Patents by Inventor Robert Schafrik

Robert Schafrik 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: 7189459
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of a turbine component (which may be a blade) comprises a substrate comprising a silicide-based material, a plurality of through holes disposed in the substrate, the holes being configured to receive an airflow, a silicide coating disposed at the surfaces of the substrate and the through holes, and a thermal barrier coating disposed at the silicide coating. In another exemplary embodiment the silicide coating may be replaced by a Laves phase-containing layer. In still another exemplary embodiment the silicide coating may be replaced by a diffusion barrier layer disposed at a surface of the substrate and a platinum group metal layer disposed at the diffusion barrier layer. One exemplary embodiment of a blade may comprise an airfoil comprising a silicide-based material and through holes disposed therein, a cooling plenum disposed in the airfoil, and a base configured to receive the airfoil in a dovetail fit, the base comprising a superalloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Melvin Jackson, Pazhayannur Subramanian, Ji-Cheng Zhao, Bernard Bewlay, Ramgopal Darolia, Robert Schafrik
  • Publication number: 20060275167
    Abstract: An article is prepared by furnishing a plurality of powder particle substrates made of a substrate metal, providing a nonmetallic precursor of a metallic coating material, wherein the metallic coating material comprises an alloying element that is thermophysically melt incompatible with the substrate metal, contacting the powder particle substrates with the nonmetallic precursor, chemically reducing the nonmetallic precursor to form coated powder particles comprising the powder particle substrates having a surface-enriched layer of the metallic coating material thereon without melting the powder particle substrates, and processing the coated powder particles to form the article, without melting the powder particle substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric Ott, Andrew Woodfield, David Mourer, John Ackerman, Jon Groh, Robert Schafrik, Kenneth Bain, Michael Gigliotti, Matthew Buczek
  • Publication number: 20060263231
    Abstract: A compositionally graded gas turbine disk is made by placing a cylindrically symmetric slip case concentrically into an interior of a cylindrically symmetric outer container. A first nickel-base superalloy powder is loaded into a radially inner first portion of the interior and a second nickel-base superalloy powder is loaded into a radially outer second portion of the interior. The slip case is removed so that the first nickel-base superalloy powder and the second nickel-base superalloy powder contact in the transition region and form a non-compacted powder mass. The non-compacted powder mass is processed into a gas turbine disk, typically by compacting the non-compacted powder mass to form a compacted powder mass, and thereafter heat treating the compacted powder mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jon Groh, Eric Ott, Robert Schafrik, Daniel Krueger
  • Publication number: 20060260126
    Abstract: A compositionally graded gas turbine disk is made by preparing a rotationally symmetric radially inner segment of a gas turbine disk preform, rotating the inner segment about a central axis, spray applying a radially outer-segment material onto the radially inner segment as it rotates about the central axis, preferably achieving a gradual transition in composition, and thereafter further processing the gas turbine disk preform to produce the compositionally graded gas turbine disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jon Groh, Eric Ott, Robert Schafrik, Daniel Krueger
  • Publication number: 20050271514
    Abstract: A coating and coating process for incorporating surface features on an air-cooled substrate surface of a component for the purpose of promoting heat transfer from the component. The coating process generally comprises depositing a first metallic coating material on the surface of the component using a first set of coating conditions to form a first environmental coating layer, and then depositing a second metallic coating material using a second set of coating conditions that differ from the first set, such that an outer environmental coating layer is formed having raised surface features that cause the surface of the outer environmental coating layer to be rougher than the surface of the first environmental coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Robert Schafrik, Ramgopal Darolia, Joseph Rigney
  • Publication number: 20040126237
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of a turbine component (which may be a blade) comprises a substrate comprising a silicide-based material, a plurality of through holes disposed in the substrate, the holes being configured to receive an airflow, a silicide coating disposed at the surfaces of the substrate and the through holes, and a thermal barrier coating disposed at the silicide coating. In another exemplary embodiment the silicide coating may be replaced by a Laves phase-containing layer. In still another exemplary embodiment the silicide coating may be replaced by a diffusion barrier layer disposed at a surface of the substrate and a platinum group metal layer disposed at the diffusion barrier layer. One exemplary embodiment of a blade may comprise an airfoil comprising a silicide-based material and through holes disposed therein, a cooling plenum disposed in the airfoil, and a base configured to receive the airfoil in a dovetail fit, the base comprising a superalloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Melvin Jackson, Pazhayannur Subramanian, Ji-Cheng Zhao, Bernard Bewlay, Ramgopal Darolia, Robert Schafrik