Patents Examined by Joshua R Beebe
  • Patent number: 10590801
    Abstract: Described is a shaft support system for a gas turbine engine comprising: a rotatable fan shaft; first and second support structures extending in parallel from the shaft to a load bearing structure to provide radial location of the shaft within an engine casing, wherein the first support and second support structures include first and second respective mechanical fusible joints; wherein the first fusible joint is a two-stage fuse which partially fails within a first predetermined load range, the second fusible joint fails within a second predetermined load range which is different to the first load range, and the first fusible joint fully fails only when the second fusible joint has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Iain David Martin Phillips
  • Patent number: 10584642
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes first and second shafts rotatable about a common axis. A first turbine section is supported on the first shaft. Second compressor and turbine sections are supported on the second shaft. The gas turbine engine includes a fan. A first compressor section is arranged in an axial flow relationship with the second compressor and the first and second turbines. A geared architecture operatively connects the first shaft and the fan. An inducer operative couples to the gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10577944
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component, such as an airfoil, for a turbine engine including an outer wall separating a cooling fluid flow from a hot fluid flow. A cooling circuit including a cooling passage having opposing sidewalls can be provided in the engine component. At least one turbulator can be provided between the opposing sidewalls, and can include a conduit having an inlet and an outlet passing through the at least one turbulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Emily Rosette Clark, James Richard Winka, Daniel Robinson Getsinger, Thomas Earl Dyson, Brian Gene Brzek, James Fredric Wiedenhoefer, William Robb Stewart
  • Patent number: 10570756
    Abstract: A closing assembly for closing a blade ring inserted into a circumferential T-groove of a blade support of a turbomachine, having two insertion elements, each has a C-shaped basic form having a resting leg, retention leg, and connection leg connecting the resting leg and the retention leg and is designed to reach around a ridge of the T-groove. The resting leg reaches over the ridge and the retention leg reaches under the ridge, and an intermediate element, is positioned between the insertion elements to prevent the insertion elements from moving to the center of the T-groove. The intermediate element reaches below the retention legs of the insertion elements in the assembled state, and a positioning element is associated with the intermediate element, which is supported between the groove base of the T-groove and the intermediate element and to position the intermediate element at a desired distance from the groove base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Uwe Sieber, Dimitri Zelmer
  • Patent number: 10563657
    Abstract: A turbofan for an air conditioning apparatus includes a shroud at a center of which a suction port is formed; a hub plate which is spaced apart in a vertical direction from the shroud and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the suction port; and a plurality of blades provided between the hub plate and the shroud in a circumferential direction, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of blades which faces the suction port of the shroud is formed in a curved portion inclined with respect to the hub plate, and an outer circumference of the hub plate is provided with a plurality of notches each of which is formed between adjacent two blades among the plurality of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong-hun Kang, Eung-ryeol Seo, Jin-baek Kim, Hyun-joo Kim
  • Patent number: 10562608
    Abstract: Various mechanisms for adjusting pitches of propeller blades are described. For example, the pitch adjustment mechanism may include a propeller hub enclosing a geared mechanism that cooperates with a compound gearbox having first and second planetary stages to adjust pitches of propeller blades. Alternatively, the pitch adjustment mechanism may include a propeller hub enclosing a pitch adjustment assembly that utilizes tension cables and torsion springs, or rack-and-pinion structures, to adjust pitches of propeller blades. Using any of the various mechanisms, the pitches of propeller blades may be rotated at least 90 degrees, and up to and exceeding 360 degrees, in order to effect thrust reversals and/or adjust thrust profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Gornall, David Moro Ludena, Cyriel Notteboom, James Thomas
  • Patent number: 10562619
    Abstract: A main rotor trim tab retention system includes, a blade housing having flanges separated by a cavity defined between the flanges, and a trim tab assembly. The trim tab assembly includes, a trim tab having an aerodynamic surface, at least one arm extending from the trim tab positionable within the cavity while the trim tab extends outward from the cavity, and a spherical bearing connecting the trim tab and the at least one arm, the spherical bearing having a first axis which is substantially perpendicular to the aerodynamic surface of the trim tab. The at least one arm is pivotable about the spherical bearing about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis to rotate the trim tab relative to the blade housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Krzysztof Kopanski, Frank Caputo
