Patents Examined by Jason Mikus
  • Patent number: 10641178
    Abstract: Method (S) for protecting against fire a fan casing (1) comprising a roughly cylindrical barrel (10) having a main direction extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and an upstream flange (20) extending radially with respect to the longitudinal axis (X) from an upstream end of the barrel (10), the fan casing (1) being made of a composite comprising a fibrous reinforcement densified by a matrix, said matrix being polymerized, the protection method(S) comprising the following steps:?—laying (SI) widths containing glass fibre pre-impregnated with a resin capable of affording the fan casing with thermal protection against fire on an upstream radial face (22) of the upstream flange (20), and ?—polymerizing (S2) the resin in order to obtain a protective layer (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Sylvain Corradini, Timothee Elisseeff, Sophie Essayan
  • Patent number: 10641236
    Abstract: This invention relates to a submersible hydroelectric generator apparatus (1) and a method of evacuating water from such an apparatus. The method of evacuating water from a submersible hydroelectric generator apparatus (1) comprising the steps of pressurizing a fluid supply in the submersible hydroelectric generator apparatus using the water flowing into the apparatus and thereafter using the thus-pressurized fluid supply to evacuate the water from the apparatus. Additional pressurized fluid can be supplied to provide a pressurized fluid supply with sufficient pressure to expel the water from the apparatus. The apparatus (1) can be used in a grid connected electricity generating system or indeed in a smaller scale implementation such as in a single building or group of buildings to provide electricity to those buildings. The invention overcomes problems with prior art devices by evacuating water from the apparatus in an efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Inventor: McElroy Owen
  • Patent number: 10612416
    Abstract: A turbo machinery case includes a shell body extending circumferentially about a longitudinal axis and defining therein a main gas path. The shell body defines a first offtake opening and a second offtake opening that extend in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis. The first and second offtake openings are defined at a common axial location with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbo machinery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jason Hatfield
  • Patent number: 10612395
    Abstract: An air cooled component for a gas turbine engine including a first wall and a second wall having opposing inner surfaces to define a gap therebetween, and a lattice of intersecting elongate ribs extending longitudinally along the first and second walls and transversely between the inner surfaces of the first and second walls to provide a plurality of cells. One or more portions of the ribs include an aperture to provide a flow path between adjacent cells so that the cells are in fluid communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Matthew D Tucker, Simon L Jones
  • Patent number: 10603740
    Abstract: A turbocharger wheel (4) and shaft (1) assembly exhibits a frustoconical geometry of welding zone contact surfaces extending to the outer circumference of the shaft (1). This frustoconical geometry not only allows continuous centering of the parts (1, 4) during joining, it also eliminates the problem of stress propagation along a plane. The location of the electron beam is shifted so that only the radially outer segment of the frustoconical contact surface is joined by welding, leaving a radially inner unmelted and unfused zone for maintaining firm contact of the oblique surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Silvio Koch, Stefan Eisinger
  • Patent number: 10590961
    Abstract: A vibration control mechanism 50 is interposed between a ball bearing 8 and a support section 2a of a base 2. The vibration control mechanism 50 is provided with a plurality of laminated sliding members 51, 52 and an elastic body 53. The vibration control mechanism 50 is provided with the plurality of sliding members 51, 52, and therefore has a plurality of sliding surfaces. As a result, it is possible to enhance a vibration control effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Shin Sumimoto
  • Patent number: 10569844
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an offshore wind turbine on a floating support structure (1) comprising in combination: a main floater (1) comprising a part of substantially cylindrical shape, a concrete circular element (2) having a diameter greater than the diameter of the main floater, providing a stationary mass at the base of the floater and a damper, supplementary permanent ballast (4) arranged at the base of the main floater, dynamic ballast boxes (3) included in the main floater and distributed ringwise on the periphery of the floater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: IFP Energies nouvelles
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Gilloteaux, Yann Poirette, Alice Pourtier, Pauline Bozonnet, Gilles Ferrer, Gerard Papon, Timothee Perdrizet, Navid Saeedi
  • Patent number: 10557368
