Patents by Inventor Vaibhav Nadkarni

Vaibhav Nadkarni 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: 20160047316
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having a combustor that includes: an inner radial wall defining axially stacked first and second interior chambers, wherein the first interior chamber extends axially from an end cover to a fuel nozzle, and the second interior chamber extends axially from the fuel nozzle to an inlet of the turbine; and an outer radial wall formed about the inner radial wall so to form a flow annulus therebetween. The flow annulus may include a flow conditioning section that has: conditioning passages defined therethrough for directing a flow from inlets formed at an upstream end to outlets formed at a downstream end of the flow conditioning section; and structure rigidly attaching the inner radial wall to the outer radial wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, Vaibhav Nadkarni, Hasan Karim, Lucas John Stoia
  • Publication number: 20160047317
    Abstract: A downstream nozzle for use in a combustor that includes an inner radial wall defining a combustion zone downstream of a primary nozzle and an outer radial wall surrounding the inner radial wall so to form a flow annulus therebetween. The downstream nozzle may include: an injector tube extending between the outer radial wall and the inner radial wall; a first plenum adjacent to the injector tube, and, inboard of the ceiling, a floor disposed between the inner radial wall and the outer radial wall. A feed passage may connect the first plenum to an inlet formed outboard of the outer radial wall and impingement ports may be formed through the floor of the first plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Willis, William Michael Poschel, Lucas John Stoia, Patrick Benedict Melton, Vaibhav Nadkarni, Chandrasekhar Pushkaran
  • Patent number: 9134031
    Abstract: A combustor of a turbomachine is provided and includes an assembly defining an interior and being configured to direct air to flow along an annulus in a first direction about the interior and in a second direction toward the interior, the first and second directions being substantially opposed, a manifold configured to be supplied with fuel and a tubular body defining a pathway along which the air is transmittable in a third direction from the annulus to the interior, the third direction being transverse to the first and second directions. The tubular body includes a sidewall extendible through the manifold. The sidewall defines an injection hole within the manifold by which transmitted air is mixable with the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Vaibhav Nadkarni
  • Patent number: 9134030
    Abstract: A micromixer of a turbine system is provided and the micromixer includes a plurality of pipes each having an inlet and an outlet for receiving flow and dispersing the flow to a combustor. Also provided is a non-uniform inlet arrangement defined by the inlets of the plurality of pipes, wherein at least one of the inlets extends to an axial location distinct from at least one other inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Bathina, Vaibhav Nadkarni, Arjun Singh
  • Publication number: 20130186092
    Abstract: A micromixer of a turbine system is provided and the micromixer includes a plurality of pipes each having an inlet and an outlet for receiving flow and dispersing the flow to a combustor. Also provided is a non-uniform inlet arrangement defined by the inlets of the plurality of pipes, wherein at least one of the inlets extends to an axial location distinct from at least one other inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mahesh Bathina, Vaibhav Nadkarni, Arjun Singh
  • Publication number: 20130167540
    Abstract: A combustor of a turbomachine is provided and includes an assembly defining an interior and being configured to direct air to flow along an annulus in a first direction about the interior and in a second direction toward the interior, the first and second directions being substantially opposed, a manifold configured to be supplied with fuel and a tubular body defining a pathway along which the air is transmittable in a third direction from the annulus to the interior, the third direction being transverse to the first and second directions. The tubular body includes a sidewall extendible through the manifold. The sidewall defines an injection hole within the manifold by which transmitted air is mixable with the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Vaibhav Nadkarni
  • Publication number: 20120240592
    Abstract: The present application and the resultant patent provide a fuel nozzle for mixing a flow of air and a flow of fuel within a combustor. The fuel nozzle may have one or more air passages for the flow of air, one or more fuel pegs for the flow of fuel, and a liner in communication with the air passages and surrounding the fuel pegs. The liner may include a number of ribs thereon so as to promote mixing of the flow of air and the flow of fuel therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mayur Abhay Keny, Ronald Chila, Vaibhav Nadkarni
  • Publication number: 20110131998
    Abstract: In a conventional secondary fuel nozzle for a gas turbine combustion system, secondary air enters and flows around pegs to mix with fuel injected through holes in pegs. Because the pegs are in the air flow area, undesirable pressure drops occur adversely affecting turbine's efficiency and leading to higher emissions. A novel secondary fuel nozzle is provided in which fuel is injected upstream of the secondary air entry location, which allows the pegs to be removed from the flow area. An example secondary fuel nozzle includes a nozzle body delivering fuel, a nozzle housing surrounding the nozzle body and defining air passages for the secondary air to enter and flow toward an end of the nozzle body, and a premix fuel unit positioned upstream of the air passages injecting fuel delivered by the nozzle body into the secondary air for premixing prior to combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Vaibhav NADKARNI, Manish Kumar, Abdul Rafey Khan
  • Publication number: 20110107767
    Abstract: The present application provides a secondary fuel nozzle assembly for a combustor. The secondary fuel nozzle assembly may include a liner, a fuel passage leading to a pilot burner tip, and a venturi extending from the liner and downstream of the pilot burner tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vaibhav Nadkarni, Swanand Sardeshmukh
  • Publication number: 20100293956
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle auxiliary vane comprising a vane mountable base comprising a fuel inlet, wherein the vane mountable base is configured to mount to a surface of a main vane disposed in an airflow path of a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle auxiliary vane also includes a body extending from the vane mountable base, wherein the body comprises a fuel passage that turns from the fuel inlet to a fuel outlet, and the fuel outlet has a fuel outlet direction generally crosswise to a fuel inlet direction through the fuel inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Vaibhav Nadkarni
  • Publication number: 20080078183
    Abstract: Conventional swozzle-type burners are modified so as to be capable of selectively running on liquid fuel without requiring water injection for NOx abatement or dedicated air supply for atomizing liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Willy Steve Ziminsky, Vaibhav Nadkarni, Atul Kumar Vij