General Electric Company

Philip Michael Caruso

Kurt Kramer Schleif

Robert D Jones

Seung-Woo Choi

Jong Youn Pak

Ian David Wilson

Gene David Palmer

Matthew Ryan Ferslew

Andrew Clifford Hart

Fernando Jorge Casanova

Josef Scott Cummins

Gregory Quentin Brown

Francesco Soranna

Roger C Walker

Sacheverel Quentin Eldrid

Albert Myers

Martin C Hemsworth

Diether E Carreno

Dwight Eric Davidson

Alan Richard DeMania

William Andrew Parker

Sivaraman Vedhagiri

Yang Liu

Robert Craig Akin

Lisa Shirley Rathbun

Azad A Ladhani

A turbine is provided and includes a rotor, which is rotatable about a centerline thereof, a sensor to measure a condition at a point of measurement interest defined on the rotor at a radial distance from the centerline, a communication system by which condition measurements are transmittable from the sensor to a non-rotating recording system and a probe holder to secure the sensor and a portion of the communication system on the rotor proximate to the point of measurement interest.

Sensor packaging for turbine engine

A sensor is provided and includes a body disposed at a point of measurement interest on a rotor at a radial distance from a centerline thereof and having a substantially cylindrical shape and first and second opposing ends and a sensing end coupled to one of the first and second opposing ends, the other of the first and second opposing ends being coupled to a communication system, the sensing end including a sensing device configured to generate a signal reflective of a detected condition at the point of measurement interest, and at least one of the first and the second opposing ends being formed to define a shoulder portion for absorbing gravitational loading.

Sensor with G-load absorbing shoulder

A communication system is provided and includes a sensor to measure a condition at a point of measurement interest defined on a rotor of a turbine at a radial distance from a centerline about which the rotor is rotatable, wiring disposed on the rotor at a radial distance from the centerline, the wiring including a first wiring section coupled to the sensor, a second wiring section and a first connection by which the first and second wiring sections are connectable, a second connection by which the second wiring section transmits a signal reflective of the detected condition to a non-rotating recording element and a temperature compensation module disposed on the second wiring section to adjust the signal.

Communication system for turbine engine

A gas turbine engine is provided comprising a compressor with an insulated cooling circuit. The compressor comprises a compressor casing having a compression chamber and at least one stator and at least one rotor disposed in the compression chamber, the at least one stator comprising a stator body having a plurality of tubes for transporting cooling air through passages in the stator body into the compression chamber. The plurality of tubes are surrounded by an air gap for insulating the tubes from the stator body.

Gas turbine engine with insulated cooling circuit

In a turbine having closed-circuit steam-cooling passages about the rim of the rotor during steady-state operation, compressor discharge air is supplied to the rotor bore for passage radially outwardly into the wheel space cavities between the wheels and spacers. Communicating slots and channels in the spacers and wheels at circumferentially spaced positions enable egress of the compressor discharge air into the hot gas flow path. At turbine startup, cooling air flows through the closed-circuit steam passages to cool the outer rim of the rotor while compressor discharge air pre-warms the wheels and spacers. At steady-state, cooling steam is supplied in the closed-circuit steam-cooling passages and compressor discharge air is supplied through the bore and into the wheel space cavities to cool the rotor.

Rotor bore and turbine rotor wheel/spacer heat exchange flow circuit

A rotor cooling circuit includes a cooling medium supply reservoir for supplying cooling medium to a plurality of axial passages through the turbine wheel and spacer disc rims. A passageway communicates cooling medium from the reservoir for flow in series and in a serpentine manner in and about the cavities between the wheels and discs. The flows are reunited at a plenum for flowing the cooling medium into first and second stage buckets. Return passages through the rims of the wheels and spacer discs return spent cooling medium from the buckets to a return location external of the rotor. Transition elements between the buckets and spacer plates in the rotor rim accommodate any thermal mismatch between the adjoining buckets and spacer plates to prevent cooling medium leakage at the joints.

Closed or open circuit cooling of turbine rotor components

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Philip Michael Caruso