Patents by Inventor Tsuguji Nakano
Tsuguji Nakano 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).
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Patent number: 11859515Abstract: There is provided apparatuses and methods for a gas turbine engine. The embodiments include a core section with a flow path. The flow path includes a stator vane array having outlet vanes. Each outlet vane has a trailing edge. A strut has a leading edge that is upstream of the trailing edges. Alternatively, the flow path includes a stator vane array having inlet vanes. Each inlet vane has a leading edge. The strut has a trailing edge that is downstream of the leading edges. There also is increased spacing between adjacent vanes and rotor blades.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Tsuguji Nakano, Darek Zatorski, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow
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Publication number: 20230287837Abstract: A gas turbine engine and a method of operating the gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a fan having a plurality of fan blades, a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, a nacelle surrounding and at least partially enclosing the fan, the nacelle defining an inlet and a longitudinal axis, and an inlet pre-swirl feature located upstream of the plurality of fan blades, the inlet pre-swirl feature attached to or integrated into the nacelle. The method includes determining, by one or more computing devices, a thrust demand for the gas turbine engine, and in response to the thrust demand, controlling, by the one or more computing devices, a rotational speed of the fan and an angle of the inlet pre-swirl feature with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nacelle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2022Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Tsuguji Nakano, Stefan Joseph Cafaro
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Patent number: 11753939Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided including a turbine section including a turbine having a plurality of first speed turbine rotor blades; a compressor section including a compressor having a plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades and a plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades; a gearbox; and a first spool rotatable by the plurality of first speed turbine rotor blades, the first spool coupled to the plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades for driving the plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades in a first direction and to the plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades across the gearbox for driving the plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades in a second direction, opposite the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2019Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Alan Roy Stuart, Tsuguji Nakano, Thomas Ory Moniz, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Richard Schmidt
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Publication number: 20230279779Abstract: There is provided apparatuses and methods for a gas turbine engine. The embodiments include a core section with a flow path. The flow path includes a stator vane array having outlet vanes. Each outlet vane has a trailing edge. A strut has a leading edge that is upstream of the trailing edges. Alternatively, the flow path includes a stator vane array having inlet vanes. Each inlet vane has a leading edge. The strut has a trailing edge that is downstream of the leading edges. There also is increased spacing between adjacent vanes and rotor blades.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Tsuguji Nakano, Darek Zatorski, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow
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Publication number: 20230258134Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
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Patent number: 11655768Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
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Publication number: 20230028503Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2021Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
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Patent number: 11549463Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for compact compressors are disclosed including a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the gas turbine engine including an axial flow compressor and a radial flow compressor, wherein the axial flow compressor is located axially forward of the radial flow compressor, a blade assembly including a splitter shroud to divide incoming air into axial air flow for the axial flow compressor and radial air flow for the radial flow compressor, the blade assembly rotating relative to the axial flow compressor and counter-rotating relative to the radial flow compressor, and wherein the blade assembly is located axially aft of the radial flow compressor.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2021Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vinod Shashikant Chaudhari, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Tsuguji Nakano, David W. Crall
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Patent number: 11480063Abstract: A gas turbine engine may include a fan, a plurality of inlet pre-swirl features disposed upstream of a fan, and an outlet guide vane assembly disposed downstream of the fan. The outlet guide vane assembly includes a plurality of outlet guide vanes that may define an outlet guide vane solidity profile, wherein the outlet guide vane solidity profile is achieves a minimum solidity at a radial position between an inner boundary and seventy percent of an outlet guide vane span. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades that may define a fan solidity profile, wherein the fan solidity profile maintains a solidity of greater than 1.1 between a radial position at seventy percent of the fan blade span and an outer boundary.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2021Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Tsuguji Nakano
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Publication number: 20220268209Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for compact compressors are disclosed including a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the gas turbine engine including an axial flow compressor and a radial flow compressor, wherein the axial flow compressor is located axially forward of the radial flow compressor, a blade assembly including a splitter shroud to divide incoming air into axial air flow for the axial flow compressor and radial air flow for the radial flow compressor, the blade assembly rotating relative to the axial flow compressor and counter-rotating relative to the radial flow compressor, and wherein the blade assembly is located axially aft of the radial flow compressor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Vinod Shashikant Chaudhari, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Tsuguji Nakano, David W. Crall
