General Electric Patent Grants

Integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12255363
An integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly includes a combustor that is fluidly coupled with at least one upstream compressor that generates compressed air. A fuel cell stack having a cathode and an anode is fluidly coupled to the combustor. The fuel cell stack is configured to receive intake fuel and a portion of the compressed air as intake air, to generate a fuel cell power output using the intake fuel and the intake air, and to direct a fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell…

Devices and method for a healthcare collaboration space

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12254965
Various systems and devices are provided for facilitating communication in a healthcare setting. In one example, a system for providing medical information can include a processor that, in response to executing machine-readable instructions, can generate a patient dashboard comprising the medical information for a patient and a patient communication thread. The processor can also output the patient dashboard to a display, wherein the patient dashboard further comprises a first link…

Aircraft conflict detection and resolution

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12254778
Methods, apparatus and systems for generating verifiable conflict-free flight plans for aircraft are disclosed. In an embodiment, a server computer receives a set of air traffic flight plans for an airspace that includes elements, and receives at least two of aerodynamic constraint data, business constraint data and operational constraint data for an aircraft. The server computer then generates using a first constraint satisfaction solver, a plurality of candidate flight plans for the…

Gearbox assembly

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12253155
A gearbox assembly includes a first gear and a second gear. The first gear includes a plurality of first gear teeth. The second gear includes a plurality of second gear teeth. The plurality of first gear teeth and the plurality of second gear teeth mesh with each other as the first gear and the second gear rotate. A profile shape of at least one first gear tooth of the first gear is characterized by a total profile modification between 66 micrometers and 120 micrometers.

Combined cycle propulsion system for hypersonic flight

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12253050
A combined cycle propulsion system for a flight vehicle includes a compressor-fed combustion engine, and a multi-mode supersonic engine. The multi-mode supersonic engine includes an adjustable inlet section, a combustion section arranged downstream of the adjustable inlet section and including a first combustor portion having at least one rotating detonation combustor and a second combustor portion having a supersonic combustion type combustor, and an adjustable exhaust nozzle section…

De-ice system and apparatus for turbine engines

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12253025
A turbine engine includes a turbomachine having a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a working gas flow path; a thermal system operable with the turbomachine; a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the thermal system; and a plurality of elongated delivery devices in fluid communication with the compressor section of the turbomachine. The plurality of elongated delivery devices are configured to deliver a fluid…

Rotating airfoil with a spring damper system

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12253005
An airfoil structure including an airfoil and a spring and damper system. The airfoil including a longitudinal axis. The spring and damper system is connected to the airfoil to rotate the airfoil about the longitudinal axis to change airfoil pitch in response to a load applied to the airfoil.

Passive control of gas turbine clearances using ceramic matrix composites inserts

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12252992
A passive clearance control limits thermal expansion between stator components relative to rotor components. A control ring controls clearance in a passive manner and is located on or adjacent to stationary components which thermally expand during engine operation. The control ring is formed of material having low coefficient of thermal expansion such as CMCs (Ceramic Matrix Composites) and therefore limits, inhibits or restrains expansion of the adjacent stator components as…

Systems and methods for thermally processing CMC components

Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number: 12252446
Systems and methods for thermally processing composite components are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a system includes a thermal system, a mover device, and a control system. The system also includes a plurality of vessels in which one or more components may be placed. The vessels are similarly shaped and configured. A vessel containing the one or more components therein may be mounted into a chamber defined by the thermal system during thermal processing. The thermal system and…

Electrically driven distributed propulsion system

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12249831
A method and system for operating a hybrid propulsion system, includes controllably providing a first power to a first bus and a first inverter, electrically coupling a first motor with a second inverter by way of a second bus, operably converting, by the second inverter, the first power received by the first inverter to a starting power adapted for starting the first motor, and increasing, by the second inverter, the starting power to match the first power received.

Forward load reduction structures for aft-most stages of high pressure compressors

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12247580
Structures for reducing forward loads in compressors are described. A compressor includes inner and outer circumferential support structures positioned concentrically around a central axis, and an aft-most stage including a vane extending radially inward from the outer circumferential support structure. An axial length of the aft-most stage is defined by a spacer arm of the inner circumferential support structure. The vane includes a root, a tip, and a trailing edge extending between the…

Counter-rotating gas turbine engines including turbine sections with separable torque frames

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12247516
A gas turbine engine includes a fan located at a forward portion of the gas turbine engine, and a compressor section and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order. The compressor section and the turbine section together define a core airflow path. A rotary member is rotatable with the fan and with a low pressure turbine of the turbine section. The low pressure turbine includes a rotating drum to which a first airfoil structure is connected and extends radially inward toward the…

Methods and apparatus for mounting a gas turbine engine

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12246845
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for mounting a gas turbine engine are described. An apparatus for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon, the gas turbine including an upstream section and a downstream section, the gas turbine defining a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, the apparatus including: a first mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the pylon; a second mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the…

Electric power system for a vehicle

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12246841
An electric power system for a vehicle includes at least one electric machine, one or more power rectifiers, and a plurality of DC channels. The at least one electric machine includes a plurality of tooth-wound multi-phase windings that are substantially magnetically decoupled, and the at least one electric machine is mechanically balanced even if one of the plurality of windings is de-energized. The one or more power rectifiers are configured to produce rectified power from the power…

Flow directing system and method for additive manufacturing system

Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number: 12246489
An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed within the chamber, and an upper gas inlet configured to supply an upper gas flow in a first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet disposed in the chamber and configured to supply a lower gas flow in a second direction toward a bottom wall of the chamber, and a flow directing system configured to receive the lower gas flow and redirect the…

System and method for automated movement of a robotic arm

Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number: 12240130
A positioning system is provided for insertions and placements with increased accuracy and precision for the placement and insertion of components into elements. The system may utilize one or more sensors to provide individual images or data for each individual insertion of components into elements. The system may use known information to compare the individual images or data to provide increased accuracy and precision for insertion of components into elements.

Systems and methods of controlling load share and speed of engines in multiple-engine propulsion systems

Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number: 12241426
Provided are systems and methods of controlling load share in a multi-engine propulsion system. A load share participation value indicative of a load share participation regime for a first engine may be received and a load sharing requirement control command for the first engine may be output. The load share participation value may depend or be based at least in part on one or more operating conditions of a second engine. The load sharing requirement control command for the first engine…

Aircraft gas turbine engine with heated fuel to assist combustion

Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number: 12240624
An aircraft gas turbine includes a combustor that combusts compressed air and at least one fuel flow from at least one fuel source to generate combustion gases. A fuel supply system is arranged to provide at least one of a first flow of fuel to the combustor via a first fuel supply line and a second flow of a heated fuel to the combustor via a second fuel supply line. A fuel heat exchanger is arranged within the fuel supply system to generate the heated fuel that is heated above an…

Electric propulsor with electric machine in thermal communication with a heat exchanger

Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number: 12240615
An electric propulsor is provided. The electric propulsor includes a core cowl and an outer cowl. A first air flowpath is defined radially outward of the outer cowl and a second air flowpath is defined between the core cowl and the outer cowl. The electric propulsor also includes one or more electric machines, a fan rotatably drivable by at least one electric machine, and a booster having a plurality of airfoils disposed at least in part in the second air flowpath, the booster being…

Gas turbine combustion section having an integrated fuel cell assembly

Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number: 12240613
A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber the combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel…