Patents by Inventor Zhong-Tao Dai

Zhong-Tao Dai 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).

  • Apparatus to facilitate decreasing combustor acoustics
    Patent number: 7905093
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor is provided. The method comprises channeling between about 0% to about 8% of the total airflow discharged from a compressor towards a pilot swirler coupled within the burner, wherein the burner includes a main swirler and an annular centerbody extending between the pilot and main swirlers, injecting a portion of the total fuel flow supplied to the burner through a plurality of apertures defined in a hollow pilot centerbody coupled within the pilot swirler, channeling the remaining airflow discharged from the compressor towards the main swirler, and injecting the remaining fuel flow supplied to the burner through at least one main swirler vane coupled within the main swirler, such that the portion of fuel is pre-mixed with a portion of the total airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shui-Chi Li, Michael Louis Vermeersch, Zhong-Tao Dai, Timothy James Held, Mark Anthony Mueller
  • METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE DECREASING COMBUSTOR ACOUSTICS
    Publication number: 20080229753
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor is provided. The method comprises channeling between about 0% to about 8% of the total airflow discharged from a compressor towards a pilot swirler coupled within the burner, wherein the burner includes a main swirler and an annular centerbody extending between the pilot and main swirlers, injecting a portion of the total fuel flow supplied to the burner through a plurality of apertures defined in a hollow pilot centerbody coupled within the pilot swirler, channeling the remaining airflow discharged from the compressor towards the main swirler, and injecting the remaining fuel flow supplied to the burner through at least one main swirler vane coupled within the main swirler, such that the portion of fuel is pre-mixed with a portion of the total airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Shui-Chi Li, Michael Louis Vermeersch, Zhong-Tao Dai, Timothy James Held, Mark Anthony Mueller