General Electric Patent Grants

Turbine engine hanger

Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number: 11598222
A hanger for a turbine engine can include a first surface confronting a cooling airflow, a second surface facing a heated airflow, and a third surface radially outward of the first surface. The hanger can also include a cyclonic separator with a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet, as well as a cooling air circuit extending through the cyclonic separator.

Ceramic matrix composite airfoil cooling

Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number: 11598216
Airfoils for gas turbine engines are provided. In one embodiment, an airfoil formed from a ceramic matrix composite material includes opposite pressure and suction sides extending radially along a span and defining an outer surface of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes opposite leading and trailing edges extending radially along the span. The pressure and suction sides extend axially between the leading and trailing edges. The leading edge defines a forward end of the airfoil, and…

Assessment of micro-organism presence

Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number: 11597960
The present disclosure relates to approaches for assessing a sample or the presence of microorganisms. The sample, in certain implementations may be assessed for one or both of absence of microorganisms (sterility) and/or for concentration of said organisms (bio-burden). sample partition device may be employed that partitions the sample input volume into multiple discrete measurement zones with little or no loss of sample (e.g., zero-loss) and with little operator involvement, thereby…

Controlled grain microstructures in cast alloys

Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number: 11597005
Methods for creating a cast component, along with the resulting cast components, are provided. The method may provide for a controlled grain structure in the resulting cast component. The methods may include heating at least a first portion mold under controlled conditions, such as when the first portion of the mold is buried in a ceramic powder.

Methods and systems for a medical gas delivery module

Granted: March 7, 2023
Patent Number: 11596759
Various methods and systems are provided for controlling a supply of medical gas to a gas delivery system, such as an anesthesia machine, via a medical gas delivery module. In one example, a method includes supplying a medical gas from a pipeline gas supply source to a gas delivery system via a first conduit, measuring a quality of the medical gas in the first conduit, comparing the measured quality to an allowable range, switching to an alternative gas supply source for supplying the…

Purging configuration for combustor mixing assembly

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11592177
A mixing assembly for a combustor includes: a pilot mixer including a pilot housing extending along a mixer centerline and a pilot fuel nozzle; a main mixer surrounding the pilot mixer; a fuel manifold between the pilot and main mixers; a mixer foot extending from a main housing of the main mixer; a main swirler body surrounding the main housing defining a mixing channel between the main housing and the main swirler body; and a main fuel ring in the mixing channel connected to the main…

System and method for operating multi-level power converter using a multi-state deadtime

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11594953
A method for operating a multi-level bridge power converter of an electrical power system connected to a power grid includes providing a plurality of switching devices of the power converter in one of a neutral point clamped topology or an active neutral point clamped topology, the plurality of switching devices including a first group and a second group of switching devices. The method also includes providing a multi-state deadtime for the first and second groups of switching devices…

Overlay and manipulation of medical images in a virtual environment

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11594002
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to enable medical image visualization and interaction in a virtual environment. An example apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including instructions. The instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to at least: generate a virtual environment for display of image content via a virtual reality display device; enable interaction with the image content in the virtual…

System and method for full-scale sampling to conduct material tests on a steam turbine rotor

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11592362
A method for generating material test samples for conducting material tests of a legacy steam turbine rotor having an inter-blade region rotor surface, and an inlet region rotor surface adjoining the inter-blade region rotor surface. The method includes forming an annular ring of rotor material in the sample area and forming a material test sample from a portion of the annular ring. Also described is a legacy steam turbine rotor including an inter-blade region rotor surface, and an inlet…

Swirler ferrule plate having pressure drop purge passages

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11592182
A swirler assembly of a combustor of a gas turbine, the swirler assembly including a primary swirler having a primary swirler flow opening, and a swirler ferrule plate connected to an upstream side of the primary swirler. The swirler ferrule plate includes (a) a fuel nozzle opening, and (b) a plurality of oxidizer purge passages surrounding the fuel nozzle opening, each one of the plurality of oxidizer purge passages including (i) an inlet passage portion, and (ii) an outlet passage…

