Patents by Inventor Robert A. Barker

Robert A. Barker 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: 9202362
    Abstract: An infrastructure monitoring system and method that comprises multiple monitoring devices and/or multiple output devices. Each monitoring device includes at least one sensor for collecting data, a data storage device for storing the data, a processor for analyzing the data, and a communications device for transmitting and receiving data. The system may also include an operations center for controlling and receiving data from the plurality of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, C. Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 9175855
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustion nozzle for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustion nozzle may include a number of mixing tubes, an outer shell surrounding the mixing tubes, and a floating aft plate assembly. The floating plate assembly may enclose the outer shell. The mixing tubes may extend through the aft plate assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Gerritt Wegerif, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Carl Robert Barker
  • Publication number: 20150202558
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic control of a baghouse fabric filter system as a single unit to maintain a consistent pressure drop are disclosed. The fabric filter system may be a pulse jet cleaning system, and a controller may be provided to receive inputs from pressure sensors and other components and to control activation of pulse pipes for cleaning filter bags. The controller may adjust parameters including the dwell time between pulses, the duration of each pulse, and the pulse air pressure. The controller may further optimize these parameters to provide the minimum cleaning necessary per pulse to achieve the consistent differential pressure. By continuously adjusting the parameters, the system maintains the maximum amount of filter cake on the bags to promote optimal emissions control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: Covanta Energy, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Barker
  • Publication number: 20150176841
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle in a combustion turbine engine that includes: a fuel plenum defined between an circumferentially extending shroud and axially by a forward tube-sheet and an aft tube-sheet; and a mixing-tube that extends across the fuel plenum that defines a passageway connecting an inlet formed through the forward tube-sheet and an outlet formed through the aft tube-sheet, the mixing-tube comprising one or more fuel ports that fluidly communicate with the fuel plenum. The mixing-tube may include grooves on an outer surface, and be attached to the forward tube-sheet by a connection having a fail-safe leakage path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Carl Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8997664
    Abstract: A two stage refuse gasification combustion system for processing refuse is disclosed. The system may contain features such as an advancer, a first and second gasifier, a gas regulator, and a post combustor. Additionally, methods for regulating gas and advancing refuse through a two stage refuse gasification combustion system are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Covanta Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Ron Broglio, Hanwei Zhang, Robert Barker, Stephen Goff
  • Publication number: 20150082868
    Abstract: A leak detection assembly includes a leak detection sensor mountable on a surface of a component of a water infrastructure system; and a communications device mountable on the component, the leak detection sensor connected to the communications device, the communications device including an antenna, wherein the communications device is a component of an infrastructure monitoring system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker, III
  • Patent number: 8955327
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustor wall defining a combustion zone and a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a forward face, an aft face downstream from the forward face and adjacent to the combustion zone, a plurality of mixing tubes extending between the forward face and the aft face, an outer sleeve positioned radially outward of the plurality of mixing tubes, a heat shield positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve, and a baffle plate between the forward face and the aft face. At least one of the plurality of mixing tubes includes a sidewall that includes an injection opening defined therethrough. The baffle plate is oriented to channel fuel between the plurality of mixing tubes and between the baffle plate and the aft face prior to the fuel being channeled through the injection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carl Robert Barker, Thomas Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 8931505
    Abstract: An infrastructure monitoring system and method include multiple communications devices. At least one communications device is coupled to an element of the infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker, III
  • Patent number: 8898522
    Abstract: A method of automating testing of a first computing system comprises identifying a plurality of system interface elements of a second computing system; determining an untested state at the first computing system of one of the identified plurality of system interface elements; determining the existence of any dependency of the one of the identified plurality of system interface elements upon another of the identified plurality of system interface elements; responsive to a finding of no the dependency, seeking in a repository a system interface element test corresponding to the one of the identified plurality of system interface elements and having an expected output according to a structure of the second computing system; and executing the system interlace element test at the first computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Robert Barker, Ian James McCloy, Daniel Gregory Mounty
  • Publication number: 20140340238
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for an infrastructure monitoring system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker
  • Publication number: 20140251483