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Patent number: 11262144Abstract: A heat exchanger apparatus includes: spaced-apart peripheral walls extending between an inlet and an outlet, the peripheral walls collectively defining a flow channel which includes a diverging portion downstream of the inlet, in which a flow area is greater than a flow area at the inlet; a plurality of spaced-apart fins disposed in the flow channel, each of the fins having opposed side walls extending between an upstream leading edge and a downstream trailing edge, wherein the fins divide at least the diverging portion of the flow channel into a plurality of side-by-side flow passages; and a heat transfer structure disposed within at least one of the fins.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2017Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Daniel Lawrence Tweedt, Tsuguji Nakano, Syed Arif Khalid
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Patent number: 11231043Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a compressor rotor. The compressor rotor includes a first stage compressor airfoil defined at an upstream-most stage of the compressor rotor. The first stage compressor airfoil defines a first stage pressure ratio of at least approximately 1.7 during operation of the gas turbine engine at a tip speed of at least approximately 472 meters per second.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Veeraraju Vanapalli, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Jagata Laxmi Narasimharao, Tsuguji Nakano, Subramanian Narayanan
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Patent number: 10815886Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The turbine section includes a drive turbine and is located downstream of the compressor section. The gas turbine engine also includes a fan mechanically coupled to and rotatable with the drive turbine such that the fan is rotatable by the drive turbine at the same rotational speed as the drive turbine, the fan defining a fan pressure ratio and including a plurality of fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed. During operation of the gas turbine engine at a rated speed, the fan pressure ratio of the fan is less than 1.5 and the fan tip speed of each of the fan blades is greater than 1,250 feet per second.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
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Patent number: 10794396Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and including an inner wall, the inner wall of the outer nacelle including a plurality of pre-swirl contours positioned forward of the fan blades of the fan along an axial direction and extending inwardly along a radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Trevor Wayne Goerig, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements
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Publication number: 20200263547Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided including a turbine section including a turbine having a plurality of first speed turbine rotor blades; a compressor section including a compressor having a plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades and a plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades; a gearbox; and a first spool rotatable by the plurality of first speed turbine rotor blades, the first spool coupled to the plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades for driving the plurality of first speed compressor rotor blades in a first direction and to the plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades across the gearbox for driving the plurality of second speed compressor rotor blades in a second direction, opposite the first direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2019Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Alan Roy Stuart, Tsuguji Nakano, Thomas Ory Moniz, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Richard Schmidt
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Patent number: 10724435Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide vanes cantilevered from the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along the axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an inner end along the radial direction and it is unconnected with an adjacent part-span inlet guide vane at the inner end.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: General Electric Co.Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
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Patent number: 10711797Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades, each of the plurality of fan blades defining a fan blade span along a radial direction. The gas turbine engine further includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide varies attached to the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along an axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an IGV span along the radial direction, the IGV span being at least about five percent of the fan blade span and up to about fifty-five percent of the fan blade span.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
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Patent number: 10502160Abstract: A propulsion device that defines a central axis and a circumferential direction is provided. The propulsion device may include a core engine and a core casing. The core engine may include an engine shaft extending along the central axis. The core casing may have an inner surface and an outer surface. The core casing may extend along the circumferential direction about the propulsion device, as well as along the central axis from a forward end to an aft end. The core casing may define a primary air flowpath having an annular inlet at the forward end and an exhaust at the aft end. The core casing may further define a reverse flow passage extending from an outer surface entrance to an inner surface exit.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Tsuguji Nakano, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow
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Publication number: 20190257318Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a compressor rotor. The compressor rotor includes a first stage compressor airfoil defined at an upstream-most stage of the compressor rotor. The first stage compressor airfoil defines a first stage pressure ratio of at least approximately 1.7 during operation of the gas turbine engine at a tip speed of at least approximately 472 meters per second.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2018Publication date: August 22, 2019Inventors: Veeraraju Vanapalli, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Jagata Laxmi Narasimharao, Tsuguji Nakano, Subramanian Narayanan
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Publication number: 20190204010Abstract: A heat exchanger apparatus includes: spaced-apart peripheral walls extending between an inlet and an outlet, the peripheral walls collectively defining a flow channel which includes a diverging portion downstream of the inlet, in which a flow area is greater than a flow area at the inlet; a plurality of spaced-apart fins disposed in the flow channel, each of the fins having opposed side walls extending between an upstream leading edge and a downstream trailing edge, wherein the fins divide at least the diverging portion of the flow channel into a plurality of side-by-side flow passages; and a heat transfer structure disposed within at least one of the fins.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2017Publication date: July 4, 2019Inventors: Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Daniel Lawrence Tweedt, Tsuguji Nakano, Syed Arif Khalid