Patents Examined by Elton K Wong
  • Patent number: 11814966
    Abstract: A retention ring for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a main body extending in a circumferential direction about an axis to establish a continuous hoop having a first diameter and a second diameter. The main body includes first and second circumferential faces along opposite sides of the main body. The first circumferential face is dimensioned to abut a gas turbine engine component. The main body includes at least one removal feature dimensioned to sever in response to engagement with a cutting tool. A method of assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Conway Chuong, Caroline A. Karanian, Joey Wong
  • Patent number: 11814988
    Abstract: A turbomachine defining a flowpath therethrough at which a fluid is compressed is provided, in which the turbomachine includes a first compressor in serial flow arrangement upstream of a second compressor. The second compressor includes a port at the flowpath and is configured to receive at least a portion of the fluid from the flowpath from the second compressor. The first compressor includes a vane positioned at the flowpath and the vane includes an opening at the flowpath configured to egress the portion of the fluid from the port into the flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Rudolph Selmeier, Mehdi Milani Baladi, Jacek Marian Elszkowski
  • Patent number: 11814991
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle assembly includes at least one airfoil and an outer endwall coupled to a radial outer end of the at least one airfoil. A mounting rail is coupled to the outer endwall and extends at least partially radially outward from the outer endwall and at least partially circumferentially along the outer endwall. A stress relief structure is defined in the mounting rail. The stress relief structure includes an end opening defined in a radial outer surface of the mounting rail, a slot defined through the rail thickness of the mounting rail and coupled to the end opening, and an oblong opening defined through the rail thickness of the mounting rail and coupled to a radial inner end of the slot. The oblong opening is arranged asymmetrically in a circumferential direction relative to the slot to relieve stress where prevalent in the mounting rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lauren Elizabeth Rogers, William Scott Zemitis, Kristen Barbara Coletti
  • Patent number: 11813708
    Abstract: A turbomachine diaphragm including a sealing section having a first end portion that extends to a second end portion through an intermediate portion; and at least one rail member including a first end section that extends from the first end portion of the sealing section to a second end section through an intermediate section having an inner surface section and an outer surface section, the second end section including multiple weld passes disposed on opposed sides of the second end section for mitigation of thermal tensions on the diaphragm, the multiple weld passes forming a cladding welded to the diaphragm, wherein the cladding includes a stainless austenitic steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrzej Marcin Ostrowski, Krzysztof Dynak, Michal Kowalczyk, Marek Miekus, Piotr Jerzy Steckowicz, Tomasz Michal Szewczyk
  • Patent number: 11814982
    Abstract: A rotor vane for an aircraft turbine engine includes a blade extending between an inner platform and an outer platform which carries at least one projecting lip. The blade has a lower surface and an upper surface, and the outer platform includes, on the side of the lower and upper surfaces, lateral edges configured to cooperate in a form-fitting manner with complementary lateral edges of adjacent vanes. Each of the lateral edges has an anti-wear coating, and one of the lateral edges forms a hollow tip (P) with a bowl configured to receive the coating and further including a first concave cylindrical surface portion, the geometric dimensions of which are optimized to limit the risk of cracks appearing when the coating is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Mallat-Desmortiers, Peter Shamma Jeanty, Eric Jacques Delcoigne, Edouard Emmanuel Garreau, Thomas Tsassis, Samuel Laurent Noël Mathieu Juge, Lucas Geoffrey Desbois
  • Patent number: 11815370
    Abstract: A method for determining angular position of a generator shaft of a wind turbine is presented. The method includes receiving a position signal, from an encoder position sensor of the wind turbine, indicative of an angular position of the generator shaft. The method includes determining a compensation signal to compensate for a disturbance signal in the received position signal indicative of an imperfection associated with the encoder position sensor. The method includes modifying the position signal by applying the determined compensation signal to the received position signal to determine angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Kent Tange, Daniel De Figueiredo Maria
  • Patent number: 11814164
    Abstract: A method of verifying operation of an aircraft in a pre-defined flight mode includes operating the aircraft in a first flight mode, commanding the aircraft to transition to a second flight mode, evaluating a plurality of motor performance parameters, and based on values of the plurality of motor performance parameters, determining whether the aircraft has successfully transitioned to the second flight mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: John Robert Wittmaak, Alan Hisashi Steinert
