Patents Examined by Christopher Verdier
  • Patent number: 11898461
    Abstract: A steam turbine provided with: a rotor; a plurality of movable blades each of which has a movable blade body and a shroud, and which are circumferentially arranged at intervals; a casing that has a recessed section for accommodating the shroud; fins that form clearances from the outer circumferential surface of the shroud; a stator blade support part disposed on the downstream side of the recessed section; a plurality of stator blades circumferentially arranged at intervals; and an annular partition plate that extends from a recessed section downstream surface toward the upstream side thereof. The casing has formed therein a bypass flow passage that communicates a region radially outside of the partition plate and a region between the stator blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISH HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Chongfei Duan, Hideaki Sugishita, Kazuyuki Matsumoto, Hideki Ono, Yoshihiro Kuwamura, Kiyoshi Segawa, Hisataka Fukushima
  • Patent number: 11891905
    Abstract: A bearing support assembly to support one or more bearings on a shaft. The bearing support assembly includes a bearing support frame configured to be coupled to a static frame, a plurality of ribs connected to the bearing support frame, and a bearing support connected to the plurality of ribs and configured to support a bearing of the one or more bearings. The bearing support assembly has a non-axisymmetric stiffness around a circumference of the bearing support assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Prashant Bhujabal, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Narayanan Payyoor, Mohankumar Banakar, Weize Kang
  • Patent number: 11884378
    Abstract: A multi-layer braided article and a method of making the multi-layer braided article. The multi-layer braided article includes a braid extending along a first axis, wherein the braid is folded over itself to form a first layer and a second layer; and a wrapper laid over the first layer of the braid and extending circumferentially around the first axis, wherein the wrapper defines an edge of the first layer about which the braid is folded. The multi-layer braided article may form part of a blade for an aircraft. A sleeve may be provided around a conical portion of the article to connect the article to something else, such as a propeller hub, where the multi-layer braided article is formed as part of a blade. The sleeve may provide a primary or secondary load path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventors: Bruno Seminel, Pascal Amat, Arnaud Andrzejewski
  • Patent number: 11885267
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan assembly having a plurality of fan blades; and a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order. The turbomachine further including a first input power source; a second input power source configured to counter-rotate relative to the first input power source; a power output component operably connected to the fan assembly; and a gear assembly located forward of the combustion section of the turbomachine, the gear assembly configured to receive power from the first input power source and the second input power source and provide power to the power output component, the gear assembly comprising a helical gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GE Avio S.r.l.
    Inventors: Paolo Altamura, Michele Gravina
  • Patent number: 11879344
    Abstract: A device for making a fan or compressor for the aeronautical industry includes an annular casing with a main axis (A) and defines an internal flow duct for a gas flow along this axis. The device further includes a bladed wheel mounted inside the casing and having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis (A) of the casing. A system for retaining debris in the event of breakage of the bladed wheel has a retaining annulus mounted around the casing, which includes two radially outwardly projecting annular bosses located respectively upstream and downstream of the bladed wheel. Upstream and downstream edges of the retaining annulus are applied and attached to the bosses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN VENTILATION SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Claude Pendaries, François Gauharou
  • Patent number: 11859514
    Abstract: A rotor arrangement for a rotor of a gas turbine includes at least one rotor disk with attachment slots for carrying rotor blades and an annular groove having an annular opening towards the outward direction; and rotor blades having an airfoil and a blade root and assembled in an attachment slot. Each of the assembled blade roots have a root extension with a root groove. The root groove faces the annular groove when the rotor blade is assembled in the attachment slot. For each assembled rotor blade a locking element is provided, the locking element engaging the annular groove of the rotor disk and the root groove of the respective rotor blade. Preferably all locking elements are embodied as a locking sheet metal strip, which has two bended tongues embracing the respective root extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Otto Jörgensson, Janos Szijarto
  • Patent number: 11852025
