Patents by Inventor Robert David Briggs

Robert David Briggs 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: 20220170383
    Abstract: An engine component assembly with a first substrate having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface, with the cooling surface being different than the hot surface, a second substrate having a first surface in fluid communication with a cooling fluid supply and a second surface, different from the first surface, facing and spaced from the cooling surface to define at least one interior cavity. At least one cavity is provided within the first substrate defining a cavity surface where at least a portion of the cavity surface is directly opposite the second surface. At least one cooling aperture extending through the second substrate from the first surface to the second surface, and defining a streamline along which a cooling fluid passes from the cooling fluid supply to the at least one interior cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Frederick Bergholz, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Kevin Robert Feldmann, Curtis Walton Stover, Zachary Daniel Webster, Fernando Reiter
  • Patent number: 11313235
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. The substrate includes one or more film holes that have a metering section defining a metering diameter and a diffusing section that defines a hooded length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Frederick Alan Buck, Robert David Briggs, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Kevin Robert Feldmann
  • Patent number: 11280215
    Abstract: An engine component assembly includes a first engine component having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface with at least one cavity. A second engine component is spaced from the cooling surface, and includes at least one cooling aperture. The cooling aperture is arranged such that cooling fluid impinges on the cooling surface at an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Frederick Bergholz, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Kevin Robert Feldmann, Curtis Walton Stover, Zachary Daniel Webster, Fernando Reiter
  • Publication number: 20200277862
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing engine weight for a turbine engine by utilizing one or more discrete protuberances disposed on an engine component wall. The wall can have a nominal thickness to decrease engine weight while the protuberances can provide increased discrete thicknesses for providing one or more cooling holes. The increased thickness at the protuberances provides for an increased thickness to provide sufficient length to increase cooling hole effectiveness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Douglas Gerard Konitzer, Scott Ronald Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 10690055
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine components are provided which utilize an insert to provide cooling air along a cooled surface of an engine component. The insert provides cooling holes or apertures which face the cool side surface of the engine component and direct cooling air onto that cool side surface. The apertures may be formed in arrays and directed at an oblique or a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the insert and may be at an angle to the surface of the engine component being cooled. An engine component assembly is provided with counterflow impingement cooling, comprising an engine component cooling surface having a cooling fluid flow path on one side and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Curtis Walton Stover, Jonathan Michael Rausch, Satoshi Atsuchi, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Robert David Briggs, Ronald Scott Bunker, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Michael Alan Meade, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Robert Proctor
  • Patent number: 10563514
    Abstract: A structure for disrupting the flow of a fluid is provided, the structure comprising: a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall spaced apart from one another a distance across an X-axis; and a turbulator extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the turbulator extending away from the floor. The turbulator includes a first front surface extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, a second front surface extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, a first rear surface extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the first rear surface extending between the first front surface and the floor, and a second rear surface adjoining the first rear surface and extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the second rear surface extending between the second front surface and the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs, Shawn Michael Pearson
  • Patent number: 10450874
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for an airfoil in a gas turbine engine can include an outer surface bounding an interior. At least one flow channel can be defined among one or more full-length and partial-length ribs to further define a cooling circuit within the airfoil. The cooling circuit can have at least one tip turn at the partial-length rib, having at least on fastback turbulator disposed at least partially within the tip turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs, Jason Randolph Allen, Kevin Robert Feldmann
  • Patent number: 10443407
    Abstract: An apparatus for a gas turbine engine can include an airfoil having an interior. The interior can be separated into one or more cooling air channels extending in a span-wise direction. An accelerator insert can be placed in one or more cooling air channels to define a reduced cross-sectional area within the cooling air channel to accelerate an airflow passing through the cooling air channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert David Briggs, Shawn Michael Pearson, Andrew David Kemp, Gulcharan Singh Brainch
  • Patent number: 10378444
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled recess comprising a contoured portion defining a step. A hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow are fluidly coupled by a passage through the engine component. The passage further comprises an inlet in the cooling surface and an outlet in the step. The inlet, passage and outlet are oriented such that the cooling fluid flowing through the passage and exiting the outlet diffuses within the contoured portion prevents premature mixing out with the hot fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Francis Manning, Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert Frederick Bergholz, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 10364684
