Patents Examined by Jason Mikus
  • Patent number: 10156226
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system is provided. The lightning protection system comprises a lightning conductor located along a longitudinal portion of the wind turbine blade and is coupled to an electrical ground. A lightning receptor module is arranged on an external surface of the wind turbine blade and electrically coupled to the lightning conductor. An elongate receptor band is installed on the external surface of the wind turbine blade, over the lightning receptor module, and the receptor band is arranged to receive a stroke of lightning and transfer electrical current from the lightning stroke to the lightning conductor through the lightning receptor module. Further, the elongate receptor band comprises a crease in a longitudinal cross-sectional profile of the elongate receptor band. A method of installing a lightning protection system on a wind turbine blade is further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Anton Bech, Henrik Aarup, Michael Heuer, Sönke Harders
  • Patent number: 10125737
    Abstract: This Francis-type runner for a turbine includes a crown, a band and blades the number of which is not a prime number. These blades are made as one piece and extend between the crown and the band, and between a leading edge and a trailing edge each trailing edge has its concave face facing upstream over its entire length. In addition, first blades are uniformly distributed about a central axis of the runner in a number equal to a divisor of the total number of blades. Each of these first blades has a point of attachment of its trailing edge to the crown that is lowered by comparison with the point of attachment of the trailing edge to the crown of second blades, which are likewise part of the runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Thomas De Colombel
  • Patent number: 10094454
    Abstract: An axial, through-shaft actuator that is particularly useful for a variably actuatable water pump having a pump chamber, with an inlet and an outlet is provided. A hollow drive shaft extends into the pump chamber. A drive wheel is connected to the drive shaft. A variable flow impeller assembly having an impeller part connected to the drive shaft and a cover part, which is axially movable relative to the impeller part is located in the pump chamber and is movable from a first, pumping position to a second position to prevent pumping. A cup actuator assembly is axially movable on the hollow drive shaft, and includes an actuator plate and a pin extending through the hollow drive shaft that connects the axially movable impeller part and the actuator plate. An actuator displaces the actuator plate in the axial direction of the drive shaft to move the axially movable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Vigel Russalian
  • Patent number: 10094233
    Abstract: A turbine shroud for a gas turbine engine includes an annular metallic carrier, a blade track, and a cross-key connection formed between the annular metallic carrier and the ceramic blade track. The cross-key connection is formed between the annular metallic carrier and inserts included in the blade track. The inserts are bonded to an annular runner also included in the blade track by a braze layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean E. Landwehr, William Westphal, Ted J. Freeman, Adam L. Chamberlain
  • Patent number: 10087780
    Abstract: An assembly for a turbocharger can include a shaft and turbine wheel assembly and a component that has a rotational axis and that includes a through bore for receipt of the component by the shaft of the shaft and turbine wheel assembly where the component includes an inner surface and an outer surface and one or more passages that extend between the inner surface and the outer surface, where the one or more passages are shaped to exert force on the component responsive to flow of fluid in the one or more passages and where the force rotates the component about the rotational axis. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Poomkuzhimannil Zachariah John, Suryakant Gupta, Parikshit I Mulani, Maltesh Kolur, Giorgio Figura
  • Patent number: 10082080
    Abstract: A forward fan rotor is disclosed with a hub of axis of rotation (X) and a cone mounted on the hub of the fan. The cone comprises an air bleed orifice which opens into an air duct of which a forward end portion passes through the fan rotor, said forward end portion comprising mechanical air entrainment means. The air bleed orifice has an annular shape and in that the cone is divided by said orifice into a front vertex portion and a rear frustoconical portion. A turbomachine forward axial spool equipped with such a fan rotor is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Christian Vessot, Matthieu Leyko
  • Patent number: 10077663
    Abstract: A rotor stack assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly axially downstream from the first rotor assembly. The first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly include a rim, a bore and a web that extends between the rim and the bore. A tie shaft is positioned radially inward of the bores. The tie shaft maintains a compressive load on the first rotor assembly and the second rotor assembly. The compressive load is communicated through a first load path of the first rotor assembly and a second load path of the second rotor assembly. At least one of the first load path and the second load path is radially inboard of the rims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Eric W. Malmborg, David P. Houston, James R. Midgley, Robert A. Grelotti, Joseph W. Bridges
  • Patent number: 10060446
    Abstract: A cooling or heating fluid circulation system of the double-supported centrifugal pump, comprises a left shaft sleeve and a right shaft sleeve which are sleeved on the periphery of the pump shaft, a first left sealing gland and a second left sealing gland are sleeved on the periphery of the left shaft sleeve via a left outside stationary sealing ring, a left outside rotating sealing ring and a left inside stationary sealing ring respectively, a first right sealing gland and a second right sealing gland are sleeved on the periphery of the right shaft sleeve via a right outside stationary sealing ring, a right outside rotating sealing ring and a right inside stationary sealing ring respectively; a heat exchange fluid circulation channel, which is formed among the first left sealing gland, the second left sealing gland, the left shaft sleeve, the pump shaft, the right shaft sleeve, the first right sealing gland and the second right sealing gland, is connected with an external heat exchanger via an external chann
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Inventor: Tianyi Xing
  • Patent number: 10047631
    Abstract: A turbine engine system includes a heat source, a heat exchanger, a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet. The heat source includes a first passage. The heat exchanger includes a second passage and a third passage. The first and the second passages are configured in a closed loop circuit. The third passage is configured between the inlet and the outlet in an open loop circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael F. Blair, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley, Mark F. Zelesky
  • Patent number: 10036261