    Abstract: A turbo machine including a device for ventilating and pressurising a turbine rotor of a turbomachine having an axis, the device including at least one collection pipe suitable for collecting a fraction of the air circulating in a high-pressure compressor of the turbomachine and conveying it to a first inner chamber inside the turbomachine that communicates with a second inner chamber delimited by the turbine rotor, the first and second chambers being at least partially separated by a stationary shroud having the axis, wherein it includes at least one injector passing through the stationary shroud and having a cross-section that varies in response to a pressure difference between the first and second chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Paco Maurer, Fabien Roger Gaston Caty
  • Patent number: 11852034
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a compressor case with a low pressure compressor (LPC) and a high pressure compressor (HPC). The HPC is aft of the LPC. The compressor case defines a centerline axis. The compressor section also includes a rotor disk defined between the compressor case and the centerline axis. A plurality of stages are defined radially inward relative to the compressor case. The plurality of stages include at least one tandem blade stage. The tandem blade stage includes a plurality of blade pairs. Each blade pair is circumferentially spaced apart from the other blade pairs, and is operatively connected to the rotor disk. Each blade pair includes a forward blade and an aft blade. The aft blade is configured to further condition air flow with respect to the forward blade without an intervening stator vane stage shrouded cavity therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew P. Forcier, Brian J. Schuler
  • Patent number: 11852225
    Abstract: A core ring for a torque converter is disclosed herein. The core ring includes a plurality of through openings and a plurality of recesses each connected to a respective through opening of the plurality of through openings. The recesses are each dimensioned to receive a portion of a blade, and specifically a blade tip formed on an adjacent torque converter component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Diego Alejandro Ledesma, Andres Cuevas, Juan Pablo Cazares
  • Patent number: 11846206
    Abstract: A turbine vane of a turbine engine is described. The turbine vane includes a blade and a root. The root includes a stilt having lateral flanks with a curvilinear profile. The stilt includes a frangible zone suitable for undergoing a breakage of the stilt if radial forces higher than a threshold are exerted on the vane, in particular centrifugal forces during an overspeed state of the turbine. The frangible zone includes at least one oblong frangibility recess formed on at least one of the lateral flanks of the stilt, the oblong recess extending in an axial direction of the stilt along a longitudinal axis parallel to or included in a minimum cross-sectional plane which contains a minimum cross-section of the stilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventor: Matthieu Claude Jean Denaux
  • Patent number: 11840941
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine, the engine component comprising a cooling architecture comprising at least one unit cell having a set of walls with a thickness, the set of walls defining fluidly separate conduits having multiple openings, each of the multiple openings having a hydraulic diameter; wherein the thickness (t) and the hydraulic diameter (DH) relate to each other by an equation: ( D H + 2 ? t ) 2 ( ( D H + 2 ? t ) / D H ) 1 / 3 to define a performance area factor (PAF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lana Maria Osusky, Gustavo A. Ledezma, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Gregory Alexander Natsui
  • Patent number: 11835026
    Abstract: A root portion for a wind turbine blade includes a coupling flange configured for coupling the root portion to a hub of the wind turbine. At least one support element is fixedly attached directly to the coupling flange and defines a support plane for contacting a transport or storing surface. The at least one support element includes a block member having an arcuate inner surface that conforms to and is affixed directly to an outer circumference of the coupling flange, and an opposite outer surface that defines the support plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Alexis Travers, Sisouvanh Sonethavy
  • Patent number: 11834965
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a slot to accommodate a blade of an engine. An example blade apparatus includes: a collet including a slot to receive an end of a blade; and a plurality of retainers including a first retainer positioned on a first end of the collet and a second retainer positioned on a second end of the collet to provide axial retention for the blade in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Ian F. Prentice
  • Patent number: 11827336
    Abstract: A system for controlling a propeller having a plurality of blades having a primary control system and a backup control system. The primary control system including a sensor responsive to a propeller state, and a controller connected to the sensor and to an electrohydraulic control actuator. The electrohydraulic control actuator is connected via a bypass valve to a hydraulic actuator that controls at least a blade angle of a blade of the propeller. The controller generating commands to the electrohydraulic control actuator based on at least the propeller state. The backup control system including a second controller, an electrohydraulic solenoid operably connected to the bypass valve. The backup control system is operable to hydraulically disable the primary control system via the bypass valve upon the occurrence of a selected condition, the second controller modulates the operation of the electrohydraulic solenoid to control the bypass actuator based on the propeller state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Maver, Julien Lassalle, Thibaut Marger, Gregory Giddings, Charles L. DeGeorge, Stephen J. Bukowinski, Romain Bouloc
