Patents Examined by Christopher J Hargitt
  • Patent number: 8961111
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine airfoil includes a first cavity inside the turbine airfoil configured to receive a fluid and a second cavity inside the turbine airfoil. The turbine airfoil also includes a passage inside the turbine airfoil that provides fluid communication between the first and second cavities, wherein the passage includes a curved portion configured to separate particulates from the fluid as the fluid flows through the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Gary Michael Itzel, Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Patent number: 8961103
    Abstract: An omni-directional vertical axis wind turbine includes an axial flow turbine rotor to supply force to operate an electrical generator mounted for rotation on a vertical shaft. A shroud surrounds the turbine rotor forming a circular chamber coaxially with the turbine rotor, enclosing the airflow entry face and leaving the discharge face uncovered. Wind entering the shroud from any direction flows inwardly through air passages, where a set of baffles surrounding the circular chamber redirect incoming airflow into a stream within the circular chamber. A cylindrical enclosure mounted concentrically with the turbine rotor within the circulation chamber houses an array of stationary vanes positioned to extend across the entry base and in close proximity to the turbine rotor and aligned at angles relative to the axis of rotation, form flow-through passages to intercept the airflow and redirect it vertically into the swept area of the turbine rotor in the form of laminar streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Inventor: John George Wolff
  • Patent number: 8951016
    Abstract: A rotor blade for an axial flow turbomachine, preferably a turbine, and to a mounting for such a rotor blade is provided. In the rotor blade, the two opposing lateral walls of the blade base are continuously curved along their extension between platform and bottom side of the blade base in order to reduce the mechanical load in the blade base and that of the walls supporting the blade base of a rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fathi Ahmad, Günther Walz
  • Patent number: 8939713
    Abstract: An aerodynamic element for an aircraft nacelle is provided that includes a fixed shroud and an intake lip axially movable relative to the shroud. The aerodynamic element is flexible and has a substantially cylindrical general shape and defines an upstream portion attached to the inner wall of the intake lip of the nacelle, and a downstream portion bearing radially against an inner face of the shroud. The downstream portion of the element includes a ring shaped bead protruding towards an outside of the aerodynamic element and an end blade which, at rest, is tilted towards the outside of the aerodynamic element in a direction of its free end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventors: Céline Blin, Guillaume Strub, Vincent Peyron
  • Patent number: 8936442
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor (10), in particular for a gas turbine, including the following method steps: preparing a rotor base member (12) having at least one first weld surface (16) and one blade (14) having a second weld surface (18); positioning the rotor base member (12) and the blade (14) in such a way that a join zone (20) is formed between the first and second weld surface (16, 18); and filling the join zone (20) with metal powder (24) and the laser welding or electron beam welding of the metal powder (24). An integrally bladed rotor (10) has a join zone (20) between the rotor base member (12) and blades (14), the join zone (20) being filled with welded metal powder (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Uihlein, Erich Steinhardt
  • Patent number: 8936432
    Abstract: A low density abradable coating for use as a seal material is formed by depositing a metal bond coat followed by depositing a low density, porous, abradable metal seal layer on the bond coat. The seal layer is formed by co-depositing metallic sponge particles and metal precursor particles. The metal precursor particles decompose during heat treatment leaving fine pores distributed throughout the microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher W. Strock
  • Patent number: 8932020
    Abstract: A low-pressure turbine for a turbomachine including turbine disks with festooned annular flanges for fastening to a festooned annular flange of a drive cone connecting the turbine disks to a turbine shaft, solid portions of the festooned annular flanges of the turbine disks and of the drive cone being connected to peripheries of the turbine disks and of the drive cone, respectively, via concave filets that are asymmetrical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Belmonte, Gregory Nicolas Gerald Gillant
  • Patent number: 8920118
    Abstract: Provided is a casing structure including: an annular seal member which is disposed at a connection portion between first and second casings to keep air-tightness between an internal space formed by connecting the first and second casings to each other and an outside of the internal space; a first screw member which is threaded from the internal space, is disposed at the inside of the seal member in the radial direction, and fastens the first and second casings to each other; and a second screw member which is threaded from the outside, is disposed at the outside of the seal member in the radial direction, and fastens the first and second casings to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Tsukamoto, Nobusada Takahara, Kazuaki Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8905717
    Abstract: A retention system for a plurality of turbine buckets located in respective mating slots in a turbine rotor wheel includes a plurality of first circumferentially-oriented retention slots formed in outer peripheral portions of the turbine wheel; a plurality of second circumferentially-oriented retention slots formed in wheel mounting portions of said buckets, the first and second circumferentially-oriented retention slots aligned to form an annular lockwire retention slot; and a lockwire located within the annular lockwire retention slot. A first surface feature on one or both of the turbine rotor wheel and one or more of said plurality of turbine buckets is adapted to engage a second surface feature on the lockwire for preventing rotation of the lockwire beyond predetermined limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Felipe Roman-Morales, Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala, Liming Xu, Melbourne James Myers, Kevin Leon Bruce, Luke John Ammann
  • Patent number: 8905705
    Abstract: An omni-directional air flow device, for example, a fan or a vent associated with a fan, comprises a swivel control point providing almost a spherical range of motion of the air flow device so that air may flow in any direction. The omni-directional air flow device may comprise a user input device for receiving a program for controlling movement of the air flow device through a pre-determined path within the spherical range of motion and for controlling air flow velocity as the air flow device follows the pre-determined path. Moreover, the device may further comprise a controller and memory for storing data representing the pre-determined path and varying air flow velocities along the path. When provided with temperature and humidity sensors coupled to the processor, the processor may calculate a comfort index and adjust the pre-determined path or air flow velocity accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Inventor: Norial P. Bain