    Abstract: A tube assembly for use in a fuel injection assembly of a turbine engine is provided. The tube assembly includes a housing, and a plurality of tube assembly units positioned adjacent to one another within the housing such that each tube assembly extends along a longitudinal axis of the housing. Each tube assembly unit includes a tube, and a plurality of flanges extending radially outward from each tube, wherein flanges of adjacent tube assembly units form at least a portion of at least one wall within the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Carl Robert Barker, Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Patent number: 8823509
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an infrastructure monitoring system and method that comprises multiple communications devices. An exemplary infrastructure monitoring system includes: an operations center; and a plurality of communications devices communicatively coupled to the operations center; wherein, at least one communications device of said plurality of communications devices is coupled to a component of the infrastructure; and wherein at least two communications devices are monitoring devices, the first monitoring device monitoring a first aspect of the infrastructure and the second monitoring device monitoring a second aspect of the infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory E. Hyland, Robert Paul Keefe, Marietta Edmunds Zakas, Clayton Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8769956
    Abstract: A system comprising a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a mounting base and an inlet flow conditioner extending directly from the mounting base in a downstream direction. Moreover, the inlet flow conditioner structurally supports the fuel nozzle without a central support member extending directly from the mounting base inside the inlet flow conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Kevin Weston McMahan, Carl Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8759727
    Abstract: A roasting oven includes an enclosure coupled to a source of microwave RF energy, an operable door for sealing the enclosure for RF, the operable door having a viewing aperture which prevents the escape of RF from inside the chamber. A rotating support has an axis which is perpendicular to the viewing aperture such that the progress of roasting may be viewed through the viewing aperture and into a food container placed in the rotating support. The applied power of the microwave RF source and the rotational velocity of the rotating support are selected to provide uniform or wide spectrum roasting of the food item. A roasting profile may include a roasting interval during which the microwave RF source and rotating support are both energized, and subsequently a cool-down interval where the microwave RF source is disabled and the rotating support continues to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Coffee Technologies, International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Gard, Glen T. Poss, Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8733106
    Abstract: An integrated plate is provided for use with a combustor including a casing, a fuel plenum extending circumferentially about the casing, and a fuel nozzle extending axially through the casing. The integrated plate includes a plurality of fuel injection pegs that extend radially between the fuel plenum and the fuel nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carl Robert Barker, Thomas Edward Johnson, Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Publication number: 20140000263
    Abstract: A system comprising a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a mounting base and an inlet flow conditioner extending directly from the mounting base in a downstream direction. Moreover, the inlet flow conditioner structurally supports the fuel nozzle without a central support member extending directly from the mounting base inside the inlet flow conditioner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Kevin Weston McMahan, Carl Robert Barker
  • Publication number: 20130305734
    Abstract: The present application provides a micro-mixer fuel plenum for mixing a flow of fuel and a flow of air in a combustor. The micro-mixing fuel plenum may include an outer barrel and a number of mixing tubes positioned within the outer barrel. The mixing tubes may include one or more heat transfer features thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Keener, Thomas Edward Johnson, Carl Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8522555
    Abstract: A system comprising a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a mounting base and an inlet flow conditioner extending directly from the mounting base in a downstream direction. Moreover, the inlet flow conditioner structurally supports the fuel nozzle without a central support member extending directly from the mounting base inside the inlet flow conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Kevin Weston McMahan, Carl Robert Barker
  • Patent number: 8381526
    Abstract: A combustor includes a first flow path and a second flow path. The first flow path places a diffuser in indirect fluid communication with a combustor cap assembly by way of an intervening lower combustor annular passageway. The second flow path places the diffuser in direct fluid communication with the combustor cap assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Constantin Dinu, Carl Robert Barker, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20130042625
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustor wall defining a combustion zone and a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a forward face, an aft face downstream from the forward face and adjacent to the combustion zone, a plurality of mixing tubes extending between the forward face and the aft face, an outer sleeve positioned radially outward of the plurality of mixing tubes, a heat shield positioned radially inward of the outer sleeve, and a baffle plate between the forward face and the aft face. At least one of the plurality of mixing tubes includes a sidewall that includes an injection opening defined therethrough. The baffle plate is oriented to channel fuel between the plurality of mixing tubes and between the baffle plate and the aft face prior to the fuel being channeled through the injection opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Carl Robert Barker, Thomas Edward Johnson