Patents Examined by Michael Sehn
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Patent number: 10308357Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control pitch and twist of blades are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a twist input assembly driven by a drive shaft that drives a rotation of blades of a rotorcraft, the twist input assembly comprising a twist shaft, a first gear set driven by the drive shaft, and a first frequency controller to create a first rotational speed difference between a first gear of the first gear set and the drive shaft, the first rotational speed difference to cause the twist shaft to oscillate. The examples apparatus includes a pitch input assembly driven by the drive shaft, the pitch input assembly comprising a pitch link in communication with a first one of the blades of the rotorcraft, a second gear set driven by the drive shaft, and a second frequency controller to create a second rotational speed difference between a second gear of the second gear set and the drive shaft, the second rotational speed difference to cause the pitch link to oscillate.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2014Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Ian M. Gunter, Thomas R. Kenow, Chris Jorgens
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Patent number: 10240519Abstract: At least one of a variable turbine geometry and a variable compressor geometry for an exhaust gas turbocharger may include a housing including a first housing wall and a blade bearing ring having at least one guide blade rotatably mounted thereon. A control lever may be included for adjusting the at least one guide blade between a closing position and an opening position. An actuating shaft may be connected to the control lever in a rotationally fixed manner along a rotation axis. The actuating shaft may be rotatably mounted on the housing via a passage opening disposed in the first housing wall. The actuating shaft may directly support itself on the first housing wall in the passage opening.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2015Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: BMTS Technology GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Anatolij Martens, Volkhard Ammon
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Patent number: 10227885Abstract: Provided is a turbine. One of a tip portion of a blade and a portion of a partition plate outer ring corresponding to the tip portion of the blade is provided with a step part having a step face that protrudes toward the other, and the other is provided with seal fins) extending out with respect to the step part and forming minute clearance between the step part and the other. The step part facing the seal fins is configured to protrude so that a cavity forming a main vortex and counter vortex being formed by the main vortex are formed on an upstream side of the seal fins. The cavity is formed so that an axial width dimension and a radial height dimension satisfy Formula expressed by 0.45?D/W?2.67.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2012Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Kuwamura, Kazuyuki Matsumoto, Hiroharu Oyama, Yoshinori Tanaka, Asaharu Matsuo
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Patent number: 10189558Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a nacelle of an aircraft, comprising a surface that is profiled such that during cruise flight operation lines of constant static pressure of a boundary layer around the nacelle in a given region are substantially contained within a plane that is normal to an engine axis.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Rohr, Inc.Inventor: Ann E. Khidekel
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Patent number: 10180069Abstract: A turbine engine blade made of composite material including fiber reinforcement obtained by weaving a first plurality of yarns with a second plurality of yarns, the yarns of the first plurality of yarns being arranged in successive layers and extending in a longitudinal direction of the fiber blank corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the blade, the reinforcement being densified by a matrix. The blade includes one or more internal channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the blade.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2011Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Dominique Coupe, Bruno Jacques Gerard Dambrine, Jean-Noel Mahieu
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Patent number: 10167740Abstract: A turbine engine having a nacelle is provided. The nacelle includes, upstream, an air intake fairing and an element for deflecting foreign objects which defines with the fairing an air intake flow path for supplying air to two coaxial flow paths which are a radially inner flow path and a radially outer flow path. The outer flow path being is by a hub housing and scoops, the hub housing and the scoops being installed downstream of the element for deflecting objects. Each scoop includes two independent portions which are an upstream portion borne by the hub housing, and a downstream portion borne by the nacelle.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Bruno Albert Beutin, Nuria Llamas Castro, Bruna Ramos
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Patent number: 10167724Abstract: A turbine blade has an undercut beneath its platform proximate a trailing edge region. The undercut incorporates a curved portion to reduce to reduce undesirable stress concentration. The undercut shape includes a curved portion of decreasing radius with increasing distance from the underside of the platform.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLCInventor: James Page Strohl
