General Electric Company

William Carl Anderson

Michael J Epstein

Zhifeng Dong

Jesse Senyo

Gerald Roger Geverdt

Dewey D Dunkman

Vicky Showalter Budinger

Thomas Edward Agin

Edward I Stamm

Terry Lievestro

Caitlin Marie Ford

Michael William Murrish

Timothy McCann

Ronald D Stapperfenne

A turbofan engine includes an outer bypass duct and a gas turbine engine having an outer casing. The gas turbine engine is disposed in the outer bypass duct such that a bypass airflow passage is formed between the outer casing of the gas turbine engine and the outer bypass duct. The turbofan engine includes a turbine rear frame link assembly including a set of links coupled between the outer bypass duct and the outer casing to support the gas turbine engine relative to the outer bypass duct. The links are arranged around the gas turbine engine on a plane that is perpendicular to a centerline axis of the turbofan engine. None of the links extends through the bypass airflow passage at a position that intersects a radius extending in a vertically downward direction from the centerline axis.

Turbine rear frame link assemblies for turbofan engines

A fastener shield for use in a fluid flow path within a gas turbine engine for reducing fluid drag and heating generated by fluid flow over a plurality of circumferentially spaced fasteners. The fastener shield has a radially-extending, downstream-facing mounting flange with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolt holes positioned to receive respective engine mounting bolts therethrough and to attach the mounting flange to elements of the turbine engine. A curved, upstream-facing fastener shield cover is positioned in spaced-apart relation to the mounting flange for at least partially covering and separating an exposed, upstream-facing portion of the bolts from the fluid flow to thereby reduce drag and consequent heating of the bolts.

Aerodynamic fastener shield for turbomachine

A fastener shield for use in a fluid flow path within a gas turbine engine for reducing fluid drag and heating generated by fluid flow over a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts. The fastener shield has a radially-extending, downstream-facing mounting flange with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolt holes positioned to receive respective engine mounting bolts therethrough and to attach the mounting flange to elements of the turbine engine. A curved, upstream-facing fastener shield cover is positioned in spaced-apart relation to the mounting flange for at least partially covering and separating an exposed, upstream-facing portion of the bolts from the fluid flow to thereby reduce drag and consequent heating of the bolts. A plurality of closely spaced-apart, spirally-oriented channels are formed in the fastener shield cover for deflecting the fluid flow impinging on the fastener shield cover, thereby increasing the tangential velocity and lowering the relative temperature of the fluid flow.

Swirl-enhanced aerodynamic fastener shield for turbomachine

A connector that receives a threaded apparatus and reduces stresses induced from the treaded apparatus into the connector is described. The connector includes a top side, a bottom side, and an opening that extends therethrough. The opening is defined by an inner surface that includes a threadform including a plurality of threads. The threads extend radially outward from the inner surface into the connector opening and include a first thread portion and a cutback that extends through a portion of the threadform. The cutback facilitates less stresses being induced into the first thread portion.

Systems and methods for designing threads of turbine engine connectors

A drive head for a bolt, fastener, coupling, nut or other driveable head made from a less malleable metal such as a powder metal nickel alloy. The drive head has an upper drive portion having at least six convex corners spaced around the outer periphery thereof, each corner terminating in an edge. The drive head also has a lower flange portion adjacent to the drive portion and having an edge extending radially outwardly to at least the edge of each corner. The drive portion and the flange portion of the drive head is formed by subjecting a blank having a generally circular head to electrochemical machining (ECM). A tool is also provided for the ECM method to form the drive portion and flange portion of the drive head.

Drive head and ECM method and tool for making same

Method and apparatus for coupling male threads to female threads

A method for repositioning or repairing holes in metal substrates such as metal components used in jet engines and the like. The hole to be repositioned or repaired is enlarged and a recess is formed at each end of the enlarged hole. A deformable metal insert is then inserted within the enlarged hole and then subjected to physical forces so as to cause it to deform and frictionally engage the walls of the recesses and the enlarged hole so that the insert becomes axially fixed therein. A new, repositioned hole can then be formed in the fixed insert that extends completely therethrough.

Growing community of inventors

Springdale, OH, United States of America

William Carl Anderson