With Changing State Confined Heat Exchange Mass Patents (Class 415/114)
  • Patent number: 11859535
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This assembly includes a fuel source and an engine component. The engine component forms a peripheral boundary of the flowpath. The engine component includes a component internal passage. The engine component is configured to receive fuel from the fuel source. The engine component is configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the component internal passage thereby cooling the engine component and providing at least partially cracked fuel. The assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 11459894
    Abstract: An airfoil fairing includes an airfoil section that is formed of a fiber-reinforced composite wall. The airfoil section has first and second radial ends, pressure and suction sides, leading and trailing ends that join the pressure and suction sides, an internal cavity, and a rib that extends radially in the internal cavity. The rib has a radial rib end at the first radial end of the airfoil section and extends across the internal cavity from a first rib side at the pressure side to a second rib side at the suction side. The rib defines at the radial end first and second shoulders. The first and second shoulders define a radial notch there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tyler G. Vincent, Chang Gao, Bryan P. Dube
  • Patent number: 11415006
    Abstract: A vane includes a ceramic airfoil section that has an airfoil wall defining a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, and a suction side. The ceramic airfoil section has an internal cavity. A support spar extends through the internal cavity for supporting the ceramic airfoil section. The support spar is spaced from the airfoil wall such that there is a gap there between. The support spar has an internal through-passage that is fluidly isolated from the gap in the ceramic airfoil section. A baffle is disposed in the gap and is spaced apart from the airfoil wall and the support spar so as to divide the gap into a plenum space between the support spar and the baffle and an impingement space between the baffle and the airfoil wall. The baffle has impingement holes directed toward the airfoil wall that connect the plenum space and the impingement space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jon E. Sobanski, Tyler G. Vincent
  • Patent number: 11248486
    Abstract: An aircraft turbine-engine module casing including an external module casing and at least one sealing ring intended to surround a movable impeller of the module and arranged radially towards the inside with respect to the external casing. The casing includes at least one capillary heat pipe, a first end which is fixed to the sealing ring, and a second end which, opposite to the first, is fixed to a casing element arranged radially towards the outside with respect to the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Christophe Scholtes
  • Patent number: 11165309
    Abstract: A motor cooling system including, an engine nacelle defining a primary axis, a stator housing within the engine nacelle, a plurality of stator guide vanes attached to the stator circumferentially disposed around the primary axis, where at least one stator guide vane of the plurality of stator guide vanes includes at least one conduit configured to receive a fluid from a first engine component in the engine nacelle and wherein at least one stator guide vane of the plurality of stator guide vanes includes at least one conduit configured to pass the fluid to a second engine component in the engine nacelle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Debabrata Pal
  • Patent number: 11149745
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for preventing compressor surge while improving compressor efficiency and performance. In one example, a method may include a recirculation passage in a compressor configured with a casing treatment and the recirculation passage being cooled by a cooling jacket within the compressor housing wall. In another example, the recirculation passage includes guide vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Liangjun Hu, Hao Wu, Jianwen James Yi
  • Patent number: 11143041
    Abstract: The turbine includes a first turbine rotor disc, a second turbine rotor disc, a first source of cooling fluid, and a first cooling fluid conduit. The first turbine rotor disc has a first outer circumference and a first plurality of blades spaced along the first outer circumference. The second turbine rotor disc has a second outer circumference and a second plurality of blades spaced along the second outer circumference. The first cooling fluid conduit is configured to channel a first flow of cooling fluid from the first source of cooling fluid through the first turbine rotor disc to a blade of the second plurality of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian David Johnson, Daniel Waslo
  • Patent number: 11066957
    Abstract: An axial-flow fluid machine provided with: a retainer ring holding a stationary blade train; a casing supporting the retainer ring; and an eccentric pin. An engagement part of the casing has a protruding section protruding to the retainer ring side. An engagement part of the retainer ring has a pair of wall plate sections forming a groove into which the protruding section is put. In the casing, a penetration hole is formed extending in a radial direction so as to be centered about a penetration center position that is biased to an axial upstream side in a region of the casing where the engagement part is formed. In the engagement part of the casing, a portion on an axial downstream side relative to the penetration hole exists in the entire circumferential area. The eccentric pin is inserted into the penetration hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Ikko Tsubokura, Hitoshi Morimoto, Koichi Takahashi, Kazuhiro Ikushima, Takuya Komukai, Motohiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 11015455
