General Electric Company

General Electric Corporation Gmbh

James Michael Caldwell

Edward John Emilianowicz

Narendra Digamber Joshi

Gilbert Farmer

Paul R Angel

Anthony John Dean

Paul V Heberling

David Bruce Patterson

James W Caddell, Jr

Steven Allen Stiverson

Gary Loveless

David Edwin Budinger

Raymond William Heidorn

Glenn Herbert Nichols

Jeffrey Michael Martini

Brian Alan Norton

Thomas John Tomlinson

Robert George Zimmerman, Jr

Steven George Goebel

Richard Edwin Warren, Jr

Matthew Nicklus Miller

James Walter Caddell

Steven Marakovits

Joel H Cohen

Michael Glenn Gordon

Karl S Fessenden

Kenneth Morand Lieland

Jerald M Kauffman

Xuenan Wang

Kelley A Foresman

Jr Zimmerman

Gilbert (nmn) Farmer

A method for repairing a damaged portion of a combustor inner liner assembly. The method includes removing the combustor from a gas turbine engine. After inspecting the combustor to determine whether cracks exists in portions of the inner liner assembly, the method includes removing a cracked inner liner assembly from the combustor. Then the portion of the inner liner assembly, comprising a multi-hole panel region, an aft lip region, an aft seal flange region and an aft panel support leg are separated from the inner liner assembly. The multi-hole panel region and aft lip, where fatigue damage typically exists, along with the aft seal flange region, are discarded and a new aft lip region/aft seal flange region and multi-hole panel region are provided. The new parts are joined to the aft panel support leg and the inner liner assembly aft of forward bolt flange region after these parts are refurbished. The inner liner assembly is then reattached to the combustor and reassembled into the engine.

Method for repair and replacement of combustor liner panel

A method for adjusting the airflow in a turbine component having a plurality of airflow holes. The method comprises the step of depositing an overlay metallic coating on the surface of the turbine component in a manner such that at least some of the airflow holes are partially filled such that the volume of the partially filled airflow holes is changed so as to adjust the airflow through the turbine component. Also provided is a turbine component having a plurality of airflow holes, at least some of the airflow holes being partially filled with the overlay metallic coating to change the volume thereof so as to adjust the airflow through the turbine component.

Adjusting airflow in turbine component by depositing overlay metallic coating

A method for repairing a stationary turbine nozzle segment having at least one vane disposed between outer and inner structural bands includes providing an engine-run turbine nozzle segment having at least one vane disposed between outer and inner bands, wherein the outer band and the vanes are previously replaced components of the segment and the inner band is an original component of the segment; separating the inner band from the nozzle segment; repairing damage in the outer band and/or the vane; and joining the outer band and the vane to a newly manufactured replacement inner band segment. The replacement inner band segment includes: a structural inner band; and an integral structural collar adapted to receive an inner end of the at least one vane.

Turbine nozzle segment and method of repairing same

A method for repairing a turbine nozzle segment having at least two vanes disposed between outer and inner bands includes the steps of separating the nozzle segment into a first singlet containing a repairable vane and a second singlet containing a non-repairable vane, and joining the first singlet to a newly manufactured singlet having a configuration that is similar to the second singlet.

A method enables a portion of combustor dome assembly to be replaced. The dome assembly includes at least one dome cup including at least one swirl cup including a joint that defines a slot therein, and a deflector plate assembly that is coupled to, and extends downstream from, the swirl cup, such that a portion of the deflector plate assembly is securely fixed within the joint slot. The method comprises cutting through an interface formed between the deflector plate assembly and the joint slot, extending the cut substantially between the deflector assembly and the joint slot through the at least one dome cup, removing the deflector plate assembly from the combustor dome assembly, and coupling a replacement deflector plate assembly within the combustor dome assembly that extends aft from the portion of the combustor dome assembly that is upstream from the cut.

Methods for replacing a portion of a combustor dome assembly

A replacement method facilitates replacing of a portion of a combustor liner within a gas turbine engine combustor in a cost-effective and reliable manner. The combustor includes a combustion zone that is defined by an inner and an outer liner. The inner and outer liners each include a series of panels and a plurality of nuggets formed by adjacent panels. The method includes the steps of cutting between an outer surface and an inner surface of at least one liner panel, removing at least one panel that is adjacent the area of the liner that was cut, and installing a replacement panel into the combustor for each panel that was removed from the combustor.

Methods for replacing combustor liner panels

A braze material and method for repairing an article, such as a gas turbine engine combustor liner formed from a nickel-base or cobalt-base superalloy. The braze material is composed of a nickel-base braze alloy that is preferably in powder form and may be dispersed in a suitable vehicle to yield a slurry, putty or solid tape. The braze alloy is formulated to be capable of withstanding the high temperature operating environment of a combustor liner, and to have a melting temperature below the grain growth or incipient melting temperature of the superalloy to be repaired. A preferred braze alloy is formed by combining at least two nickel-base powders. A suitable composition for the braze alloy is, in weight percent, about 10 to about 19 chromium, about 3 to about 10.5 cobalt, about 1.75 to about 4.9 titanium, about 0.75 to about 3.4 aluminum, about 1.25 to about 4.1 tungsten, about 1.25 to about 4.1 molybdenum, about 0.025 to about 0.225 carbon, about 0.005 to about 0.15 zirconium, about 0.50 to about 2.6 boron, up to 1.5 iron, with the balance being nickel and incidental impurities.

Nickel-base braze material and braze repair method

A cowl for directing flow of air entering an annular combustor assembly of a gas turbine engine and which is removable from the combustor without disassembling the combustor. The cowl is annular in shape and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced fastener holes for receiving fasteners which commonly connect and align the cowl, an annular dome, and a liner. At least one notch is in the cowl, each notch being sized sufficiently larger than a corresponding fastener to permit the cowl to be moved to or removed from an operative position while the corresponding fastener remains in position for connecting the dome and liner to one another.

