Patents by Inventor Weston Nolan Dooley

Weston Nolan Dooley 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: 11401821
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine can include an outer surface defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and extending radially between a first end and a second end to define a span-wise direction, and a cooling circuit located within the airfoil. The cooling circuit can include a cooling air inlet passage, a radially extending supply passage, an upstream supply passage fluidly coupling the cooling air inlet passage and the supply passage, and a near wall cooling mesh extending along a portion of the outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Publication number: 20210270139
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine can include an outer surface defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and extending radially between a first end and a second end to define a span-wise direction, and a cooling circuit located within the airfoil. The cooling circuit can include a cooling air inlet passage, a radially extending supply passage, an upstream supply passage fluidly coupling the cooling air inlet passage and the supply passage, and a near wall cooling mesh extending along a portion of the outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 11021969
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuit can further comprise a near wall cooling mesh, fluidly coupling a supply passage to a mesh plenum. The mesh plenum can be disposed adjacent to the external surface of the airfoil having a plurality of film holes extending between the mesh plenum and the external surface of the airfoil. The mesh plenum can further comprise a cross-sectional area sized to facilitate machining of the film holes without damage to the interior of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10941671
    Abstract: A turbine engine component includes: a body bounded by an end face; and a seal slot having an opening communicating with the end face, the seal slot including a receptacle defining a boundary configured to receive and position a spline seal, and an open chamber communicating with the seal slot and extending beyond the boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Weston Nolan Dooley, James Michael Hoffman, Gregory Terrence Garay
  • Patent number: 10697301
    Abstract: A turbine engine can include an airfoil comprising an outer wall bounding an interior, as well as an airfoil cooling circuit located within the interior and including a feed tube separating into at least first and second branches. A flow divider can be included in the airfoil and positioned to confront the feed tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Michael Hoffman, Weston Nolan Dooley, Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10590778
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as an airfoil can include an outer wall separating a cooling fluid flow from a hot flow. A cooling circuit can be provided in the engine component including a cooling passage having at least one pin within the cooling passage with a chevron shape and a non-uniform configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Emily Rosette Clark, Weston Nolan Dooley, Kirk D. Gallier
  • Patent number: 10563518
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for an airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a trailing edge cooling circuit utilizing a plurality of trailing edge ejection holes. The ejection holes can include a circumferentially radiused inlet, a converging section, a metering section, and a diverging section to improve airfoil cooling as well as castability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas Gerard Konitzer, Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, James Herbert Deines
  • Publication number: 20200024969
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuit can further comprise a near wall cooling mesh, fluidly coupling a supply passage to a mesh plenum. The mesh plenum can be disposed adjacent to the external surface of the airfoil having a plurality of film holes extending between the mesh plenum and the external surface of the airfoil. The mesh plenum can further comprise a cross-sectional area sized to facilitate machining of the film holes without damage to the interior of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10508548
    Abstract: An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine can comprise a platform having first and second opposing surfaces, an airfoil extending from the first surface, a base extending from the second surface, and a platform cooling circuit including a feed tube, a first branch, a second branch, and a flow divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Michael Hoffman, Weston Nolan Dooley, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10443398
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine comprises a cooling circuit defined within the airfoil providing a flow of cooling fluid within the airfoil. The cooling circuit exhausts the flow of cooling fluid out a slot opening comprising an airfoil element. The slot opening further defines an acceleration zone and a deceleration zone to meter the flow of cooling fluid within the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10443403
    Abstract: An apparatus relating to engineering the geometry for a ball-chute support feature in an investment casting core. The investment casting core is for an airfoil region having at least one serpentine feature and at least one inlet feature coupled to the at least one serpentine feature by a ball-chute support feature. The investment casting core is leached out to form cooling passages in the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Weston Nolan Dooley, James Michael Hoffman, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 10370978
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuits can be fed with a flow of cooling fluid from one or more cooling air inlet passages in fluid communication with the cooling circuits. The cooling circuits can further comprise a leading edge cooling circuit defined by a supply passage, a pin bank passage divided into one or more sub-circuits by pin banks disposed within the pin bank passage, and at least first and second cooling passages. The cooling circuits can provide the cooling fluid flow within the airfoil to cool the airfoil, as well as provide a cooling fluid to a plurality of film holes to create a cooling film on the external surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Steven Robert Brassfield, Robert Frederick Bergholz, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Weston Nolan Dooley
  • Patent number: 10364681
    Abstract: An engine comprises an airfoil having at least one internal cooling circuit extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the engine. The cooling circuit is defined by at least one rib extending across an interior of the airfoil and at least one internal wall defining an internal passage. The internal wall further defines one or more near wall cooling passages. A thermal stress reduction structure is provided between the rib and the internal wall, providing efficient cooling at a junction between the rib and the internal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Robert Frederick Bergholz, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Weston Nolan Dooley
  • Patent number: 10208605
    Abstract: A turbine engine comprises an airfoil having one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuits can be fed with a flow of cooling fluid from one or more cooling air inlet passages in fluid communication with the cooling circuits. The cooling circuits can provide the cooling fluid flow within the airfoil to cool the airfoil, as well as provide a cooling fluid to a plurality of film holes to create a cooling film on the external surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Steven Robert Brassfield, Robert Frederick Bergholz, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Weston Nolan Dooley
  • Publication number: 20190040748
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as an airfoil can include an outer wall separating a cooling fluid flow from a hot flow. A cooling circuit can be provided in the engine component including a cooling passage having at least one pin within the cooling passage with a chevron shape and a non-uniform configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Emily Rosette Clark, Weston Nolan Dooley, Kirk D. Gallier
  • Patent number: 10174620
    Abstract: An airfoil comprises one or more internal cooling circuits. The cooling circuit can further comprise a near wall cooling mesh, fluidly coupling a supply passage to a mesh plenum. The mesh plenum can be disposed adjacent to the external surface of the airfoil having a plurality of film holes extending between the mesh plenum and the external surface of the airfoil. The mesh plenum can further comprise a cross-sectional area sized to facilitate machining of the film holes without damage to the interior of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Weston Nolan Dooley, Steven Robert Brassfield, David Benjamin Helmer, Jeremy Clyde Bailey, Robert David Briggs
  • Publication number: 20180320530
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an airfoil tip for a turbine engine can include an airfoil, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the airfoil at the tip. A plurality of cooling holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the cooling holes from the interior of the airfoil to cool the tip of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Kevin Robert Feldmann, Robert Charles Groves, II, Weston Nolan Dooley, James Michael Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20180291743
    Abstract: A turbine engine can include an airfoil comprising an outer wall bounding an interior, as well as an airfoil cooling circuit located within the interior and including a feed tube separating into at least first and second branches. A flow divider can be included in the airfoil and positioned to confront the feed tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: James Michael Hoffman, Weston Nolan Dooley, Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Publication number: 20180291742
    Abstract: An airfoil assembly for a turbine engine can comprise a platform having first and second opposing surfaces, an airfoil extending from the first surface, a base extending from the second surface, and a platform cooling circuit including a feed tube, a first branch, a second branch, and a flow divider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: James Michael Hoffman, Weston Nolan Dooley, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Publication number: 20180274381
    Abstract: A turbine engine component includes: a body bounded by an end face; and a seal slot having an opening communicating with the end face, the seal slot including a receptacle defining a boundary configured to receive and position a spline seal, and an open chamber communicating with the seal slot and extending beyond the boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Weston Nolan Dooley, James Michael Hoffman, Gregory Terrence Garay