    Abstract: A method of reducing creep in an internally cooled turbine blade, comprising: providing a radially extending intermediate wall to continuously join a localized high stress zone of a concave side wall and a convex side wall in an intermediate cooling air channel through the blade. The intermediate wall distributes stress from the localized zone to a zone of lower stress to balance the creep inducing stress and temperature more evenly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Chao Zhang, Michael Papple, Marc Tardif
  • 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: 10619492
    Abstract: A vane for a gas turbine engine may comprise a vane platform and an airfoil extending radially from the vane platform. The airfoil may comprise an inlet defined, at least partially, by an internal surface of the airfoil. The internal surface may comprise a convex curve proximate the inlet. A transition between an external surface of the airfoil and a surface of the vane platform may comprise a concave curve. A radius of curvature of the convex curve of the internal surface may be concentric to a radius of curvature of the concave curve of the transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ky H. Vu, Adam P. Generale, Brandon L. Howard
  • Patent number: 10577947
    Abstract: A baffle insert for a component of a gas turbine engine is provided. The baffle insert having: a plurality of trip strips extending upwardly from an exterior surface of the baffle insert; and at least one rib extending upwardly from the exterior surface of the baffle insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brandon W. Spangler, Atul Kohli
  • Patent number: 10577942
    Abstract: An assembly comprises a cooling chamber disposed inside an airfoil of a turbine assembly. The cooling chamber directs cooling air inside the airfoil. The assembly comprises an impingement hole fluidly coupled with the cooling chamber. The impingement hole directs at least some of the cooling air out of the cooling chamber. A double impingement slot cap assembly forms a cover over the impingement hole. The double impingement slot cap assembly directs the cooling air exiting the cooling chamber in the airfoil through the impingement hole along one or more outer surfaces of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Daniel Getsinger
  • Patent number: 10495353
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to a mechanism which can be used in gas cooling devices, pneumatic motors, turbines and other pressurized gas devices. A rotatable rotor is provided along with a number of hollow conduits that radially radiate from an exit port at the center of the rotor. The pressurized gas is injected into the mechanism at the inlet port(s). The gas enters the conduits and travels from the inlet port(s) to the exit port(s). In doing so, the gas causes the rotor to rotate about its central axis while the gas cools. This results in a colder gas at the exit port(s) than at the inlet port(s) due to an enhanced extraction of work, while maintaining a very low flow rate at the cold outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Inventors: Jeliazko Polihronov, Anthony Straatman
  • Patent number: 10487722
    Abstract: A turbocharger compressor and method are provided including a first coolant passage in thermal contact with an inlet configured to direct the charge gas toward an impeller; and second, third, and fourth coolant passages respectively in thermal contact with impeller, volute, and diffuser regions. All of the coolant passages are fluidically coupled with a heat exchanger. One or more of the coolant passages are configured such that coolant flows in an upstream direction relative to a general flow direction of charge gas through the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Liangjun Hu, David Curtis Ives, Eric Warren Curtis, Jianwen James Yi
  • Patent number: 10458291
    Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a platform having a non-gas path side and a gas path side, an airfoil extending from the gas path side of the platform, and a cover plate positioned adjacent to the non-gas path side of the platform. The cover plate can include a first plurality of openings that communicate a first portion of a cooling air to a first cooling cavity of the platform and a second plurality of openings that can communicate a second portion of the cooling air to the second cooling cavity that is separate from the first cooling cavity. Each of the first cooling cavity and the second cooling cavity can include a plurality of augmentation features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brandon W. Spangler, Russell J. Bergman
  • Patent number: 10428660
    Abstract: An airfoil may comprise an airfoil body having a leading edge and a trailing edge. A heat pipe may be disposed within the airfoil. The heat pipe may include a vaporization section and a condensation section. The vaporization section may be disposed within the airfoil body and may be configured to remove heat from the trailing edge. The second cooling apparatus may be disposed within the airfoil body and may be configured to remove heat from the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James D Hill, Ram Ranjan, Glenn Levasseur
  • Patent number: 10364679
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor includes a rotor that provides a cooling cavity. The cooling cavity has a first chamber and a second chamber that are fluidly connected to one another by a passageway. At least one of the first and second rotor portions is configured to support a blade that is fluidly isolated from the cavity. A phase change material is arranged in the cavity. The phase change material is configured to be arranged in the first chamber in a first state and in the second chamber in the second state. The passageway is configured to carry the phase change material between the second and first chambers once changed between the first and second states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark F. Zelesky, Michael Winter, Paul E. Coderre, Richard L. Sykes
