Patents Examined by James M. McAleenan
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Patent number: 6685429Abstract: A method of prestressing a component (30) includes the use of an electrical discharge or current to produce a plasma (39) within a medium (32) located adjacent the component (30). The plasma generates a shock wave which impacts a surface of the component to produce a region of compressive residual stress within the component.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2001Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventor: John R Webster
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Patent number: 6685436Abstract: A hollow blade for a ceiling fan is made from a selected material and has a hollow interior structure to result in a reduced weight for decreasing motor loading and saving electric power consumption, and saving material consumption for reducing costs.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2002Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Inventor: Yung-Chung Huang
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Patent number: 6676377Abstract: The invention relates to a device (3) for simultaneously interlocking a plurality of actuators (1) by means of a first locking element (5) which is assigned to each final control element (2) of an actuator (1) and which interacts with a second locking element (6). The second locking element is fixed inside the housing (4) in an actuating direction of the final control element (2) and is displaced into an interlocking position by spring force and into an unlocking position by an assisting force. The invention provides that a plurality of second locking elements (6) are interconnected and are actuated by a common device (11). As a result, the variety of parts, the safety risk, the weight, and the constructional complexity are reduced which is very important especially when the inventive device is used in helicopter.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2002Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbHInventors: Thomas Schreiber, Torsten Röhn
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Patent number: 6663341Abstract: A process fluid recycle system for compressor assemblies to recycle process fluid vapor flowing from one or more compressors to gear case(s) through shaft seal(s). The flowing process fluid is recycled back to the low pressure inlet of the compressor assembly by way of a recycle conduit. Coalescing filters are provided to separate oil mist from the process fluid vapor. Oil vapor and water vapor can also be removed, where necessary, by suitable oil and water vapor traps. During startup and shutdown or other times when low pressure transients occur that could cause a back flow of gear oil from the gear case into the compressor(s) by way of the shaft seal(s), an anti-back flow compressor is operated to ensure that the pressure within the gear case will be less than within the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2002Date of Patent: December 16, 2003Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.Inventors: Alfred Peter Evans, Neno Todorov Nenov, Gregory William Henzler, Jeffert John Nowobilski, Robert Leroy Baker
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Patent number: 6644917Abstract: A on-line method is provided for detecting wear and/or damage to gas turbine parts. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a gas turbine comprising parts with smart coatings and collection and detection means to measure wear and erosion of gas turbine parts. In other preferred embodiments, smart coatings are provided comprising chemical taggants that can be collected and detected downstream, thus providing an on-line or in situ evaluation technology for wear and damage to gas turbine parts.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2001Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ji-Cheng Zhao, James Anthony Ruud, John Eric Tkaczyk, Ann Melinda Ritter, Melvin Robert Jackson, Jerome Johnson Tiemann
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Patent number: 6623239Abstract: A turbocharger having a bypass port compressor, with a center channel that flows directly into the compressor wheel, and an annular channel which acts as a bypass and provides flow either into or out of the compressor wheel, with an inner deflector having at least a first surface substantially perpendicular to the annular channel and extending radially into the annular channel, and at least a second surface substantially parallel to the annular channel and extending axially along the annular channel, such that line-of-sight transmission of sound from the annular channel is eliminated, and sound waves are instead dampened or canceled, reducing noise emissions from the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2001Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Sunil Nandan Sahay, Daniel Volle Brown
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Patent number: 6616405Abstract: In a cooling structure for a gas turbine, cooling air diffusion holes are formed from inner surface to outer surface of a platform so as to open from high pressure side blade surface of a moving blade offset in a direction toward low pressure side blade surface of adjacent moving blade confronting the high pressure side blade surface, in a direction of primary flow.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2001Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Shunsuke Torii, Jun Kubota, Yasuoki Tomita, Hiroyuki Aoki, Masamitsu Kuwabara
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Patent number: 6612809Abstract: The present invention provides a seal for a gas turbine engine, comprising an annular ring with an L-shaped cross-section having a radially extending leg and an axially extending leg. A plurality of corrugations are formed in the axial leg so as to make it compliant in the circumferential direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2001Date of Patent: September 2, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Paul Czachor, Tod Kenneth Bosel
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Patent number: 6609881Abstract: A pair of steam turbine inlet ports are disposed at opposite sides of a steam turbine housing for flowing steam in opposite circumferential directions in a generally annular steam chamber to first stages of a turbine through axially opposite outlets. Portions of the chamber in the upper and lower housing have decreasing cross-sections in a generally circumferential direction away from the steam inlet portions to provide a substantially uniform flow of steam about the chamber in a generally radially inward direction and about and through the axial outlets.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2001Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Mark Brown, George Horner Kirby, Andrew Ivan Christopher Hunter, Richard Lloyd Mattice, Brian E. Thompson
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Patent number: 6609880Abstract: A method for assembling a turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine facilitates improving cooling efficiency of the turbine nozzle. The method includes providing a hollow doublet including a leading airfoil and a trailing airfoil coupled by at least one platform, wherein each airfoil includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall that extend between a respective leading and trailing edge. The method also includes inserting an insert into at least one of the airfoils, wherein the insert includes a first sidewall including a first plurality of cooling openings that extending therethrough, and a second sidewall including a second plurality of cooling openings extending therethrough, and wherein the first plurality of cooling openings facilitate more airfoil vane sidewall cooling than the second plurality of cooling openings.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2001Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Andrew Charles Powis, Jonathan Philip Clarke, Judd Dodge Tressler
