Patents by Inventor Stephen William Tesh

Stephen William Tesh 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: 10760430
    Abstract: A hot gas path (HGP) component of an industrial machine includes primary and secondary cooling pathways. A body includes an internal cooling circuit carrying a cooling medium. A primary cooling pathway is spaced internally in the body and carries a primary flow of a cooling medium from an internal cooling circuit. A secondary cooling pathway is in the body and in fluid communication with an internal cooling circuit. The secondary cooling pathway is fluidly incommunicative and spaced internally from the primary cooling pathway. In response to an overheating event occurring, the secondary cooling pathway opens to allow a secondary flow of cooling medium through to the outer surface of the body and/or the primary cooling pathway. The primary flow flows in the primary cooling pathway prior to the overheating event, and the secondary flow of cooling medium does not flow until after an opening of the secondary cooling pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Peter Arness, Victor John Morgan, Stephen William Tesh
  • Patent number: 10704399
    Abstract: A hot gas path component of an industrial machine includes a cooling pathway. The component includes a body including an outer surface; a thermal barrier coating (TBC) over the outer surface, the TBC exposed to a working fluid having a high temperature; and an internal cooling circuit in the body carrying a cooling medium. A cooling pathway is in the body and in fluid communication with the internal cooling circuit. The cooling pathway includes a terminating end in the body and a length extending along and spaced internally from the outer surface by a first spacing. In response to a spall in the TBC occurring at a location over the cooling pathway and the high temperature reaching or exceeding a predetermined temperature of the body, the cooling pathway opens at the location through the first spacing to allow a flow of the cooling medium therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Peter Arness, Victor John Morgan, Stephen William Tesh
  • Publication number: 20180347378
    Abstract: A hot gas path component of an industrial machine includes a cooling pathway. The component includes a body including an outer surface; a thermal barrier coating (TBC) over the outer surface, the TBC exposed to a working fluid having a high temperature; and an internal cooling circuit in the body carrying a cooling medium. A cooling pathway is in the body and in fluid communication with the internal cooling circuit. The cooling pathway includes a terminating end in the body and a length extending along and spaced internally from the outer surface by a first spacing. In response to a spall in the TBC occurring at a location over the cooling pathway and the high temperature reaching or exceeding a predetermined temperature of the body, the cooling pathway opens at the location through the first spacing to allow a flow of the cooling medium therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Peter Arness, Victor John Morgan, Stephen William Tesh
  • Publication number: 20180347372
    Abstract: A hot gas path (HGP) component of an industrial machine includes primary and secondary cooling pathways. A body includes an internal cooling circuit carrying a cooling medium. A primary cooling pathway is spaced internally in the body and carries a primary flow of a cooling medium from an internal cooling circuit. A secondary cooling pathway is in the body and in fluid communication with an internal cooling circuit. The secondary cooling pathway is fluidly incommunicative and spaced internally from the primary cooling pathway. In response to an overheating event occurring, the secondary cooling pathway opens to allow a secondary flow of cooling medium through to the outer surface of the body and/or the primary cooling pathway. The primary flow flows in the primary cooling pathway prior to the overheating event, and the secondary flow of cooling medium does not flow until after an opening of the secondary cooling pathway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Brian Peter Arness, Victor John Morgan, Stephen William Tesh
  • Patent number: 9151179
    Abstract: The present embodiments are generally directed toward systems and methods for cooling one or more shroud segments of a gas turbine engine. For example, in a first embodiment, a shroud segment is provided that is configured to at least partially surround a turbine blade of a turbine engine. The shroud segment includes a body and a microchannel disposed in the body. The microchannel is configured to flow a cooling fluid through the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Stephen William Tesh, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20140161625
    Abstract: Systems and devices configured to cool turbine components in a turbine by passing a cooling flow through the turbine component via a cooling passage with a variable diameter are disclosed. In one embodiment, a turbine component includes: at least one elongated cooling passage extending from a root of the bucket to a tip of the bucket, wherein the elongated cooling passage has a variable diameter along a length of the bucket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Richard Ryan Pilson, Stephen William Tesh
  • Publication number: 20130272870
    Abstract: A gas turbine, a gas turbine shroud, and a method for sealing a gas turbine shroud with a non-metallic seal are provided. The gas turbine shroud includes an inner shroud and an outer shroud. A non-metallic seal is located between the inner shroud and the outer shroud while a shroud retainer clip applies a compression force upon the inner shroud and the outer shroud. The compression force compresses the non-metallic seal to fill a gap space between the inner shroud and the outer shroud to control fluid flow between a flow path and a non-flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Wayne Weber, Christopher Lee Golden, Victor John Morgan, Stephen William Tesh