  • Patent number: 10352243
    Abstract: A gas turbine equipped with a compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine is further equipped with: a pressurizing device for taking a portion of the compressed air compressed by the compressor, and pressurizing the compressed air; a combustion chamber cooling line for cooling the combustion chamber using the pressurized compressed air; a temperature regulating line for regulating the temperature of a stationary member of a blade ring or the like of a turbine by using the pressurized compressed air; a combustion chamber supply line through which the compressed air flows from the pressurizing device to the combustion chamber cooling line; a turbine supply line through which the compressed air flows from the pressurizing device to the temperature regulating line; a heater for heating the compressed air, provided in the turbine supply line; and a control device capable of controlling the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Mizukami, Yoshiaki Yamaguchi, Tetsu Konishi, Toshio Takanezawa, Hiroyuki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10352176
    Abstract: A trailing edge cooling system for a multi-wall blade, including: a cooling circuit, including: an outward leg extending toward a trailing edge of the multi-wall blade and fluidly coupled to a coolant feed; a return leg extending away from the trailing edge of the multi-wall blade and fluidly coupled to a coolant collection passage; and a turn for coupling the outward leg and the return leg; wherein the outward leg is radially offset from the return leg along a radial axis of the multi-wall blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Wayne Weber, Gregory Thomas Foster
  • Patent number: 10329940
    Abstract: A method to design a turbine including: estimating rates of thermal radial expansion for each of a stator and a rotor corresponding to a period of operation of the turbine; estimating a clearance between the rotor and the stator based on the rates of thermal radial expansion, and determining a mass or surface area of the stator or rotor based on the clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry G. Ballard, Jr., Douglas Frank Beadie, John David Memmer
  • Patent number: 10309242
    Abstract: Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) airfoils and methods for forming CMC airfoils are provided. In one embodiment, an airfoil is provided that includes opposite pressure and suction sides extending radially along a span and opposite leading and trailing edges extending radially along the span. The leading edge defines a forward end of the airfoil, and the trailing edge defines an aft end of the airfoil. A trailing edge portion is defined adjacent the trailing edge at the aft end, and a pocket is defined in and extends within the trailing edge portion. A heat pipe is received in the pocket. A method for forming an airfoil is provided that includes laying up a CMC material to form an airfoil preform assembly; processing the airfoil preform assembly; defining a pocket in a trailing edge portion of the airfoil; and inserting a heat pipe into the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Alan Frey, Samir Armando Salamah, Charles William Craig, III
  • Patent number: 10151205
    Abstract: A turbine blade has a body enclosing a labyrinth of internal channels for circulation of coolant received through an inlet integrally formed in terminal portion of blade root. The labyrinth includes; inlet arranged on an axially upstream face of terminal portion leading to an upstream duct portion having first section adjacent the inlet and a second section axially downstream of first, second section having reduced cross section compared to first section. Leading edge passage intersects first section and extends through blade body towards the tip. Main blade passage intersects second section. Trailing edge passage intersects downstream duct portion which is in axial alignment with but separate from second section and channel connects second section with the downstream duct portion. Channel has reduced cross section compared to second section and downstream duct portion. The inlet has an inverted keyhole shape with cross section extends through upstream duct portion first section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Matthew Barry, Peter Burford
  • Patent number: 10107498
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide injection systems for fuel and air. According to one embodiment, an injection system can include a mixing zone embedded within a surface of a turbine nozzle and positioned between a first outlet and a second outlet, the turbine nozzle separating a combustor of a power generation system from a turbine stage of the power generation system, wherein the first outlet is oriented substantially in opposition to the second outlet; a first injection conduit for delivering a carrier gas to the mixing zone through the first outlet; and a second injection conduit for delivering a fuel to the mixing zone through a second outlet; wherein the carrier gas and the fuel intermix within the mixing zone upon leaving the first injection conduit and the second injection conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stanley Kevin Widener, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Gregory Thomas Foster, Kaitlin Marie Graham, Krishnakumar Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 10100730
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a secondary air system with interconnected fluid passages defining at least one flow path between a common source of pressurized air and a common outlet. Some of the fluid passages deliver the pressurized air to components of the gas turbine engine. The fluid passages include a common fluid passage through which all circulation of the pressurized air to the common outlet passes. The common fluid passage has a section including a venturi configured for controlling a flow of the pressurized air from the source to the outlet. In one embodiment, the venturi is provided in a common inlet or common outlet passage. A method of pressurizing a secondary air system is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Roger Huppe, Pierre-Yves Legare
