General Electric Company

Tyler Frederick Hooper

Ravindra Shankar Ganiger

Robert Francis Manning

Jason David Shapiro

Kudum Shinde

Prateek Jalan

Daniel Edward Demers

Milind Chandrakant Dhabade

Bhanu Mahasamudram Reddy

Taehong Kim

Gaoqiu Zhu

Victor Hugo Silva Correia

Richard William Albrecht, Jr

Jonathan David Baldiga

Kevin Richard Graziano

Mark Broomer

Timothy Leo Schelfaut

Robert Patrick Tameo

Brendon Matthew Leeker

David Allen Flodman

Robert Alexander Nicoll

Jason Francis Pepi

Wilhelm Ramon Hernandez

Mark Douglas Gledhill

Brian Edward Dix

Michael Elia Hayek

Megan Lynn Williams

Massimo Rufo

Timothy M Kasberg

Douglas Patrick Probasco

Troy Todd Dennis

Jason Michael Ulberg

A turbomachine including a turbine rotor, a compressor rotor, and a shaft, and at least one balance weight assembly connected to the shaft. The shaft drivingly connects the turbine rotor with the compressor rotor to rotate the compressor rotor about a rotational axis when the turbine rotor rotates about the rotational axis. The at least one balance weight assembly including a first chamber, at least one additional chamber, and a balance weight movable between the first chamber and the at least one additional chamber.

Shaft for a turbomachine

Certain examples disclose and describe apparatus and methods to provide fast response active clearance system with piezoelectric actuator in axial, axial/radial combined, and circumferential directions. In some examples, an apparatus includes an actuator to control clearance between a blade and at least one of a shroud or a hanger, the actuator including a multilayer stack of material, and wherein the actuator is outside a case. The apparatus further includes a rod coupled to the actuator and the at least one of the shroud or the hanger through an opening in the case, the rod to move the at least one of the shroud or the hanger in a radial direction based on axial movement of the multilayer stack of material.

Fast response active clearance systems with piezoelectric actuator in axial, axial/radial combined, and circumferential directions

A hybrid-electric gas turbine engine and method of operating includes independently controlling a first electric machine providing torque to a first shaft to maintain a desired clearance between a first set of blades rotatably coupled to the first shaft, and a casing.

Hybrid-electric gas turbine engine and method of operating

A shroud assembly including a shroud support and an annular shroud is provided. The shroud assembly includes one or more pins for securing the annular shroud to the shroud support. The pins having a block capable of translating radially to allowing the shroud to expand and contract in the radial direction. A gas turbine engine having a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section and a shroud assembly is also provided. The shroud assembly includes one or more pins for securing the continuous shroud to the shroud support. The pins having a block capable of translating radially to allowing the shroud to expand and contract in the radial direction. Methods for assembling a shroud assembly structure in a gas turbine engine are also provided.

Annular shroud assembly

In one aspect, a sealing assembly for a turbine of a gas turbine engine includes a first turbine component having a first surface and a second surface positioned aft of the first surface. The first turbine component, in turn, defines a slot positioned between the first surface and the second surface. Furthermore, the sealing assembly includes a second turbine component positioned aft of the first turbine component such that the first component and the second component define a gap therebetween. Additionally, the sealing assembly includes a seal configured to seal the gap defined between the first turbine component and the second turbine component. The seal includes a first portion positioned within the slot such that the first portion exerts a sealing force on the second surface of the first component. Moreover, the seal further includes a second portion that exerts a sealing force on the second component.

Turbine snap in spring seal

An apparatus and method of cooling a hot portion of a gas turbine engine, such as a rotor disk, by having a vane assembly with a cooling air passage and a flow control insert located within the cooling air passage defining a conduit. A turning nozzle is mounted to the vane and has a turning passage with an inlet and an outlet, the turning nozzle is fluidly coupled to the flow control insert outlet.

Gas turbine engine with a vane having a cooling air turning nozzle

A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes: (a) spaced-apart arcuate inner and outer bands; (b) a hollow, airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending between the inner and outer bands, the interior of the vane defining at least a forward cavity and a mid-cavity positioned aft of the forward cavity; (c) a hollow impingement insert received inside the mid-cavity, the impingement insert having walls which are pierced with at least one impingement cooling hole; (d) a passage in the turbine vane at a radially outer end of the forward cavity adapted to be coupled to a source of cooling air; and (e) a passage in the inner band in fluid communication with a radially inner end of the forward cavity and a radially inner end of the impingement insert.

Hybrid impingement cooled airfoil

Methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine rotor blades is provided. The blade includes an airfoil having an internal three pass serpentine cooling circuit having radially extending first, second, and third serpentine cooling cavities partially separated by, in axially aft succession, a first radially extending internal rib and a second radially extending internal rib. The serpentine cooling circuit includes a first inlet in flow communication with the first cavity and a second inlet in flow communication with at least one of the second and third cavities wherein the first and second inlets are formed during casting of the airfoil.

Method and apparatus for cooling gas turbine rotor blades

Methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine rotor blades is provided. The rotor blades include an airfoil having a pressure sidewall and a second suction sidewall connected together at a leading edge and a trailing edge, such that an internal three pass serpentine cooling circuit is formed therebetween. The cooling circuit includes radially extending first, second, and third serpentine cooling cavities partially separated by, in axially aft succession, a first radially extending internal rib and a second internal rib. The second rib includes a radially inner first portion and a radially outer portion wherein the radially outer portion is angled obliquely with respect to the first portion.

A method for assembling a gas turbine engine includes coupling a rotor assembly including a plurality of rotor blades about a rotatable main shaft of the gas turbine engine. The main shaft is aligned in an axial direction of the gas turbine engine. A shroud assembly is coupled to the gas turbine engine. The shroud assembly includes a plurality of shroud segments circumferentially coupled about the rotor assembly such that a shroud spacing gap is formed in the axial direction between adjacent shroud segments. A cooling fluid source is coupled to each shroud segment such that cooling fluid is channeled through each shroud segment into a corresponding shroud spacing gap to facilitate positive purge flow through the shroud spacing gap.

Turbine shroud assembly and method for assembling a gas turbine engine

Bolt hole stress in rotor disks having bolted joints is reduced by passing relatively hot secondary flow path air (such as compressor discharge air) through each bolt hole to heat the disk from inside the bolt hole. In doing so, the temperature distribution in the area of the bolt hole is made more uniform and the stress is dramatically reduced. The bolted joint includes a bolt hole formed in a first rotor disk and a bolt disposed in the bolt hole such that a channel is defined between the bolt and the bolt hole. A first nut or abutment is attached to a first end of the bolt, and a second nut or abutment is attached to a second end of the bolt. A first passage associated with the first abutment provides fluid communication with the channel, and a second passage associated with the second abutment provides fluid communication with the channel, thereby allowing the relatively hot fluid to pass through the channel during engine operation.

Growing community of inventors

Amesbury, MA, United States of America

Tyler Frederick Hooper