Patents Examined by Julian B Getachew
  • Patent number: 11499475
    Abstract: There is disclosed a fan assembly including a fan rotor including a hub and fan blades. The fan blades have a leading edge and a trailing edge. A fan stator downstream of the fan rotor relative to a direction of an airflow through the fan assembly. The fan stator includes vanes extending between radially inner ends and radially outer ends. A flow recirculation circuit has an inlet downstream of the vanes of the fan stator and an outlet upstream of the vanes. A recirculation rotor has a plurality of airfoils circumferentially distributed around the axis and located in the flow recirculation circuit. The recirculation rotor is rotatable about the axis within the recirculation circuit. A method of operating the fan assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Hien Duong, Vijay Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 11454206
    Abstract: A rotor blade of an aerodynamic rotor of a wind turbine having a rotor axis of rotation and an outer radius, comprising a blade root for fastening to a rotor hub, a blade tip which faces away from the blade root, a blade longitudinal axis which extends from the blade root to the blade tip, a blade front edge which faces toward the front in the direction of movement of the rotor blade, a blade rear edge which faces toward the rear in the direction of movement of the rotor blade, and profile sections which change along the blade longitudinal axis, wherein each profile section has a profile chord which extends from the blade front edge to the blade rear edge, and each profile chord has an installation angle as an angle in relation to a rotor plane, wherein the installation angle from the blade root to the blade tip first decreases in a blade inner region oriented toward the blade root, increases again in a blade central region and decreases again in a blade tip region oriented toward the blade tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Messing
  • Patent number: 11420302
    Abstract: Cleaning turbine having a cylindrical shape with an axis or rotation and provided with a concave base surface facing toward the work zone, with an upper surface, opposite the base surface, and a circumferential surface interposed between the base surface and the upper surface. The cleaning turbine is provided circumferentially with a plurality of slits angularly distanced from each other, facing upward and passing through the base surface and the upper surface. The cleaning turbine is also provided with a plurality of lateral apertures each of which extends radially from the slits to the circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Metal World S.p.A.
    Inventor: Franco Paviotti
  • Patent number: 11421551
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order. A shaft is provided rotatable with at least a portion of the compressor section and with at least a portion of the turbine section. A bearing is also provided supporting rotation of the shaft, with a support element in turn supporting the bearing. The gas turbine engine also includes a superelastic member formed of a shape memory alloy supporting at least one of the support element or the bearing. The superelastic member is installed in a pre-stressed condition to enhance a dampening function of the superelastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Akash Joshi, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Vidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla, Shuvajyoti Ghosh, Shivaram A C
  • Patent number: 11415141
    Abstract: A compressor assembly includes a compressor housing and a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) tube. The compressor housing has an inlet port configured to receive intake air at ambient pressure, an outlet port configured to discharge pressurized air, and a hollow cylindrical section having an inner radial surface and an outer radial surface. The inner radial surface of the hollow cylindrical section defines the inlet port of the compressor housing. The PCV tube is configured to allow airflow between a crankcase of an engine and the inlet port of the compressor housing. The PCV tube extends through the hollow cylindrical section of the compressor housing and beyond the inner radial surface of the hollow cylindrical section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fengkun Wang, Carnell E. Williams, Stephanie A. Cetnar, Jordan B. Schwarz, Mark D. Finkel
  • Patent number: 11415152
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system for reducing interference noise of rotor and stator blades includes rotor blades, stator blades, loudspeakers, one or more reference microphones, and a controller. The rotor blades rotate about a central axis. The loudspeakers are discretely arranged on a circle that has a center positioned on the central axis. Each loudspeaker generates a control sound. The controller causes the loudspeakers to generate control sounds of a same phase and a same amplitude. The control sounds correspond to the loudspeakers. The r is selected based on a preset attenuation level concerning the interference noise, and the k, where a is a length of the rotor blades, b is a radius of the circle, r=a/b, k is an upper limit wavenumber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Goto, Akihiko Enamito
  • Patent number: 11408300
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine may include a rotor overspeed protection (ROP) assembly. The ROP assembly may include an annular blade outer air seal (BOAS) assembly including a ROP segment. The ROP assembly may include a stator vane coupled with the BOAS assembly/. The stator vane may include a stator flange disposed about a forward edge portion of the stator vane. The ROP segment may include a ROP flange extending in an axially aft direction from a main body of the ROP segment toward the stator vane, wherein the ROP flange is disposed radially inward of the stator flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Merry, Paul W. Duesler
  • Patent number: 11401949