  • Patent number: 11808245
    Abstract: A runner for a hydraulic machine comprising a band, a crown, a plurality of blades extending between the crown and the band, wherein the runner comprises a plurality of runner segments which together define the runner, each runner segment comprising a band portion, a crown portion and a blade, which portions are integrally formed with one another, each runner segment being attachable to another segment at a band joining edge and a crown joining edge, wherein the band joining edge and the crown joining edge are each spaced apart from the blade of the segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies
    Inventors: Antoine Vaichere, Erwan Gwenaël Pein, Sylvain Gaudion
  • Patent number: 11746664
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan rotor driven by a fan drive turbine about an axis through a gear reduction. An inner core engine has an inner core engine housing surrounding a compressor section, including a low pressure compressor. A rigid connection between a fan case and the inner core engine includes A-frames rigidly connected at a connection point to the fan case. Fan exit guide vanes rigidly connect to the fan case, and to the inner core engine. A fan intermediate case is positioned forward of a first rotor stage in the low pressure compressor. A rigid structure is connected to the inner core engine and to the fan exit guide vanes. The rigid structure defines a structure moment stiffness. The fan intermediate case defines an intermediate case moment stiffness. A ratio of the structure moment stiffness to the intermediate case moment stiffness is between 5 and 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Marc J. Muldoon, Michael E. McCune, Keith B. Allyn
  • Patent number: 11725528
    Abstract: A vane multiplet includes a plurality of airfoils that each have a flared end, a common platform piece, a plurality of seal, and a plurality of retainers. The common platform has airfoil sockets that each define an airfoil opening that is circumscribed by a groove. The flared ends of the airfoils are seated in the airfoil sockets such that the grooves and the airfoils together form seal channels that have an open side. The seals are disposed in the seal channels. The retainers have airfoil-shaped profiles and are disposed in the airfoil sockets to bound the open sides of the seal channels and retain the seal in the seal channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Christian X. Campbell
  • Patent number: 11725533
    Abstract: A variable guide vane (VGV) assembly, has: vanes distributed about a central axis, each of the vanes having an airfoil extending between first and second stems, the vanes rotatable about vane axes extending between the first and second stems; and a bushing ring supporting the first stems of the vanes, the bushing ring defining circumferentially distributed pockets receiving the first stems of the vanes, the bushing ring having a first ring body extending circumferentially around the central axis, a second ring body extending circumferentially around the central axis and removably secured to the first ring body, the second ring body defining at least one tab projecting axially to axially overlap at least a portion of the first ring body and defining a contact plane therebetween, and at least one locking member extending radially through the contact plane to removably secure the first ring body and the second ring body together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Daniel Poick, Tibor Urac
  • Patent number: 11702962
    Abstract: A steam turbine has a diffuser that is configured to guide steam to an outside of a casing. The diffuser has an outer guide that gradually expands to an outer side in a radial direction and an inner guide that is disposed at intervals to an inner side in the radial direction with respect to the outer guide. The inner guide has an inner curved diameter-expanded portion that gradually expands to the outer side in the radial direction while being curved from the first side to the second side in the axial direction. The outer guide has a first diameter-expanded portion that gradually expands to the outer side in the radial direction with a first radius of curvature, and a second diameter-expanded portion that gradually expands to the outer side in the radial direction with a second radius of curvature larger than the first radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatomo Todo, Akito Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 11692451
    Abstract: An aircraft engine has: a first component and a second component coaxially mounted about a central axis; a flow passage extending within an annular gap defined radially between the first component and the second component, the flow passage fluidly connecting a first zone to a second zone; a seal disposed in the flow passage between the first zone and the second zone, the seal extending from a seal base secured to the first component to a seal end radially spaced apart from the seal base; a deflector located downstream of the seal relative to a first flow flowing from the first zone to the second zone through the seal, the deflector extending from a deflector base secured to the second component to a deflector end radially spaced apart from the deflector base; and a radial gap defined radially between the seal end and the deflector end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Gabriel St-Laurent
