Patents by Inventor Todd Garrett Wetzel

Todd Garrett Wetzel 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: 11692871
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of electronic components, a phase change material, and a heat transfer structure. The plurality of electronic components is configured to collect data and have a predetermined temperature parameter. The plurality of electronic components is disposed within the phase change material. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material is configured to absorb heat through changing from the first material phase to the second material phase. The heat transfer structure is disposed within the phase change material. The heat transfer structure is configured to conduct heat within the phase change material. The phase change material and the heat transfer structure are further configured to regulate a temperature of the electronic components below the predetermined temperature parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Naveenan Thiagarajan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Publication number: 20220074790
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of electronic components, a phase change material, and a heat transfer structure. The plurality of electronic components is configured to collect data and have a predetermined temperature parameter. The plurality of electronic components is disposed within the phase change material. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material is configured to absorb heat through changing from the first material phase to the second material phase. The heat transfer structure is disposed within the phase change material. The heat transfer structure is configured to conduct heat within the phase change material. The phase change material and the heat transfer structure are further configured to regulate a temperature of the electronic components below the predetermined temperature parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Naveenan Thiagarajan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Patent number: 11193820
    Abstract: An infrared imaging device includes a plurality of electronic components, a phase change material, and a heat transfer structure. The plurality of electronic components is configured to collect data and have a predetermined temperature parameter. The plurality of electronic components is disposed within the phase change material. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material is configured to absorb heat through changing from the first material phase to the second material phase. The heat transfer structure is disposed within the phase change material. The heat transfer structure is configured to conduct heat within the phase change material. The phase change material and the heat transfer structure are further configured to regulate a temperature of the electronic components below the predetermined temperature parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Naveenan Thiagarajan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Patent number: 10830060
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling an engine component such as a turbine engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior of the airfoil can include a flow enhancer permitting a volume of fluid, such as air, to pass around the flow enhancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Emily Rosette Clark, Julienne LaChance, William Robb Stewart, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Patent number: 10830132
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section fluidly coupled to the compressor section, a turbine section fluidly coupled to the combustor section, and a drive shaft coupled to the turbine section and the compressor section. The turbine engine also includes a plurality of internal components coupled to one of the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section, and the drive shaft. The turbine engine also includes at least one micro infrared sensor coupled to at least one of the plurality of internal components. The micro infrared sensor is configured to detect a surface temperature of the plurality of internal components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees
  • Publication number: 20200281095
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a thermal management system for electronic devices, including a heat frame, a conformal slot portion, chassis frame, and heat fins wherein the heat frame, conformal slot, chassis frame, and heat fins are integrally formed as a unitary structure by additive manufacturing. In another example, there is a modular vapor assembly for electronic components having a vapor chamber comprising a component surface and a top surface with a vapor channel formed therebetween with at least one liquid receptacle and having a wick structure on at least some of an interior of the component surface. In operation, there is a circuit card with at least some of the electronic components coupled to the vapor chamber component surface and the wick structures transfer at least some of the liquid from the receptacle towards the electronic components, wherein the liquid turns to a vapor that moves towards the receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Brian Magann Rush, William Dwight Gerstler, Stefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Patent number: 10660236
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a thermal management system for electronic devices, including a heat frame, a conformal slot portion, chassis frame, and heat fins wherein the heat frame, conformal slot, chassis frame, and heat fins are integrally formed as a unitary structure by additive manufacturing. In another example, there is a modular vapor assembly for electronic components having a vapor chamber comprising a component surface and a top surface with a vapor channel formed therebetween with at least one liquid receptacle and having a wick structure on at least some of an interior of the component surface. In operation, there is a circuit card with at least some of the electronic components coupled to the vapor chamber component surface and the wick structures transfer at least some of the liquid from the receptacle towards the electronic components, wherein the liquid turns to a vapor that moves towards the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian Magann Rush, William Dwight Gerstler, Stefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Publication number: 20200127347