    Abstract: An active clearance control system of a gas turbine engine includes a radially adjustable blade outer air seal system movable between a radially contracted Blade Outer Air Seal (BOAS) position that defines a first air volume and a radially expanded Blade Outer Air Seal (BOAS) position that defines a second air volume, the second air volume different than the first air volume. An accumulator system accommodate a difference in air volume between the first air volume and the second air volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ken F. Blaney, Todd M. LaPierre
  • Patent number: 10527056
    Abstract: A method for repairing a blade connection of a generator rotor is disclosed. The generator rotor includes an internally threaded hole formed in the generator rotor and an externally threaded blade root. The method includes the steps of removing the blade from the generator rotor, removing material of a first section of the root extending from an end of the root closest to the airfoil, and screwing the blade back into the threaded hole. Additionally, a reworked blade and a reworked blade generator rotor connection is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michele Pesce, Juergen Gerhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 10502225
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a centrifugal fan assembly (19) for the debris collection arrangement (100) of a road cleaning machine (10). The assembly (19) comprises a casing (101), a rotatable impeller (103) and a wall (107). The casing (101) comprises a volute portion (30) connected to an outlet passageway (31), a corner (106) being formed therebetween. The impeller (103) comprises a plurality of blades (25) and is located in the volute portion (30) proximate the corner (106). The wall (107) separates the outlet passageway (31) into a first and second passageway (36, 37) and extends to an inner end (102) proximate the impeller (103). The inner end (102) is positioned, and the impeller (103) is arranged, such that when a blade (25) passes the inner end (102) a second pressure wave is formed that destructively interferes with a first pressure wave formed by a blade (25) passing the corner (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Johnston Sweepers Limited
    Inventors: Gareth Knopp, Michael Sandford, Stephen Catchpole
  • Patent number: 10487842
    Abstract: An apparatus for suppressing a surge of a turbo compressor is provided. The apparatus includes a compressor housing having a compressor wheel provided therein and an inlet having air flowing thereinto and protruding from a first opposite to the compressor wheel. A connection module has a first side connected to the compressor housing to communicate with the inlet and a second side that includes an inlet for supplying air. A flexible cone of an elastic material is disposed in the connection module and is formed in a conical shape having sizes of cross-sectional areas of a first side and a second side that are different from each other. A spring member is coupled to an exterior circumferential surface of the flexible cone to provide an elastic force and operated to change a size of a cross-sectional area of the first or second side of the flexible cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Seok Beom Jin
  • Patent number: 10458270
    Abstract: A gear system for a geared turbofan engine is disclosed. The gear system includes a sun gear driven by a low spool shaft. The sun gear defines a sun gear diameter. A rotating carrier drives a fan. The carrier defines an outer carrier diameter and an inner carrier diameter. A non-rotating ring gear is also included. The ring gear defines a ring gear diameter and the ring gear diameter is smaller than the outer carrier diameter. A set of planet gears are mounted on corresponding rolling element bearing assemblies. Each roller element bearing assembly is supported within the carrier within a space defined between the carrier outer diameter and the carrier inner diameter. Each of the sun gear, ring gear and planet gears are substantially centered along a gearbox centerline transverse to an engine longitudinal axis and the gear system provides a speed reduction ratio between an input to the sun gear and an output from the carrier between 3:1 and 5:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10428838
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes: a housing; an impeller which is mounted in the housing; a hub which is provided in the impeller and is rotated by a driving force of a motor; and a plurality of blades which radially extend at the hub. Each of the plurality of blades is formed to have a shape curved from a leading edge to a trailing edge in a rotational direction of the impeller in each of the plurality of blades. A farthest point from a plane connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge is defined as a peak portion. The peak portion is placed closer to the leading edge than the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kiwook Song, Jinsoo Kim, Dongwook Choi
  • Patent number: 10422338
