WILLIAM EDWARD NORTH
Engineers in Casselberry, FL

5488825, Feb 6, 1996

Oct 31, 1994

8/332309

Paul H. Davis - Orlando FL
Mark T. Kennedy - Oviedo FL
William E. North - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 518

60 3975

A gas turbine stationary vane having an airfoil portion and inner and outer shrouds. Five serpentine radially extending cooling air passages are formed in the vane airfoil. The first passage is disposed adjacent the leading edge of the airfoil and the second passage is disposed adjacent the trailing edge. A first portion of the cooling air enters the first passage, from which it flows sequentially to the second, third, fourth and fifth passages. Additional cooling air enters the third passage directly, thereby bypassing the first and second passages and preventing over heating of the cooling air by the time it reaches the fifth passage. A radial tube extends through the second passage and directs cooling air through the airfoil, with essentially no rise in temperature, to an interstage cavity for disc cooling. Fins project into each of the passages and serve to increase the effectiveness and flow rate of the cooling air. The fins in the first and fifth passages are angled so as to direct the cooling air toward the leading and trailing edges, respectively.

6224329, May 1, 2001

Jan 7, 1999

9/226732

William E. North - Winter Springs FL

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation - Orlando FL

F04D 3100

415116

A method for providing high cooling effectiveness over the entire length of a cooling path (20) by injecting supplemental coolant into the path (20) at one or more selected downstream locations (32,44). Optimal selection of the injection location (32,44) and the ratio of injected flow to main flow will provide a cooling design with superior temperature uniformity and reduced coolant consumption relative to non-supplemented cooling path designs.

5609466, Mar 11, 1997

Nov 27, 1995

8/562945

William E. North - Winter Springs FL
Mark T. Kennedy - Oviedo FL

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 904, F01D 906

415115

A gas turbine vane having an inner shroud that is cooled by a portion of the cooling air directed to a cavity between two adjacent rows of discs. A portion of the cooling air in the cavity flows through impingement plates and impinges on the inner surface of the inner shroud. Another portion of the cooling air flows through a passage in the leading edge of the inner shroud that has a pin fin array for enhanced cooling. The impingement plates form chambers that collect both the impingement air and the pin fin passage air and direct it through holes in the trailing edge of the inner shroud for cooling of the trailing edge. Longitudinal passages along the side of the inner shroud direct the cooling air from the pin fin passage tot the trailing edge.

5482435, Jan 9, 1996

Oct 26, 1994

8/329609

Robert A. Dorris - Winter Springs FL
William E. North - Winter Springs FL
Anthony J. Malandra - Winter Park FL

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 518, F01D 522

416 97R

A gas turbine blade having a shroud extending outwardly from the tip of the airfoil portion of the blade. The shroud is cooled by cooling air passages formed within it. A radial cooling air supply hole directs cooling air directly from the blade root through the airfoil and to the shroud. A plurality of cooling air passages extend from the supply hole and are disposed adjacent bearing surfaces along which the shroud contacts the shroud of an adjacent blade. One of these cooling air holes is formed in the portion of the shroud that projects from the convex surface of the airfoil and another one of the cooling air holes is formed in the portion of the shroud that projects from the concave surface of the airfoil. The cooling air holes extend to the edge of the shroud and discharge the cooling through an opening in the edge.

5145315, Sep 8, 1992

Sep 27, 1991

7/766934

William E. North - Winter Springs FL
Kent G. Hultgren - Winter Park FL
Christopher D. Dishman - Geneva FL
Gary S. Van Heusden - Oviedo FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 520

415115

A gas turbine stationary vane is provided having cooling air inserts and an inpingement plate attached to the outer shroud of the vane. The inserts extend only a short distance above their mounting surface on the outer shroud so that there is adequate access for properly welding the inserts to the outer shroud. Insert extensions are disposed in the end of each insert so as to form cooling air inlets which project above the impingement plate. The insert extensions are installed after the insert has been welded to the outer shroud so as to not interfere with access to the weld area. The insert extensions are attached to the inserts and the impingement plate by flexible seal collars, allowing the collars to form positive seals between the components.

6120249, Sep 19, 2000

Apr 10, 1996

8/629952

Kent Goran Hultgren - Winter Park FL
Thomas Walter Zagar - Winter Springs FL
William E. North - Winter Springs FL
Stephen Humphrey Robbins - Thulston, GB
Graham Mark Upton - Derby, GB

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation - Orlando FL

F01D 518

416 97R

A turbine blade with a cooling air flow path specifically directed toward cooling the platform portion of the blade root. Cooling air passages are formed in the blade root platform just below its radially outward facing surface on an overhanging portion of the platform opposite the convex surface of the blade airfoil. Each of these passage extends radially outward from an inlet that receives a flow of cooling air, and then extends through the platform. Cavities are formed in a radially inward facing surface of an over hanging portion of the platform opposite the concave surface of the blade airfoil. An impingement plate directs cooling air as jets into these cavities. A passage is connected to the cavities and directs this cooling air through the overhanging portion of the platform opposite the concave surface.

5117626, Jun 2, 1992

Sep 4, 1990

7/577376

William E. North - Winter Springs FL
Frank A. Pisz - Titusville FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F02C 300

60 3975

An apparatus and method are provided for cooling the rotating blades in the turbine section of a gas turbine. Cooling of the leading edge is accomplished by forming a radial passageway in the leading edge portion of the blade airfoil. Rows of holes along the leading edge of the blade airfoil allow cooling air to flow from the radial passageway to the surface of the leading edge, thereby cooling the leading edge portion of the airfoil. The flow area of the radial passageway reduces as it extends radially outward so that the velocity of the cooling air flowing through the passageway is maintained. A plenum formed in the root portion of the blade distributes cooling air to small diameter holes in the center and trailing edge portion of the airfoil.

6098395, Aug 8, 2000

Apr 4, 1996

8/627561

William Edward North - Winter Springs FL

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation - Orlando FL

F02C 718

60 3902

Method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a closed-loop air cooling system for a turbine engine. The method and apparatus provide for bleeding pressurized air from a gas turbine engine compressor for use in cooling the turbine components. The compressed air is cascaded through the various stages of the turbine. At each stage a portion of the compressed air is returned to the compressor where useful work is recovered.

5829245, Nov 3, 1998

Dec 31, 1996

8/775434

Gerard McQuiggan - Orlando FL
Raymond Scott Nordlund - Orlando FL
Leslie Roy Southall - Longwood FL
William Edward North - Winter Springs FL
Zachary Sinnott - Winter Park FL

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

F02C 712

60 3975

A gas turbine that has turbine vanes that can be cooled with either steam or air includes a compressor that compresses air, a combustor enclosed within a shell and in flow communication with the compressor, a turbine in flow communication with the combustor and receiving hot gas from the combustor and turbine vanes. The turbine vanes having an airfoil, a shroud and a cooling circuit that cools the airfoil and the shrouds with either steam or air.

4902198, Feb 20, 1990

Aug 31, 1988

7/238942

William E. North - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 518

415115

A gas turbine of the type having high pressure air supplied to the cavity formed by the inner shrouds of the turbine vanes is provided with film cooling of the shrouds. A manifold supplies high pressure cooling air to portions of the gaps between inner shrouds not otherwise supplied and intermittent reliefs in the strip seal between shrouds regulates the leakage of this air, over the outer surfaces of the shrouds.