Terri L Brown

US Patent:

6339879, Jan 22, 2002

Filed:

Aug 29, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/684987

Inventors:

Gary Eugene Wheat - Madisonville KY
Terri Kay Brown - Central City KY
Thomas Phillip Schumacher - Madisonville KY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Cincinnati OH

International Classification:

B21D 5378

US Classification:

29889721, 29889722, 298897

Abstract:

A method for accurately sizing and forming the cooling holes of an air-cooled gas turbine engine component on which a protective diffusion coating will be deposited. The method generally entails drilling a hole in a surface region of a substrate, and then measuring the thickness of any recast surface region surrounding the hole and created as a result of a portion of the surface region having melted and then resolidified. The thickness of the additive layer of the diffusion coating that will deposit on a corresponding recast surface region of the component is then predicted based on an inverse relationship determined to exist with the thickness of the recast surface region formed during drilling of the cooling hole. An appropriately-oversized hole can then be formed in the component so that, after depositing the diffusion coating on the component, the additive layer grows sufficiently within the hole to yield a cooling hole approximately having the required final diameter.

US Patent:

6434876, Aug 20, 2002

Filed:

Sep 26, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/670187

Inventors:

Gary Eugene Wheat - Madisonville KY
Terri Kay Brown - Central City KY
Roger Dale Wustman - Loveland OH

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

B05D 136

US Classification:

42203, 427205, 427250, 427253, 4272557

Abstract:

A turbine blade is coated by first applying a particle-entrapped tip coating to the tip of the airfoil. An aluminum-containing coating is thereafter applied to the airfoil, including to the tip of the airfoil overlying the particle-entrapped tip coating. The aluminum-containing coating is applied by providing a source of aluminum contacting the airfoil that deposits aluminum onto the airfoil at a coating temperature, and heating the airfoil to the coating temperature so that the aluminum-containing coating is deposited onto the airfoil, and so that the aluminum-containing coating and the particle-entrapped tip coating are diffused into the turbine blade substrate. The step of applying the aluminum-containing coating occurs without substantial prior interdiffusing of the particle-entrapped tip coating with the tip of the airfoil as a separate step.

US Patent:

6863925, Mar 8, 2005

Filed:

Sep 26, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/670189

Inventors:

Gary Eugene Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri Kay Brown - Central City KY, US
Roger Dale Wustman - Loveland OH, US
Joseph David Rigney - Milford OH, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

C23C016/08

US Classification:

427250, 427252, 427253, 427226

Abstract:

An article is coasted by preparing a coating source having an aluminum halide, a fluoride or an iodide of a modifying element as a source of the modifying element, and a carrier gas. The modifying element is zirconium, hafnium, and yttrium, or combinations thereof. The coating source is contacted to the article, and the coating source and the article are heated to a coating temperature of at least about 1850 F. for a period of time sufficient to permit aluminum and the modifying element to coat onto the surface of the article. The preferred fluorides of modifying elements are zirconium tetrafluoride and hafnium tetrafluoride.

US Patent:

6986814, Jan 17, 2006

Filed:

Dec 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/029311

Inventors:

Gary E. Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri K. Brown - Central City KY, US
Richard L. Schmidt - Marblehead MA, US
Edward J. Cove - Middleton MA, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

C23G 16/00

US Classification:

118726, 118715

Abstract:

A gas distributor suitable for introducing a carrier gas at the top of a coating container used to provide a metallic coating on articles. The gas distributor includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet head in communication with the gas inlet for receiving a flow of gas from the gas inlet. A plurality of gas outlets through which the gas flow exits as a gas stream are spaced along the peripheral surface of the gas outlet head. A plurality of gas deflectors, each proximate to one of the gas outlets, at least initially direct the gas stream exiting the gas outlet in at least a generally centripetal path. This gas distributor can be used in vapor coating apparatus having a coating container, at least one holder for each article to be coated positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor and at least one holder for the source of the metallic coating positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor. A method is also provided for introducing the carrier gas as a plurality of carrier gas streams proximate the top of the coating container so that each carrier gas stream flows at least initially in at least a generally centripetal path, as well as a method for coating the articles with a metallic coating in the coating container.

