Patents by Inventor Steven Douglas Johnson

Steven Douglas Johnson 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).

  • Publication number: 20240110515
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including: a fan assembly comprising a fan; and a turbomachine drivingly coupled to the fan and including a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order and defining in part a working gas flowpath, the gas turbine engine defining a bypass passage over the turbomachine; the turbomachine further including a heat exchanger and defining an annular cooling passage extending between an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in airflow communication with the working gas flowpath at a location upstream of the compressor section and the outlet in airflow communication with the bypass passage, the heat exchanger in thermal communication with an airflow through the cooling passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Andrew Hudecki, Steven Douglas Johnson, Eric Barre, John Carl Glessner, Efren Souza Chavez
  • Patent number: 11920500
    Abstract: A passive flow modulation device for a machine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the passive flow modulation device including: a first ring with a first coefficient of thermal expansion; a second ring disposed coaxially with the first ring and positioned at least partially inward of the first ring along the radial direction, spaced from the first ring along the axial direction, or both, the first ring, the second ring, or both defining at least in part one or more passages, the second ring with a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion to passively modulate a size of the one or more passages during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Yu-Liang Lin, Craig Alan Gonyou, Scott Alan Schimmels, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brian Gregg Feie
  • Publication number: 20240035390
    Abstract: A turbine engine having a stator, a rotor, and a seal assembly. The rotor being rotatable about a rotational axis. The seal assembly having a carriage assembly, a seal body and a biasing element. The carriage assembly being carried by the stator. The carriage assembly defining a seal cavity. The seal body being provided within the seal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
  • Publication number: 20230417188
    Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger including first and second sides, with the first side in contact with flow path air flowing through a flow path of the engine. Furthermore, the system includes a housing positioned relative to the heat exchanger such that the housing and the second side of the heat exchanger define a plenum configured to receive bleed air from the engine. Moreover, the system includes and at least one of a plurality of fins extending outward from the second side of the heat exchanger in a radial direction into the plenum and along the second surface of the heat exchanger in the circumferential direction or an impingement plate defining a plurality of impingement apertures, with each impingement aperture configured to direct an impingement jet of the bleed air within the plenum onto the second side of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff
  • Publication number: 20230383670
    Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having a rotor and a stator, and a floating seal assembly sealing at least portions of the rotor and the stator relative to a higher-pressure area and a lower-pressure area. The floating seal assembly can comprise a carriage assembly at least partially defining a seal cavity and a seal body floating within the seal cavity. The floating seal assembly can further include at least one of a seal located between the seal body and the carriage assembly, and a seal face located between the seal body and the carriage assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Rahul Anil Bidkar, Steven Douglas Johnson, Uttara Vijay Kumar, Randy Thomas Antelo, Keith William Gary
  • Patent number: 11821320
    Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having at least a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section in axial flow arrangement defining an axial direction and an engine centerline. The turbine engine further having a rotor and a stator, a carriage assembly carried by the stator, and a seal assembly biased toward the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
  • Patent number: 11788469
    Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger including first and second sides, with the first side in contact with flow path air flowing through a flow path of the engine. Furthermore, the system includes a housing positioned relative to the heat exchanger such that the housing and the second side of the heat exchanger define a plenum configured to receive bleed air from the engine. Moreover, the system includes and at least one of a plurality of fins extending outward from the second side of the heat exchanger in a radial direction into the plenum and along the second surface of the heat exchanger in the circumferential direction or an impingement plate defining a plurality of impingement apertures, with each impingement aperture configured to direct an impingement jet of the bleed air within the plenum onto the second side of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff
  • Publication number: 20230279781
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine, such as a turbine engine, may include a seal rotor comprising a rotor face, a seal slider comprising a slider face, a seal stator, wherein the seal slider is slidably coupled to the seal stator, and wherein the slider face and the rotor face define a primary seal. The seal slider may be configured to slidably engage and retract the slider face with respect to the rotor face. The seal assembly may further include a secondary seal disposed between the seal slider and the seal stator. The secondary seal may be configured to compress and rebound and/or to expand and rebound, over at least a portion of a range of motion of the seal slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Rahul Anil Bidkar, Narendra Anand Hardikar, Kevin Randall McManus, Steven Douglas Johnson, Prateek Jalan, Antonio Guijarro Valencia, Julius John Montgomery, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Jose Maria Rey Villazon
  • Publication number: 20230265764
    Abstract: A system for controlling blade clearances within a gas turbine engine includes a rotor disk and a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk. Additionally, the system includes an outer turbine component positioned outward of the rotor blade such that a clearance is defined between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component. Furthermore, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of cooling air bled from the gas turbine engine and transfer heat from the received flow of the cooling air to a flow of coolant to generate cooled cooling air. Moreover, the system includes a valve configured to control the flow of the coolant to the heat exchanger. In this respect, the cooled cooling air is supplied to at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade to adjust the clearance between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Julius John Montgomery, Brandon Wayne Miller, Robert Proctor, Bradley W. Fintel, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20230265767
    Abstract: A seal for a rotor is provided. The rotor defines an axial direction, a circumferential direction, and a radial direction. The seal includes a first flexible element coupled to the rotor. The first flexible element extends in a first direction that is within forty five degrees of the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Patent number: 11732592
