General Electric Patent Grants

Air-to-air heat exchanger potential in gas turbine engines

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11834995
An air-to-air heat exchanger in flow communication with a gas turbine engine is provided. The air-to-air heat exchanger has an air-to-air heat exchanger potential defined by a product raised to a half power, the product being a heat transfer surface area density associated with the air-to-air heat exchanger multiplied by an airflow conductance factor associated with the gas turbine engine. The air-to-air heat exchanger potential is between about 6.7 and 19.5 for a bypass ratio associated…

Magnets in electrical machines

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11837918
The present disclosure relates to rotors for an electrical machine comprising a first type of permanent magnets, and a second type of permanent magnets, wherein the first and the second types of permanent magnets have a same magnetic strength, and wherein the first type of permanent magnets has a first temperature rating, and the second type of permanent magnets has a second temperature rating different from the first temperature rating. The present disclosure relates to generators, and…

HVDC transmission schemes

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11837867
The present invention provides a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system (300, 600) comprising: a first station (102) comprising series-connected first and second HVDC converters (110, 130); a second station (104) comprising series-connected third and fourth HVDC converters (150, 170), wherein a neutral node (164) coupling the third HVDC converter (150) to the fourth HVDC converter (170) is coupled to earth; a first transmission line (200) connecting a positive node (114)…

Systems and methods for electron beam focusing in electron beam additive manufacturing

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11837428
A system for melting, sintering, or heat treating a material is provided. The system includes a cathode, an anode, and a focus coil assembly having a quadrupole magnet. The quadrupole magnet includes four poles and a yoke. The four poles are spaced apart and surround a beam cavity. Each of the four poles includes a pole face proximate the beam cavity and an end opposite the pole face. The first and third poles are aligned along an x-axis and configured to have a first magnetic polarity…

Auxiliary cryogen storage for magnetic resonance imaging applications

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835607
The present disclosure relates to a cooling system that includes a superconducting unit and a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit. The cooling system also includes an auxiliary storage system that includes one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir. The auxiliary storage system is configured to provide additional coolant to the reservoir as well as receive and store coolant from the reservoir.

Systems and methods for monitoring and diagnosing power system assets

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835568
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for monitoring and diagnosing power system assets. An example method may include triggering, by a gateway device and at a first time, a capture of a first waveform from a first intelligent electronic device (IED) associated with a first asset in a power system. The method may also include transmitting, by the gateway device, the capture of the waveform to a remote device. The method may also include extracting fault features…

Combustor with reverse dilution air introduction

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835236
A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a forward liner segment having an aft end portion. The forward liner segment at least partially defines a primary combustion chamber. The combustor further includes an aft liner segment having a forward end portion. A channel is defined between the forward liner segment and the aft liner segment. The channel directs a stream of dilution air in a counter-flow or reverse direction with respect to combustion gases flowing from the primary…

Gearbox assembly

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835127
A gearbox assembly includes a gear assembly that includes a planet gear, a pin disposed within the planet gear, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The first sensor is disposed within the pin and is configured to produce a signal indicative of a strain of the pin. The second sensor is disposed within the pin and is configured to produce a signal indicative of a vibration of the pin. Another gearbox assembly includes a gear assembly including a planet gear, a pin disposed within the…

Lightning bypass system

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835034
A lightning bypass system for a blade (22) of a wind turbine (10), the lightning bypass system comprising a blade connector (110) comprising an electrically insulating material (114) and configured to be located substantially in a rotational axis (R) of a blade root (24) of a wind turbine blade (22). The blade connector (110) is configured to be electrically connected to a down conductor cable (100) of the blade (22), and comprises a core configured to be electrically connected to a…

Root portion for a wind turbine blade

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11835026
A root portion for a wind turbine blade includes a coupling flange configured for coupling the root portion to a hub of the wind turbine. At least one support element is fixedly attached directly to the coupling flange and defines a support plane for contacting a transport or storing surface. The at least one support element includes a block member having an arcuate inner surface that conforms to and is affixed directly to an outer circumference of the coupling flange, and an opposite…