  • Patent number: 10557366
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal may comprise an arcuate segment. The arcuate segment may comprise an aft wall having a first radially extending protrusion at a circumferential end of the aft wall. A first hook may extend aft from the aft wall. A first gusset may extend from the first radially extending protrusion. A radial height of the first radially extending protrusion may be greater than a radial height of a second radially extending protrusion of the aft wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christina G Ciamarra, Brian Barainca, Thurman Carlo Dabbs
  • Patent number: 10557353
    Abstract: A fan blade having a damping system is provided. The fan blade comprising: a fan blade body having one or more compartments within the fan blade body; a damping material located within at least one of the one or more compartments; one or more partial ribs originating at the fan blade body and extending into at least one of the one or more compartments, wherein each of the one or more partial ribs terminate at a distal end; and one or more damping plates, wherein each of the one or more damping plates are attached to a distal end of a partial rib, wherein the damping material is located between the damping plate and the fan blade body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric W. Malmborg, Thomas A. Pollack
  • Patent number: 10539028
    Abstract: A method optimizing a composite material blade profile for a rotor wheel of a turbine engine, and a blade including a tang compensated by the method. The method includes: compensating a blade airfoil by subdividing the airfoil into slices, and for each airfoil slice and a predetermined rotation speed of a disk of the wheel, calculating centrifugal force applied to the slice, calculating an aerodynamic force moment acting on a bottom section of the slice, and calculating shift values to be applied to a center of gravity of the slice to cancel the aerodynamic force moment; and compensating the blade tang by calculating centrifugal force applied to a blade portion situated beyond the airfoil neck, calculating an aerodynamic force moment acting on a bottom section of the blade tang, and calculating shift values to be applied to a center of gravity of the blade tang to cancel the aerodynamic force moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignees: SNECMA, HERAKLES
    Inventors: Sylvain Yves Jean Duval, Clement Roussille, Alain Schweitzer, Patrick Joseph Marie Girard
  • Patent number: 10527053
    Abstract: An open water pump comprises an upper casing, a lower casing, an impeller having a central shaft and a plurality of blades. Each blade has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper casing has an upper chamber, the lower casing has a lower chamber. A plurality of inlets attached below and to a side of the lower casing, and a plurality of outlets attached to a side of the upper casing. At least the bottom portion of the lower portion of each blade which attached to the shaft gradually bends along a rotation direction of the impeller, and a ratio of a height of the lower portion of each blade to a height of the upper portion is between 1 and 5. The impeller can be allowed to draw water at a low water level, foam formed by washing liquid or food debris on the surface of water can be less likely to get into the impeller to influence the drawing of water, a sufficient amount of water can be drawn from the water inlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ningbo Fotile Kitchen Ware Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Xu, Yangzhong Lian, Dengguang Zhu, Feng Zheng, Shuai Li, Zhongqun Mao, Yongding Zhu
  • Patent number: 10519977
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump is provided, which includes a rotor assembly and a shaft. The rotor assembly includes an injection molded body and a shaft sleeve, the rotor assembly is injection molded taking the shaft sleeve as an injection molding insert, and the impeller injection molded body and the shaft sleeve are fixed by injection molding. The rotor assembly is rotatably supported on the shaft by the shaft sleeve, and the shaft sleeve is processed by injection molding or forging. The shaft sleeve is of a hollow structure, and the shaft sleeve includes a body. A central hole is formed in the body. The shaft sleeve further includes an impeller limiting portion configured to limit a rotating movement and an axial movement of the shaft sleeve with respect to the injection molded body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Zhejiang Sanhua Automotive Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junchao Zhang, Wei Ye, Junfeng Bao, Rongrong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10513949
    Abstract: A fluid circulation system may comprise a main pump configured to provide oil to a journal bearing. An auxiliary system including a pump system may be configured to provide oil to the journal bearing. A manifold may be configured to mix the oil from the main pump with oil from the auxiliary system. A journal delivery line may be configured to deliver the oil from the manifold to the journal bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Francis Parnin, Justin W. Heiss
  • Patent number: 10501169
