Patents Examined by Maxime Adjagbe
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Patent number: 9464531Abstract: Locking spacer assemblies, rotor assemblies and turbomachines are provided. In one embodiment, a locking spacer assembly includes a first end piece and a second end piece each configured to fit into a space between platforms of adjacent rotor blades, the first end piece and second end piece each comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface having a profile adapted to project into an attachment slot, wherein the inner surfaces of the first and second end pieces generally face each other. The locking spacer assembly further includes an actuator movable between the inner surfaces, the actuator comprising a projection configured to engage the inner surface, the actuator further comprising a plurality of locating protrusions extending from the projection, the locating protrusions configured to fit within locating channels defined in the first end piece and the second end piece.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2013Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christian Michael Hansen, Michael James Healy, Brian Denver Potter
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Patent number: 9458856Abstract: An arrangement having inner and outer cylindrical casings connected by a cylindrical connector is presented. The connector is disposed between and concentric with the inner and outer casings and is stiff in direction of concentric axis but flexible in direction radially with respect to concentric axis such that relative thermal expansion of inner and outer cylindrical casings in radial direction is permitted simultaneously maintaining relative position of the casings in axial direction. The connector has annular first and second ends secured to inner and outer casings respectively, and a cylindrical main body between first and second ends flexible in radial direction. The main body has cylindrical first and third sections, annular second section. The first section extends axially away from the first end to a radially inner pat of the second section. The third section extends axially from a radially outer part of the second section towards the second end.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2012Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventor: Colm Keegan
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Patent number: 9446843Abstract: An enhanced performance rotorcraft rotor blade system and methods are presented. A rotor blade comprises an inboard blade portion, and at least one controllable surface coupled to the inboard blade portion. The at least one controllable surface is operable to improve a lift of the inboard blade portion by altering an angle of attack of the inboard blade portion independent of the rotor blade.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: David L. Perlman
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Patent number: 9435344Abstract: A pump for pumping a fluid includes a motor, a drive shaft, an impeller, a pump housing having an inlet and an outlet portion, and an extension tube extending between the motor and the pump housing. Preferably, a portion of the fluid to be pumped is contained within the extension tube at a relatively constant level to provide a seal.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2013Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Inventor: Sidney T. Highnote
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Patent number: 9435215Abstract: A gas turbine structure includes a guide vane. The gas turbine structure (further includes a first housing and a second housing and the guide vane extends from the first housing to the second housing. The guide vane includes a leading edge and a trailing edge and the guide vane extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge along a mean camber line. The guide vane includes a first attachment structure, a first fastening arrangement and a second fastening arrangement. Moreover, the first attachment structure includes a stiffening member extending over at least a portion of a circumference of the first housing. Furthermore, the stiffening member includes a stiffening member center point as measured along the mean camber line.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden ABInventors: Niklas Jansson, Robert Reimers
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Patent number: 9387923Abstract: A gas turbine engine (10) having an axial flow direction (X) therethrough in use. The gas turbine engine (10) comprises one or more rotor stages each comprising at least one rotor blade (120) having a root portion (122). The gas turbine engine (10) comprises a shroud (122) located upstream of one or more of the rotor stages relative to the axial flow direction (X). The shroud (122) defines a through passageway (128) extending between an inlet (130) and an outlet (132) which comprises a diffuser region (138). The diffuser region (138) is configured to reduce the axial velocity of air exiting the outlet (132) relative to air entering the diffuser portion (138) in use, wherein the outlet (132) is located such that air exiting the outlet (132) is directed substantially to the root portion (122) only of the rotor blades (120).Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Richard Geoffrey Stretton, Nicholas Howarth
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Patent number: 9381996Abstract: A blade shank assembly for an aircraft propeller blade includes a blade shank; and a split blade retention race encircling the blade shank, the split blade retention race comprising two sections separated by two splits, the two splits being perpendicular to a race surface of the split blade retention race, wherein the split blade retention race comprises: an inner chamfer located between a surface of the split blade retention race that is adjacent to the blade shank and a split surface of the split blade retention race at each of the two splits; and an outer chamfer located between the race surface of the split blade retention race and the split surface at each of the two splits.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2013Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventors: Peter Ventura, Matthew C. Soule
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Patent number: 9366156Abstract: A lubrication system for a fan drive gear system includes a lubricant supply and a collection conduit for drawing lubricant from within the lubricant supply. The collection conduit includes a first opening and a second opening for withdrawing lubricant and supplying lubricant to a pump. During normal operation lubricant may be drawn through both first and second openings. During negative G operating conditions a fitting at the second opening blocks the second opening to prevent air from being drawn into the lubricant system and communicated to the pump.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Robert C. Stutz, Jacob Peter Mastro
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Patent number: 9359898Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes at least one rotor disk. The system also includes a rotor disk heating system configured to resistively heat at least a portion of the at least one rotor disk via an electrical current or voltage applied to the portion of the at least one rotor disk.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2012Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: Christopher Edward Miller
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Patent number: 9353685Abstract: An assembly for a turbine engine including a nosecone that extends along an axis between a tip end and a second end. The nosecone includes a base region and a deformation region configured integral with the base region. The base region is arranged axially between the deformation region and the second end. The deformation region is adapted to deform relative to the base region upon impact of an object, and includes a stress concentrator.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Colin J. Kling, James J. McPhail, Matthew R. Rader
