General Electric Company

James R Noel

Mehmet Muhittin Dede

Corey Bourassa

Byron Andrew Pritchard

Erich Alois Krammer

Satoshi Atsuchi

John David Weickert

Gregory Griffin

Jacques Paul

Charles Rickards

Brian Lewis Devendorf

Andrew Scott Kessie

Robert John Parks

Joshua Daniel Brown

Charles William Dowdell

Thomas Donald Martyn

Michael Robert Bonacum

Courtney Ann Renninger

Philip T Smith

Lauren M Kelly

Philip Smith

A turbine engine that includes a compressor section configured to receive particle-laden fluid and to at least partially compress the particle-laden fluid, and a primary fluid passageway fluidly coupled with the compressor section and including opposing first and second walls where the primary fluid passageway receives the particle-laden fluid that is compressed by the compressor section. One or more bleed holes in the first wall or the second wall fluidly couple the primary fluid passageway with an auxiliary flow passageway. At least one separator body is disposed in and extends along the primary fluid passageway. A support device couples to a portion of the at least one separator body.

Particle separators for turbomachines and method of operating the same

Provided is a tangible computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor of an aircraft, causes the hardware processor to execute a method. The method includes receiving, from an engine particulate sensor of the aircraft, a measure of particulate matter in a gas path of the engine during flight of the aircraft. The method also includes presenting to a pilot of the aircraft, a visualization of the particulate matter measure, wherein the visualization supports a navigation of the aircraft responsive to the presence of the particulate matter.

Systems and methods for providing information regarding particulate matter within an aircraft engine

A system includes one or more debris sensors or particulate sensors are used to sense engine inlet debris or particulate matter which are drawn into the engine during flight, in real-time. The system employs that information, in conjunction with other engine health and module health techniques, to identify which gas-path modules of the aircraft engine may require maintenance or repair. In one embodiment, existing engine health technique may be based on various engine operational parameters for a new engine or an average engine.

Use of particulate sensor in engine power assurance

A particle separator includes a separator body in a primary fluid passageway of a machine. The primary fluid passageway includes one or more bleed holes through which a diverted portion of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid passageway toward a volume of the machine is diverted into an auxiliary flow passageway that bypasses the volume and directs the diverted portion of the fluid toward one or more other components of the machine. The separator body is coupled with the inner wall and/or outer wall of the primary fluid passageway. The separator body includes an upstream edge positioned to separate at least some particles carried by the fluid from the fluid as the diverted portion of the fluid bends around and flows over the at least one upstream edge of the separator body and into the auxiliary flow passageway.

A particle separator system for a turbine engine having an engine inlet. The particle separator system includes an inlet particle separator located within the engine inlet and configured to remove particles from an incoming airflow. The particle separator system also includes a barrier filter located within an enclosure of the turbine engine downstream of the inlet particle separator, the barrier filter being configured to intercept particles not scavenged by the inlet particle separator.

Multi-stage inlet particle separator for rotary engines

An engine or engine casing having an inner annular case and an outer annular case. The engine casing is formed using an additive manufacturing technique such that the inner annular case and outer annular case is formed surrounding a hollow inner annular cavity. The annular cavity includes a pin bank connecting the inner annular case and outer annular case. The pin bank improves heat transfer between the inner and outer annular case and provide structural support to the inner and outer annular case. By providing fluid flow through the annular cavity, the turbine casing can be cooled and the radius of the casing can be controlled through the regulation of fluid travelling within the annular cavity. By controlling the fluid flow though the annular cavity, the engine case may be cooled to regulate its temperature in a wide variety of operating conditions. Further, the regulation of fluid in the annular cavity allows for active clearance control of the spacing between the turbine blades or vanes and seals used in the turbine.

Additive manufactured case with internal passages for active clearance control

The present disclosure is directed to an integrated electrostatic sensor for an engine. The sensor includes an outer housing having a body with a first end and a second end. The first end is configured for securing the sensor to the engine and includes a sensing face. The sensor also includes an electrode configured within the housing adjacent to the sensing face and an amplifier configured with the electrode. The electrode contains a plurality of electrons configured to move as charged particles flow past the sensing face. Thus, the amplifier is configured to detect a particulate level as a function of the electron movement. The electrostatic sensor also includes a circuit board configured within the housing and electrically coupled to the amplifier. As such, the circuit board is configured to send one or more signals to a controller of the engine indicative of the particulate level.

Electrostatic dust and debris sensor for an engine

The present disclosure is directed to an integrated multi-chip module (MCM) sensor assembly having at least one electrostatic sensor and a circuit board. The electrostatic sensor includes an outer housing with an electrode and an amplifier configured therein. The electrode includes a first end and a second end separated by a predetermined length. The second end includes a sensing face that is substantially flush with an edge of the outer housing. Further, the electrode contains a plurality of electrons configured to respond to one or more charged particles that flow past the sensing face by moving either towards or away from the second end. Thus, the amplifier is electrically coupled to the electrode so as to detect a particle level flowing past the sensing face as a function of the electron movement. Moreover, the circuit board is configured within the outer housing and is electrically coupled to the sensor.

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Beverly, MA, United States of America

James R Noel