Patents by Inventor Steven C. Vise

Steven C. Vise 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: 12130016
    Abstract: A combustor for a turbine engine includes a main combustion chamber, an annular dome, and a secondary combustion chamber positioned downstream of the annular dome. A plurality of first mixing assemblies are disposed through the annular dome and include a pilot mixer. The pilot mixer injects a pilot mixer fuel-air mixture axially into the main combustion chamber and generates a first recirculation zone within the main combustion chamber. A plurality of second mixing assemblies are disposed at the secondary combustion chamber axially aft of the first mixing assemblies and include a main mixer. The main mixer injects a main mixer fuel-air mixture into the secondary combustion chamber to produce combustion gases and to generate a second recirculation zone within the secondary combustion chamber axially aft of the first recirculation zone. The secondary combustion chamber injects the combustion gases into the main combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hiranya Nath, Clayton S. Cooper, Steven C. Vise, Michael A. Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Ranganatha Narasimha Chiranthan, Perumallu Vukanti, Sibtosh Pal
  • Patent number: 12130013
    Abstract: A swirler-ferrule assembly includes a radial swirler, a ferrule, a fuel nozzle, and a surface feature. The radial swirler includes a primary swirler vane having a primary air passage and a secondary swirler vane having a secondary air passage. The ferrule may be connected to the radial swirler. The surface feature may be located on the primary swirler vane and/or the ferrule. The surface feature may be configured to direct an air flow through the primary air passage away from a recirculation zone located upstream of the primary swirler vane. The surface feature has a trailing end and a distal end, and the fuel nozzle is axially aligned with the trailing end of the surface feature or is located axially downstream of the trailing end of the surface feature. The surface feature may have a plurality of grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven C. Vise, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Pradeep Naik, Kwanwoo Kim, Shai Birmaher, Perumallu Vukanti, Saket Singh, Karthikeyan Sampath
  • Publication number: 20240328360
    Abstract: A turbine engine and method of operation with a combustor as shown and described. The turbine engine including a combustor comprising an annular array of rich cups and an annular array of lean cups. A method for controlling nitrogen oxides including injecting a fuel/air mixture from the lean cups and the rich cups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventors: Michael T. Bucaro, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Pradeep Naik, Sripathi Mohan, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan
  • Patent number: 12092332
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion. The fuel nozzle assembly can be configured to increase lateral provision of fuels to reduce flame scrubbing on combustor liners for the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Ajoy Patra, Michael T. Bucaro, Perumallu Vukanti, Steven C. Vise, Michael A. Benjamin, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Saket Singh, Clayton S. Cooper
  • Patent number: 12085281
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion, which can supply a primary fuel supply and a secondary fuel supply. Increasing efficiency and reducing emission require the use of alternative fuels, which combust at higher temperatures or burn at faster burn speeds than traditional fuels, requiring improved fuel introduction without the occurrence of flame holding or flashback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Pradeep Naik, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Michael T. Bucaro, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Saket Singh, R Narasimha Chiranthan
  • Patent number: 12072099
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion. Increasing efficiency and meeting emission needs can be met with the use of alternative fuels, which combust at higher temperatures or higher speeds than traditional fuels, requiring improved fuel introduction without the occurrence of flame holding or flashback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Perumallu Vukanti, Michael T. Bucaro, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Michael A. Benjamin, Clayton S. Cooper, Dharmaraj Pachaiappan
  • Patent number: 12038176
    Abstract: A swirler assembly includes a swirler having a primary swirler with a primary swirler venturi, a swirler ferrule plate connected upstream to the primary swirler, and a fuel nozzle disposed in the swirler ferrule plate. The swirler ferrule plate has an annular pressure drop cavity with oxidizer inlet orifices in fluid communication with the swirler, and at least one outlet orifice in fluid communication with the primary swirler venturi. A second flow of oxidizer to the swirler incurs a first pressure drop, a third flow of the oxidizer from the swirler to the annular pressure drop cavity incurs a second pressure drop, and a fourth flow of the oxidizer from the annular pressure drop cavity to the primary swirler venturi incurs a third pressure drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Shai Birmaher, Kwanwoo Kim, Saket Singh, Perumallu Vukanti, Karthikeyan Sampath, Steven C. Vise, Nicholas R. Overman, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 12031486
    Abstract: A turbine engine and method of operation with a combustor as shown and described. The turbine engine including a combustor comprising an annular array of rich cups and an annular array of lean cups. A method for controlling nitrogen oxides including injecting a fuel/air mixture from the lean cups and the rich cups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Bucaro, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Pradeep Naik, Sripathi Mohan, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan
  • Publication number: 20240183536
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion. The fuel nozzle can include both a primary and secondary fuel passage, and an additional air passage to provide for greater flame control, fuel provision, or local fuel and air mixing prior to combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Michael T. Bucaro, Ajoy Patra, Pradeep Naik, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Krushnakumar Venkatesan, V
  • Patent number: 11994295
    Abstract: A swirler assembly includes a swirler having primary swirler with a primary swirler venturi, a swirler ferrule plate connected to the primary swirler, and a fuel nozzle disposed in the swirler ferrule plate. The swirler ferrule plate has an aft wall, an annular conical wall, and an annular cavity wall that together form an annular cavity. The annular cavity includes a plurality of inlet orifices, and at least one outlet orifice. A flow of oxidizer through the plurality of inlet orifices into the annular cavity incurs a first pressure drop from a first pressure of a pressure plenum to a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a flow of the oxidizer from the annular cavity through the at least one outlet orifice into the primary swirler venturi incurs a second pressure drop from the second pressure to a third pressure lower than the second pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Shai Birmaher, Kwanwoo Kim, Saket Singh, Perumallu Vukanti, Karthikeyan Sampath, Steven C. Vise, Nicholas R. Overman, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11906165