  • Patent number: 10054046
    Abstract: A method of power production using a high pressure/low pressure ratio Brayton Power cycle with predominantly N2 mixed with CO2 and H2O combustion products as the working fluid is provided. The high pressure can be in the range 80 bar to 500 bar. The pressure ratio can be in the range 1.5 to 10. The natural gas fuel can be burned in a first high pressure combustor with a near stoichiometric quantity of pressurized preheated air and the net combustion gas can be mixed with a heated high pressure recycle N2+CO2+H2O stream which moderates the mixed gas temperature to the value required for the maximum inlet temperature to a first power turbine producing shaft power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: 8 Rivers Capital, LLC
    Inventors: Miles Palmer, Rodney John Allam, Jeremy Eron Fetvedt
  • Patent number: 10024172
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil wall including an exterior airfoil surface and at least partially defines an airfoil cavity. A fillet is on the exterior airfoil surface. A recess is in an interior surface of the airfoil wall adjacent the fillet. A baffle tube is located in the airfoil cavity spaced from the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark A. Boeke, Richard M. Salzillo, Jeffrey J. DeGray, Shawn J. Gregg
  • Patent number: 10012092
    Abstract: An airfoil according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil body having an internal passage for conveying a fluid flow. The internal passage includes first and second passage sections coupled at a turn section. A baffle includes a body arranged in the second passage section to define two cooling flow paths, and a first wedge region extends from the body into the first passage section such that the fluid flow is directed through the turn section between the first passage section and the two cooling flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dominic J. Mongillo, Brandon W. Spangler
  • Patent number: 9957812
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an impingement cooling mechanism (1) that ejects a cooling gas (G) toward a cooling target (2) from a plurality of impingement holes (4) formed in an opposing member (3) that is arranged opposite the cooling target (2). Turbulent flow promoting portions (6) are provided in the flow path of a crossflow (CF), which is a flow that is formed by the cooling gas (G) after being ejected from the impingement holes (4). The turbulent flow promoting portions (6) are constituted so that a turbulent flow is promoted from the upstream side to the downstream side of the crossflow (CF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Okita, Shu Fujimoto, Chiyuki Nakamata
  • Patent number: 9879543
    Abstract: A cooling system for cooling a fluid reaction apparatus of a gas turbine engine includes a vapor cooling subsystem and a film cooling subsystem. The vapor cooling subsystem has a vaporization section and a condenser section for cooling a portion of the fluid reaction apparatus. The condenser section is cooled by a fluid. The film cooling subsystem is configured for cooling a portion of the fluid reaction apparatus by discharging fluid out of openings defined in the fluid reaction apparatus. At least a portion of the fluid used to cool the condenser section of the vapor cooling subsystem is discharged out of the openings of the film cooling subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Norris, James D. Hill
  • Patent number: 9840932
    Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine rotor having a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft. The system also includes a turbomachine stator having a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor. Further, the system includes a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the system, where the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Brett Darrick Klingler
  • Patent number: 9790893
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine flow duct comprising a flow duct disposed along an engine centerline of the gas turbine engine and defining a stream flow passage, and first and second rows of heat exchangers disposed along the engine centerline of the gas turbine engine and integrated in the flow duct in fluid communication with the stream flow passage of the flow duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9765693
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and methods for controlling an air injection system for augmenting the power of a gas turbine engine, improving gas turbine engine operation, and reducing the response time necessary to meet changing demands of a power plant. Improvements in control of the air injection system include ways directed towards preheating the air injection system, including using an gas turbine components, such as an inlet bleed heat system to aid in the preheating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: POWERPHASE LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Kraft, Scott Auerbach
  • Patent number: 9752446
    Abstract: An airfoil of a turbine engine may have internal passages to permit the travel of cooling air through the airfoil. Multiple airfoils may be formed together in a stator vane assembly, and cooling air may be directed through the stator vane assembly. The stator vane assembly may be mounted to an engine structure to carry structural loads experienced by the stator vane assembly. Buttresses may be formed in the stator vane assembly, such as beneath each airfoil of the stator vane assembly, and extending into a passage permitting the travel of cooling air through the airfoil. The buttresses may enhance the strength and stability of the stator vane assembly by facilitating the transmission of structural loads to an engine structure. A channel may be defined through one or more buttress to enable the passage of cooling air into the airfoils, and yet allow the buttresses to carry structural loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark A. Boeke, Richard M. Salzillo, Jr., Jeffrey J. Degray
