Patents by Inventor Victor H. S. Correia

Victor H. S. Correia 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: 6413042
    Abstract: Cooling is facilitated in stationary flowpath components, such as turbine nozzle segments and shrouds, by providing circumferential edges defining a non-linear curvature that matches the curvature of the flow line defined by the gas flow past the stationary flowpath component. A flexible seal member is provided to accommodate the non-linear edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 6394749
    Abstract: To control the temperature mismatch between the inner and outer bands and covers forming plenums with the inner and outer bands on sides thereof remote from the hot gas path, passages extend from the leading edge of the covers in communication with the hot gases of combustion to the trailing edge of the covers in communication with the hot gas flowpath. A mixing chamber is provided in each passage in communication with compressor discharge air for mixing the hot gases of combustion and compressor discharge air for flow through the passage, thereby heating the cover and minimizing the temperature differential between the inner and outer bands and their respective covers. The passages are particularly useful adjacent the welded or brazed joints between the covers and inner band portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yufeng Phillip Yu, Gary Michael Itzel, Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 6290459
    Abstract: Cooling is facilitated in stationary flowpath components, such as turbine nozzle segments and shrouds, by providing circumferential edges defining a non-linear curvature that matches the curvature of the flow line defined by the gas flow past the stationary flowpath component. A flexible seal member is provided to accommodate the non-linear edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Publication number: 20010019695
    Abstract: Cooling is facilitated in stationary flowpath components, such as turbine nozzle segments and shrouds, by providing circumferential edges defining a non-linear curvature that matches the curvature of the flow line defined by the gas flow past the stationary flowpath component. A flexible seal member is provided to accommodate the non-linear edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Publication date: September 6, 2001
    Inventor: Victor H.S Correia
  • Publication number: 20010005480
    Abstract: To control the temperature mismatch between the inner and outer bands and covers forming plenums with the inner and outer bands on sides thereof remote from the hot gas path, passages extend from the leading edge of the covers in communication with the hot gases of combustion to the trailing edge of the covers in communication with the hot gas flowpath. A mixing chamber is provided in each passage in communication with compressor discharge air for mixing the hot gases of combustion and compressor discharge air for flow through the passage, thereby heating the cover and minimizing the temperature differential between the inner and outer bands and their respective covers. The passages are particularly useful adjacent the welded or brazed joints between the covers and inner band portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Yufeng Phillip Yu, Gary Michael Itzel, Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 6231307
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at leading and trailing edges, and extending from root to tip. The tip includes a tip rib extending from a tip cap enclosing an internal flow channel between the sidewalls. An aligned pair of first and second holes extend through the tip cap and rib, respectively, for discharging coolant from the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 6164914
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes a hollow airfoil having a squealer tip rib extending outboard from a tip cap enclosing the airfoil. An impingement baffle is spaced inboard from the tip cap to define a tip plenum therebetween. Impingement holes extend through the baffle and are directed at the junction of the rib and cap for impinging a coolant jet thereagainst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor H. S. Correia, Robert F. Manning
  • Patent number: 6135715
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a squealer rib extending outwardly from a tip cap to define a tip cavity thereatop. A thermal insulator is disposed in the tip cavity atop the tip cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 5743708
    Abstract: Turbine stator vane segments have inner and outer walls with vanes extending therebetween. The inner and outer walls are compartmentalized and have impingement plates. Steam flowing into the outer wall passes through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the outer wall surface. The spent impingement steam flows into cavities of the vane having inserts for impingement cooling the walls of the vane. The steam passes into the inner wall and through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the inner wall surface and for return through return cavities having inserts for impingement cooling of the vane surfaces. The trailing edge is air-cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Francisco J. Cunha, David A. DeAngelis, Theresa A. Brown, Sanjay Chopra, Victor H. S. Correia, Daniel R. Predmore
  • Patent number: 5634766
    Abstract: Turbine stator vane segments have inner and outer walls with vanes extending therebetween. The inner and outer walls are compartmentalized and have impingement plates. Steam flowing into the outer wall passes through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the outer wall surface. The spent impingement steam flows into cavities of the vane having inserts for impingement cooling the walls of the vane. The steam passes into the inner wall and through the impingement plate for impingement cooling of the inner wall surface and for return through return cavities having inserts for impingement cooling of the vane surfaces. The trailing edge is air-cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Francisco J. Cunha, David A. DeAngelis, Theresa A. Brown, Sanjay Chopra, Victor H. S. Correia, Daniel R. Predmore
  • Patent number: 5480281
    Abstract: A turbine shroud includes a plurality of cavities for receiving cooling steam for flow through the cavities in series counterflow to the direction of the hot gases of combustion. In the first cavity, a projection forms a nozzle to increase the velocity of the cooling steam to increase the convection coefficient for cooling the wall of the shroud. The steam flow in the second cavity passes through an impingement plate for impingement cooling of the wall of the shroud. Likewise, steam passes from the second cavity into the third cavity for flow through an impingement plate for further impingement cooling of the wall of the shroud. In the second and third cavities, the impingement plates include a plurality of ducts affording increased flow area in the direction of travel of the post-impingement steam flow to reduce cross-flow effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 5358374
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes a vane integrally joined between outer and inner bands, with the inner band having a purge hole for discharging a portion of cooling air channeled through the vane. A checkvalve is provided in the purge hole for preventing backflow therethrough into the vane. In an exemplary embodiment, the checkvalve allows a reduction in cooling air through the vane at low power operation for increasing efficiency while preventing backflow of combustion gases into the purge hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor H. S. Correia, Richard W. Albrecht, Robert A. Frederick
  • Patent number: 5332360
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine stator vane includes a groove extending laterally in an outer surface at one end thereof between leading and trailing edges for receiving a brazing material. The vane may be joined to an arcuate band having a complementary groove extending colinearly with the airfoil groove to collectively define therebetween an enlarged crevice for receiving the brazing material to form a reinforcing pin therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor H. S. Correia, Kevin G. McAllister
  • Patent number: 5248240
    Abstract: A three-piece stator vane assembly for use in gas turbine engines. The stator vane assembly is constructed so as to more readily withstand the mechanical stresses imposed during engine operation, as well as to reduce the tendency for the cast components of the stator vane assembly to recrystallize during the casting process, thus preserving the metallurgical integrity of the stator vane assembly. As a result, the stator vane assembly is better able to structurally withstand the severe operating conditions within the turbine section of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 5176496
    Abstract: An inventive turbine nozzle attachment comprises a nozzle mount having a radial and tangential load carrying hook and a radial load carrying land. The nozzle hook fits onto a stud in a stationary nozzle support. The stud is adapted for carrying the tangential and radial load from a respective one of a plurality of nozzle segments, each nozzle segment includes a nozzle mount for coupling to a corresponding stud. The plurality of nozzle segments are joined circumferentially to form an annular turbine nozzle. Each nozzle segment further includes the radial land on one circumferential end of the mount and a circumferentially extending support member on an opposite circumferential end of the segment. The radial support member of one segment rests on the land of an adjacent segment. The gas loads on the nozzle segments cause each segment to load up on the support studs in the tangential and radial directions. The support members on each opposite segment end load radially downward on a land of an adjacent segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor H. S. Correia, Richard W. Albrecht