Patents by Inventor Timothy S. Snyder

Timothy S. Snyder 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: 9360215
    Abstract: A combustor includes a shell that at least partially defines a combustion chamber and a grommet mounted in the shell. The grommet has a body that defines a passage through the grommet that is operable to communicate air from outside the combustion chamber into the combustion chamber. The body carries a first surface, an opposite, second surface and a third surface that defines the passage and joins the first surface and the second surface. The third surface includes a bevel surface with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Crisen McKenzie, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9322554
    Abstract: A combustor for a turbine engine includes a first liner defined about an axis with a first row of first combustion air holes, one of the first combustion air holes is defined along each of a multiple of fuel injector zero pitch lines. A second liner defined about the axis with a second row of second combustion air holes, each of the second combustion air holes circumferentially offset relative to each of the multiple of fuel injector zero pitch lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Won-Wook Kim, James B. Hoke, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20160003477
    Abstract: A self-cooled orifice structure that may be for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, and may further be a dilution hole structure, includes a hot side panel, a cold side panel spaced from the hot side panel, and a continuous inner wall extending between the hot and cold side panels and defining an orifice having a centerline and communicating axially through the hot and cold side panels. A plurality of end walls of the structure are in a cooling cavity that is defined in-part by the hot and cold side panels and the inner wall. Each end wall extends between and are engaged to the hot and cold side panels and are circumferentially spaced from the next adjacent end wall. A plurality of inlet apertures extend through the cold side panel and are in fluid communication with the cavity, and each one of the plurality of inlet apertures are proximate to a first side of a respective one of the plurality of end walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley, Dominic J. Mongillo, Joel H. Wagner, Mark F. Zelesky, Stanislav Kostka, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20150354819
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a combustor is disclosed. The combustor may include a shell and a liner disposed within the shell. The combustor may further include a grommet at least partially defining a hole communicating through the shell and liner and a cooling channel communicating through the grommet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, James B. Hoke
  • Patent number: 9194585
    Abstract: A combustor liner which reduces cooling flow to a combustion chamber and augments pressure drop split between impingement holes and effusion holes is disclosed. The combustor liner may further include accelerating channels, trip strips, pedestals, and cone-shaped effusion holes to provide further cooling of the liner. The combustor liner may reduce NOx production and the temperature of the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder, Nurhak Erbas-Sen, Alexander W. Williams, Nicholas Mule, James P. Bangerter
  • Publication number: 20150316000
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine systems and methods involving enhanced fuel dispersion are provided. In this regard, a representative method for operating a gas turbine engine includes: providing a gas path through the engine; introducing a spray of fuel along the gas path downstream of a turbine of the engine; and impinging the spray of fuel with a relatively higher velocity flow of air such that atomization of the fuel is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, Steven W. Burd, Randal G. McKinney, George F. Titterton, III
  • Publication number: 20150292741
    Abstract: A wall assembly of a combustor for a turbine engine includes a shell and a liner and a sealing interface structure. A cooling cavity is defined between the shell and liner and the sealing interface structure functions to minimize leakage out of the cooling cavity. The sealing interface structure may have a sealing width that is equal to or greater than twice the thickness of the liner and/or may include a chamber located between longitudinal segments of the sealing interface structure that inhibits leakage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Stanislav Kostka, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9115897
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine systems and methods involving enhanced fuel dispersion are provided. In this regard, a representative method for operating a gas turbine engine includes: providing a gas path through the engine; introducing a spray of fuel along the gas path downstream of a turbine of the engine; and impinging the spray of fuel with a relatively higher velocity flow of air such that atomization of the fuel is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, Steven W. Burd, Randal G. McKinney, George F. Titterton, Joey Wong
  • Publication number: 20150184857
    Abstract: A combustor component of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a heat shield panel. The heat shield panel defines a bend and a microcircuit flow path within a thickness of the heat shield panel. The microcircuit flow path includes an inlet and an outlet radially outward of the inlet. The microcircuit flow path at the bend is positioned radially between the inlet and the outlet, and the microcircuit flow path follows the bend. A method of cooling a combustor of a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9068751
    Abstract: An annular combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided that facilitates staged combustion in a lean direct ignition (LDI) mode over an extended range of operating fuel air ratios. A method is also provided for operating a gas turbine engine over a power demand range that facilitates staged combustion in a lean direct ignition (LDI) mode over an extended range of operating fuel air ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9057523
    Abstract: A combustor component of a gas turbine engine including a heat shield panel. The heat shield panel a defines microcircuit flow path within a thickness of said heat shield panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9052111
