Patents by Inventor Rahul Anil Bidkar
Rahul Anil Bidkar 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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Publication number: 20240133770Abstract: A seal monitoring apparatus is provided. The seal monitoring apparatus includes one or more pressure sensors and a controller in communication with the one or more pressure sensors. The one or more pressure sensors is mounted at a seal of a turbine to measure pressure on a first side of the seal and/or a second side of the seal. The controller is configured to receive pressure data from the one or more pressure sensors and determine a condition of the seal based at least in part on the pressure data. The controller is configured to output a signal upon determining a change in the condition of the seal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2022Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Bugra H. Ertas, Deepak Trivedi, Scott Alan Schimmels, Joseph Herbert Fields, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Eric R. Westervelt, Andrew Kevin Winn
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Publication number: 20240133309Abstract: A seal monitoring apparatus is provided. The seal monitoring apparatus includes a temperature sensor and a controller in communication with the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is mounted at a seal of a device. The controller is configured to receive measured temperature data from the temperature sensor and calculate expected temperature data for the seal based at least in part on operating conditions of the device. The controller is configured to determine a condition of the seal based at least in part on a temperature difference of the measured temperature data from the expected temperature data.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2022Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Deepak Trivedi, Bugra H. Ertas, Pei-Hsin Kuo, Joseph Herbert Fields, Andrew Kevin Winn, Eric R. Westervelt
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Publication number: 20240035390Abstract: A turbine engine having a stator, a rotor, and a seal assembly. The rotor being rotatable about a rotational axis. The seal assembly having a carriage assembly, a seal body and a biasing element. The carriage assembly being carried by the stator. The carriage assembly defining a seal cavity. The seal body being provided within the seal cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
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Publication number: 20230417148Abstract: A seal assembly for an aeronautical turbine engine includes a passive flow regulator. The passive flow regulator includes a seal body defining an aspiration conduit, and a flow constrictor disposed within and/or adjacently upstream of the aspiration conduit. The aspiration conduit provides fluid communication across the seal body from a relatively higher-pressure fluid volume to a relatively lower-pressure fluid volume. The flow constrictor includes one or more flexure elements that move in one or more degrees of freedom as a result of changes in a pressure differential across the flow constrictor. The movement of the one or more flexure elements changes a hydraulic resistance of fluid flow past the flow constrictor based at least in part on a position of the flow constrictor in relation to the aspiration conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2022Publication date: December 28, 2023Inventors: Deepak Trivedi, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Bugra Han Ertas
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Publication number: 20230383670Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having a rotor and a stator, and a floating seal assembly sealing at least portions of the rotor and the stator relative to a higher-pressure area and a lower-pressure area. The floating seal assembly can comprise a carriage assembly at least partially defining a seal cavity and a seal body floating within the seal cavity. The floating seal assembly can further include at least one of a seal located between the seal body and the carriage assembly, and a seal face located between the seal body and the carriage assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2021Publication date: November 30, 2023Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Steven Douglas Johnson, Uttara Vijay Kumar, Randy Thomas Antelo, Keith William Gary
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Patent number: 11821320Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having at least a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section in axial flow arrangement defining an axial direction and an engine centerline. The turbine engine further having a rotor and a stator, a carriage assembly carried by the stator, and a seal assembly biased toward the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
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Publication number: 20230287797Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine, such as a turbine engine, may include one or more seal segments that respectively include a seal housing defining a seal chamber and one or more fluid supply apertures that pass through the seal housing, and a seal body defining a seal face and one or more fluid conduits that pass through the seal body to the seal face. The seal chamber may receive at least a portion of the seal body, and the seal body may move within the seal chamber along a radial axis of a rotor of the rotary engine. The fluid supply apertures may fluidly communicate with the fluid conduits, and the fluid conduits may fluidly communicate with a fluid-bearing gap defined between the seal face and a rotor face of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2022Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Antonio Guijarro Valencia, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Scott Alan Schimmels, Tran Quang Tue Nguyen
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Publication number: 20230279780Abstract: A seal assembly for a component of a turbomachine and method of assembly thereof is provided. The seal assembly includes at least one mating face positioned adjacent to the component and a seal coupled to the mating face. The seal includes an outer shell defining an interior space; an inner matrix filling the interior space comprising a plurality of unit cells comprising one or more metamaterials, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of unit cells are identical, and wherein the plurality of unit cells are repeated throughout the inner matrix; and one or more support struts extending throughout the inner matrix. The method of building the seal assembly may include selecting a first material for the outer shell and selecting the one or more metamaterials for the inner matrix based on the first material.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Deepak Trivedi, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Uttara Vijay Kumar