    Abstract: A control circuit for changing the angle of propeller blades includes a propeller control unit controlling a supply of oil to modify an angle of propeller blades, and a fixed-displacement pump providing the supply of oil from an engine oil return system to the propeller control unit. An oil cooling line extends between an outlet of the pump and the engine oil return system. The oil cooling line defines an oil leakage path leading to the engine oil return system for cooling the oil. A flow regulator between the pump and the propeller control unit is operable between an open position where oil is directed through the oil cooling line to the engine oil return system for cooling the oil, and a closed position blocking the oil cooling line and directing oil toward the propeller control unit to modify the angle of the propeller blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: David Waddleton
  • Patent number: 10480515
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a pump, in particular a centrifugal pump, during pumping of a liquid, comprising the following steps: fixing a setpoint value of a flow rate of the pump; measuring an inlet pressure of the liquid upstream of the pump and an outlet pressure of the liquid downstream of the pump; determining a setpoint value of a rotational speed of the pump from a performance map of the pump, wherein the fixed setpoint value of the flow rate and a difference between the outlet pressure and the inlet pressure are incorporated into the performance map as input values; and setting the rotational speed of the pump to the setpoint value of the rotational speed. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding device for controlling a pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: ORCAN ENERGY AG
    Inventors: Jens-Patrick Springer, Andreas Grill, Richard Aumann, Andreas Schuster
  • Patent number: 10480522
    Abstract: A multi-stage pump stack is disclosed herein wherein the multi-stage pump stack comprises a shaft, a diffuser disposed about the shaft, an impeller disposed within the diffuser, a first thrust ring disposed adjacent to the impeller, and a second thrust ring disposed adjacent to the diffuser. The first and second thrust rings are comprised of a material with a low friction coefficient. Systems and methods for distributing forces in the multi-stage pump stack are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Dezhi Zheng
  • Patent number: 10460717
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to controlling, reducing, and/or altering sound generated by an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), while the aerial vehicle is airborne. For example, one or more transducers, such as piezoelectric thin-film transducers, or carbon nanotube transducers may be applied or incorporated into or on the surface of propeller blades that are used to aerially navigate the aerial vehicle. As the propeller blade rotates and generates sound, the transducers may be activated to generate one or more anti-sounds that cancel, reduce, or otherwise modify the sound generated by the rotation of the propeller blade. The anti-sound combines with the sound and causes interference such that the combined, or net-effect, is an overall cancellation, reduction, or other modification of the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Beckman, Vedran Coralic, Gur Kimchi
  • Patent number: 10443389
    Abstract: A turbine blade, airfoil, and rotor stage for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The turbine blade, airfoil, and rotor stage each includes an uncoated airfoil profile in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z disclosed herein. The resulting airfoil exhibits high flutter margins, thus enabling the gas turbine engine to be operated at an increased power output while avoiding operational limitations required in known gas turbine engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Inventors: Douglas James Dietrich, Jeff Tessier, Megan Burke, Stephen Wayne Fiebiger, Roy E. Struble, Christopher Charles Williams, Alexander Vasili Rozendaal, Lonnie Adolphus Houck, III
  • Patent number: 10443609
    Abstract: A device for controlling the pitch of fan blades in a turbine engine having an unducted fan including at least one set of adjustable pitch fan blades, each fan blade being coupled, for pitch adjustment purposes, to a radial control shaft constrained to rotate with the set of fan blades and suitable for pivoting about a radial pitch axis of the fan blade, the device including a stationary actuator centered on a longitudinal axis of the turbine engine and driving an outer ring of a load transfer bearing in translation, the outer ring of the load transfer bearing being coupled directly to a lever arm of each control shaft via a respective ball joint connection in order to adjust its pivoting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Emmanuel Pierre Dimitri Patsouris, Olivier Belmonte, Clementine Charlotte Marie Mouton, Thomas Julien Nguyen Van
  • Patent number: 10422231
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bladed rotor for a gas turbine, with a body and a plurality of rotating blades where contact regions of a cylindrical surface of the body and front faces of the rotating blades are joined together cohesively. At least one of these contact regions and/or at least one of these front faces has at least one blind hole, in which at least one impulse body is arranged with play of movement and which is sealed and rotating blades are joined with the cylindrical surface. Alternatively, the body and rotating blades are manufactured integrally with one another by machining, and at least one blind hole extends from an inner surface of the body facing away from the blade out to one of the rotating blades, at least one impulse body being disposed with play of movement in this hole, and this hole is sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventor: Andreas Hartung