General Electric Patent Grants

System and method for fuel nozzle cleaning during engine operation

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761386
A method and system for cleaning a fuel nozzle during engine operation is provided. Operations include operating the compressor section to provide the flow of oxidizer at a first oxidizer flow condition to the combustion chamber, wherein the first oxidizer flow condition comprises an environmental parameter; operating the fuel system at a first fuel flow condition to produce a fuel-oxidizer ratio at the combustion chamber; comparing the environmental parameter to a first environmental…

Superconducting generator driven by a wind turbine

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11764644
A superconducting generator includes an annular armature connectable to rotate with a rotating component of a wind turbine. A stationary annular field winding is coaxial to the armature and separated by a gap from the armature. The field winding includes superconducting coils, and there is a non-rotating support for the field winding. The non-rotating support is a torque tube. The torque tube is a member formed of a composite material, or a member formed of a plurality of segmented…

Contactless power transfer system and method for controlling the same

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11764609
A contactless power transfer system is provided. The contactless power transfer system includes a first power exchanger coil configured to exchange power. The contactless power transfer system also includes a first power converter operatively coupled to the first power exchanger coil and configured to convert a direct current power to an alternating current power at a system frequency. The contactless power transfer system further includes a controller configured to control an operating…

Systems and methods for junction termination of wide band gap super-junction power devices

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11764257
A disclosed super-junction (SJ) device includes a first epitaxial (epi) layer that forms a first SJ layer of the SJ device, and includes a second epi layer disposed on the first SJ layer that forms a device layer of the SJ device. An active area of the first and second epi layers includes a first set of SJ pillars comprising a particular doping concentration of a first conductivity type and a second set of SJ pillars comprising the particular doping concentration of a second conductivity…

Sensing system and method

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761938
A sensor system includes an unmanned vehicle system is provided that includes a housing, and an environmental sensor system coupled to the housing, the environmental sensor system configured to detect one or more environmental conditions of an environment in operational contact with the unmanned vehicle system. The environmental sensor includes a sensing element that includes a sensing material to detect and quantify at least one analyte gas by measuring impedance of the sensing element…

Combustor swirler with vanes incorporating open area

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761632
A dome assembly for a combustor includes: at least one swirler assembly including: at least one swirler including a plurality of swirl vanes arrayed about an axis, the plurality of swirl vanes oriented so as to impart a tangential velocity to air passing through the swirler parallel to the axis; each of the plurality of swirl vanes having a thickness and including a plurality of edges which collectively define a peripheral boundary of the respective swirl vane; wherein at least a…

Integral dome-deflector member for a dome of a combustor

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761631
A dome structure for a combustor of a gas turbine includes a frame structure extending circumferentially about a combustor centerline axis, and a plurality of integrated dome-deflector plate members mounted to the frame structure. Each of the plurality of integrated dome-deflector plate members includes a dome wall, a deflector wall, and a plurality of side walls connecting the dome wall and the deflector wall to each other. A cavity is defined by the dome wall, the deflector wall, and…

Filter system for a wind turbine, a wind turbine having a filter system and method for changing an oil filter of a filter system

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761531
The present disclosure is directed to a filter system for a wind turbine, comprising at least a filter device having a filter housing with a volume portion and a cap portion, both defining a filter volume for receiving the oil filter. The filter housing is equipped with an inlet port, an outlet port and a pressure port. The filter system further comprises a pressurizing device having an interface port, and supply means for providing pressurized gas via the interface port, preferably into…

Turbulence intensity estimation

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761425
A method to operate a wind turbine is provided, the method including determining a correction model associated with the wind turbine, determining a corrected turbulence intensity parameter associated with the wind turbine based on the correction model, and operating the wind turbine based on the corrected turbulence intensity parameter.