    Abstract: A blower according to a present embodiment includes a blower unit that has a housing on which a slit is formed to extend vertically, and a support unit that has a support pillar inserted through the slit and pivotally coupled with the blower unit to be swingable vertically. And, by forming a distance between a lower end of the slit and the support pillar in a horizontally directed state in which an airflow direction of the blower unit is in line with a horizontal direction, it is configured to make the blower unit swingable such that the airflow direction of the blower unit is directed toward a lower side below the horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: IRIS OHYAMA INC.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Fukumasu, Hirokazu Fujii, Hideki Yamamoto, Kanako Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 11391297
    Abstract: A composite case for a gas turbine engine includes an inner structure assembly defining an impact containment zone. The inner structure assembly is configured to circumscribe a plurality of rotatable blades of the gas turbine engine and to receive blade fragments in an event of blade failure. The inner structure assembly includes one or more layers containing a resin impregnated therein, and an outer structure assembly surrounding the inner structure assembly and integrally molded thereon. The outer structure assembly includes one or more layers containing a resin impregnated therein. One or more layers of the inner and the outer structure assemblies include resin reinforced by nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Kin-Leung Cheung
  • Patent number: 11384640
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade including an airfoil that extends from a platform. The platform may include a first portion of a nominal platform contour substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X?, Y?, and Z? as set forth in Table II. The Cartesian coordinate values of X?, Y?, and Z? are non-dimensional values from 0% to 100% convertible to dimensional distances by multiplying the Cartesian coordinate values of X?, Y?, and Z? by a height of the airfoil defined along a Z? axis. The X? and Y? values of the first portion are coordinate values that, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define contour lines of the first portion of the nominal airfoil profile at each Z? coordinate value. The contour lines may be joined smoothly with one another to form the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jalindar Appa Walunj, Sylvain Pierre, Prem Venugopal
  • Patent number: 11359606
    Abstract: A wind turbine including a mast assembly having an upper support structure hingably attached to a lower support structure wherein the mast assembly has an installation position and an operational position. A wind turbine wheel is mounted to the mast assembly having a circular rim disposed at its perimeter and having an axle structure. An electrical generator is supported by the mast assembly and configured to engage with the turbine wheel for generating electricity in response to the rotation of the turbine wheel. A plurality of hydraulic lifts are provided in contact with the upper support structure when the mast assembly is in the installation position and configured to transition the upper support from the installation position to the operational position and wherein at least one hydraulic lift loses contact with the upper support structure during the transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: Gerald L. Barber
  • Patent number: 11359642
    Abstract: This electric compressor includes a rotation shaft including a first end and a second end, a compressor impeller which is mounted on the first end of the rotation shaft and includes a back surface facing the second end, a motor disposed between the first end and the second end of the rotation shaft, a wall portion which separates an impeller space and a motor space from each other and includes a reference wall surface having a shape along the back surface of the compressor impeller, and a bypass hole which is formed in the wall portion to connect the impeller space to the motor space and includes a first opening which opens to the impeller space. In the wall portion, a recessed portion which is disposed around the first opening of the bypass hole and recessed from the reference wall surface is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventors: Kuniaki Iizuka, Yuji Sasaki, Tatsumi Inomata, Ryosuke Yumoto, Kai Iijima, Tatsuya Fukui, Hikaru Sugiura, Yoshihito Katsu, Takashi Yoshida, Takashi Mori
  • Patent number: 11346363
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil section extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction and extending between a tip and a root section in a spanwise direction. A composite core defines the root section and a portion of the airfoil section. First and second skins extend along opposed sides of the composite core. 12. A method of forming a composite airfoil is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Larry Foster, John D. Riehl
  • Patent number: 11338913
    Abstract: An autogyro rotor blade for generating lift by autorotation defines a root-side inner profile region, which has a first profile. The inner profile region has a tip-side main profile region, which has a second profile different from the first profile, and a profile depth curve that decreases monotonically in the longitudinal direction of the autogyro rotor blade from the region of the blade root in the direction of the blade tip. The autogyro rotor blade has a twist having a twist curve that decreases monotonically from the region of the blade root in the direction of the blade tip. The twist curve has a variable slope in the inner profile region and/or main profile region, and therefore the twist curve is concavely curved in this region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventor: Christoph Fraundorfer
  • Patent number: 11339661
    Abstract: Radial turbomachine includes fixed case; one rotor disc installed in case and having rotor blades mounted on front face thereof; plurality of elements projecting from case and terminating proximity to rotor disc, wherein projecting elements include seal elements acting against rotor disc are operatively active on rear face of rotor disc or stator blades radially interposed between rotor blades of rotor disc; and one support plate bearing projecting elements and installed in case. Support plate is radially extended across from rotor disc and includes plurality of first circular portions concentric with rotation axis of rotor disc and plurality of second circular portions radially interposed between first circular portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: EXERGY INTERNATIONAL S.R.L.
