General Electric Patent Grants

Backwall strike braze repair

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11951557
A process of repairing a component includes identifying a void in a component; determining at least one approximate physical configuration of the void; inserting borescope into the component in order to view the void; providing a repair rod approximately equivalent to at least one of the least one approximate physical configuration of the void; inserting the repair rod into component; confirming insertion of the repair rod in the void; separating the repair rod to leave a repair plug in…

Engine control system

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11956063
Certain examples disclose and describe apparatus and methods to reprogram all electronic engine control system processors through a single external network interface to an aircraft data loader. In such examples, a main processor that interfaces to an aircraft communication network is to operate as both a data loader and a loadable device. Distributed electronic engine control processors are reprogrammable from a single network interface, rather than requiring separate, direct access to…

Circuit interruption device

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11955793
A circuit interruption device including first and second terminals for connection, to a respective electrical circuit or network, a current-conductive branch including first, second, and third current-conductive branch portions successively connected in series between the first and second terminals, the first current-conductive branch portion including a first switching element, the second current-conductive branch portion including a second switching element, the third…

Receiver unit of a wireless power transfer system

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11955274
A receiver unit of a wireless power transfer system is presented. The receiver unit includes a main receiver coil, a plurality of auxiliary receiver coils disposed about a central axis of the main receiver coil, and a receiver drive subunit. The receiver drive subunit includes a main converter operatively coupled to the main receiver coil and having a main output terminal. The receiver drive subunit may include a plurality of auxiliary converters operatively coupled to the plurality of…

Jet engine thermal transport bus pumps

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11952944
Jet engine thermal transport bus pumps are disclosed. Disclosed herein is an aircraft comprising a gas turbine engine configured to burn fuel at a fuel flow rate to generate an engine power (Pengine), the fuel characterized by a first specific heat capacity (cp_fuel) and a net heat of combustion (NHCfuel); and a thermal management system configured to transfer heat from a working fluid to the fuel, the working fluid characterized by a second specific heat capacity (cp_pump) and a first…

Turbine engine airfoil

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11952912
A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.

Machine foam cleaning system with integrated sensing

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11952906
A machine is cleaned by directing a foam detergent into the machine to remove contaminants from inside the machine. An effluent portion of the foam detergent exits from the machine with some of the contaminants. One or more of a turbidity, a salinity, an amount of total dissolved solids, or a concentration the contaminants in the effluent is measured. A cleaning time period during which the foam detergent is to be directed into the machine is determined based on the turbidity, the…

Additive manufacturing system

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11951679
An additive manufacturing apparatus can include a stage configured to hold a component formed by one or more layers of resin. A support plate can be positioned above the stage. A radiant energy device can be positioned above the stage. The radiant energy device can be operable to generate and project energy in a predetermined pattern. A feed module can be configured to operably couple with a first end portion of a resin support and can be positioned upstream of the stage. A take-up…

Systems, and methods for diagnosing an additive manufacturing device

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11951567
A system for diagnosing an additive manufacturing device is provided. The system includes one or more processors, one or more non-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing machine-readable instructions. The machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: determine parameters associated with at least one subsystem of the additive manufacturing device, the parameters being related to a build generated by…

Assignment of multiple print parameter sets in additive manufacturing

Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number: 11951566
A method, medium, and system to obtain an assignment of one of a plurality of different additive manufacturing (AM) print parameter sets to each of a plurality of 3D volume elements forming a representation of the model of the part; define a plurality of groupings based on margin parameter values associated with the model of the part; assign a print parameter set to each grouping; automatically assign each of the plurality of print parameter sets to a laser of a multi-laser AM device;…

Neuromodulation energy application techniques

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11944490
Techniques for accurate positioning of an energy application device for neuromodulation treatment protocols are provided. A neuromodulation positioning patch is applied to a patient's skin. The energy application device is coupled to a frame of the neuromodulation positioning patch to position a transducer of the energy application device within an opening at a treatment position within the opening. The frame is also coupled to a removable dock for an imaging probe. When the frame is…

Method and system for protecting a wireless power transfer system

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11949240
A wireless power transfer system is disclosed. The wireless power transfer system includes a first converting unit configured to convert a first DC voltage of an input power to a first AC voltage. Further, the wireless power transfer system includes a contactless power transfer unit configured to receive the input power having the first AC voltage from the first converting unit and transmit the input power. Also, the wireless power transfer system includes a second converting unit…

System for contactless displacement measurement of a blade root of a wind turbine

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946448
A system for measuring displacements of a blade root of a rotor blade of a wind turbine includes a hub, and a rotor blade coupled to the hub by a pitch bearing. The system further comprises a reference plane and at least one displacement sensor. The reference plane is configured to move with the rotor blade as the rotor blade moves relative to the hub while the displacement sensor is fixed to the hub and the displacement sensor is configured to detect a displacement of the reference…

Wind turbine blades, wind turbine blade assemblies and related methods

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946444
The present disclosure relates to wind turbine blades (22) configured to receive a peripheral device (250a, 250b, 250c) at a portion of the outer surface (211) of the blade (22), and wherein the wind turbine blade (22) is configured to magnetically couple to the peripheral device (250a, 250b, 250c). The present disclosure also relates to wind turbine blade assemblies (200) and methods (700) to provide the same.

Variable pitch fans for turbomachinery engines

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946437
A turbomachinery engine can include a fan assembly with a plurality of variable pitch fan blades. The fan blades are configured such that they define a first VPF parameter and a second VPF parameter. The first VPF parameter is within a range of 0.10 to 0.40 and is defined as the hub-to-tip radius ratio divided by the fan pressure ratio. The second VPF parameter is within a range of 1-30 lbf/in2 and is defined as the bearing spanwise force divided by the fan area. In certain examples, the…

Use of particulate sensor in engine power assurance

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946421
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…

Methods and apparatus to produce hydrogen gas turbine propulsion

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946419
Methods and apparatus to produce hydrogen gas turbine propulsion are disclosed. An example apparatus to produce propulsion in a gas turbine engine includes a fluid line to transport hydrogen from a hydrogen supply and an inert gas from an inert gas supply to a gas turbine combustor. The apparatus also includes at least one heat exchanger coupled to the fluid line to heat the inert gas and the hydrogen in the fluid line.

Multi-material additive manufacturing apparatus and method

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11945157
A method for producing a component layer-by-layer includes: providing two or more resin handling assemblies, each including a resin support which has at least a portion which is transparent, each resin support defining a build surface located in a build zone of the respective assembly; executing a build cycle, including: depositing on each build surface radiant-energy-curable resin, the resin on each build surface being a unique material combination; positioning a stage relative to one…

Composite forming system combining additive manufacturing and forging and methods for same

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11945047
The present invention relates to an additive manufacturing system and its methods. The system includes a material conveyor, an energy source, and a micro-forging device. The material conveyor is configured to convey material. The energy source is configured to direct an energy beam toward the material, the energy beam fuses at least a portion of the material to form a solidified portion. The micro-forging device is movable along with the material conveyor for forging the solidified…

Forging heads and fixing devices with aligned through-holes and cavities

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11945032
A forging head for additive manufacturing, comprising a base portion and a forging portion. The forging portion extends from the base portion for forging a cladding layer during formation of the cladding layer by additive manufacturing. The forging head further comprising a through hole which is formed through the base portion and the forging portion, for at least one of an energy bean and an additive material to pass through during formation of the cladding layer.