    Abstract: A blade has an airfoil extending radially outwardly of a dovetail. The dovetail has edges that will be at circumferential sides of the blade when the blade is mounted within a rotor. A bottom surface of the dovetail will be radially inward when the rotor blade is mounted in a rotor, and is formed such that a circumferentially central portion of the bottom surface is radially thicker than are circumferential edges. A fan and a gas turbine engine are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sean A. Whitehurst, Christopher S. McKaveney, Patrick James McComb
  • Patent number: 9989066
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a blower assembly having a blower housing, an impeller adapted for rotation about an axis A-A disposed in blower housing, and an intake plenum cooperating with the interior first surface of the blower housing to define an air entrance passage for receiving an incoming air flow. The intake plenum includes means to split the incoming air flow into a plurality of air streams and direct the air streams to predetermined portions of the impeller susceptible to stall conditions as the impeller rotates about the axis A-A. The means to split the incoming air may include a splitter plate disposed in the air entrance passage or at least one port defined in a portion of the air intake plenum adjacent the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Debashis Ghosh, Richard S. Baranowski, Shamsuddin Noorani
  • Patent number: 9988157
    Abstract: A nacelle may include fan cowl panels which may be opened to provide access to the fan case. A latching mechanism may latch a left fan cowl panel to a right fan cowl panel. The latch may create a separation between the fan cowl panels when unlatched. A shoot pin latch may be aligned with a receiver cavity such that the shoot pin latch may be closed when the latching mechanism is closed. If the fan cowl panels are not fully closed, the shoot pin latch may be prevented from closing, and a high visibility handle may indicate that the fan cowl panels are not latched together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventors: John J. Lee, Kristian Sitson, Yibin Deng
  • Patent number: 9982549
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine stage includes a rotor having a slot. A blade has a root received in the slot, and a shank that extends radially outward from the root to a platform that supports an airfoil. A seal is supported on the shank and in engagement circumferentially between and with the shank and the rotor within the slot. A gas turbine engine includes compressor and turbine sections. The turbine section has a rotor with a slot. A combustor is provided axially between the compressor and turbine sections. A turbine blade in the turbine section includes a root received in the slot and a shank that extends radially outward from the root to a platform that supports an airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seth J. Thomen, Wieslaw A. Chlus
  • Patent number: 9976483
    Abstract: An aircraft engine having a fan or propeller stage mounted to a planetary gearing system through a planetary gearing output drive shaft is provided with a lubricant system having a seal with lubricant delivery chamber for receiving a lubricant and a sealing surface sealing against a rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft has a hollow interior and an opening in registration with the delivery chamber. The lubricant system has a lubricant pump in fluidical communication with and downstream of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventor: Gideon Daniel Venter
  • Patent number: 9951627
    Abstract: The impeller is provided with: a disc section equipped with a tube section, the grip section of which is fixed by thermal deformation to a rotation shaft that is rotated around the axis line, and a main disc body, which is provided on the other end in the axial direction from the grip section and which extends outward in the radial direction of the rotation shaft; and blade sections that protrude from the main disc body in the axial direction. The disc section is provided with a hoop stress-limiting section, the tube section of which extends further towards the other end in the axial direction than the main disc body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyori Yagi, Daisuke Hirata
  • Patent number: 9951653
    Abstract: A method for assembling a variable geometry turbomachine with a bearing housing, an adjacent turbine housing, a turbine wheel rotating in the turbine housing about a turbine axis; an inlet passage upstream of the turbine wheel between inlet surfaces of first and second wall members, one wall member moveable along the turbine axis to vary the inlet passage size; vanes across the inlet passage connected to a first wall member; an array of vane slots defined by the second wall member to receive the vanes for relative movement between the wall members; the second wall member comprising a shroud defining vane slots; the second wall member supported by a support member retained by a mounting feature; the mounting feature being one of the bearing housings, the turbine housing, or the actuation element; and the shroud is fixed to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Robert L. Holroyd
  • Patent number: 9951815
    Abstract: A pitch bearing assembly for a wind turbine may include an outer race and an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race. The inner race may define an inner circumference and may include a plurality of gear teeth around the inner circumference. The inner race may also include a circumferential flange extending at least partially around the inner circumference. In addition, the pitch bearing assembly may include a stiffener coupled to the circumferential flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Adam Daniel Minadeo, William Francis Gevers, Robert Davis Pine, Andreas Schubert
  • Patent number: 9926791
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite article and a process of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite are disclosed. The ceramic matrix composite article includes a matrix distribution pattern formed by a manifold and ceramic matrix composite plies laid up on the matrix distribution pattern, includes the manifold, or a combination thereof. The manifold includes one or more matrix distribution channels operably connected to a delivery interface, the delivery interface configured for providing matrix material to one or more of the ceramic matrix composite plies. The process includes providing the manifold, forming the matrix distribution pattern by transporting the matrix material through the manifold, and contacting the ceramic matrix composite plies with the matrix material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Ralph Cairo, Paul Stephen Dimascio, Jason Robert Parolini
  • Patent number: 9915203
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The lubrication system is configured to provide pressurized air and lubricant to a bearing sump of the gas turbine engine to cool and lubricate a bearing included in the bearing sump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Kerry J. Lighty, Larry A. Junod
  • Patent number: 9890640
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is disclosed having a thermoelectric device capable of changing a tip clearance in a turbomachinery component. In one non-limiting form the turbomachinery component is a compressor. The thermoelectric device can be used in some forms to harvest power derived from a waste heat. The tip clearance control system can include a sensor used to determine a clearance between a tip and a wall of the turbomachinery component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Kent Vetters, Michael Abraham Karam