Patents by Inventor Robert James Bracken
Robert James Bracken 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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Patent number: 9726026Abstract: The present application provides a turbine rotor and blade assembly for a steam turbine. The turbine rotor and blade assembly may include a rotor, a number of buckets positioned about the rotor and a locking blade positioned about the rotor. The locking blade may include a base, a first side hook, and a second side hook. The locking blade may include a first side pilot hole defined between the base and the first side hook and a second side pilot hole defined between the base and the second side hook.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: John Thomas Basirico, Timothy Scott McMurray, Laurence Scott Duclos, Robert James Bracken
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Patent number: 9057278Abstract: A turbine bucket including an integral rotation controlling feature is disclosed. In one embodiment, a turbine bucket includes: a blade section having an inner radial end and an outer radial end; an integral cover section connected to the outer radial end of the blade section; and a base section for engaging a rotor body, the base section connected to the inner radial end, wherein the base section includes: a central body; a set of tangs extending axially from the central body; a set of flanges radially inboard of the set of tangs and extending axially from the central body; and an integral rotation controlling feature extending from the central body, wherein the rotation controlling feature engages a radial opening in the rotor body. The integral rotation controlling feature is sized to limit rotation of the base section, when the turbine bucket is engaged with a rotor body.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2012Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Royce Howes, Mark Kevin Bowen, Robert James Bracken, Laurence Scott Duclos, Scott Leroy Irwin, Nicholas Andrew Tisenchek
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Publication number: 20140056712Abstract: A turbine bucket including an integral rotation controlling feature is disclosed. In one embodiment, a turbine bucket includes: a blade section having an inner radial end and an outer radial end; an integral cover section connected to the outer radial end of the blade section; and a base section for engaging a rotor body, the base section connected to the inner radial end, wherein the base section includes: a central body; a set of tangs extending axially from the central body; a set of flanges radially inboard of the set of tangs and extending axially from the central body; and an integral rotation controlling feature extending from the central body, wherein the rotation controlling feature engages a radial opening in the rotor body. The integral rotation controlling feature is sized to limit rotation of the base section, when the turbine bucket is engaged with a rotor body.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2012Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: James Royce Howes, Mark Kevin Bowen, Robert James Bracken, Laurence Scott Duclos, Scott Leroy Irwin, Nicholas Andrew Tisenchek
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Publication number: 20130330195Abstract: The present application provides a turbine rotor and blade assembly for a steam turbine. The turbine rotor and blade assembly may include a rotor, a number of buckets positioned about the rotor and a locking blade positioned about the rotor. The locking blade may include a base, a first side hook, and a second side hook. The locking blade may include a first side pilot hole defined between the base and the first side hook and a second side pilot hole defined between the base and the second side hook.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2013Publication date: December 12, 2013Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Thomas Basirico, Timothy Scott McMurray, Laurence Scott Duclos, Robert James Bracken
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Patent number: 8105032Abstract: A system may cool a wheel of a steam turbine, the wheel being associated with a rotor of the steam turbine. The system may include an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The inlet passage may be positioned to communicate steam from an exterior of the rotor, through an interior of the rotor, and to the wheel. The outlet passage may be positioned to communicate steam from the wheel, through the interior of the rotor, and to the exterior of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2008Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, Michael Earl Montgomery, Stephen Roger Swan
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Patent number: 8100641Abstract: A steam turbine having a stage including buckets of different material. For example, a set of first buckets may be made of a first material and a set of second buckets may be made of a second material, where the first material is different than the second material.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2008Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Robert James Bracken
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Patent number: 7921556Abstract: A fully bladed closure design for a turbine wheel with tangential entry. A set of the final three buckets including a bladed closure bucket are disposed about a wheel margin with two buckets adjacent to the bladed closure bucket secured to the wheel margin by the dovetails. The closure bucket is secured to adjacent buckets by a combination of one or more retaining keys and to the margin by one or more retaining pins. The bladed closure bucket and the adjoining faces of the adjacent buckets have flat skirts providing suppport from the retaining keys across the full axial width of the bladed closure bucket and the adjacent buckets.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2007Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John C. Lavash, Praveen Kumar Garlapati
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Patent number: 7866949Abstract: A method of fabricating a turbine rotor is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of substantially cylindrical disks. Fabricating each disk includes fabricating a substantially cylindrical body and extending a bore substantially concentrically through the body. The method also includes coupling at least two of the plurality of disks together to form a rotor having a bore extending axially therethrough.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2006Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Clement Gazzillo, John Cleland Lavash, Stephen Roger Swan, Ronald Wayne Korzun, Jeffrey Robert Simkins
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Publication number: 20100061857Abstract: A steam turbine having a stage including buckets of different material. For example, a set of first buckets may be made of a first material and a set of second buckets may be made of a second material, where the first material is different than the second material.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2008Publication date: March 11, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: Robert James Bracken