Heat exchanger capacity for one or more heat exchangers associated with an accessory gearbox of a turbofan engine

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11834992
A turbofan engine having one or more heat exchangers tied to an accessory gearbox is provided. The accessory gearbox is mechanically coupled with a spool, and a hydraulic pump is mechanically coupled with the accessory gearbox. The one or more heat exchangers have a heat exchanger capacity defined by a product raised to a half power, the product being determined by multiplying a resultant heat transfer surface area density of the one or more heat exchangers by a heat conductance factor…

Blade dovetail and retention apparatus

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11834965
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a slot to accommodate a blade of an engine. An example blade apparatus includes: a collet including a slot to receive an end of a blade; and a plurality of retainers including a first retainer positioned on a first end of the collet and a second retainer positioned on a second end of the collet to provide axial retention for the blade in the slot.

Low radius ratio fan blade for a gas turbine engine

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11834964
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to implement a low radius ratio fan blade for a gas turbine engine. A fan blade for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge extending between a root and a tip of the airfoil, a distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge defining a flow path length, a leading edge hub point defined by a radially innermost point of the leading edge, and an axial dovetail…

Methods and apparatus to reduce deflection of an airfoil

Granted: December 5, 2023
Patent Number: 11834960
Methods and apparatus to reduce deflection of an airfoil are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a plate including an aperture, the airfoil disposed in the aperture, and a damper operatively coupled between the plate and a hub of the airfoil, the damper to transform flexural deflection of the airfoil to radial deflection of the plate.

Patient-specific neuromodulation alignment structures

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11826197
The present discussion relates to structures and devices to facilitate application of an ultrasound therapy beam to a target anatomic region in a replicable manner. In certain aspects, adjustable positioning structures are described that allow a general probe positioning structure to be configured for a specific patient in a manner that allows the device to be used repeatedly to target the anatomic region, even when in non-clinical settings. In other aspects, a probe positioning…

Check valve assembly

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11828372
A check valve assembly includes a first flapper, a second flapper, an internal passage formed by the first flapper and the second flapper, and a nozzle disposed within the internal passage and configured to generate an internal flow in the internal passage. In response to a fluid flow through the check valve assembly, the first flapper and the second flapper are configured to move between an open position allowing the internal flow through the internal passage and an outer flow outside…

Articles for creating hollow structures in ceramic matrix composites

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11827570
The present disclosure relates to a method of fabricating a ceramic composite components. The method may include providing at least a first layer of reinforcing fiber material which may be a pre-impregnated fiber. An additively manufactured component may be provided on or near the first layer. A second layer of reinforcing fiber, which may be a pre-impregnated fiber may be formed on top the additively manufactured component. A precursor is densified to consolidates at least the first and…

Propulsion system for an aircraft

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11827369
A propulsion system for an aircraft can include an electric power source and an electric propulsion assembly having an electric motor and a propulsor. The propulsor can be powered by the electric motor. An electric power bus can electrically connect the electric power source to the electric propulsion assembly. The electric power source can be configured to provide electrical power to the electric power bus. An inverter converter controller can be positioned along the electric power bus…

Resin management system for additive manufacturing

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11826950
An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a component. A radiant energy device is operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image. An actuator is configured to change a relative position of the stage relative to the radiant energy device. A resin management system includes a material deposition assembly upstream configured to deposit a resin on a resin support. The material deposition assembly includes a reservoir configured to retain a…

Turbine components and methods of manufacturing

Granted: November 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11826830
At least one turbine component for a gas turbine includes a base component formed by casting and an article. The base component includes a platform. The article on the upper surface of the platform is formed by additive manufacturing. The article has a proximal face sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the platform of the turbine component and a contoured distal face opposite the proximal face. The contoured distal face has a contour surface serving as at…