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Patent number: 6602052Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine includes a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall, a tip cap, and a tip squealer. Cooling fluid flows from a hollow space within the airfoil through exit passages extending to the pressure side of the airfoil and to the tip cavity defined by the tip cap and the tip squealer. The tip squealer includes a smooth contour with curved and straight portions, allowing an even flow of the cooling fluid about the tip squealer and within the tip cavity. Furthermore, the exit passages are partially diffused and oriented at angles with respect to the radial direction. The smooth contour and shape of the exit passages avoids the formation of vortices and enhances film cooling of the tip squealer.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2001Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) LtdInventor: George Liang
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Patent number: 6595754Abstract: A blade bracket to releasably connect a blade of a ceiling fan to the rotor, the blade bracket comprising a mount adapted for attachment to the rotor and a blade support securable to the blade and releasably attachable to the mount, the mount comprising means to permit securable attachment to the rotor at one end, and at another end, a sleeve having an entrance and a base, the blade support comprising, at one end, means for securing a fan blade thereto and at another end thereof a neck which is releasably seatable into the mount sleeve through its entrance, and a lock mechanically associated with the mount and adjustable when the neck is seated in the sleeve to lock securely said neck in the sleeve, with the fan blade in proper orientation, for operation of the fan.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Inventor: Jing An Kuang
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Patent number: 6595752Abstract: An improved impeller for a centrifugal pump is disclosed. The impeller is particularly suited for use in pumps in which a high head is required and in which only low shear forces must be applied to the fluid moving through the pump. The impeller comprises vanes which sweep an arc around an impeller axis to provide a smooth path past the impeller and through the pump. The vanes of the impeller are formed to cause the fluid moving over the vanes to apply a hydrodynamic force to the vane that opposes the force applied to the vane by fluid as the vane urges fluid through the pump. An impeller according to this invention does not require the supporting structures that are required by known impellers.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Inventors: John McGinn, Leroy S. Finnigan
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Patent number: 6595749Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine, the airfoil having a core body with an airfoil body, an integral partial height squealer tip defining a tip shelf, and an integral tip cap between the airfoil body and the integral partial height squealer tip; and a squealer tip extension bonded to the partial height squealer tip. A method for manufacture and repair of an airfoil.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: July 22, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Lawrence Joseph Roedl, Jonathan James Stow
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Patent number: 6592331Abstract: The present invention concerns a tower of a wind power installation for carrying a tower head of the wind power installation, comprising a flange for receiving a connection which is suitable for receiving the tower head of the wind power installation. Therefore the object of the invention is to provide a tower of a wind power installation having a flange for receiving a connection, wherein the tower does not suffer deformation in respect of its cross-section, in particular in the region of the flange, by virtue of the inherent weight of the tower, during manufacture and/or transport. A tower of a wind power installation for carrying a tower head of the wind power installation, comprising a flange for receiving a connection which is suitable for receiving the tower head of the wind power installation, characterised in that there is provided a partition or a ring bulkhead in the tower interior at a spacing of between preferably 1.0 m and 7.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2002Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Inventor: Aloys Wobben
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Patent number: 6589014Abstract: A fluid-driven turbine for converting kinetic energy of an incompressible fluid into mechanical work energy comprising an outer cylinder enclosing a cylindrical chamber with laterally opposed inlet ports and opposed apertures, fluid supply pipe with a common inlet pipe, side pipes and associated inlet pipes, an exhaust pipe, and an inner cylinder with impellers, said inner cylinder connected to a shaft disposed within the apertures of the outer cylinder and rotating upon said shaft once fluid is delivered by the fluid supply pipe into chambers located between the outer cylinder and inner cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2002Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Inventors: John Hawryluk, Alexandra Hawryluk, John Michael Hawryluk
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Patent number: 6589010Abstract: A coolant flow control structure is provided to channel cooling media flow to the fillet region defined at the transition between the wall of a nozzle vane and a wall of a nozzle segment, for cooling the fillet region. In an exemplary embodiment, the flow control structure defines a gap with the fillet region to achieve the required heat transfer coefficients in this region to meet part life requirements.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gary Michael Itzel, Robert Henry Devine, II, Sanjay Chopra, Thomas Nelson Toornman
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Patent number: 6589016Abstract: A low speed cooling fan that is designed to cool individuals located in large industrial buildings. A fan with a diameter between 15 to 40 feet consisting of a plurality of blades, with each in the shape of a tapered airfoil, is driven by an electric motor to produce a very large slowly moving column of air. The moving column of air creates a uniformly gentle circulatory airflow pattern throughout the interior of the building thus promoting the natural evaporative cooling process of the human body at all locations inside the building.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignees: Mechanization Systems Co., Inc., Delta T. CorporationInventors: Walter K. Boyd, William C. Fairbank
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Patent number: 6585480Abstract: A turbo-molecular pump has a casing, a stator fixedly mounted in the casing, and a rotor supported in the casing for rotation relatively to the stator. A turbine blade pumping assembly and a thread groove pumping assembly for discharging gas molecules are disposed between the stator and the rotor. The rotor comprises at least two components constituting the turbine blade pumping assembly and the thread groove pumping assembly. The components are separable from each other at a predetermined position, and joined to each other to form the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Kawasaki, Hiroshi Sobukawa
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Patent number: 6585479Abstract: A cast assembly for a gas turbine engine compressor, the compressor including a plurality of axial flow stators and a rotor having a plurality of axial flow blades, each of the blades having a tip section and a leading edge. The assembly comprises a stator outer platform, a boss, a passage, a blade outer shroud and a circumferential slot. A boss is formed in the platform and includes a passage. The passage includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is disposed in the circumferential slot. The outlet being disposed upstream of the leading edge of the blades. The passage circumferentially converges inward from the inlet to the outlet. The outer shroud joins with said outer platform during the assembly of the compressor such that the circumferential slot is formed downstream and proximate to the leading edge of the blades. The circumferential slot is in flow communication with the inlet and converges axially.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2001Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Mark Torrance