Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Vandeputte

Thomas W. Vandeputte 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: 20230399951
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. Fuel combusted in the combustion section drive stages of airfoils in the turbine section to drive the compressor section. The airfoils can include a geometry near or at the trailing edge with a linear portion provided between the pressure side and a first curved portion, to reduce shock generated in the wake of the airfoils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Rathakrishnan Bhaskaran, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Patent number: 11840939
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. Fuel combusted in the combustion section drive stages of airfoils in the turbine section to drive the compressor section. The airfoils can include a geometry near or at the trailing edge with a linear portion provided between the pressure side and a first curved portion, to reduce shock generated in the wake of the airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rathakrishnan Bhaskaran, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Publication number: 20230235680
    Abstract: A rotor blade system includes a rotor, a casing radially spaced apart from the rotor, and a plurality of blades coupled to the rotor and positioned between the rotor and the casing. The one or more of the plurality of blades have a radial length different from a remaining one or more of the plurality of blades so as to vary a tip gap between a tip of the one or more of the plurality of blades and the casing to break up a frequency content of a leakage vortex at the tip to modify natural frequencies of the plurality of blades and mode shapes to reduce or substantially eliminate flutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Valeria Andreoli, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Neelesh N. Sarawate
  • Patent number: 8231353
    Abstract: A flow directing assembly for use in a turbine engine comprising: a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, each of the blades including a radial projecting airfoil with a concave pressure side and a convex suction side that extend from a platform; and a plurality of flow passages, each flow passage defined by the airfoils of neighboring blades and an inner wall formed by abutting platforms of neighboring blades, the inner wall forming the inner radial boundary of the flow passage; wherein the inner wall of one or more of the flow passages comprises means for reducing frictional losses between the flow through the turbine engine and the inner wall. The means for reducing frictional losses may comprise a non-axisymmetrical trough positioned between neighboring airfoils that is configured to reduce frictional losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Craig A. Bielek, Brian C. Barr, Bradley T. Boyer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Peter A. Galie
  • Patent number: 8133030
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in a table. The table selected from the TABLE. Wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew D. Grafitti, Louis Veltre, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Publication number: 20110076150
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in a table. The table selected from the TABLE. Wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Andrew D. Grafitti, Louis Veltre, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Patent number: 7837445
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth TABLE I. The X and Y values are distances in inches, which when connected by smooth continuing arcs define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the nozzle. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of +0.130 inch to ?0.030 inch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward D. Benjamin, David J. Humanchuk, Daniel D. Snook, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Publication number: 20100166558
    Abstract: A flow directing assembly for use in a turbine engine comprising: a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, each of the blades including a radial projecting airfoil with a concave pressure side and a convex suction side that extend from a platform; and a plurality of flow passages, each flow passage defined by the airfoils of neighboring blades and an inner wall formed by abutting platforms of neighboring blades, the inner wall forming the inner radial boundary of the flow passage; wherein the inner wall of one or more of the flow passages comprises means for reducing frictional losses between the flow through the turbine engine and the inner wall. The means for reducing frictional losses may comprise a non-axisymmetrical trough positioned between neighboring airfoils that is configured to reduce frictional losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Craig A. Bielek, Brian C. Barr, Bradley T. Boyer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Peter A. Galie
  • Publication number: 20090193784
    Abstract: A power generating turbine system that may include: 1) a turbine that includes two sections, a high-pressure turbine section and a low-pressure turbine section that each reside on a separate shaft; 2) an axial compressor that compresses a flow of air that is then mixed with a fuel and combusted in a combustor such that the resulting flow of hot gas is directed through the turbine; 3) a two-pole generator; 4) a four-pole generator; 5) a first shaft that couples the high-pressure turbine section to the axial compressor and the two-pole generator such that, in operation, the high-pressure turbine section drives the axial compressor and the two-pole generator; and 6) a second shaft that couples the low-pressure turbine section to the four-pole generator such that, in operation, the low-pressure turbine section drives the four-pole generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Sal A. Leone, John E. Sholes, Victor G. Hatman, Douglas C. Hofer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Sylvain Pierre
  • Publication number: 20090193785
    Abstract: A power generating turbine system that includes: a turbine that includes three sections, a high-pressure turbine section, a mid-pressure turbine section, and a low-pressure turbine section that each reside on a separate shaft; 2) an axial compressor that compresses a flow of air that is then mixed with a fuel and combusted in a combustor such that the resulting flow of hot gas is directed through the turbine, the axial compressor comprising a high-pressure compressor section and a low-pressure compressor section; 3) a two-pole generator; 4) a four-pole generator; 5) a first shaft that couples the high-pressure turbine section to the high-pressure compressor section such that, in operation, the high-pressure turbine section drives the high-pressure compressor section; 6) a second shaft that couples the mid-pressure turbine section to the high-pressure compressor section and the two-pole generator such that, in operation, the mid-pressure turbine section drives the high-pressure compressor section and two-pole
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Sal A. Leone, John E. Sholes, Victor G. Hatman, Douglas C. Hofer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Sylvain Pierre
  • Publication number: 20090193782
    Abstract: A power generating turbine system that may include an axial compressor that compresses a flow of air that is then mixed with a fuel and combusted in a combustor such that the resulting flow of hot gas is directed through a turbine. The turbine may include a high-pressure turbine section and a low-pressure turbine section. The high-pressure turbine section may be coupled via a first shaft to the axial compressor such that in operation the high-pressure turbine section drives the axial compressor. And, the low-pressure turbine section may be coupled via a second shaft to a low-speed generator such that in operation the low-pressure turbine section drives the low-speed generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Sal A. Leone, John E. Sholes, Victor G. Hatman, Douglas C. Hofer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Sylvain Pierre
  • Publication number: 20090193783
    Abstract: A power generating turbine system that may include: 1) a turbine that includes two sections, a high-pressure turbine section and a low-pressure turbine section that each reside on a separate shaft; 2) an axial compressor that compresses a flow of air that is then mixed with a fuel and combusted in a combustor such that the resulting flow of hot gas is directed through the turbine, the axial compressor comprising a low-pressure compressor section and a high-pressure compressor section; 3) a four-pole generator; 4) a first shaft that couples the high-pressure turbine section to the high-pressure compressor section such that, in operation, the high-pressure turbine section drives the high-pressure compressor; and 5) a second shaft that couples the low-pressure turbine section to the four-pole generator and the low-pressure compressor such that, in operation, the low-pressure turbine section drives the four-pole generator and the low-pressure compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Gunnar L. Siden, Sal A. Leone, John E. Sholes, Victor G. Hatman, Douglas C. Hofer, Thomas W. Vandeputte, Sylvain Pierre
  • Publication number: 20090068005
    Abstract: An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth TABLE I. The X and Y values are distances in inches, which when connected by smooth continuing arcs define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the nozzle. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of +0.130 inch to ?0.030 inch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Edward D. Benjamin, David J. Humanchuk, Daniel D. Snook, Thomas W. Vandeputte
  • Patent number: 7329093
    Abstract: First stage stator vanes for a turbine comprised airfoil profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in inches in Table I, which define a plurality of radially spaced profile sections forming the nominal profile. The Z coordinate values for each profile section are radial distances from the turbine axis to a portion of the surface of revolution about the axis containing the profile section. The X and Y values for each profile section are coordinate values which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs define the airfoil profile section along the surface of revolution portion. The radially spaced profile sections are joined smoothly with one another to form the nominal airfoil profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Vandeputte, John E. Greene, Peter C. Selent, Linda J. Farral, Sze Bun Brian Chan, Brian P. Arness