    Abstract: A modular energy storage system including an enclosure having at least one thermally conductive sidewall; a battery module housed inside of the enclosure and including a plurality of battery submodules, each battery submodule including a plurality of battery cells, at least some of the plurality of battery cells being electrically interconnected to each other; at least one heat pipe thermally coupled to the plurality of battery cells of at least one of the plurality of battery submodules to channel heat from the plurality of battery cells thermally coupled thereto to the at least one thermally conductive sidewall of the enclosure; and a cooling mechanism thermally coupled to the at least one thermally conductive sidewall of the enclosure to cool the at least one heat pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Alistair Martin Waddell, Richard Hayes Cutright, Ralph Teichmann, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Patent number: 10165343
    Abstract: A synthetic jet assembly includes a synthetic jet having a cavity and an opening formed therein. The synthetic jet assembly also includes an actuator element coupled to a second surface of the body to selectively cause displacement of the second surface, and a control unit electrically coupled to the actuator element. The control unit is configured to transmit a multi-frequency drive signal to the actuator element, the multi-frequency drive signal comprising a cooling frequency component and an acoustic frequency component superimposed on the cooling frequency component. The cooling frequency component causes a cooling jet to eject from the opening of the body. The acoustic frequency component produces a desired audible output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, John Anthony Vogel, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Publication number: 20180195896
    Abstract: An infrared imaging device includes a plurality of electronic components, a phase change material, and a heat transfer structure. The plurality of electronic components is configured to collect data and have a predetermined temperature parameter. The plurality of electronic components is disposed within the phase change material. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material has a first material phase and a second material phase. The phase change material is configured to absorb heat through changing from the first material phase to the second material phase. The heat transfer structure is disposed within the phase change material. The heat transfer structure is configured to conduct heat within the phase change material. The phase change material and the heat transfer structure are further configured to regulate a temperature of the electronic components below the predetermined temperature parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Naveenan Thiagarajan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Publication number: 20180156044
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling an engine component such as a turbine engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior of the airfoil can include a flow enhancer permitting a volume of fluid, such as air, to pass around the flow enhancer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Emily Clark Clark, Julienne LaChance, William Robb Stewart, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Patent number: 9938931
    Abstract: A surface cooler for turbomachines includes an inner layer and an outer layer disposed adjacent to the inner layer and including a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof, wherein the metal foam, the carbon foam or a combination thereof is configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption. Further, the outer layer includes a plurality of fins, wherein the plurality of fins are configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption, and wherein the plurality of fins includes metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jonathan Glenn Luedke, Thomas Michael Tucker
  • Publication number: 20180084732
    Abstract: A combination power plant and intensified farm includes a power plant and an intensified farm. The power plant generates electricity and an exhaust stream. An exhaust cleanup facility captures CO2 from the exhaust stream. The intensified farm receives at least a portion of CO2 from the exhaust cleanup facility to assist in the raising of at least one crop. If necessary, the intensified farm receives at least a portion of electricity from the power plant. In another embodiment, the exhaust cleanup facility also provides H2O to the intensified farm. In another embodiment, a NOx to fertilizer conversion facility converts NOx from the exhaust cleanup facility to a fertilizer and provides the fertilizer to the intensified farm. In another embodiment, a gasifier or digester receives an inedible biomass from the intensified farm and converts the inedible biomass to a fuel, which is to the power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Todd Garrett Wetzel, Stephen Duane Sanborn, Matthew Alan Petersen, Hareesh Kumar Reddy Kommepalli
  • Publication number: 20170314464
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section fluidly coupled to the compressor section, a turbine section fluidly coupled to the combustor section, and a drive shaft coupled to the turbine section and the compressor section. The turbine engine also includes a plurality of internal components coupled to one of the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section, and the drive shaft. The turbine engine also includes at least one micro infrared sensor coupled to at least one of the plurality of internal components. The micro infrared sensor is configured to detect a surface temperature of the plurality of internal components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Jason Edward Dees
