Gas turbine engine with a fluid conduit system and a method of operating the same
Granted: January 2, 2024
Patent Number:
11859500
A method of operating a gas turbine engine comprising: extracting a flow of air from a compressor section of the gas turbine engine into a first conduit; flowing the extracted flow of air through the first conduit to a first location at a turbine section of the turbine section, wherein a second conduit is in fluid communication with the turbine section at a second location; flowing a heat transfer fluid to a first heat exchanger positioned in thermal communication with the flow of air…
Rotating airfoil assembly with opening formed therein to eject or to draw air
Granted: January 2, 2024
Patent Number:
11858615
A rotating airfoil assembly including a rotation axis and a plurality of rotating airfoils configured to rotate about the rotation axis. Each rotating airfoil of the rotating airfoils includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction surface between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a pressure surface between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The suction surface and the pressure surface are positioned on opposite sides of the rotating airfoil such that, when airflows…
Aerospace vehicles with coatings for heat radiation and associated methods
Granted: January 2, 2024
Patent Number:
11858613
An aerospace vehicle including: a body, wherein the body is configured to generate heat during operation; a coating disposed over at least a portion of the body, the coating being configured to shift a frequency of at least one wavelength of the heat generated by the body from a first frequency to a second frequency having higher transmissivity relative to a neighboring medium surrounding the body as compared to the first frequency.
Build plate clamping-assembly and additive manufacturing systems and methods of additively printing on workpieces
Granted: January 2, 2024
Patent Number:
11858067
A build plate-clamping assembly may include a work station having a build plate-receiving surface and a lock-pin extending from the build plate-receiving surface of the work station. The lock-pin may include a hollow pin body, a piston disposed within the hollow pin body, with the piston axially movable from a retracted position to an actuated position, and a plurality of detents, with the plurality of detents radially extensible through respective ones of a plurality of detent-apertures…
Gearbox assembly
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852080
A gearbox assembly includes a first gear coupled to a first shaft, a second gear coupled to a second shaft, and a plurality of planet gears that mesh with the first gear and the second gear. The first shaft includes a first shaft stiff portion and a first shaft flexible portion that includes a greater flexibility than a flexibility of the first shaft stiff portion such that the first gear moves in a radial direction. The second shaft includes a second shaft stiff portion and a second…
Wafer level stacked structures having integrated passive features
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11854958
A method includes obtaining an active feature layer having a first surface bearing one or more active feature areas. A first capacitor plate of a first capacitor is formed on an interior surface of a cap. A second capacitor plate of the first capacitor is formed on an exterior surface of the cap. The first capacitor plate of the first capacitor overlays and is spaced apart from the second capacitor plate of the first capacitor along a direction that is orthogonal to the exterior surface…
Systems and methods for image quality enhancement for multi-head camera
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11854122
A nuclear medicine (NM) multi-head imaging system is provided that includes a gantry, detector units, and at least one processor. The gantry defines a bore. The detector units are mounted to the gantry and configured to rotate as a group with the gantry around the bore in rotational steps, with each detector unit configured to sweep about a corresponding axis and acquire imaging information while sweeping about the corresponding axis. The at least one processor is coupled to the detector…
Check valve assembly
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852272
A check valve assembly for a supply pipe. The check valve assembly includes a hinge pin, a first flapper, and a second flapper. The first flapper is pivotally coupled to the second flapper with the hinge pin. The check valve assembly also includes a stopper located between the first flapper and the second flapper. The stopper is configured to limit movement of the first flapper and the second flapper. The check valve assembly further includes a plate assembly located downstream of the…
Turbomachine and method of assembly
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852161
A turbomachine includes an annular casing and a fan disposed inside the annular casing and mounted for rotation about an axial centerline. The fan includes fan blades that extend radially outwardly toward the annular casing. The fan has an average chord fan width according to a first performance factor. The fan has a quantity of fan blades according to a second performance factor.
Systems and methods for controlling a fuel blend for a gas turbine
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852082
A method of controlling a fuel blend for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes supplying a first fuel and a second fuel to a mixer and mixing, in the mixer, the first and second fuels together to obtain a fuel blend. The method also includes receiving, at a fuel blend analyzer downstream from the mixer, a measurement indicative of a composition of the fuel blend. The method further includes combusting the fuel blend in a combustor. The method also includes receiving a…
Variable pitch fan assembly with remote counterweights
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851158
A variable pitch fan assembly includes a plurality of rotating trunnion assemblies, a plurality of counterweight assemblies, a first unison ring gear engaged with the trunnion assemblies, and a second unison ring member that restricts out of synch movement of the counterweights relative to each other.