  • Patent number: 9677474
    Abstract: A surface heat exchanger is provided which utilizes forward and aft brackets to retain the heat exchanger in position. The surface heat exchanger includes a plurality of core cooling channels as well as fins which are disposed for air flow through the gas turbine engine. The brackets include a low-friction wear material as well as an isolator sheet which provides some spring force on the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: UNISON INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Walter Arthur Hundley, Jr., Derek Thomas Dreischarf, Dattu G V Jonnalagadda, Mark Phillip Drake
  • Patent number: 9638104
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas turbine device using a supercritical fluid as a cooling fluid, the gas turbine device having a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for burning the air emitted from the compressor and fuel, and a turbine driven by the burned gas emitted from the combustor, wherein the gas turbine device includes cooling passages formed in the combustor and the turbine, along which the supercritical fluid as a cooling fluid flows to allow the combustor and the turbine to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hyung Hee Cho, Kyung Min Kim, Ho Kyu Moon, Beom Seok Kim, Jun Su Park, Seon Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9586340
    Abstract: This rotor for kneading includes a rotor shaft (27) having a tubular shape; a blade part (22) that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the rotor shaft (27); and a filling body (36) that is provided in a recessed part (28) formed inside the blade part (22) and made from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material from which the rotor shaft (27) and the blade part (22) are made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryutaro Mori, Kazunari Tanaka, Takashi Moribe
  • Patent number: 9458767
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a turbine nozzle segment for a turbine section of a gas turbine. The turbine nozzle segment includes an inner platform, an outer platform and an airfoil that extends therebetween. The airfoil includes a forward portion and an aft portion that is disposed downstream from the forward portion. The turbine nozzle segment further includes a fuel injection insert that extends between the inner platform and the outer platform downstream from the aft portion of the airfoil. The fuel injection insert includes a fuel circuit that extends within the fuel injection insert, and a plurality of fuel injection ports disposed within the fuel injection insert. The plurality of fuel injection ports provide for fluid communication with the fuel circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Thomas Raymond Farrell
  • Patent number: 9453427
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present application include a gas turbine assembly. The gas turbine assembly may include a solid wheel, a turbine aft shaft, and an aft joint connecting the solid wheel to the turbine aft shaft. The turbine assembly also may include a cover plate positioned between the solid wheel and the turbine aft shaft. The cover plate may be configured to direct a flow of compressor extraction fluid inboard through the aft joint and out the turbine aft shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Jacob Huth, Michael James Fedor
  • Patent number: 9404380
    Abstract: Systems and devices configured for active thermal control of turbine components are disclosed. In one embodiment, a thermal control system for a turbine includes: a thermal source shaped to connect to a turbine; a set of sensors disposed about the turbine and configured to obtain operational data from the turbine; and a computing device communicatively connected to the thermal source and the set of sensors, the computing device configured to regulate a thermal input of the thermal source to the turbine based on the operational data obtained by the set of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Ernest Welch, Wojciech Grzeszczak
  • Patent number: 9404657
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes an forward fuel injection system in communication with a combustion chamber and a downstream fuel injection system that communicates with the combustion chamber downstream of the forward fuel injection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Steven W. Burd
  • Patent number: 9371735
    Abstract: An impingement cover (460) for fusing to a gas turbine engine turbine nozzle (451) with a nozzle rail (455) includes a body and a plurality of tabs for forming a first fuse with the nozzle rail (455). The body has a plate like shape and includes a plurality of impingement holes (464), a first edge, a second edge, and a first airfoil cooling hole (470). The plurality of tabs includes a first tab (461) extending from the first edge, and a second tab (462) extending from the second edge. The second tab (462) is located in a different quadrant of the body than the first tab (461).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: William Landon Reilly, David Jeorling, Adrian Nazareno Reyes
  • Patent number: 9353687