  • Publication number: 20120263576
    Abstract: The present embodiments are generally directed toward systems and methods for cooling one or more shroud segments of a gas turbine engine. For example, in a first embodiment, a shroud segment is provided that is configured to at least partially surround a turbine blade of a turbine engine. The shroud segment includes a body and a microchannel disposed in the body. The microchannel is configured to flow a cooling fluid through the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Stephen William Tesh, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 8277172
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a second, stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space which is defined between the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The wheel space is operable to receive cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first rotatable turbine rotor assembly that extends axially into the wheel space to terminate adjacent to a sealing land positioned on the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The sealing feature and the sealing land operate to control the release of cooling air from within the wheel space and the sealing land is constructed of shape memory alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen William Tesh, John Ernest Tourigny
  • Patent number: 8142141
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space defined therebetween. The wheel space receives cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and extending axially into the wheel space and a sealing land assembly having a sealing land associated with a moveable member installed in an opening in the second, stationary nozzle assembly. A biasing member constructed of shape memory alloy is associated with the moveable member and operates to bias the moveable member, and associated sealing land, axially into the wheel space towards the sealing feature as the turbine engine transitions from a cold state to a hot state to reduce the release of cooling air from within the wheel space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen William Tesh, John Ernest Tourigny
  • Publication number: 20100239413
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a second, stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space which is defined between the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The wheel space is operable to receive cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first rotatable turbine rotor assembly that extends axially into the wheel space to terminate adjacent to a sealing land positioned on the second, stationary nozzle assembly. The sealing feature and the sealing land operate to control the release of cooling air from within the wheel space and the sealing land is constructed of shape memory alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen William Tesh, John Ernest Tourigny
  • Publication number: 20100239414
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a turbine engine having a rotatable turbine rotor assembly, a stationary nozzle assembly disposed adjacent thereto and a wheel space defined therebetween. The wheel space receives cooling air therein and includes a sealing feature located on the first, rotatable turbine rotor assembly and extending axially into the wheel space and a sealing land assembly having a sealing land associated with a moveable member installed in an opening in the second, stationary nozzle assembly. A biasing member constructed of shape memory alloy is associated with the moveable member and operates to bias the moveable member, and associated sealing land, axially into the wheel space towards the sealing feature as the turbine engine transitions from a cold state to a hot state to reduce the release of cooling air from within the wheel space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen William Tesh, John Ernest Tourigny
  • Patent number: 7448850
    Abstract: A closed loop inner shroud assembly for a gas turbine. The shroud assembly may include a shroud body, a cover plate, an inlet though the cover plate to the shroud body, a serpentine passageway through the shroud body, and an outlet from the shroud body to the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Alan Bulgrin, Iain Robertson Kellock, Stephen William Tesh, Tagir Nigmatulin
  • Patent number: 6398486
    Abstract: Turbine stator vane segments have inner and outer walls with vanes extending therebetween. The inner and outer walls have impingement plates. Steam flowing into the outer wall passes through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the outer wall surface. The spent impingement steam flows into cavities of the vane having inserts for impingement cooling the walls of the vane. The steam passes into the inner wall and through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the inner wall surface and for return through return cavities having inserts for impingement cooling of the vane surfaces. A skirt or flange structure is provided for shielding the steam cooling impingement holes adjacent the inner wall aerofoil fillet region of the nozzle from the steam flow exiting the aft nozzle cavities. Moreover, the gap between the flash rib boss and the cavity insert is controlled to minimize the flow of post impingement cooling media therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Michael Storey, Stephen William Tesh