Patents by Inventor Stephen Francis Rutkowski
Stephen Francis Rutkowski 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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Publication number: 20170173683Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure formed from at least a first material and a second material, and an inner core disposed within the hollow structure. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, and cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component. The inner core defines the internal passage within the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Stanley Frank Simpson, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Canan Uslu Hardwicke, Joseph Leonard Moroso, Steven Charles Rauch
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Publication number: 20170173669Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure that includes an interior portion shaped to define at least one interior passage feature of the internal passage. The jacketed core also includes an inner core disposed within the hollow structure and complementarily shaped by the interior portion of the hollow structure. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold to form the component, such that the inner core defines the internal passage including the at least one interior passage feature defined therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Timothy Michael Moricca, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Joseph Leonard Moroso, Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
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Publication number: 20170173680Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure formed from a first material, and an inner core formed from an inner core material disposed within the hollow structure. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the first material from a portion of the jacketed core within the cavity. The method further includes cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component, and removing the inner core material from the component to form the internal passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventor: Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Publication number: 20170173681Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein is provided. The method includes positioning a jacketed core with respect to a mold. The jacketed core includes a hollow structure formed at least partially by an additive manufacturing process, and an inner core disposed within the hollow structure. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, and cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component. The inner core is positioned to define the internal passage within the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Timothy Michael Moricca, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Stanley Frank Simpson, Joseph Leonard Moroso
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Publication number: 20170173686Abstract: A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes selectively positioning a lattice structure at least partially within a cavity of a mold. The lattice structure is formed from a first material, and a core is positioned in a channel defined through the lattice structure, such that at least a portion of the core extends within the cavity. The method also includes introducing a component material in a molten state into the cavity, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the first material from the lattice structure. The method further includes cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component, wherein at least the portion of the core defines the internal passage within the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2017Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventor: Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Publication number: 20170165721Abstract: A cleaning system and method uses a tank holding a fluid detergent and an equipment assembly formed from a plurality of discrete components joined together. One or more ultrasound transducers remove one or more deposits on the equipment assembly by generating and propagating high frequency ultrasound waves into the fluid detergent while the equipment assembly is in contact with the fluid detergent.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2015Publication date: June 15, 2017Inventors: Nicole Tibbetts, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Sean Robert Keith, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Brian Kalb, Evan Jarrett Dolley, Andrew James Jenkins, Alistair Searing, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Patent number: 9579714Abstract: A mold assembly for use in forming a component having an internal passage defined therein is provided. The component is formed from a component material. The mold assembly includes a mold that defines a mold cavity therein. The mold assembly also includes a lattice structure selectively positioned at least partially within the mold cavity. The lattice structure is formed from a first material that is at least partially absorbable by the component material in a molten state. A channel is defined through the lattice structure, and a core is positioned in the channel such that at least a portion of the core extends within the mold cavity and defines the internal passage when the component is formed in the mold assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Publication number: 20160160374Abstract: In one example of the present technology, a method for forming an article includes disposing an electrically conductive coating on a substrate. The method further includes disposing a layer stack on the electrically conductive coating by (i) disposing a first barrier coating by electrophoretic deposition; (ii) heat treating the first barrier coating; (iii) disposing an electrically conductive layer on the first barrier coating; and (iv) optionally repeating steps (i) to (iii). The method further includes disposing a second barrier coating on an outermost electrically conductive layer in the layer stack by electrophoretic deposition; and heat treating the second barrier coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2014Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Nicholas Edward Antolino, Don Mark Lipkin, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Patent number: 9205484Abstract: A shell mold is described. The shell mold includes a facecoat, a sealcoat, and a support disposed in between the facecoat and the sealcoat. The support includes a stucco in a concentration greater than about 40 volume percent of the support. The stucco includes a material that has a thermal conductivity greater than about 285 W/m-K.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2013Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Qi Zhao, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Francis Johnson, Wanming Zhang, Min Zou
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Publication number: 20150231696Abstract: A method of directionally solidifying a molten alloy is presented. The molten alloy is disposed in a shell mold that has a thermal conductivity value greater than about 2 W/m-K. During the direction solidification, heat is transferred from the shell mold to a cooling region with a heat extraction rate greater than about 120 W/m2.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2014Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Qi Zhao, Francis Johnson, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Min Zou, Wanming Zhang
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Publication number: 20150144287Abstract: A shell mold is described. The shell mold includes a facecoat, a sealcoat, and a support disposed in between the facecoat and the sealcoat. The support includes a stucco in a concentration greater than about 40 volume percent of the support. The stucco includes a material that has a thermal conductivity greater than about 285 W/m-K.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2013Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Qi Zhao, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Francis Johnson, Wanming Zhang, Min Zou
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Patent number: 8906170Abstract: An alloy casting having a protective layer disposed on a surface of the casting is provided. The protective layer is resistant to liquid metal attack, and wherein the protective layer includes an oxide of an element present in the alloy. A method of forming a protective layer on a surface of the alloy casting is also provided. The method includes disposing the alloy in a mold, and oxidizing an element of the alloy to form a protective layer on the surface of the casting.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2008Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Michael Frances Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Shyh-Chin Huang, Roger John Petterson, Luana Emiliana Iorio, Andrew John Elliott
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Patent number: 8770944Abstract: A component such as a turbine bucket or blade, and method for making the component, are presented. One embodiment is an article that comprises an airfoil casting portion comprising a plurality of integral regions, wherein the plurality of integral regions comprises a single-crystalline region and a columnar-grained region. Another embodiment is a method for fabricating an article. The method comprises providing a quantity of molten metal; providing a mold defining an airfoil portion having an axial direction and a transverse direction, wherein the airfoil portion of the mold comprises a single-crystal growth region and a columnar growth region disposed along the transverse direction from the single crystal growth region; introducing the molten metal into the mold; and solidifying the metal such that a solidification front progresses in the axial direction to produce an airfoil casting portion comprising a single-crystalline region and a columnar-grained region.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2011Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Akane Suzuki, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Michale Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr.
