Patents by Inventor Robert Alan Brittingham

Robert Alan Brittingham 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: 6779980
    Abstract: First stage turbine buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values by the height of the airfoil in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelop of ±0.040 inches in directions normal to the surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Jacob Charles Perry, II, Craig Allen Bielek
  • Publication number: 20040112564
    Abstract: A method for casting an airfoil for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes forming a casting core to define a hollow portion in the airfoil and forming a print out region at one end of the casting core. The method also includes coupling the casting core to the print out region with at least one frusto-conical member to facilitate structurally supporting the casting core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Robert Henry Devine, Larry Duane Brown, Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Patent number: 6739838
    Abstract: Third stage turbine buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values by the height of the airfoil in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelop of ±0.060 inches in directions normal to the surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Allen Bielek, Robert Alan Brittingham, Jeff Brian Thompson, Benjamin Arnette Lagrange, Robert Walter Coign
  • Patent number: 6722851
    Abstract: First stage turbine buckets have internal core profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values by the height of the bucket in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define internal core profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete internal core profile. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down internal core profile. The nominal internal core profile given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of ±0.039 inches in directions normal to any internal core surface location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Jacob C. Perry, II
  • Patent number: 6685434
    Abstract: The second stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z value is non-dimensional along the bucket centerline coincident with a turbine radius and convertible to a Z distance in inches from the turbine axis by multiplying the Z value by the height of the airfoil and adding the root radius to the result. The X and Y distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelop of ±0.160 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David John Humanchuk, Craig Allen Bielek, Robert Alan Brittingham, James Tyson Balkcum, Andrew Jones, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20020177985
    Abstract: A computer system and method optimizes the heating exchanging geometry of a radial cooled bucket for a turbine engine. The computer system enables rapidly prototyping and evaluations of different radial cooled bucket configurations. The computer system includes a simulator and an optimizer. The simulator forms an analytical model of the bucket and executes a simulation of a thermal environment within the engine producing a predicted performance parameter for the model. The optimizer compares the performance parameter to a baseline criterion. If the performance parameter does not match the baseline criterion the optimizer automatically indexes a variable of defining the geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Kraft, Praveen Krishna Ir Pillai, Robert Alan Brittingham