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Publication number: 20230279781Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine, such as a turbine engine, may include a seal rotor comprising a rotor face, a seal slider comprising a slider face, a seal stator, wherein the seal slider is slidably coupled to the seal stator, and wherein the slider face and the rotor face define a primary seal. The seal slider may be configured to slidably engage and retract the slider face with respect to the rotor face. The seal assembly may further include a secondary seal disposed between the seal slider and the seal stator. The secondary seal may be configured to compress and rebound and/or to expand and rebound, over at least a portion of a range of motion of the seal slider.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Narendra Anand Hardikar, Kevin Randall McManus, Steven Douglas Johnson, Prateek Jalan, Antonio Guijarro Valencia, Julius John Montgomery, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Jose Maria Rey Villazon
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Patent number: 11680645Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
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Publication number: 20230106380Abstract: A rotary machine seal assembly (200) includes seal segments (102) configured to circumferentially extend around a rotor (108) between a stator (106) and the rotor (108) of a rotary machine. One or more seal segments include a shoe plate (110, 410, 710, 910), a seal base (112, 412, 712, 912), and at least one intermediate member (114, 414, 714). The shoe plate is disposed along the rotor. The seal base is disposed radially outward of the shoe plate. At least one intermediate member is coupled to and disposed between the seal base and the shoe plate. The at least one intermediate member includes an actuator portion (302, 402, 702, 902) having first coefficient of thermal expansion and a constrictor portion (304, 404, 704, 904) having a different, second coefficient of thermal expansion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: April 6, 2023Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Deepak Trivedi, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Darren Lee Hallman, Kristopher Frutschy, Mark Bowen
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Publication number: 20220389825Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having at least a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section in axial flow arrangement defining an axial direction and an engine centerline. The turbine engine further having a rotor and a stator, a carriage assembly carried by the stator, and a seal assembly biased toward the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2021Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
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Patent number: 11187093Abstract: A face seal assembly including a thermal fluid circuit, a turbomachine including the face seal assembly and a method of operating the turbomachine are disclosed. The face seal assembly includes a seal ring including a seal bearing face, at least one internal cavity including a cavity inlet and a cavity outlet. The face seal assembly further including a fluid inlet channel in fluid communication with the cavity inlet of the at least one internal cavity and a pressurized fluid and a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity outlet of the at least one internal cavity. The at least one internal cavity, the fluid inlet channel and the fluid outlet port define a thermal fluid circuit providing thermal management of the seal ring. In the turbomachine, the face seal assembly is disposed between a stationary component and a rotating component including a rotating component bearing face.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2019Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignees: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYInventors: Deepak Trivedi, Uttara Vijay Kumar, Rahul Anil Bidkar
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Patent number: 11047481Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 8, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Steven Douglas Johnson, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson
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Patent number: 10989058Abstract: The subject matter described herein relate to a segmented piston seal system. The segmented piston seal includes a first semi-circular section (FSCS) that includes a first locking structure at opposite ends of the FSCS. The segmented piston seal includes a second semi-circular section (SSCS) that includes a second locking structure at opposite ends of the SSCS. The first and second locking structures are configured to lock the FSCS and the SSCS together to form a piston seal.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2018Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Deepak Trivedi, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Xiaoqing Zheng, Christopher Edward Wolfe
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Publication number: 20210108730Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
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Patent number: 10900570Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 27, 2018Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran
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Patent number: 10837299Abstract: A system may include a transition piece, coupled to a support of the system, to receive combustion products from a combustion chamber. The system may also include a turbine nozzle, coupled to a support of the system, to receive combustion products from the transition piece. Additionally, a web plate disposed at a radial position about a turbine axis between the transition piece and the turbine nozzle may form a first seal between the web plate and the transition piece and form a second seal between the web plate and the turbine nozzle. In addition, the web plate may extend in a circumferential direction about the turbine axis and couple to a support of the system. Further, the web plate may include an inner surface, an outer surface, and an arm extending in a radial direction between the inner surface and the outer surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
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Publication number: 20200308971Abstract: A face seal assembly including a thermal fluid circuit, a turbomachine including the face seal assembly and a method of operating the turbomachine are disclosed. The face seal assembly includes a seal ring including a seal bearing face, at least one internal cavity including a cavity inlet and a cavity outlet. The face seal assembly further including a fluid inlet channel in fluid communication with the cavity inlet of the at least one internal cavity and a pressurized fluid and a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity outlet of the at least one internal cavity. The at least one internal cavity, the fluid inlet channel and the fluid outlet port define a thermal fluid circuit providing thermal management of the seal ring. In the turbomachine, the face seal assembly is disposed between a stationary component and a rotating component including a rotating component bearing face.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2019Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Deepak Trivedi, Uttara Vijay Kumar, Rahul Anil Bidkar
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Publication number: 20200166142Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2018Publication date: May 28, 2020Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Christopher Edward Wolfe, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Deepak Trivedi, Quang Tue Nguyen Tran