base and a tip disposed opposite the base. The airfoil may further include a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. An airfoil cooling circuit may be at least partially disposed within the airfoil and may be configured to direct a cooling medium through the airfoil. The curved cooling passage may generally be in flow communication with the airfoil cooling circuit such that the cooling medium flowing through the airfoil cooling circuit may be directed into the cooling passage. Additionally, the curved cooling passage may generally extend lengthwise within the airfoil between the leading and trialing edges along at least a portion of one of the pressure side and the suction side of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Peter Arness, Victor John Morgan
  • Publication number: 20120183393
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, an assembly to be placed between adjacent turbomachinery components is provided, where the assembly includes a first shim comprising a U-shaped cross-section geometry, wherein the first shim is configured to form a seal between adjacent components. The assembly also includes an insert placed within a recess of the U-shaped cross-section geometry of the first shim and a plurality of staggered couplings between the insert and the first shim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mehmet Demiroglu, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Publication number: 20120167389
    Abstract: A method for providing a film cooled article is disclosed. A metallic article is provided having first and second wall surfaces and a cooling hole. The cooling hole includes a metering hole that extends from an inlet at the second wall surface to an outlet at the first wall surface. The method further includes exposing the first wall surface of the metallic article, applying a thermal barrier coating overlying the first wall surface and at least partially covering the outlet, boring through an outer surface of the applied thermal barrier coating to expose the metering hole, removing the thermal barrier coating from a trough portion of the outlet formed in the metallic article and forming a trough region in the thermal barrier coating that extends from the trough portion of the outlet formed in the metallic article to be flush with the outer surface of the thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul LACY, Jane M. LIPKIN, Michael J. SULLIVAN