Patents by Inventor William Morton

William Morton 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: 20260062138
    Abstract: A fuel tank heat rejection system for an aircraft. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes a fuel tank compartment in the aircraft and a fuel tank having an exterior surface and storing fuel therein. The fuel tank is located in the fuel tank compartment. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes one or more air valves that provide fluid communication to the fuel tank compartment. The one or more air valves opening to operably direct cooling air into the fuel tank compartment through the one or more air valves, the cooling air contacting the exterior surface of the fuel tank such that heat from the fuel is rejected from the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2025
    Publication date: March 5, 2026
    Inventors: Constantinos Minas, Brian Magann Rush, William Morton
  • Patent number: 12497189
    Abstract: A fuel tank heat rejection system for an aircraft. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes a fuel tank compartment in the aircraft and a fuel tank having an exterior surface and storing fuel therein. The fuel tank is located in the fuel tank compartment. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes one or more air valves that provide fluid communication to the fuel tank compartment. The one or more air valves opening to operably direct cooling air into the fuel tank compartment through the one or more air valves, the cooling air contacting the exterior surface of the fuel tank such that heat from the fuel is rejected from the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Constantinos Minas, Brian Magann Rush, William Morton
  • Publication number: 20250129743
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0.1 ( r ? ) - 1 < ? ? r r < K ? ( r ? ) - 4 / 3 , wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, JR., William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Patent number: 12203411
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0.1(r?)?1<?r/r<K(r?)?4/3, wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Publication number: 20240246693
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel tank that stores fuel therein, and a fuel cooling system. The fuel cooling system includes a fuel cooling system fuel line in fluid communication with the fuel tank, one or more fuel cooling system heat exchangers in fluid communication with the fuel cooling system fuel line, and a fuel cooling system fuel pump. The fuel cooling system fuel pump pumps the fuel from the fuel tank such that the fuel flows through the fuel cooling system fuel line and into the one or more fuel cooling system heat exchangers to absorb heat from one or more aircraft components to become heated fuel. The heated fuel is returned and stored in the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Brian Magann Rush, Constantinos Minas, William Morton
  • Publication number: 20240190580
    Abstract: A fuel tank heat rejection system for an aircraft. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes a fuel tank compartment in the aircraft and a fuel tank having an exterior surface and storing fuel therein. The fuel tank is located in the fuel tank compartment. The fuel tank heat rejection system includes one or more air valves that provide fluid communication to the fuel tank compartment. The one or more air valves opening to operably direct cooling air into the fuel tank compartment through the one or more air valves, the cooling air contacting the exterior surface of the fuel tank such that heat from the fuel is rejected from the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Constantinos Minas, Brian Magann Rush, William Morton
  • Patent number: 11913387
    Abstract: A minimum creep life location (MCLL) on a blade for a turbine blade design is received. A temperature at the MCLL on the blade is monitored. When the temperature at the MCLL exceeds a predetermined threshold, a cooling air supply is adjusted to lower the temperature below the threshold during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Constantinos Minas, William Morton
  • Publication number: 20240003297
    Abstract: A turbofan engine includes a fan, a core turbine engine, and a thermal management system. The thermal management system has a thermal transport bus along which a working fluid is movable, one or more heat-source heat exchangers positioned along the thermal transport bus, and one or more heat-sink heat exchangers arranged in fluid communication with the one or more heat-source heat exchangers via the thermal transport bus. The thermal transport bus has a thermal transport bus capacity determined by multiplying a propulsive effectiveness factor associated with the turbofan engine by a heat load factor associated with the thermal transport bus. The thermal transport bus capacity is between 0.07 and 33.65 for an overall inlet temperature of the working fluid at an overall inlet of the one or more heat-source heat exchangers being between 31 and 200 degrees Celsius and the propulsive effectiveness factor being between 0.52 and 1.37.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Eyitayo James Owoeye, William Morton, Constantinos Minas, Brian Gene Brzek
  • Publication number: 20230340907
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0.1 r ? ? 1 < ? r r < K r ? ? 4 / 3 . wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Patent number: 11781444
    Abstract: An orifice assembly includes a first member defining an orifice having a first dimension in a compressed state and a thermally-sensitive material arranged adjacent to the first member. The thermally-sensitive material has a rigid, first state that applies force to the first member so as to maintain the first dimension of the orifice in the compressed state and a flexible, second state configured to release the force applied to the first member. As such, when subjected to temperatures above a predetermined temperature threshold, the thermally-sensitive material changes from the rigid, first state to the flexible, second state to allow the first dimension of the first member in the compressed state to passively expand to a decompressed, second dimension, the second dimension being larger than the first dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Publication number: 20230304447
    Abstract: A minimum creep life location (MCLL) on a blade for a turbine blade design is received. A temperature at the MCLL on the blade is monitored. When the temperature at the MCLL exceeds a predetermined threshold, a cooling air supply is adjusted to lower the temperature below the threshold during engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Constantinos Minas, William Morton
  • Patent number: 11753995
    Abstract: A turbofan engine includes a fan, a core turbine engine having one or more turbines and an exhaust section, and a hydrogen-exhaust gas heat exchanger in flow communication with the exhaust section and hydrogen flowing along a hydrogen supply line. The hydrogen-exhaust gas heat exchanger defines a load capacity factor determined by raising a product to a one-quarter power, the product being determined by multiplying a heat transfer surface area density associated with the hydrogen-exhaust gas heat exchanger by a process conductance parameter that relates characteristics of hydrogen, ambient air, and exhaust gas at takeoff, as well as a fan diameter of the fan and a number of turbine stages of the turbofan engine. The load capacity factor is between 4.37 and 28.65 for the fan diameter being between 0.5 and 3.5 meters and the heat transfer surface area density being between 500 m2/m3 and 10,000 m2/m3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eyitayo James Owoeye, William Morton
  • Patent number: 11739662
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0 . 1 ? ( r ? ) - 1 < ? ? r r < K ? ( r ? ) - 4 / 3 , wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Publication number: 20050126425
    Abstract: An identity preserved container for storage, transportation, and segregation of a flowable cargo is provided. The container comprises a frame supporting an enclosure with a top, bottom, side walls, front wall, and a back wall. A liner is provided and secured to an interior of the enclosure, comprising side panels and funnels panels forming a bin terminating in a centrally located opening in said bottom of the enclosure. The container also includes a belly door located in the opening in the bottom of the enclosure wherein the belly door moves between a closed and an open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: William Morton, James Osterson
  • Publication number: 20040169690
    Abstract: Ammunition, such as shotshells used in waterfowl hunting, have indicia applied to substantially all of the external surface to reduce glare normally a problem in conventional ammunition. The indicia, such as a camouflage pattern, is applied either through the use of inkjet printing directly on the shotshell surface or through the application of a heat transfer sleeve to which the indicia has been previously applied. The process of applying the camouflage pattern may be incorporated into the manufacture of the ammunition or may be operable as a standalone process used for pre-manufactured ammunition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: William Morton, James Yancey Menefee, Andrew Resko
  • Patent number: D948021
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventor: William Morton
  • Patent number: D956367
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventors: William Morton, Taylor Morton