    Abstract: A vacuum pump system for evacuating at least five volumes comprising a turbomolecular pump and a forevacuum pump arranged to pump an output of the turbomolecular pump arrangement to atmosphere. The turbomolecular pump has at least five pumping stages separated by rotor blades. Not more than three pumping stages have pumping speeds in excess of ? of the highest pumping speed when under vacuum and/or a pumping port cross section in excess of ? of the highest pumping port cross section, and at least two pumping stages have pumping speeds less than ¼ of the highest pumping speed when under vacuum and/or a pumping port cross section of less than ¼ of the biggest pumping port cross section. The ratio of pressures between the pumping stage with the highest pressure and the pumping stage with the lowest pressure is at least 100000:1 when under vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Makarov, Wilko Balschun
  • Patent number: 10415393
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an aerofoil blade includes the steps of providing: an aerofoil sub-assembly having a pair of aerofoil skins, wherein at least one of the skins is formed to have on its outer face an outer primary relief feature formed proud of the adjacent region of the outer face and an outer secondary relief feature projecting from the outer primary relief feature; arranging the aerofoil sub-assembly in a cavity die mould; and performing a hot forming process to form an internal cavity between the respective aerofoil skins by inflating the sub-assembly to conform the outer faces of the respective skins to the cavity die mould, whereby in conforming the respective outer faces of the skins to the cavity die mould, the outer primary and secondary relief features are transferred to the inner face of the respective skin to form respectively inner primary and secondary relief features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: John Mason, Keith Whittingham
  • Patent number: 10392949
    Abstract: A spinner for a gas turbine engine comprises an outer shell for defining an airflow path when mounted in a gas turbine engine. An inner surface is provided with a plurality of webs. A gas turbine engine and a fan section for a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Grant O. Cook, III, Colin J. Kling, James F. O'Brien, Shari L. Bugaj
  • Patent number: 10393087
    Abstract: A fluid driven turbine apparatus includes a hollow body and rib plates annularly disposed in the hollow body. A vane module is disposed in the hollow body and co-axially connected to a shaft extending axially through the hollow body. The rib plates surround the vane module and are spaced apart from the vane module by an annular gap. The annular gap has a width gradually enlarged in a top-to-bottom direction. When fluid flows into the vane module and is diverted sideward to the annular gap, large sand grains carried by fluid may pass through an enlarged lower portion of the annular gap without getting stuck therein and abrading the rib plates and the vane module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Inventor: Kuo-Chang Huang
  • Patent number: 10385727
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes an airfoil that extends in span from an inner band to an outer band where the inner band and the outer band define inner and outer flow boundaries of the turbine nozzle. At least one of the inner band and the outer band define a first set of cooling channels and a second set of cooling channels formed beneath a gas side surface of the corresponding inner band or outer band. The inner band or the outer band further define a coolant distribution plenum that is in fluid communication with the first and second sets of cooling channels. The coolant distribution plenum provides a stream of coolant to at least one of the first set of cooling channels and the second set of cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sandip Dutta, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gary Michael Itzel, James William Vehr
  • Patent number: 10378552
    Abstract: In accordance with certain presently disclosed embodiments, a multidirectional fan is provided. In certain embodiments, the multidirectional fan comprises a back plate having an interior surface and a central opening; a hub located around the central opening and projecting from the interior surface of the back plate; a plurality of flexible fan blades extending radially from the hub, wherein each flexible fan blade comprises a base and a blade, and wherein the base of each flexible fan blade is attached to the hub and the interior surface of the back plate; and a plurality of fasteners located at least partially on the interior surface of the back plate, wherein each fastener secures the blade of at least one flexible fan blade to the interior surface of the back plate at a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Charles Sidle
  • Patent number: 10371170
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for reducing noise generated by inlet guide vane (IGV) wake and rotor interaction in a turbine engine, the noise having acoustic energy substantially dominating at one or two frequencies, comprises altering noise frequencies to distribute the acoustic energy into a broadband frequency spectrum by ejecting fluid flows from holes located on a side near a trailing edge of at least one of a plurality of inlet guide vanes (IGVs), toward a rotor downstream of the IGVs to merge with an air flow guided by the side of the at least one of the IGVs for interfering with said IGV wake and rotor interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Hong Yu