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine with a closed-loop liquid metal cooling fluid system for cooling stator vanes within the turbine, in which the stator vanes are made of a metallic material that will not react with the liquid metal cooling fluid. The stator vane may be made from a typical metal material such as ferrous metal alloys, nickel alloys or cobalt (Co) alloys, and an insert or liner made of molybdenum or tantalum may be placed inside to protect the outer vane material from reacting with a liquid metal such as bismuth, lead (Pb), indium, or alloy mixtures of thereof. In the case where the liquid coolant is bismuth, the liquid bismuth must be purged from the cooling system before the fluid cools and solidifies so the solidified bismuth does not expand and break the vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph D Brostmeyer, John W Appleby, Jr., Russell B Jones
  • Patent number: 8925330
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flow discharge device (30) for discharging a flow of gas (F) from a first gaseous fluid (A) into a second gaseous fluid (B) which is of a lower pressure than the first gaseous fluid. The discharge device comprises a valve (34) disposed between the first and second gaseous fluids and arranged to regulate the discharge flow (F) and a swirler means (50) disposed between the valve (34) and the second gaseous fluid. The swirler means (50) comprises a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes (61, 63, 65). In use the swirler means (50) swirls the discharge flow (F). This acts to reduce the energy, and therefore the pressure of the discharge flow. This results in quieter operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Kevin M. Britchford, Nicolas L. Balkota
  • Patent number: 8899909
    Abstract: The present application provides a steam turbine system. The steam turbine system may include a high pressure section, an intermediate pressure section, a shaft packing location positioned between the high pressure section and the intermediate pressure section, a source of steam, and a cooling system. The cooling system delivers a cooling steam extraction from the source of steam to the shaft packing location so as to cool the high pressure section and the intermediate pressure section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Manikandan Srinivasan, Santhosh Donkada
  • Publication number: 20140130535
    Abstract: A counter-rotating fan system for evaporative cooling equipment. The system can include a first axial fan disposed in an air conduit of an evaporative equipment unit, a second axial fan disposed in the air conduit and arranged coaxially with the first fan, a transmission for driving the first axial fan and the second axial fan, and a motor for driving the transmission, wherein the direction of rotation of the first axial fan is opposite to the direction of rotation of the second axial fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventor: John V. SANTORO
  • Publication number: 20130272849
    Abstract: The invention relates to an axial flow machine, in particular a gas turbine with axial hot gas flow. Gaps between rotor-side heat shields are blocked by easily mountable sealing strips, which are arranged with their longitudinal edges in opposing grooves in the side walls of the respective gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Alexander Anatolievich Khanin, Andrei Vladimirovich Pipopulo
  • Publication number: 20130251505
    Abstract: A system (20) has a first compressor (22) and a second compressor (52). A heat rejection heat exchanger (30) is coupled to the first and second compressors to receive refrigerant compressed by the compressors. The system includes an economizer for receiving refrigerant from the heat rejection heat exchanger and reducing an enthalpy of a first portion of the received refrigerant while increasing an enthalpy of a second portion. The second portion is returned to the compressor. The ejector (66) has a primary inlet (70) coupled to the means to receive a first flow of the reduced enthalpy refrigerant. The ejector has a secondary inlet (72) and an outlet (74). The outlet is coupled to the first compressor to return refrigerant to the first compressor. A first heat absorption heat exchanger (80) is coupled to the economizer to receive a second flow of the reduced enthalpy refrigerant and is upstream of the secondary inlet of the ejector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jinliang Wang, Parmesh Verma, Frederick J. Cogswell
  • Publication number: 20130156548
    Abstract: An oil-cooled gas compressor provided with: a compressor body (3); an oil separator (6) that separates out oil from a compressed gas; a gas pipe (8) for sending the compressed gas, from which oil has been separated out by the oil separator, to a user; and an oil pipe (7) for returning, to the compressor, the oil separated out by the oil separator. The following are also provided: an air-cooled heat exchanger (13) for cooling the aforementioned oil; a controllable-speed cooling fan (14) for blowing cooling air at said air-cooled heat exchanger; and a waste-heat-recovery heat exchanger (10), provided upstream of the air-cooled heat exchanger, for recovering heat from the oil flowing through the abovementioned oil pipe. The speed of the cooling fan is controlled so as to bring the temperature of the compressed gas discharged from the compressor body to within a prescribed range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Takano, Hideharu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8444371
    Abstract: A seal system between a row of buckets supported on a machine rotor and a surrounding stationary casing or stator includes a tip shroud secured at radially outer tips of each of the buckets, the tip shroud formed with a radially-projecting rail. A cellular seal structure is supported in the stationary stator in radial opposition to the tip shroud and the rail. The seal structure has an annular array of individual cells formed to provide continuous, substantially horizontal flow passages devoid of any radial obstruction along substantially an entire axial length dimension of the cellular seal structure to prevent flow about the tip shroud from turning radially inwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshy John, Sanjeev Kumar Jain, Rajnikumar Nandalal Suthar