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion. The fuel nozzle can include both a primary and secondary fuel passage, and an additional air passage to provide for greater flame control, fuel provision, or local fuel and air mixing prior to combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Bucaro, Ajoy Patra, Pradeep Naik, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Krishnakumar Venkatesan
  • Publication number: 20230366550
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a compressor section and a combustion section in serial flow arrangement along an engine centerline, the combustion section having a combustor liner, a dome wall coupled to the combustor liner, and a dome inlet located in the dome wall, a fuel injector fluidly coupled to the dome inlet, a combustion chamber fluidly coupled to the fuel injector and defined at least in part by the combustor liner and the dome wall, and at least one set of dilution openings located in the dome wall and fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Varun S. Lakshmanan, Michael T. Bucaro, Pradeep Naik, Steven C. Vise, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20230366551
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion, which can supply a primary fuel supply and a secondary fuel supply. Increasing efficiency and reducing emission require the use of alternative fuels, which combust at higher temperatures or burn at faster burn speeds than traditional fuels, requiring improved fuel introduction without the occurrence of flame holding or flashback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Pradeep Naik, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Michael T. Bucaro, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Saket Singh, R Narasimha Chiranthan
  • Publication number: 20230358170
    Abstract: A diffuser for a combustor of a turbomachine engine. The diffuser includes a body having a first annular surface and a second annular surface that define a passage, the passage being configured to cause air to flow along the passage to a first component of the combustor. The first annular surface includes an opening that is configured to cause air to flow in a direction away from the passage to a second component of the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Juntao Zhang, Nicholas R. Overman, Steven C. Vise, Andrew Wickersham, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20230296250
    Abstract: A turbine engine can include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement. A combustor in the combustion section can include a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber. The combustor liner can include at least one aperture fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Manampathy G. Giridharan, Michael T. Bucaro, Pradeep Naik, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan
  • Patent number: 11747018
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a compressor section and a combustion section in serial flow arrangement along an engine centerline, the combustion section having a combustor liner, a dome wall coupled to the combustor liner, and a dome inlet located in the dome wall, a fuel injector fluidly coupled to the dome inlet, a combustion chamber fluidly coupled to the fuel injector and defined at least in part by the combustor liner and the dome wall, and at least one set of dilution openings located in the dome wall and fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Varun S. Lakshmanan, Michael T. Bucaro, Pradeep Naik, Steven C. Vise, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11747019
    Abstract: A combustor liner has an annular outer liner and an annular inner liner that define a combustion chamber therebetween, the combustion chamber having a dilution zone. The annular outer liner and the annular inner liner each has a converging-diverging section extending into the dilution zone of the combustion chamber that form a throat between them. Each of the converging-diverging sections includes at least one dilution opening defined through the respective converging-diverging section at the throat for providing a flow of an oxidizer through a respective liner to the dilution zone of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hiranya Nath, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise, Perumallu Vukanti, Sripathi Mohan, Rimple Rangrej
  • Publication number: 20230266002
    Abstract: A swirler assembly includes a swirler having a primary swirler with a primary swirler venturi, a swirler ferrule plate connected upstream to the primary swirler, and a fuel nozzle disposed in the swirler ferrule plate. The swirler ferrule plate has an annular pressure drop cavity with oxidizer inlet orifices in fluid communication with the swirler, and at least one outlet orifice in fluid communication with the primary swirler venturi. A second flow of oxidizer to the swirler incurs a first pressure drop, a third flow of the oxidizer from the swirler to the annular pressure drop cavity incurs a second pressure drop, and a fourth flow of the oxidizer from the annular pressure drop cavity to the primary swirler venturi incurs a third pressure drop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Shai Birmaher, Kwanwoo Kim, Saket Singh, Perumallu Vukanti, Karthikeyan Sampath, Steven C. Vise, Nicholas R. Overman, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20230266006
    Abstract: A swirler assembly includes a swirler having primary swirler with a primary swirler venturi, a swirler ferrule plate connected to the primary swirler, and a fuel nozzle disposed in the swirler ferrule plate. The swirler ferrule plate has an aft wall, an annular conical wall, and an annular cavity wall that together form an annular cavity. The annular cavity includes a plurality of inlet orifices, and at least one outlet orifice. A flow of oxidizer through the plurality of inlet orifices into the annular cavity incurs a first pressure drop from a first pressure of a pressure plenum to a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a flow of the oxidizer from the annular cavity through the at least one outlet orifice into the primary swirler venturi incurs a second pressure drop from the second pressure to a third pressure lower than the second pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Shai Birmaher, Kwanwoo Kim, Saket Singh, Perumallu Vukanti, Karthikeyan Sampath, Steven C. Vise, Nicholas R. Overman, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11725819
    Abstract: An engine can utilize a combustor to combust fuel to drive the engine. A fuel nozzle assembly can supply fuel to the combustor for combustion or ignition of the fuel. The fuel nozzle assembly can include a swirler and a fuel nozzle to supply a mixture of fuel and air for combustion, which can supply a primary fuel supply and a secondary fuel supply. Increasing efficiency and reducing emission require the use of alternative fuels, which combust at higher temperatures or burn at faster burn speeds than traditional fuels, requiring improved fuel introduction without the occurrence of flame holding or flashback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Pradeep Naik, Clayton S. Cooper, Michael A. Benjamin, Michael T. Bucaro, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Steven C. Vise, Ajoy Patra, Saket Singh, R Narasimha Chiranthan