Inlet mixer for exhaust gas recirculation in power generation systems

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761407
An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) mixer for use in a power generation system is provided. The EGR mixer includes a mixing chamber defining a flow direction and a working fluid inlet coupled with the mixing chamber for introducing a working fluid into the mixing chamber along the flow direction. The EGR mixer also includes exhaust gas injection ducts extending across the mixing chamber downstream from the working fluid inlet. Each of the exhaust gas injection ducts is oriented to receive…

Lubrication system for aerial vehicles

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761350
A lubrication system for an aerial vehicle, the lubrication system including: a lubrication oil (LO) tank configured to operate at a first internal pressure; and an intake chamber (IC) configured to operate at a second internal pressure greater than the first internal pressure, the IC including an ingress port configured to receive LO from a sump of an equipment of the aerial vehicle; an overflow port in fluid communication with the LO tank; and a supply port in fluid communication with…

Exhaust frame differential cooling system

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761347
The present application provides an exhaust frame differential cooling system of a gas turbine engine to mitigate a temperature differential along a compressor and/or a turbine to minimize centerline eccentricity of a shaft. The exhaust frame differential cooling system may include a number of compressor temperature sensors positioned about the compressor and/or a number of turbine temperature sensors positioned about the turbine, an exhaust frame including an inner barrel with a bearing…

Thermal management system

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761344
A method is provided for operating a thermal management system of a gas turbine engine. The method includes: operating the gas turbine engine to start-up the gas turbine engine; receiving data indicative of a state of a thermal transport bus of the thermal management system using a sensor, the state of the thermal transport bus including a phase of a thermal fluid within the thermal transport bus; and starting a pump of a pump assembly in response to receiving data indicative of the…

Sealing assembly for a gas turbine engine having a leaf seal

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761342
A sealing assembly for a gas turbine engine. The sealing assembly includes first and second gas turbine walls defining a channel therebetween. Additionally, the second gas turbine wall further defines a passage extending therethrough. Furthermore, the sealing assembly includes a leaf seal partially positioned within the channel and a seal holder coupled to the second gas turbine wall. Moreover, the sealing assembly includes a spring compressed between the seal holder and the leaf seal…

Amorphous ductile braze alloy compositions, and related methods and articles

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11759877
A nickel-based braze alloy composition includes nickel, about 1 weight % to about 5 weight % boron (B); and about 1 weight % to about 20 weight % germanium (Ge). The composition is free of any silicon. Superalloy articles having a crack or other type of void or gap may be filled with the nickel-based braze alloy composition. Methods for filling such a gap are described.

Systems for laser alignment

Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number: 11684326
Various methods and systems are provided for laser alignment systems, particularly laser alignment systems of medical imaging systems. In one example, a medical imaging system comprises: a gantry; and a laser mount including: a first section fixedly coupled to the gantry; a second section seated within the first section and slideable within the first section; and a third section seated within the second section and rotatable within the second section, the third section adapted to house a…

Device, system and method for detection of a foreign object

Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number: 11685269
A detection device includes a detection mat having a plurality of detection coils, and at least one pair of groups of detection coils, the pair of groups of detection coils includes first and second groups of detection coils. The first and second group of detection coils comprises first and second first and second impedance values. The detection device includes one or more drive sub-systems and a comparison sub-system. The drive sub-systems are operatively coupled to the detection mat…

Lower gas flow injection system and method for additive manufacturing system

Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number: 11685120
An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface…

Systems and methods of servicing equipment

Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number: 11685051
A robotic assembly for servicing equipment, the robotic assembly including an area configured to receive components associated with a workscope of the equipment; an environmental capture device configured to capture information associated with an environment in which the robotic assembly is disposed; and one or more computing devices configured to: locate the equipment in the environment; autonomously navigate the robotic assembly through the environment to the equipment; and…

System and method for optimal catheter selection for individual patient anatomy

Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number: 11684422
In the present invention, a system and method for selection of an optimal catheter for use in a medical procedure relative to the anatomy of a patient includes the steps of providing a system including a scanning device capable of obtaining image data on a ROI within the anatomy of a patient and reconstructing a 3D image of the ROI from the image data, a display capable of illustrating the 3D image and a 3D catheter model, and a CPU operably connected to the scanning device and the…