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Patent number: 9322407Abstract: According to at least one exemplary embodiment, an oil-free contra-rotating transmission is disclosed. The contra-rotating transmission may comprise a lower drive unit; and an upper drive unit, wherein the lower drive unit receives power from a motor and is configured to (i) transfer power from the motor to the upper drive unit, and (ii) rotate a first axial fan in a first direction. The upper drive unit may be configured to rotate the second axial fan in a second direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2015Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: JVS Associates, Inc.Inventor: John Santoro
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Patent number: 9297257Abstract: A gas turbine engine spinner assembly including a spinner defining at least in part an aerodynamically smooth surface, a shell defining at least in part the aerodynamically smooth surface, and circumferentially spaced apart removable aerodynamic fairings located around the shell. Fairing shanks disposed in circumferentially spaced apart axially extending slots in the shell may be attached to the aerodynamic fairings. The fairings may shield radially extending portions of the fan blades including portions of blade shanks or portions of transition regions of the blade shanks. The fairing shanks may be disposed between and monolithically formed with the fairings and fairing roots attached to the fairing shanks. The fairings may be made of an injectable thermoplastic and the shell made of metal. The fairing shanks may be setback from fairing forward tips and the fairing shanks may be setback from root forward tips of the fairing roots.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Jorge Orlando Lamboy
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Patent number: 9297089Abstract: A gas turbine component for use in a gas turbine engine includes a substrate and a non-aluminide protective coating with a platinum-group metal. The platinum-group metal resides in a gamma-prime phase of the underlying material. The platinum-group metal can impart the protective coating with superior corrosion-resistance, while the absence of aluminide in the protective coating facilitates use of the protective coating at high-stress and/or high-fatigue portions of the component. The protective coating optionally includes chromide and can also be combined with aluminide at select portions of the component.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Barson Composites CorporationInventors: Charles Clifford Berger, David John Wortman
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Patent number: 9273668Abstract: The present invention relates to a yaw system 5 for a windmill 1, the windmill comprising a tower 2 and a nacelle 3, the tower and the nacelle being joined by the yaw system and the yaw system further comprising a bearing fixed to the tower, on which bearing the nacelle rests and slides in a yawing movement, and at least one yaw motor arranged to allow the nacelle to perform a rotary motion along the bearing, wherein the yaw system 5 further comprises control means 8 for continuously operating the at least one yaw motor in such a way that the yaw motor strives to maneuver the nacelle according to a setpoint.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2010Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mikael Bjork, Anders Wickstrom, Christian Haag
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Patent number: 9260179Abstract: A propeller for an aircraft turbine engine, comprising means for adjusting the pitch of the blades comprising a hydraulic actuator borne by the rotor and including a cavity and a piston displaceable in said cavity and dividing said cavity into two chambers, as well as means for limiting the stroke of the piston in order to prevent displacement of said blades in a predetermined direction beyond a predetermined limiting pitch angle, and comprising hydraulic connection means with which both chambers may be put into communication with each other as soon as the pitch angle of the blades becomes equal to said predetermined limiting pitch angle during the displacement of said blades in said predetermined direction, these hydraulic connection means being borne by said rotor of the propeller.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2011Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: SNECMAInventor: Pascal Marly
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Patent number: 9255485Abstract: In the neighborhood area X of the tongue part 27 forming the winding end part of the scroll part 3, the wall part members 31 are provided on both the sides of the welding part (the facing part) ‘a’ of the first scroll part 5 and the second scroll part 7, wherein: the wall part members 31 encloses the welding part (the facing part) ‘a’ and forms the gas-tight space 33; and, the outer circumference wall which enclose the facing part and forms a gas-tight space configure a double-wall structure.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2011Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Daigo Watanabe, Motoki Ebisu
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Patent number: 9255491Abstract: An example turbomachine hot-section component protrusion extends away from a base surface of a hot-section component along a longitudinal axis. A radial cross-section of the protrusion has a profile that is non-circular.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Ken F. Blaney, Paul M. Lutjen
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Patent number: 9243503Abstract: A component includes a substrate that has outer and inner surfaces. The inner surface defines at least one hollow, interior space. The outer surface defines pressure and suction sidewalls that are joined together at leading and trailing edges of the component and together form an airfoil portion of the component. The outer substrate surface further defines at least one platform and at least one fillet that extends between and integrally connects the airfoil to the respective platform. The outer surface defines one or more grooves that extend at least partially along a respective fillet. Each groove is in fluid communication with a respective hollow, interior space. The component further includes a coating disposed over at least a portion of the outer substrate surface and including at least a structural coating that extends over the groove(s). The groove(s) and the structural coating together define channel(s) for cooling the respective fillet.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
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Patent number: 9238973Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a compressor, a turbine and a static structure is disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine further includes a foil bearing system operative to transmit rotor loads from at least one of the compressor and the turbine to the static structure. The foil bearing system includes a foil bearing and a self-aligning foil bearing mount to align the foil bearing with an axis of rotation of the compressor and the turbine. A snubber operative to transmit rotor loads to the static structure in parallel with the foil bearing is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATIONInventor: Steven Arlen Klusman
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Patent number: 9238970Abstract: An example blade outer air seal assembly may consist of a blade outer air seal containing channels that communicate cooling air through at least some of the blade outer air seal. The blade outer air seal has at least one circumferentially extending barrier separating the leading channel into a forward portion and an aft portion. Cooling air outlets from the leading channel are exclusively coupled to the aft portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2011Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Anne-Marie B. Thibodeau