Display screen with animated graphical user interface

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: D979579

Yaw braking assembly of a wind turbine

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11592003
A yaw braking assembly of a wind turbine is presented. Accordingly, the yaw braking assembly includes a bedplate support frame having an annular flange defining a plurality of recesses formed into a lower-most annular surface of the annular flange and extending at least partially through an axial thickness of the annular flange. Each of the plurality recesses define an open exterior circumferential side. The yaw braking assembly also includes a plurality of brake pads which are…

Modulated turbine component cooling

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11591966
Features and methods for modulating a flow of cooling fluid to gas turbine engine components are provided. In one embodiment, an airfoil is provided having a flow modulation insert for modulating a flow of cooling fluid received in a cavity of a body of the airfoil. In another embodiment, a shroud is provided comprising a cooling channel for a flow of cooling fluid and an insert that varies in position to modulate the flow of cooling fluid through the cooling channel. In yet another…

Shape memory alloy reinforced casing

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11591932
A casing for a bearing of a gas turbine engine includes a shaft extending along an axial direction. The casing includes an attachment feature at a radially outermost portion of the casing. The attachment feature is configured to be coupled to a static frame of the gas turbine engine. The casing further includes a plurality of support arms extend from the attachment feature to a radially innermost portion of the casing. At least one support arm of the plurality of support arms defines an…

Meta-stable detergent based foam cleaning system and method for gas turbine engines

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11591928
Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure include a meta-stable detergent based foam generating device of a turbine cleaning system includes a manifold configured to receive a liquid detergent and an expansion gas, a gas supply source configured to store the expansion gas, and one or more aerators fluidly coupled with, and between, the gas supply source and the manifold. Each aerator of the one or more aerators comprises an orifice through which the expansion gas enters the…

Calcium controlled activation of platelets via electrical stimulation

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11591590
The present disclosure relates to the generation of an activated platelet product in which one or more of the presence or absence of clots, the timing of clot formation (if present), and/or the mechanical strength of clots (if present) is controlled by the presence or concentration of calcium ions during the activation process. In certain embodiments, the calcium ion concentration is controlled in the presence of pulsed electric fields or a chemical activator (e.g., thrombin) as part of…

Plate-based additive manufacturing apparatus and method

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11590691
An additive manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional component includes: a build plate, at least a portion of which is transparent, the build plate defining a build surface; a material depositor operable to deposit a radiant-energy-curable resin on the build surface; a stage positioned facing the build surface of the build plate and configured to hold a stacked arrangement of one or more cured layers of the resin; one or more actuators operable to change the relative…

Directional solidification casting assembly and method

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11590563
A directional solidification casting assembly includes a directional solidification mold having an interior chamber with a shape of an object to be cast using directional solidification of molten metal in a growth direction of the mold and a feed line conduit. The conduit is fluidly coupled with a container source of the molten metal and is coupled with the mold at a gating. The feed line conduit conveys the molten metal into the mold through the gating for directional solidification of…

Powder sieving system using a broad frequency filter

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11590537
A powder sieving system that is configured as part of a powder reclamation system is provided. The powder sieving system includes a support structure; and a filter housing movable relative to the support structure, the filter housing defining an inlet and an outlet and comprising a broad frequency filter disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the broad frequency filter including: a first filter fixed relative to the filter housing, the first filter being substantially rigid; and a…

Assessment of micro-organism presence

Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number: 11590502
The present disclosure relates to a consumable sample partition device and it assembly and use. The sample partition device can be used to test a sample for absence of microorganisms (sterility) and/or for concentration of said organisms (bio-burden). The sample partition device partitions the sample input volume into multiple discrete measurement zones with little or no loss of sample (e.g., zero-loss) and with little operator involvement, thereby reducing operator- and…