  • Patent number: 9592523
    Abstract: A system and method for lowering the structural natural frequency of a synthetic jet actuator is disclosed. A synthetic jet actuator is provided that includes a first plate, a second plate spaced apart from the first plate and arranged parallelly thereto, and a spacer element configured to space the first plate apart from the second plate and define a chamber along with the first and second plates. The spacer element includes at least one orifice formed therein such that the chamber is in fluid communication with an environment external to the chamber, and the spacer element is constructed to deform in a bending motion in response to a deflection of at least one of the first and second plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Todd Garrett Wetzel, Thomas Elliot Stecher, Charles Erklin Seeley, Charles Franklin Wolfe, Jr., Yogen Vishwas Utturkar, Bryan Patrick Whalen
  • Patent number: 9528880
    Abstract: A temperature measurement system includes a plurality of filaments. The plurality of filaments are configured to emit thermal radiation in a relatively broad and substantially continuous wavelength band at least partially representative of a temperature of the plurality of filaments. A first and second portion of the filaments has a differing first and a second diameter and/or emissivity, respectively. The system also includes a detector array configured to generate electrical signals at least partially representative of the thermal radiation received from the filaments. The system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the detector array configured to transform the first electrical signals to a first temperature indication at least partially as a function of the first diameter and/or first emissivity and transform the second electrical signals to a second temperature indication at least partially as a function of the second diameter and/or emissivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Nirm Velumylum Nirmalan, Ronald Scott Bunker, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Robert Michael Zacharias, Shawn David Wehe, Robert David Briggs
  • Patent number: 9335215
    Abstract: A temperature measurement system includes at least one filament configured to emit thermal radiation in a relatively broad and substantially continuous wavelength band that is at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one filament. The system also includes an optical system configured to receive at least a portion of the thermal radiation emitted from the filament. The optical system includes a wavelength splitting device configured to split the emitted thermal radiation into at least one relatively narrow wavelength band of thermal radiation. The optical system also includes a detector array configured to receive the at least one relatively narrow wavelength band of thermal radiation and to generate electrical signals at least partially representative of the received thermal radiation. The temperature measurement system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the detector array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Nirm Velumylum Nirmalan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert Michael Zacharias, Shawn David Wehe, Robert David Briggs, Jonathan Edward Slepski
  • Patent number: 9215520
    Abstract: A synthetic jet assembly includes a synthetic jet having a cavity and an opening formed therein. The synthetic jet assembly also includes an actuator element coupled to a second surface of the body to selectively cause displacement of the second surface, and a control unit electrically coupled to the actuator element. The control unit is configured to transmit a multi-frequency drive signal to the actuator element, the multi-frequency drive signal comprising a cooling frequency component and an acoustic frequency component superimposed on the cooling frequency component. The cooling frequency component causes a cooling jet to eject from the opening of the body. The acoustic frequency component produces a desired audible output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, John Anthony Vogel, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Publication number: 20150289413
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a thermal management system for electronic devices, including a heat frame, a conformal slot portion, chassis frame, and heat fins wherein the heat frame, conformal slot, chassis frame, and heat fins are integrally formed as a unitary structure by additive manufacturing. In another example, there is a modular vapor assembly for electronic components having a vapor chamber comprising a component surface and a top surface with a vapor channel formed therebetween with at least one liquid receptacle and having a wick structure on at least some of an interior of the component surface. In operation, there is a circuit card with at least some of the electronic components coupled to the vapor chamber component surface and the wick structures transfer at least some of the liquid from the receptacle towards the electronic components, wherein the liquid turns to a vapor that moves towards the receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Brian Magann Rush, William Dwight Gerstler, Stefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Todd Garrett Wetzel
  • Publication number: 20150222976
    Abstract: A synthetic jet assembly includes a synthetic jet having a cavity and an opening formed therein. The synthetic jet assembly also includes an actuator element coupled to a second surface of the body to selectively cause displacement of the second surface, and a control unit electrically coupled to the actuator element. The control unit is configured to transmit a multi-frequency drive signal to the actuator element, the multi-frequency drive signal comprising a cooling frequency component and an acoustic frequency component superimposed on the cooling frequency component. The cooling frequency component causes a cooling jet to eject from the opening of the body. The acoustic frequency component produces a desired audible output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, John Anthony Vogel, Todd Garrett Wetzel