  • Patent number: 11828194
    Abstract: A nozzle blade for a turbine engine includes a blade body in which at least one through-cavity is provided extending between an inner end of the blade and an outer end of the blade and housing, respectively, a first and a second liner, the first liner extending along a trailing edge of the blade, the second liner extending along a leading edge of the blade, wherein each of the first and second liners includes an intertwining system suitable for linking the first liner to the second liner, independently of the blade body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Jonathan Yvetot
  • Patent number: 11821336
    Abstract: A turbine blade tip shroud has a first cutter tooth extending from a tip rail from one of the upstream side and the downstream side of the tip rail and adjacent the leading edge of the body. The tip shroud also includes a second cutter tooth extending from the tip rail from the other side of the tip rail at a position axially distant from the first cutter tooth. The cutter teeth are thus axially offset. The tip shroud can be initially manufactured with this shape or may be modified from a used tip shroud having, for example, opposing cutter teeth near a leading edge of a body of the tip shroud. Various tip shroud surface profiles, which are expressed in terms of Cartesian coordinates, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Srinivasa Govardhan Jayana, Richard Ryan Pilson, William Scott Zemitis
  • Patent number: 11821335
    Abstract: A blade for use in a gas turbine engine, the blade comprising a blade portion and a fir tree root portion, the blade portion and the root portion having a connected passage for allowing cooling air to flow within the blade, the fir tree root portion having an air intake on its leading edge, the air intake allowing cooling air to enter the cooling passage and wherein the fir tree root portion comprises a plurality of projections, including at least a base projection and a top projection; and wherein the air inlet located in the base projection of the fir tree root portion and wherein the air inlet comprises at least 50% of the face of the base projection of the fir tree root portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Gary Sidebotham, John Harris, Chenhui Liu
  • Patent number: 11821325
    Abstract: A failure detection method and system for a propeller control unit coupled to a propeller are provided. An actual value of a blade angle and/or a rotational speed of the propeller are obtained. A comparison between the actual value and a threshold is performed. In response to determining, based on the comparison, that the actual value exceeds the threshold, the propeller control unit is caused to adjust the blade angle to bring the blade angle and/or the rotational speed towards the threshold. A subsequent actual value of the blade angle and/or the rotational speed is obtained. From the subsequent value, it is determined whether the blade angle and/or the rotational speed has been brought towards the threshold. In response to determining that the blade angle and/or the rotational speed has failed to be brought towards the threshold, failure of the propeller control unit is detected and an alert is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Jagoda Krzywon
  • Patent number: 11808207
    Abstract: An aircraft engine, has: an inlet extending circumferentially around a central axis; an annular inlet duct having a duct inlet fluidly connected to an environment outside of the aircraft engine and a duct outlet fluidly connected to the inlet; a flow restrictor extending across the annular inlet duct and being movable within the annular inlet duct; an actuator engaged to the flow restrictor and operable to move the flow restrictor; and a controller operatively connected to at least one sensor and the actuator, the controller having a processing unit and a computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processing unit and containing instructions for: receiving a signal indicative of a pressure difference between opposite sides of the flow restrictor; and powering the actuator to move the flow restrictor with the actuator from a first position to a second position offset from the first position as a function of the pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Eray Akcayoz
  • Patent number: 11807372
    Abstract: A control device (1) of a flying object includes a generator (11), a driving source (12), a battery (13), an electric motor (3), a rotor blade (4), a battery status determination part (5), a variable pitch mechanism (6), and a pitch change control part (7). The electric motor (3) is driven by electric power supplied from at least one of the generator (11) and the battery (13). The rotor blade (4) is driven by the electric motor (3). The battery status determination part (5) determines a state of charge of the battery (13). The variable pitch mechanism (6) changes a pitch of the rotor blade (4). The pitch change control part (7) determines whether the pitch of the rotor blade (4) is changed based on a charging rate of the battery determined by the battery status determination part (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hisao Haga