  • Patent number: 11686201
    Abstract: A turbine rotor in an embodiment is configured by joining a rotor component member and a rotor component member together by bolt fastening with an abutting end surface of the rotor component member and an abutting end surface of the rotor component member abutting on each other. The turbine rotor includes: a cylindrical recessed portion that is formed at the abutting end surface and is recessed in an axial direction; an axial passage bored from a bottom surface of the cylindrical recessed portion in the axial direction; an introduction passage introducing the cooling medium into the axial passage; a discharge passage discharging the cooling medium from the axial passage; and a sealing member that is arranged in the cylindrical recessed portion and seals one end of the axial passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Tsuruta, Takashi Suzuki, Hideyuki Maeda, Yuta Ishikawa, Masao Itoh
  • Patent number: 11674402
    Abstract: A hydrostatic advanced low leakage seal configured to be disposed between relatively rotatable components. The seal includes a base. The seal also includes a shoe extending circumferentially. The seal further includes a radially outer beam operatively coupling the shoe to the base. The seal yet further includes a radially inner beam operatively coupling the shoe to the base, wherein one of the radially inner beam and the radially outer beam is oriented to be angled relative to the other of the radially inner and outer beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 11668196
    Abstract: A profiled structure for an aircraft or turbomachine is elongated in a direction in which the structure has a length exposed to an airflow and includes serrations defined by successive teeth and depressions. The serrations may be transverse to a leading edge and/or a trailing edge of the profiled structure and in the direction of elongation. Along the profiled leading edge and/or profiled trailing edge, the successive teeth and depressions may extend only over a part of the length exposed to the flow. The amplitude and/or spacing of the teeth may vary monotonically except for the few teeth nearest each end of the part, with a remaining part of the length being smooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES
    Inventors: Fernando Gea Aguilera, Raphaël Barrier, Mathieu Simon Paul Gruber, Cyril Polacsek, Hélène Dominique Jeanne Posson
  • Patent number: 11661956
    Abstract: A fan frame includes a metal base and a frame body. The metal base has a center portion, a plurality of supporting portions with strip shapes and a plurality of wing portions. Each of the supporting portions has a head end, a middle part and a tail end. The head end connects to a peripheral part of the center portion. The wing portions extend outwardly at an angle from the middle parts of the supporting portions, respectively. The frame body has a frame wall. The wing portions are partially at least covered by the frame body. Another fan frame is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Kai Hsieh, Chih-Hui Wu, Geng-Hua Liu
  • Patent number: 11643974
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine configured with an engine core. A fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; and a gearbox arranged to receive an input from the core shaft and to output drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft. The gearbox being an epicyclic gearbox comprising a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted, the planet carrier having an effective linear torsional stiffness and the gearbox having a gear mesh stiffness between the planet gears and the ring gear. Additionally, the product of the effective linear torsional stiffness of the planet carrier and the gear mesh stiffness between the planet gears and the ring gear is greater than or equal to 5.0×1018N2m?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark Spruce
  • Patent number: 11643937
    Abstract: An improved stator assembly for use in a gas-turbine engine is disclosed. The stator assembly may comprise a vane, an inner diameter (ID) ring, an outer diameter (OD) ring, a vane disposed between the ID ring and the OD ring, a potting component coupling the vane to at least one of the OD ring or the ID ring, and a potting embedded component disposed within the potting component. The potting embedded component may prevent disbond of the potting component during operation of the gas-turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah J. Zecha, Brian Barainca, Brian Duguay, Uriah C. Noble
  • Patent number: 11629718
    Abstract: Pump assemblies may include a pumping unit. The pumping unit may include at least one impeller having an impeller housing with an impeller housing intake end, an impeller housing outlet end and an impeller housing interior extending from the impeller housing intake end to the impeller housing outlet end. An impeller assembly may be disposed in the impeller housing interior of the impeller housing. The impeller assembly may include an impeller hub. At least one impeller screw blade may extend from the impeller hub. An impeller shaft may drivingly engage the impeller hub for rotation of the impeller assembly in the impeller housing interior. The impeller shaft may be configured for driving connection to the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Inventor: Rick D. Spargo