US Patent:

7429403, Sep 30, 2008

Filed:

Aug 15, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/203185

Inventors:

Gary E. Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri K. Brown - Central City KY, US
Richard L. Schmidt - Marblehead MA, US
Edward J. Cove - Middleton MA, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

C23C 16/00

US Classification:

427250, 427251, 427252, 427253, 4272481

Abstract:

A method for introducing an inert carrier gas into a coating container used to provide a metallic coating on articles. The method includes introducing the inert carrier gas into the coating container as a plurality of carrier gas streams proximate the top of the coating container. The carrier gas streams are formed and introduced into the coating container before encountering a source material for the metallic coating, and each carrier gas stream is introduced so that the inert carrier gas at least initially moves within the coating container in a circular swirling fashion above and before encountering the source material and the article.

US Patent:

20020098284, Jul 25, 2002

Filed:

Mar 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/109520

Inventors:

Gary Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri Brown - Central City KY, US
Steve Bauer - Madisonville KY, US

International Classification:

C23C016/00
B05D001/32

US Classification:

427/248100, 427/282000

Abstract:

Method to facilitate vapor phase coating of turbine airfoils. A dovetail receptacle receives the dovetails of a plurality of airfoils. The airfoils are separated by spacers with the airfoil dovetails sealed in a chamber of the receptacle to facilitate vapor phase coating of airfoil flowpath surfaces and platform upper surfaces of several airfoils simultaneously while masking the dovetail sections.

US Patent:

20040062865, Apr 1, 2004

Filed:

Sep 25, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/671193

Inventors:

Gary Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri Brown - Central City KY, US
Richard Schmidt - Marblehead MA, US
Edward Cove - Middleton MA, US

International Classification:

C23C016/06

US Classification:

427/252000, 427/253000, 118/715000

Abstract:

A gas distributor suitable for introducing a carrier gas at the top of a coating container used to provide a metallic coating on articles. The gas distributor includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet head in communication with the gas inlet for receiving a flow of gas from the gas inlet. A plurality of gas outlets through which the gas flow exits as a gas stream are spaced along the peripheral surface of the gas outlet head. A plurality of gas deflectors, each proximate to one of the gas outlets, at least initially direct the gas stream exiting the gas outlet in at least a generally centripetal path. This gas distributor can be used in vapor coating apparatus having a coating container, at least one holder for each article to be coated positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor and at least one holder for the source of the metallic coating positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor. A method is also provided for introducing the carrier gas as a plurality of carrier gas streams proximate the top of the coating container so that each carrier gas stream flows at least initially in at least a generally centripetal path, as well as a method for coating the articles with a metallic coating in the coating container.

US Patent:

20060193981, Aug 31, 2006

Filed:

Aug 22, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/208705

Inventors:

Gary Wheat - Madisonville KY, US
Terri Brown - Central City KY, US
Carl Snyder - Madisonville KY, US
Daniel Franklin - Madisonville KY, US

Assignee:

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

C23C 16/00

US Classification:

427248100, 118720000

Abstract:

The present invention is an apparatus for masking an exterior dovetail surface of a turbine airfoil for use in coating a turbine airfoil, wherein the apparatus comprises a turbine airfoil. The apparatus comprises a plurality of dovetail graphite sponge boot sections. The boot comprises a first interior surface assembled to the turbine airfoil to contact substantially all of an exterior dovetail surface of the turbine airfoil, while leaving exposed an exterior airfoil flowpath surface, a root portion of the exterior dovetail surface and an interior passageway surface. The boot further comprises second interior channel surfaces defining interior boot channels, a first exterior surface, a first aperture in the first exterior surface, the turbine airfoil extending out of the boot through the first exterior surface, a second exterior surface, second apertures in the second exterior surface in fluid communication with the interior cavity, the interior passageway surface, and an exterior environment.