Removable cowl for gas turbine combustor

A method for repairing a turbine nozzle segment having at least one vane disposed between outer and inner bands includes separating the inner band from the nozzle segment, and joining the inner band to a newly manufactured replacement casting having an outer band and at least one vane. The replacement casting includes a mounting platform formed on one end of the vane and a boss formed on the mounting platform. A collar is joined to the inner band and has a slot formed therein. The boss is then inserted into the slot, and the mounting platform is received in a recess formed in the inner band. Joining is completed by joining the boss to the collar and the mounting platform to the inner band.

A method of adjusting airflow through a plurality of cooling holes by depositing a thermal barrier coating on an exterior surface and/or an interior surface of the component by a physical vapor deposition process. The cooling holes are not masked. Thus, a portion of the thermal barrier coating partially obstructs airflow through the cooling holes and reduces airflow through the cooling holes. A predetermined pressure drop is developed across the cooling holes and airflow through the cooling holes is measured. The measured airflow is compared to a preselected range of desired cooling hole airflows and the steps of depositing the thermal barrier coating, developing the predetermined pressure drop, calculating airflow and comparing the measured airflow to the preselected range are repeated until the measured airflow is within the preselected range of desired cooling hole airflows.

Method of adjusting gas turbine component cooling air flow

A method of repairing an annular transpiration cooled liner for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. An annular portion of the liner including a damaged region is removed from between an upstream section and a downstream section of the liner. Sheet metal is formed into an annular replacement section having at least one axial seam extending between an upstream end and a downstream end of the replacement section. The replacement section is sized and shaped similarly to the removed annular portion of the liner. The upstream end of the formed annular section is joined to the upstream section of the liner and the downstream end of the formed annular section is joined to the downstream section of the liner.

Method of repairing combustion chamber liners

An apparatus for premixing fuel and air prior to combustion in a gas turbine engine, including: a linear mixing duct having a circular cross-section defined by a wall; a centerbody located along a central axis of the mixing duct and extending substantially the full length of the mixing duct, the centerbody having a plurality of orifices therein to inject fuel into the mixing duct with an axial velocity component; a fuel supply in flow communication with the centerbody orifices; an outer annular swirler located adjacent an upstream end of the mixing duct and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes oriented so as to swirl air flowing therethrough in a first direction; an inner annular swirler located adjacent the mixing duct upstream end and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes, the vanes having an outer radial portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge oriented so as to swirl air flowing therethrough in a second direction opposite the first swirl direction by the outer annular swirler vanes and an inner radial portion with a leading edge and a trailing edge oriented so as to provide a boundary layer of air substantially along the centerbody; and, a hub separating the inner and outer annular swirlers to permit independent rotation of an air stream therethrough. The outer annular swirler may also include vanes having an inner radial portion with a leading edge and a trailing edge oriented so as to swirl the air flow therethrough and an outer radial portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge oriented so as to provide a boundary layer of air substantially along the mixing duct wall. High pressure air is injected from a compressor into the mixing duct through the inner and outer annular swirlers and fuel is injected into the mixing duct so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein, whereby minimal formation of pollutants is produced when the fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of the mixing duct into a combustor and ignited.

Air fuel mixer for gas turbine combustor

An air fuel mixer is disclosed having a mixing duct, a shroud surrounding the upstream end of the mixing duct in which a fuel manifold is provided in flow communication with a fuel supply and control means, a set of inner and outer counter-rotating swirlers adjacent the upstream end of the mixing duct for imparting swirl to an air stream, a hub separating the inner and outer annular swirlers to allow independent rotation of the air stream, and a centerbody located axially along and substantially the full length of the mixing duct. In order to inject one type of fuel into the mixing duct, fuel is supplied to the outer annular swirlers which include hollow vanes with internal cavities, wherein the internal cavities of the outer swirler vanes are in fluid communication with the fuel manifold in the shroud. The outer swirler vanes further include a plurality of fuel passages therethrough in flow communication with the internal cavities. A second fuel can be injected into the mixing duct by means of a plurality of orifices in the centerbody wall which are in flow communication with a fuel supply and control means. In this way, high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and fuel is injected into the mixing duct from the outer swirler vane passages and/or the centerbody orifices so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of poullutants when a fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of the mixing duct into the combustor and ignited.

Dual fuel mixer for gas turbine combustor

An air fuel mixer is disclosed having a mixing duct, a shroud surrounding the upstream end of the mixing duct in which a fuel manifold is provided in flow communication with a fuel supply and control means, a set of inner and outer counter-rotating swirlers adjacent the upstream end of the mixing duct for imparting swirl to an air stream, a hub separating the inner and outer annular swirlers to allow independent rotation of the air stream, and a centerbody located axially along and substantially the full length of the mixing duct. In order to inject one type of fuel into the mixing duct, fuel is supplied to the outer annular swirlers which include hollow vanes with internal cavities, wherein the internal cavities of the outer swirler vanes are in fluid communication with the fuel manifold in the shroud. The outer swirler vanes further include a plurality of fuel passages therethrough in flow communication with the internal cavities. A second fuel can be injected into the mixing duct by means of a plurality of orifices in the centerbody wall which are in flow communication with a fuel supply and control means. In this way, high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and fuel is injected into the mixing duct from the outer swirler vane passages and/or the centerbody orifices so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of pollutants when a fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of the mixing duct into the combustor and ignited.

Growing community of inventors

Alexandria, KY, United States of America

James Michael Caldwell