    Abstract: A structure for disrupting the flow of a fluid comprises and a second lateral wall spaced apart from one another, yet joined, by a floor and a ceiling; and, (b) a vorticor pin extending in a direction parallel to an X-axis, the vorticor pin concurrently rising above and extending away from the floor to a height, in a direction parallel to a Y-axis, the vorticor pin comprising: (i) a front surface extending incompletely between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the front surface extending above the floor and having an arcuate portion that is transverse with respect to a Z-axis, which is perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis, and (ii) a rear surface extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the rear surface extending between the front surface and the floor, the rear surface having an inclining section that tapers in height, taken parallel to the Y-axis, in a direction parallel to the Z-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Curtis Walton Stover
  • Patent number: 10352177
    Abstract: An airfoil for a turbine engine having a perimeter wall bounding an interior and defining a pressure side and a suction side, a radially extending rib located within the interior and spaced from the leading edge to define a radially extending leading edge chamber, and at least one impingement opening in the rib defining a flow path aligned with the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs, Timothy Deryck Stone
  • Patent number: 10301954
    Abstract: A ceramic airfoil is provided. The ceramic airfoil may include a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a pair of sidewalls. The pair of sidewalls may include a suction sidewall and a pressure sidewall spaced apart in a widthwise direction and extending in the chordwise direction between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The pair of sidewalls may also define cooling cavity and a plurality of internal cooling passages downstream of the cooling cavity to receive a pressurized cooling airflow. The internal cooling passages may be defined across a diffusion section with a set diffusion length, and include one or more predefined ratios or angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Randolph Allen, Robert Alan Frederick, Robert David Briggs, Michael Ray Tuertscher
  • Patent number: 10280785
    Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine section of a turbine engine includes a shroud plate in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a baffle overlying the shroud plate to define a region. One or more shaped cooling features are located along the region such that a cooling fluid flow passing through the region encounters the shaped cooling features to increase the turbulence of the cooling fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert David Briggs, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Curtis Walton Stover
  • Publication number: 20190106991
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. A film hole extends through the substrate to an outlet on the hot surface. A flow conditioning structure is provided upstream of the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 10174620
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuit can further comprise a near wall cooling mesh, fluidly coupling a supply passage to a mesh plenum. The mesh plenum can be disposed adjacent to the external surface of the airfoil having a plurality of film holes extending between the mesh plenum and the external surface of the airfoil. The mesh plenum can further comprise a cross-sectional area sized to facilitate machining of the film holes without damage to the interior of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield, David Benjamin Helmer, Jeremy Clyde Bailey, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 10132166
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. A film hole extends through the substrate to an outlet on the hot surface. A flow conditioning structure is provided upstream of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 10094714
    Abstract: A temperature measurement system includes at least one temperature measurement probe. The at least one temperature measurement probe includes at least one hollow filament configured to emit thermal radiation in a predetermined and substantially continuous wavelength band at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one hollow filament. The at least one hollow filament has a first diameter and a first emissivity. The at least one temperature measurement probe also includes at least one thin filament extending within at least a portion of the at least one hollow filament. The at least one thin filament is configured to emit thermal radiation in a predetermined and substantially continuous wavelength band at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one thin filament. The at least one thin filament has a second emissivity and a second diameter less than the first diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Bin Ma, James Peter DeLancey, K. M. K. Genghis Khan, Carlos Bonilla Gonzalez, Robert David Briggs, Nirm Velumylum Nirmalan
  • Publication number: 20170335716
    Abstract: An engine component assembly includes a first engine component having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface with at least one cavity. A second engine component is spaced from the cooling surface, and includes at least one cooling aperture. The cooling aperture is arranged such that cooling fluid impinges on the cooling surface at an angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Frederick BERGHOLZ, Jason Randolph ALLEN, Robert David BRIGGS, Kevin Robert FELDMANN, Curtis Walton STOVER, Zachary Daniel WEBSTER, Fernando REITER
  • Publication number: 20170306764
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing engine weight for a turbine engine by utilizing one or more discrete protuberances disposed on an engine component wall. The wall can have a nominal thickness to decrease engine weight while the protuberances can provide increased discrete thicknesses for providing one or more cooling holes. The increased thickness at the protuberances provides for an increased thickness to provide sufficient length to increase cooling hole effectiveness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Douglas Gerard Konitzer, Scott Ronald Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Publication number: 20170276550
    Abstract: A temperature measurement system includes at least one temperature measurement probe. The at least one temperature measurement probe includes at least one hollow filament configured to emit thermal radiation in a predetermined and substantially continuous wavelength band at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one hollow filament. The at least one hollow filament has a first diameter and a first emissivity. The at least one temperature measurement probe also includes at least one thin filament extending within at least a portion of the at least one hollow filament. The at least one thin filament is configured to emit thermal radiation in a predetermined and substantially continuous wavelength band at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one thin filament. The at least one thin filament has a second emissivity and a second diameter less than the first diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Bin Ma, James Peter DeLancey, K.M.K. Genghis Khan, Carlos Bonilla Gonzalez, Robert David Briggs, Nirm Velumylum Nirmalan