General Electric Company

Daniel Drew Smith

Naleen Kumar Verma

Dharmaraj Pachaiappan

Sudeep Pradhan Sadananda Rao

Ronald Bruce Schofield

Arun Ramachandra

Mario Alberto Bolaños Jimenez

Shivakumar Basavanna

Benjamin James Schumacher

Stephen G Matava

Joseph John Bischof

Omkar Topkar

Apolinario Barra

Brian Frederick Boon

A tube assembly includes a first tube, a second tube, and a tube coupling. The tube coupling is for coupling the first tube to the second tube. The tube coupling may include protrusions, indentations, compressive rings, compressive bands, and/or connection members. The protrusions and/or indentions may be located on the first tube, the second tube, the compressive band, and/or the connection member. The compressive ring and/or compressive band is placed on an outer surface of the first tube and/or the second tube. The compressive ring provides an elastic compressive force to the first tube and/or the second tube such that the protrusion is secured within the indentation. The tube coupling provides a weld-free connection between the first tube and the second tube.

Tube assembly

A tube coupling for coupling a first tube and a second tube. The tube coupling includes an inner shroud including a ball portion and an outer shroud including a socket portion. The socket portion receives the ball portion. The tube coupling includes a compressive ring configured to elastically compress the outer shroud onto the inner shroud. The ball portion and the socket portion form a ball and socket joint. The ball and socket joint allows relative angular movement and relative axial movement between the inner shroud and the outer shroud.

Tube coupling

A feed-through assembly for a bulkhead for moving and static engine components. The feed-through assembly can be configured to include flexible convolutions that allow for movement and sealing of the engine component relative to the bulkhead. In one aspect, a flexible convoluted spherical element can be provided in the feed-through assembly. In another aspect, a flexible convoluted bellow element can be provided in the feed-through assembly. These flexible convoluted elements can have multiple convolution sections including convolution sections with varying stiffness. The convolution sections can be configured to allow movement of the shaft relative to the bulkhead, including, transverse deflection and tilt.

Feed-through assembly

A gas turbine engine including a wall assembly, a seal assembly, and a member extended through the wall assembly is provided. The wall assembly defines an opening through which the member is extended, and the wall assembly defines a first side and a second side opposite of the first side along a direction of extension of the member through the wall assembly. The seal assembly includes a retaining portion extended at least partially co-directional to the member. The retaining portion is configured to couple around the member and extend through the opening. The seal assembly further includes a locking portion configured to sealingly attach to the wall assembly and the retaining portion at an interface between the locking portion and the retaining portion.

Seal assembly

In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure a fluid coupling assembly defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction is provided. The fluid coupling assembly includes a male coupling including a first MC attachment interface, a second MC attachment interface, and an outer surface extending along the circumferential direction; a ferrule coupling including an FC attachment interface pressed against the first MC attachment interface, a lip extending along the radial direction, and an outer surface extending along the circumferential direction to define a circular shape; and a nut coupling including an NC attachment interface rotatably engaged with the second MC attachment interface, a flange extending along the radial direction and pressed against the lip of the ferrule coupling, and an inner surface extending along the circumferential direction to define a circular shape; wherein the outer surface of the male coupling, the outer surface of the ferrule, or the inner surface of the nut coupling includes a plurality of non-resilient protrusions spaced along the circumferential direction for contacting an opposing surface and increasing a loosening resistance of the fluid coupling assembly.

Self-locking fluid coupling assembly

A seal assembly for a propulsion system couples a plurality of manifolds of a manifold assembly of the propulsion system generally in fluid communication. Each of the manifolds defines a first end and a second end. The seal assembly includes a coupling member attaching the first end and the second end of the manifold assembly together in fluid communication; one or more seals disposed between the coupling member and at least one of the first end and the second end of the manifold; and a retainer adjacent to the coupling member and the seal. The retainer defines a radial wall and an axial wall, in which the radial wall is extended generally from one or more of the first end and the second end of the manifold alongside the coupling member and the seal, and the axial wall is extended generally from the radial wall alongside the coupling member and the seal.

Cooling and insulating manifold seal assembly for a propulsion system

Apparatus comprising a signal tube extending from an engine component on a hot side of a firewall in a gas turbine engine to an engine control mechanism disposed on a cool side of the firewall. The apparatus includes a fuse in the portion of the signal tube extending through the hot side. An exemplary fuse includes a temperature-sensitive inner member that is deformable upon exposure to temperatures greater than a predetermined temperature. The fuse is operative responsive to a breach in the signal tube to change from a first condition to a second condition to prevent an over-temperature situation on the cool side of the firewall. An outer member substantially enclosing the inner member provides information about the condition of the fuse. A system utilizing the fuse includes a gas turbine engine having a firewall separating a hot side from a cool side, an engine control mechanism disposed on the cool side, and a signal tube extending from a component on the hot side to the engine control mechanism. The engine control mechanism operates the engine with a first operating logic utilizing a pressure signal related to a static pressure of a fluid in the signal tube. Loss of the pressure signal causes the engine control mechanism to change to a second operating logic which does not utilize the pressure signal.

Apparatus and system having an over temperature fuse in a signal tube for a gas turbine engine

Method comprising providing a signal tube extending generally from an engine component disposed on a hot side of a firewall in a gas turbine engine to at least one engine control mechanism disposed on a cool side of the firewall. A fuse in the signal tube is operable responsive to a breach in the signal tube to change from a first condition to a second condition to prevent an over-temperature situation on the cool side of the firewall. The engine control mechanism operates the engine according to a first operating logic utilizing a pressure signal related to a static pressure of a fluid in the signal tube. Loss of the pressure signal causes the engine control mechanism to change to a second operating logic which does not utilize the pressure signal.

Method for preventing an over temperature condition in a gas turbine engine

A two-piece clamping arrangement for engaging and holding an elongated element, such as a tubular conduit for fluids, or the like. An upper and a lower clamp member are provided to engage oppositely-facing surfaces of the elongated element. One of the upper or lower clamp members includes at least one longitudinally-arranged alignment surface to assure proper alignment of the clamp members when the clamp is assembled about the elongated element. The alignment surface also serves to stiffen the clamp member against bending and thereby serves to increase the holding force of the clamp assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Mason, OH, United States of America

Daniel Drew Smith