General Electric Patent Grants

Transient control of a thermal transport bus

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946378
A method of transient control of a thermal transport bus of a turbomachine includes measuring a measured temperature and a measured pressure of a working fluid; determining a selected run state of a turbomachine, wherein the selected run state is one of a plurality of run states; selecting a desired operating condition comprising a desired temperature range and a desired pressure range as a function of a desired state of the working fluid; comparing the measured temperature with the…

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…

Intellectual property exchange ecosystem for additive manufacturing

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11948215
According to some embodiments, a system may include an additive manufacturing platform that provides additive manufacturing capability data. A customer platform, associated with a customer, may transmit an industrial asset item request for an industrial asset item. A digital transaction engine may receive the additive manufacturing capability data and the industrial asset item request. The digital transaction engine may then associate the industrial asset item request with an industrial…

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.

Waste heat recovery system

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946415
A gas turbine engine having a waste heat recovery system is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath, the exhaust section including a primary exhaust flowpath and a waste heat recovery flowpath parallel to the primary exhaust flowpath; and the waste heat recovery system includes a heat source exchanger positioned in thermal communication…

Turbine engine with composite airfoil having a non-metallic leading edge protective wrap

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946391
A composite airfoil having a non-metallic leading edge protective wrap is provided. In one aspect, the airfoil has a composite core having a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall each extending between a core leading edge and a core trailing edge. A leading edge protective wrap protects the core leading edge and includes a trailing wrap and a leading wrap. The trailing wrap wraps around the core leading edge and is connected to the composite core. The leading wrap wraps around the…

Coating systems including infiltration coatings and reactive phase spray formulation coatings

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11946146
A coating system configured to be applied to a thermal barrier coating of an article includes an infiltration coating configured to be applied to the thermal barrier coating. The infiltration coating infiltrates at least some pores of the thermal barrier coating. The infiltration coating decomposes within the at least some pores of the thermal barrier coating to coat a portion of the at least some pores of the thermal barrier coating. The infiltration coating reduces a porosity of the…

Fuel delivery system having a fuel oxygen reduction unit

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11945600
A fuel system is provided for an aircraft having a fuel source. The fuel system includes a fuel oxygen reduction unit defining a liquid fuel supply path, a stripping gas supply path, a liquid fuel outlet path, and a stripping gas return path, wherein the stripping gas return path is in airflow communication with the fuel source.

Hybrid electric aircraft with gyroscopic stabilization control

Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number: 11945573
A hybrid electric aircraft equipped with gyroscopic stabilization control is provided. In one aspect, a hybrid electric aircraft includes a turbo-generator having a gas turbine engine and an electric generator operatively coupled thereto for generating electrical power. The turbo-generator defines a rotation axis. The aircraft also includes one or more electrically-driven propulsors for producing thrust for the aircraft. In addition, the aircraft includes a pivot mount operatively…

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…

Neuromodulation techniques

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11938348
The subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to techniques for neuromodulation of a tissue (e.g., an organ) that include applying energy (e.g., ultrasound energy) into the tissue to cause altered activity at a synapse between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell. In one embodiment, the energy is applied to cause competing or opposing effects for bi-directional control of physiological processes.

Combustor with baffle

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11940151
A turbine engine and associated methods for a combustor as shown and described. The turbine engine including a combustor with a combustor liner having dilution openings and a geometry that changes along an axial direction. The combustor further having a baffle surrounding a combustor liner defining a combustion chamber of the combustor. A method for controlling nitrogen oxides within the combustor, including injecting compressed air into the annular combustion chamber through any of the…

Airfoil assembly with flow surface

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11939880
A turbine engine stage includes a plurality of airfoils extending between an inner band and an outer band. Each airfoil in the plurality of airfoils can have an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side, with the outer wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. An intervening flow passage is defined between two adjacent airfoils in the plurality of airfoils.

Selective oxide-forming alloy, coating formed from and machine component including same

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11939648
A selective oxide-forming alloy, a coating formed from, and a machine component including the coating are provided. The selective oxide-forming alloy includes between atomic percent and 26 atomic percent silicon (Si), between 21 atomic percent and 27 atomic percent titanium (Ti), between 30 atomic percent and 39 atomic percent aluminum (Al), between 2 atomic percent and 10 atomic percent hafnium (Hf), and a balance of niobium (Nb).

Engine-mounting links that have an adjustable inclination angle

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11939070
Engine-mounting linkage systems may include a plurality of engine mounting links configured to couple an engine frame to an engine support structure of an aircraft. The plurality of engine-mounting links may include a forward link that is connectable to a forward frame portion of the engine frame and the engine support structure, and an aft link that is connectable to an aft frame portion of the engine frame and the engine support structure. The engine mounting linkage system may include…

Systems and methods of servicing equipment

Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number: 11938907
A robotic assembly configured to service an engine, wherein the robotic assembly includes an environmental capture device configured to provide information associated with an environment in which the engine is disposed to one or more computing devices, and wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to use the information to inspect the engine before and after repair operations associated with the service to check for repair equipment, or parts thereof, left in the engine…