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Publication number: 20130160967Abstract: Methods for casting a metallic material to form a component are described. The component can be a superalloy-containing turbine part, for example. The general method includes the step of pouring the metallic material, in molten form, into an investment mold; and then rapidly immersing the entire investment mold into a bath that contains a low-melting liquid coolant metal, so as to achieve substantially uniform, multi-directional heat transfer out of the molten material. The molten material that solidifies to form the component is characterized by a fine-grained, equiaxed grain structure. Related embodiments include the use of two ingots that constitute the superalloy material. One ingot includes the oxygen-reactive elements, and is prepared by a vacuum-melting technique. The other ingot includes the remainder of the elements, and can be prepared by a number of techniques, such as air-melting processes.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2011Publication date: June 27, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Akane Suzuki, Stephen Joseph Balsone, Andrew John Elliott, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, JR., Shyh-Chin Huang, Roger John Petterson, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Pazhayannur Ramanathan Subramanian
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Patent number: 8409318Abstract: A process and apparatus for forming wires, such as wires used as feedstock in welding, brazing, and coating deposition processes. The process and apparatus generally entail feeding through a passage a quantity of powder particles of a size and composition that render the particles susceptible to microwave radiation. As the particles travel through the passage, the particles within the passage are subjected to microwave radiation so that the particles couple with the microwave radiation and are sufficiently heated to melt at least a radially outermost quantity of particles within the passage. The particles are then cooled so that the radially outermost quantity of particles solidifies to yield a wire having a consolidated outermost region surrounding an interior region of the wire.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2006Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeffrey Reid Thyssen, Laurent Cretegny, Daniel Joseph Lewis, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Patent number: 8307881Abstract: Casting molds suitable for directional solidification processes using a liquid cooling bath include a graded facecoat structure on a mold body. The graded facecoat structure includes an innermost layer and a delamination layer, wherein the delamination layer fractures upon cooling of the molten metal so as to separate the mold body from the innermost layer, which remains in contact with or in close proximity to the metal being cast. Also disclosed are directional solidification processes.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Shyh-Chin Huang, Andrew John Elliott, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Roger John Petterson, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
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Publication number: 20120251330Abstract: A component such as a turbine bucket or blade, and method for making the component, are presented. One embodiment is an article that comprises an airfoil casting portion comprising a plurality of integral regions, wherein the plurality of integral regions comprises a single-crystalline region and a columnar-grained region. Another embodiment is a method for fabricating an article. The method comprises providing a quantity of molten metal; providing a mold defining an airfoil portion having an axial direction and a transverse direction, wherein the airfoil portion of the mold comprises a single-crystal growth region and a columnar growth region disposed along the transverse direction from the single crystal growth region; introducing the molten metal into the mold; and solidifying the metal such that a solidification front progresses in the axial direction to produce an airfoil casting portion comprising a single-crystalline region and a columnar-grained region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Akane Suzuki, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, JR.
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Patent number: 8210240Abstract: A casting process and apparatus for producing directionally-solidified castings, and castings produced therewith. The process entails applying a facecoat slurry to a surface within a mold cavity to form a continuous solid facecoat on the surface, introducing a molten metal alloy into the mold cavity so that the molten metal alloy contacts the facecoat, and then immersing the mold in a liquid coolant to cool and solidify the molten metal alloy and form a casting of the metal alloy, during which an oxide layer forms on the casting surface. The facecoat is sufficiently adherent to the oxide layer such that at least a portion of the facecoat detaches from the mold surface and remains tightly adhered to the casting surface in the event the casting contracts during cooling. The facecoat contains at least 60 weight percent of a first phase of yttria, and the balance of the facecoat is a binder phase of an inorganic material.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Shyh-Chin Huang, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr., Roger John Petterson, Lawrence Bernard Kool
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Patent number: 8122942Abstract: A slurry suitable for forming facecoats, facecoats formed by such a slurry, and processes using such facecoats. The slurry is formed of a particulate refractory material, an aqueous suspension containing a particulate inorganic binder, a thixotropic organic binder, a dispersant, and possibly optional constituents excluding particulate refractory materials and inorganic binders. The particulate refractory material constitutes at least about 60 weight percent of the slurry and consists essentially of yttria. The aqueous suspension containing the particulate inorganic binder constitutes at most about 35 weight percent of the facecoat slurry. The dispersant is present in the slurry in an amount sufficient to stabilize the slurry at a pH of up to about 10, and has the general formula Hx[N(CH2)yOH]z, where x has a value of 0, 1 or 2, y has a value of 1 to 8, and z=3?x.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2009Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Lawrence Bernard Kool
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Publication number: 20110315338Abstract: Shell molds and processes for making the shell molds that exhibit high emissivity in the red and infrared regions. In this manner, thermal resistance within a gap formed between solidifying cast metal and the interior mold surface is decreased. In one embodiment, the facecoat region is formed from a slurry composition comprising an aluminum oxide, a green chromium oxide and a silicon dioxide. In another embodiment, the facecoat region is formed from a slurry composition including zirconium silicate and silica with stucco layer of alumina is included.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2011Publication date: December 29, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Shyh-Chin Huang, Adegboyega Masud Makinde, Roger John Petterson, Stephen Francis Rutkowski, Venkat Subramaniam Venkataramani