Combined cycle power plants with exhaust gas recirculation intercooling
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852074
A combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbine engine that includes a compressor having a compressor inlet, a compressor outlet, and an interstage inlet defined therebetween. The turbine also includes a turbine outlet configured to discharge a first exhaust gas stream therefrom. A heat recovery steam generator is configured to receive the first exhaust gas stream, extract heat from the first exhaust gas stream, and discharge a second exhaust gas stream therefrom. Either a…
Shape memory alloy sleeve support assembly for a bearing
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852027
A support assembly for a bearing of a gas turbine engine includes a shaft extending along an axial direction. The support assembly includes an outer race positioned radially exterior to the bearing such that the outer race supports the bearing. Additionally, the support assembly includes a shape memory alloy damper positioned radially exterior to the outer race and at least partially supporting the outer race. Moreover, the shape memory alloy damper includes a plurality of sleeves. One…
Adjustable inlet guide vane angle monitoring device
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852020
The present application provides an adjustable inlet guide vane angle monitoring device for monitoring an angular position of an inlet guide vane mounted about a compressor of a gas turbine engine. The adjustable inlet guide vane angle monitoring device may include a position sensor attached to the inlet guide vane, a sensor plate attached to the position sensor, and a limit switch positioned about the sensor plate. The position sensor determines the angular position of the inlet guide…
Turbine nozzle with planar surface adjacent side slash face
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11852018
A nozzle includes an endwall connected to an airfoil at one of a tip and root of the airfoil. The endwall includes a first and second side slash faces at respective circumferential edges thereof. The endwall also includes an inner surface extending between the first and second side slash faces. The inner surface includes a first planar surface portion adjacent to the first side slash face, a second planar surface portion adjacent to the second side slash face, and an arcuate surface…
Segmented environmental barrier coating systems and methods of forming the same
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851769
Methods for preparing an environmental barrier coating and the resulting coating are provided. The methods and products include the incorporation of a continuous ceramic inner layer and a segmented ceramic outer layer on a CMC component. The segmented ceramic outer layer may be formed by thermal spray techniques. The coating is more stable at higher temperatures and provides for a longer lifetime of the coated component.
Chemical vapor deposition during additive manufacturing
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851763
The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) during additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Such methods and apparatuses can be used to embed chemical signatures into manufactured objects, and such embedded chemical signatures may find use in anti-counterfeiting operations and in manufacture of objects with multiple materials.
Articles for high temperature service and related method
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851581
An article for high temperature service is presented. The article includes a substrate and a thermal barrier coating disposed on the substrate. The thermal barrier coating includes a plurality of aluminum-based particles dispersed in an inorganic binder, wherein the aluminum-based particles are substantially spaced apart from each other via the inorganic binder such that the thermal barrier coating is substantially electrically and thermally insulating. Method of making the article is…
Slurry processing for deposition of rare earth hafnium tantalate based barrier coatings
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851380
Methods of forming sintered coatings are provided, along with the resulting coatings on a substrate. The sintered coating may comprise a rare earth compound and a sintering aid, with the rare earth compound has the formula: A1?bBbZ1?dDdMO6 where A is Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Fe, Cr, Co, Mn, Bi, or a mixture thereof; b is 0 to about 0.5; Z is Hf, Ti, or a mixture thereof; D is Zr, Ce, Ge, Si, or a mixture thereof; d is 0 to about 0.5; and…
Fuel oxygen conversion unit with a dual separator pump
Granted: December 26, 2023
Patent Number:
11851204
A fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine includes a fuel tank; a draw pump downstream of the fuel tank for generating a liquid fuel flow from the fuel tank; a main fuel pump downstream of the draw pump; and a fuel oxygen conversion unit downstream of the draw pump and upstream of the main fuel pump. The fuel oxygen conversion unit includes a stripping gas line; a contactor in fluid communication with the stripping gas line and the draw pump for forming a fuel/gas mixture; and a…