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Patent number: 7645117Abstract: A rotary machine includes a rotor, a stationary machine casing extending around the rotor, and a bling assembly extending between the casing and the rotor. The machine also includes at least one rotor tip seal assembly and at least one shaft seal assembly. The seal assemblies have a groove configured to receive at least one seal ring band. A method of assembling a rotary machine is also provided. The method includes fabricating the bling assembly by providing two identical members comprising a mating surface and having a semi-circular profile. The method also includes coupling the two members together at their mating surfaces such that a circular ring is formed and such that the mating surfaces define a horizontal joint. The method further includes machining concentric, circular and annular radially inner and outer and airfoil portions within predetermined radial portions of the bling assembly.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2006Date of Patent: January 12, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, David Orus Fitts, Sterling Hathaway, William Edward Adis, Ronald Korzun, Larry Duclos
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Publication number: 20090196735Abstract: A system may cool a wheel of a steam turbine, the wheel being associated with a rotor of the steam turbine. The system may include an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The inlet passage may be positioned to communicate steam from an exterior of the rotor, through an interior of the rotor, and to the wheel. The outlet passage may be positioned to communicate steam from the wheel, through the interior of the rotor, and to the exterior of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2008Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, Michael Earl Montgomery, Stephen Roger Swan
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Patent number: 7537430Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine. The steam turbine includes a retention portion having a stacked rotor section. The steam turbine further includes a first shaft end disposed at a first end of the retention portion. The steam turbine yet further includes a second shaft end disposed at a second end of the retention portion that is opposite to the first end of the retention portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo, Ronald W. Korzun, David Orus Fitts
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Patent number: 7497658Abstract: Disclosed herein is a stator assembly for a steam turbine. The stator assembly includes a stacked stator section and a retention device. The stacked stator section has a plurality of adjacently disposed stator plates. The retention device retains the adjacent stator plates proximate to each other.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo, David Orus Fitts, Mark William Kowalczyk
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Publication number: 20090047128Abstract: A fully bladed closure design for turbine wheel with tangential entry. A set of the final three buckets including a bladed closure bucket are disposed about a wheel margin with two buckets adjacent to the bladed closure bucket secured to the wheel margin by the dovetails. The closure bucket is secured to adjacent buckets by a combination of one or more retaining keys and to the margin by one or more retaining pins. The bladed closure bucket and the adjoining faces of the adjacent buckets have flat skirts providing suppport from the retaining keys across the full axial width of the bladed closure bucket and the adjacent buckets.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2007Publication date: February 19, 2009Inventors: Robert James Bracken, John C. Lavash, Praveen Kumar Garlapati
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Patent number: 7410345Abstract: A retaining key for a turbine nozzle includes a key body having top and bottom surfaces, a pair of sides and a pair of ends including a forward end having a pair of horizontal shoulders on opposite sides of a center rib, the shoulders located substantially midway between the top and bottom surfaces such that the forward end has a substantially inverted T-shaped profile, and a rearward end having a first surface portion extending from and substantially perpendicular to the top surface and a second surface portion extending at an acute angle downwardly and toward the forward end and intersecting the bottom surface.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Robert James Bracken
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Patent number: 7407370Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine including a stacked rotor section having rotor plates. The rotor plates include a main body portion having a plate shape and a first axial face and a second axial face opposite to the first axial face. The rotor plates also include an airfoil base surface at an outer radial edge of the main body portion. The rotor plates further include buckets which extend radially outward from the airfoil base surface. And the rotor plates yet further include a seal disposed to prevent steam exposure to the first and second axial faces.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: August 5, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Stephen Swan, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Clement Gazzillo
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Publication number: 20080050226Abstract: A method of fabricating a turbine rotor is provided. The method includes fabricating a plurality of substantially cylindrical disks. Fabricating each disk includes fabricating a substantially cylindrical body and extending a bore substantially concentrically through the body. The method also includes coupling at least two of the plurality of disks together to form a rotor having a bore extending axially therethrough.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2006Publication date: February 28, 2008Inventors: Robert James Bracken, John Thomas Murphy, Clement Gazzillo, John Cleland Lavash, Stephen Roger Swan, Ronald Wayne Korzun, Jeffrey Robert Simkins
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Patent number: 7287956Abstract: The turbine includes a diaphragm having a seal carrier mounted in opposition to seal teeth carried by the rotary component. The seal carrier includes a seal face having a coating of abradable material enabling the rotary component to abrade the material from the seal face. The seal carrier is removable from the diaphragm and is carried by an axial extension integral with or removable from the outer diaphragm ring. A spring may be interposed between the seal carrier and the stationary component.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: October 30, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert James Bracken, Sterling Ray Hathaway, David Orus Fitts, Ron W. Korzun, Laurence Scott Duclos, William Edward Adis, Mark William Kowalczyk, Bernard Arthur Couture
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Patent number: 7270512Abstract: The steampath for a steam turbine includes stacked stator rings each mounting inwardly directed nozzles and stacked rotor wheels each mounting outwardly directed buckets mounting blades. By alternately stacking the stator rings and rotor wheels, the nozzles and buckets of the various stages are interdigitated to form a steampath. Each bucket includes a blade and a root received in a generally complementary shaped groove on a wheel.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2005Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Walter Sullivan, Robert James Bracken, Jeffrey Robert Simkins, Stephen Roger Swan, David Orus Fitts, Ronald Wayne Korzun, John Thomas Murphy
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Patent number: 6908279Abstract: A wedge-like nozzle radial loading pin, preferably formed from steel, that contacts the bottom of a reaction nozzle along a graduated, that is inclined or stepped, surface. This contact will secure the reaction nozzle radially inward against the retaining surface of the carrier dovetail with sufficient force to maintain the designed airfoil pre-twist.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2003Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Walter Sullivan, David Orus Fitts, Robert James Bracken, Gregory Lee Landry