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, and including a primary cooling circuit configured to receive a first flow of air; and a turbine rotor comprising a rotor blade, the rotor blade defining at least in part a forward wheelspace that is located forward of the rotor blade, the forward wheelspace configured to receive a second flow of air, the rotor blade further defining: a first cooling circuit internal to the rotor blade and in fluid communication with the primary cooling circuit for receiving the first flow of air from the primary cooling circuit; a second cooling circuit internal to the rotor blade and in fluid communication with the forward wheelspace for receiving a portion of the second flow of air from the forward wheelspace; and a means for drawing a portion of the second flow of air into the second cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Steven Douglas Johnson
  • Patent number: 11692448
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a nozzle having a first material defining a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the nozzle having an airfoil defining a fluid passage therein, an inlet wall defining a fluid inlet that is fluidly connected to the fluid passage, and a passive valve assembly comprising an annular band, the annular band comprising a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion such that the passive valve assembly is at least partially moveable relative to the fluid inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Hadley Vitt, Steven Douglas Johnson
  • Patent number: 11674405
    Abstract: An abradable insert for a gas turbine engine, the abradable insert including: a base layer; a lattice layer connected to the base layer, wherein the lattice layer comprises a series of walls that define a plurality of cells; and a sheet layer connected to the lattice layer on an opposite side on the lattice layer from the base layer, wherein the sheet layer is curved and includes a direction of concavity that points away from the base layer, wherein the lattice layer and the sheet layer are integrally formed together and are a monolithic piece of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Patent number: 11674396
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustion section, a turbine section, and a compressor section. The combustion section includes a combustor casing, a combustor, a cooling duct, and an outer duct. The combustor casing defines at least in part a diffuser cavity and a fluid inlet. The combustor disposed is in the diffuser cavity. The cooling duct is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet in the combustor casing and is configured to transport a flow of cooled air. The outer duct surrounds at least a portion of the cooling duct and extends along a portion of an entire length of the cooling duct. The outer duct defines a gap with the cooling duct and is configured to transport a flow of buffer air. The turbine section is disposed downstream from the combustion section. The cooling duct is in fluid communication with the turbine section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff, Craig Alan Gonyou
  • Publication number: 20230060175
    Abstract: An abradable insert for a gas turbine engine, the abradable insert including: a base layer; a lattice layer connected to the base layer, wherein the lattice layer comprises a series of walls that define a plurality of cells; and a sheet layer connected to the lattice layer on an opposite side on the lattice layer from the base layer, wherein the sheet layer is curved and includes a direction of concavity that points away from the base layer, wherein the lattice layer and the sheet layer are integrally formed together and are a monolithic piece of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate
  • Publication number: 20230066740
    Abstract: A passive flow modulation device for a machine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the passive flow modulation device including: a first ring with a first coefficient of thermal expansion; a second ring disposed coaxially with the first ring and positioned at least partially inward of the first ring along the radial direction, spaced from the first ring along the axial direction, or both, the first ring, the second ring, or both defining at least in part one or more passages, the second ring with a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion to passively modulate a size of the one or more passages during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Yu-Liang Lin, Craig Alan Gonyou, Scott Alan Schimmels, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brian Gregg Feie
  • Publication number: 20230059027
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, and including a primary cooling circuit configured to receive a first flow of air; and a turbine rotor comprising a rotor blade, the rotor blade defining at least in part a forward wheelspace that is located forward of the rotor blade, the forward wheelspace configured to receive a second flow of air, the rotor blade further defining: a first cooling circuit internal to the rotor blade and in fluid communication with the primary cooling circuit for receiving the first flow of air from the primary cooling circuit; a second cooling circuit internal to the rotor blade and in fluid communication with the forward wheelspace for receiving a portion of the second flow of air from the forward wheelspace; and a means for drawing a portion of the second flow of air into the second cooling circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventor: Steven Douglas Johnson
  • Publication number: 20230036206
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustion section, a turbine section, and a compressor section. The combustion section includes a combustor casing, a combustor, a cooling duct, and an outer duct. The combustor casing defines at least in part a diffuser cavity and a fluid inlet. The combustor disposed is in the diffuser cavity. The cooling duct is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet in the combustor casing and is configured to transport a flow of cooled air. The outer duct surrounds at least a portion of the cooling duct and extends along a portion of an entire length of the cooling duct. The outer duct defines a gap with the cooling duct and is configured to transport a flow of buffer air. The turbine section is disposed downstream from the combustion section. The cooling duct is in fluid communication with the turbine section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff, Craig Alan Gonyou
  • Publication number: 20220389825
    Abstract: A turbine engine comprising an engine core having at least a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section in axial flow arrangement defining an axial direction and an engine centerline. The turbine engine further having a rotor and a stator, a carriage assembly carried by the stator, and a seal assembly biased toward the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Kevin Randall McManus, Rahul Anil Bidkar
  • Patent number: 11492972
    Abstract: An annular fluid flow control or metering device comprises: first and second annular plates disposed in an annular flow path, the first annular plate and second annular plates being made of different first and second materials, the first annular plate having a lower first coefficient of thermal expansion than a second coefficient of thermal expansion of the second annular plate, the first annular plate abutting or in contact with the second annular plate, the first annular plate including at least one first metering aperture, and the second annular plate being more thermally responsive than the first annular plate wherein the second annular plate being configured to radially grow and shrink to at least partly obstruct the at least one first metering aperture for metering or controlling a flow of fluid through the at least one first metering aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Alan Gonyou, Robert Proctor, Christopher Michael Thompson, Scott Alan Schimmels, Steven Douglas Johnson