    Inventors: Claudio Spadacini, Dario Rizzi
  • Patent number: 11319923
    Abstract: A vortex generator for a wind turbine blade includes: a platform portion to be fixed to a surface of the wind turbine blade; and at least one fin erected on the platform portion. The platform portion includes marks disposed on a pair of opposite positions in an outer edge region of the platform portion and indicating orientation of the vortex generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Fukami, Daisuke Wakata, Yuji Yatomi, Takashi Yamamura, Yoshihiro Fujioka
  • Patent number: 11280207
    Abstract: A rotor disk assembly for a gas turbine maintains a sealing capability even though adjacent labyrinth arms are dislocated from each other due to torsion or similar relative movement by thermal expansion or by rotation of the rotor disks of the gas turbine. The rotor disk assembly includes a plurality of rotor disks axially assembled to each other, the plurality of rotor disks including adjacent rotor disks coupled to each other by Hirth parts. Each rotor disk includes two labyrinth arms that extend axially and bilaterally and are located on the rotor disk more radially outward than the Hirth parts, and a first labyrinth arm of the two labyrinth arms having an end surface in which a receiving groove for receiving a seal ring is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventors: Victor Shemyatovskiy, Ja Won Seo, Young Seok Heo
  • Patent number: 11280199
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a compressor of a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil. The airfoil has a span that extends from 0% at the root to 100% at the tip and a mean camber line that extends from a leading edge to a trailing edge. The airfoil has a location of local maximum thickness defined as a ratio of a first arc distance along the mean camber line between the leading edge and a position of the local maximum thickness to a total arc distance along the mean camber line from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A value of the ratio increases from the root to a first position value, decreases from the first position value to a second position value and increases from the second position value to the tip. The first position value is at a spanwise location within 20% to 50% of the span.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. McNamee, Nick Nolcheff, Yoseph Gebre-Giorgis, John A. Gunaraj, Jeffrey Hayes, Constantinos Vogiatzis
  • Patent number: 11267571
    Abstract: An aircraft can include a stacked propeller to generate lift during assent and descent. The stacked propeller includes a first propeller and a second propeller that co-rotate about an axis of rotation. In one embodiment, the blades are coupled to a rotor mast that contains an internal cavity. In one mode of operation, the first propeller and/or the second propeller can be stored in the internal cavity in order to reduce drag during flight. The aircraft can include one or more stacked propellers, such as a port propeller and a starboard propeller, which rotate in opposite directions during one or more modes of flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Moore, John Conway Badalamenti, Ian Villa, Adam Warmoth, David Josephson
  • Patent number: 11236757
    Abstract: A pump for pumping a liquid, includes an impeller and an axially extending drive shaft assembly, wherein a distal end of the drive shaft assembly is received in a central recess of the impeller. The drive shaft assembly includes a drive shaft and a connector. The connector includes a sleeve that is in telescopic engagement with the drive shaft. During operation of the pump the impeller is displaceable in the axial direction in relation to the sleeve between a distal rest position and a proximal position. The impeller is biased towards the distal rest position by a spring member arranged between the sleeve and the impeller. The connector includes a hollow adjustment screw that is in threaded engagement with an interior side of the sleeve to limit the maximum degree of telescopic overlap between the sleeve and the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventor: Stefan Bergh