  • Patent number: 8899928
    Abstract: A device (10) for reducing the vibration of a rotorcraft main rotor (1) provided with a hub (2) and a plurality of blades, said device having a support (20) together with at least one weight element (30). Said weight element (30) is fastened to said support (20) by connection means (40), and said weight element (30) is connected to said connection means (40) by guide means (50) for guiding said weight element (30) in movement in circular translation in a filter plane (P1) that is movable perpendicularly to an elevation axis (AX) of said device (10), said connection means (40) including resilient return means (41) serving to allow said filter plane (P1) to move in elevation while keeping the filter plane (P1) perpendicular to said elevation axis (AX) under the effect of said vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventors: Vincent Girard, Arnaud Varin D'Ainvelle
  • Patent number: 8894357
    Abstract: A fan module includes a bracket, a mounting plate, and a fan fixed to the mounting plate. A first side of the mounting plate is pivotably attached to the bracket. A second side of the mounting plate can be fixed to different positions on the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Liu, Lei Liu
  • Patent number: 8876484
    Abstract: A turbine blade comprises an airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side, and extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge. The airfoil has a tip remote from a mounting root, and a pocket extending inwardly of the tip. The pocket has spaced walls with one wall associated with the pressure side of the airfoil, and an opposed wall associated with the suction side. A pin extends across the pocket and connects the opposed walls. A slot is formed in the pin at a location intermediate ends of the pin which connect to the opposed walls. A method for identifying a location for the pin along a distance between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the pocket utilizes a modal analysis, and seeks to find a location where both a reaction force and a moment are lower than they might be at other locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Loc Quang Duong, Xiaolan Hu, Anthony C. Jones
  • Patent number: 8870539
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wind turbine assembly comprising a turbine having turbine blades, said turbine being arranged to generate a rotational energy as the turbine blades are engaged by a wind, characterized in that said wind turbine assembly further comprises an emergency brake that is operationally connected to the turbine blades for pitching the turbine blades towards a rest position by the rotational energy of the turbine, when the emergency brake is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: XEMC, Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group Corporation Ltd.
    Inventor: Jonas Hallström
  • Patent number: 8870522
    Abstract: In a centrifugal pump, in particular a radial or semi-axial pump including a housing with a pump chamber and a dry chamber, a drive shaft rotatably supported in the housing and connected to an impeller for pumping a liquid flow medium disposed in the pump chamber and a shaft seal arranged in an inner radial area for sealing the dry space with respect to the flow medium, a seal carrier is provided with a guide structure by which fluid flow medium is conducted from an outer radial area to an inner radial area for directing flow medium into the seal for lubrication and cooling of the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Reischmann, Alexej Vaulin, Joachim Ruck
  • Patent number: 8858180
    Abstract: An annulus filler element (40) for a rotor of a turbomachine, the annulus filler element (40) comprising: a lid portion (42) having a radially outwardly facing surface for forming an inner wall of a flow annulus of the rotor between adjacent blades (102) and a radially inwardly facing surface; and a nose cone attachment portion (52) integrally formed with the lid portion (42) for connection with a nose cone (122) of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian S. Breakwell
  • Patent number: 8858156
    Abstract: A fragment containment assembly for a turbine is provided. The fragment containment assembly includes a plurality of bands disposed around a shroud of the turbine and positioned such that the shroud is disposed between blades of the turbine and the bands along radial directions outwardly extending from a shaft of the turbine. The bands include a material having a first modulus of toughness parameter that is greater than a second modulus of toughness parameter of the shroud at temperatures of at least 260 degrees Celsius. The bands are disposed around the shroud to prevent debris of the turbine from being released outside of the bands along the radial directions caused by failure of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kendall Swenson, Mark Stablein, Lukas Johnson
  • Patent number: 8845293
    Abstract: Devices, apparatus, systems, and methods for the quick installation of ceiling fan blades for ceiling fans. The invention uses a blade with three slots running in a linear direction from the mounting end of the blade, and three pre-attached fasteners upwardly projecting from the outer end of a blade arm. One of the fasteners is springably bendable with inwardly extending clip edge, another fastener that forms an upright post, and a third fastener having a top end with an outwardly extending lip edge. Another embodiment can include four slots per blade and four pre-attached upwardly protruding fasteners per blade arm. A novel method of installing each blade can include angling the blade to the mounting ends of the blade arm so that the outwardly extending lip edge catches on the third slot in from the mounting end of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd., Inc.
    Inventors: Tien S. Lowe, Mark Velutini
  • Patent number: 8834100
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade bearing with a fixed ring fixed to a hub of the wind turbine and a moving ring whereto the blade is fixed by corresponding fixing elements; the bearing making it possible to avoid the collision of the blade with the wind turbine tower by providing a separation therebetween via the disposal of the blades at an angle with respect to the wind turbine hub; where the angle is given by the bearing of the blade pitch change system. The separation is achieved since a rear face of the moving ring is in contact with the blade so that a plane defined by the rear face is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the blade, the rear face not being perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Acciona Windpower, S.A.
    Inventors: Miguel Nuñez Polo, José Miguel García Sayés
  • Patent number: 8834093
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for collecting and concentrating an airstream for converting into mechanical or electrical energy, includes an elongated housing structure, including an airstream inlet chamber, a central chamber, and an airstream outlet chamber, and an ancillary airstream injector sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Inventors: Peter J. Cucci, Francis X. Smollon