    Abstract: A turbine engine combustor wall includes support shell and a heat shield. The support shell includes shell quench apertures, first impingement apertures, and second impingement apertures. The combustor heat shield includes shield quench apertures fluidly coupled with the shell quench apertures, first effusion apertures fluidly coupled with the first impingement apertures, and second effusion apertures fluidly coupled with the second impingement apertures. The shield quench apertures and the first effusion apertures are configured in a first axial region of the heat shield, and the second effusion apertures are configured in a second axial region of the heat shield located axially between the first axial region and a downstream end of the heat shield. A density of the first effusion apertures in the first axial region is greater than a density of the second effusion apertures in the second axial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Nurhak Erbas-Sen, James B. Hoke, Albert K. Cheung, Robert M. Sonntag, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8950189
    Abstract: A fuel injection array for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of bluff body injectors and a plurality of swirler injectors. A control operates the plurality of bluff body injectors and swirler injectors such that bluff body injectors are utilized without all of the swirler injectors at least at low power operation. The swirler injectors are utilized at higher power operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8910481
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor includes a forward bulkhead, an inner radial combustor wall, and an outer radial combustor wall. The bulkhead includes a plurality of circumferentially disposed injector apertures. The inner radial combustor wall includes a plurality of inner quench aperture sets. Each inner quench aperture set includes a first inner quench aperture and a second inner quench aperture separated from each other by an inner interset distance. Each inner quench aperture set is separated from an adjacent inner quench aperture set by an inner intraset distance. The inner intraset distance is different than the inner interset distance. The outer radial combustor wall includes a plurality of circumferentially disposed outer quench apertures. The outer radial combustor wall is disposed radially outside of the inner radial combustor wall, thereby defining an annular combustion region therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Won-Wook Kim, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8739546
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a combustor module including an annular combustor having a liner assembly that defines an annular combustion chamber and includes a circumferential row of a plurality of relatively large combustion dilution air admission holes and a circumferential row of a plurality of smaller quench air admission holes disposed downstream with respect to the flow of combustion gas products. The plurality of quench air admission holes are arranged with respect to the plurality of relatively large dilution air admission holes disposed upstream thereof such that there is associated with each dilution air admission hole a first quench air admission hole and a second quench air hole, the first quench air hole being offset laterally in a first lateral direction and the second quench air hole being offset laterally in a second lateral direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, Won-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 8713909
    Abstract: A panel for use in a gas turbine engine exhaust case is disclosed. The panel has an airfoil section and a flow diverting structure adjacent a leading edge, wherein the flow diverting structure directs fluid flow into an area of the airfoil that lacks sufficient internal pressure for cooling fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Francisco J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20140102106
    Abstract: A bulkhead panel is disclosed. The bulkhead panel may comprise a body having a body having a front surface and an opposite back surface, a fuel nozzle opening in the body and communicating through the front and back surfaces, and a plurality of effusion holes disposed in at least one row that surrounds and is generally concentric to the fuel nozzle opening. Each effusion hole may extend from the back surface to the front surface at an incline angle. Each effusion hole may be positioned at a clock angle from a reference line radially extending from a center of the fuel nozzle opening through a center of the effusion hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, John S. Tu
  • Publication number: 20140096528
    Abstract: A combustor liner which reduces cooling flow to a combustion chamber and augments pressure drop split between impingement holes and effusion holes is disclosed. The combustor liner may further include accelerating channels, trip strips, pedestals, and cone-shaped effusion holes to provide further cooling of the liner. The combustor liner may reduce NOx production and the temperature of the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder, Nurhak Erbas-Sen, Alexander W. Williams, Nicholas Mule, James P. Bangerter
  • Publication number: 20130340437
    Abstract: A turbine engine combustor wall includes support shell and a heat shield. The support shell includes shell quench apertures, first impingement apertures, and second impingement apertures. The combustor heat shield includes shield quench apertures fluidly coupled with the shell quench apertures, first effusion apertures fluidly coupled with the first impingement apertures, and second effusion apertures fluidly coupled with the second impingement apertures. The shield quench apertures and the first effusion apertures are configured in a first axial region of the heat shield, and the second effusion apertures are configured in a second axial region of the heat shield located axially between the first axial region and a downstream end of the heat shield. A density of the first effusion apertures in the first axial region is greater than a density of the second effusion apertures in the second axial region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nurhak Erbas-Sen, James B. Hoke, Albert K. Cheung, Robert M. Sonntag, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20130255269
    Abstract: A combustor includes a shell that at least partially defines a combustion chamber and a grommet mounted in the shell. The grommet has a body that defines a passage through the grommet that is operable to communicate air from outside the combustion chamber into the combustion chamber. The body carries a first surface, an opposite, second surface and a third surface that defines the passage and joins the first surface and the second surface. The third surface includes a bevel surface with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Crisen McKenzie, Timothy S. Snyder