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Patent number: 10167853Abstract: A method for detecting damage of a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine rotor having at least one wind turbine blade comprises: a light incident step of allowing light to enter an optical fiber sensor being mounted on each of the wind turbine blade and having a diffraction grating part having a refractive index which is periodically varied in a longitudinal direction of the diffraction grating part; a light detection step of detecting reflected light from the diffraction grating part; an obtaining step of obtaining, from a temporal change of a wavelength of the reflected light received in the light receiving step, a wavelength variation index representing a variation amount of the wavelength; and a damage determination step of determining presence or absence of a damage of the wind turbine blade on the basis of the wavelength variation index calculated in the obtaining step.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Kazunari Ide, Katsuhiko Takita, Takao Kuroiwa, Mitsuya Baba, Hiroshi Nishino, Takuya Koyanagi
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Patent number: 10145253Abstract: A stator vane for a turbine machine includes a set of vane parts arranged relative to each other to define air flow stream paths between vane parts, and a mechanism circulating a fluid to be cooled by the air flow.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2013Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventor: Nils Bordoni
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Patent number: 10125624Abstract: An exhaust-gas section for a gas turbine, having a surrounding shroud having a first opening, which is arranged in a region of the exhaust-gas section that has a pressure lower than the air pressure of the outer environment of the gas turbine in an operating state of the gas turbine and which forms the outlet of an air channel, the inlet of which is connected to the outer environment of the gas turbine. The air channel has a chamber at the outlet-side end of the air channel, which chamber has a second opening, through which a specified gas mass flow is admitted into the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Michael Wagner
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Patent number: 10100650Abstract: A process of depositing a ceramic coating on an airfoil component and the component formed thereby is provided. The process includes depositing a bond coat on an airfoil component including on a trailing edge region thereof that defines a trailing edge of the airfoil component, within holes located within the trailing edge region and spaced apart from the trailing edge, and on lands located within the trailing edge region and between the holes. A ceramic coating is then deposited on the bond coat including on the trailing edge region of the airfoil component, within the holes located within the trailing edge region, and on the lands between the holes. The ceramic coating within the holes is selectively removed without completely removing the ceramic coating on the trailing edge region and the lands between the holes.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Edward Mantkowski, John Maynard Crow, Shawn Michael Pearson, Stephen Mark Molter
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Patent number: 10087764Abstract: An airfoil for a rotor blade or a stator vane of a gas turbine engine having a tip extension extending one or both of the suction and pressure side surfaces adjacent the tip. The tip extension defines a thickness at the tip larger than the true thickness of the airfoil. The tip extension includes a side transitional surface substantially defined along a curve extending tangentially from the corresponding side surface. The tip extension defines a gradual increase in the thickness over a portion of the airfoil having a radial dimension corresponding to at least 2 times the true thickness.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2012Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Sean Rockarts, Peter Townsend
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Patent number: 10054126Abstract: A casing includes a first plate made of a metal, a support made of a resin, and a second plate fixed to the support. The first plate includes a flat plate portion, a through hole passing through the flat plate portion, and a claw portion extending upward from an edge of the through hole. A portion of the support is located in the through hole. The support covers a portion of the claw portion such that the support is prevented from turning and from coming off in an upward direction. The claw portion is defined by a portion of the first plate extending along a longest line segment inside the through hole in a plan view being bent upward from the flat plate portion. This enables the claw portion to have a great length even in a small area of the first plate to securely fix the support to the first plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2014Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Honda, Tadaaki Fujinaga, Haruo Michishita
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Patent number: 10047625Abstract: A gas turbine engine, a fan section for a gas turbine engine, and a method for assembling a fan section of a gas turbine engine are disclosed. The fan section may include a fan hub having a slot, a spinner having a castellated spinner seal, a fan blade including an airfoil extending from a root to a tip, wherein the airfoil has a leading edge and the root is received in the slot, and a platform secured to the fan hub and arranged between adjacent fan blades. The fan section may further include a flap seal having a base secured to a side of the platform, and a flap integral with and extending from the base portion and canted toward the root and engaging the blade, the seal trimmed back from the leading edge of the airfoil.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2014Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventor: Royce E. Tatton
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Patent number: 10024169Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. A film hole extends through the substrate to an outlet on the hot surface. A flow conditioning structure is provided downstream of the outlet.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
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Patent number: 10024179Abstract: The invention relates to a fixed diffuser vanes assembly (10) for guiding flow through a turbomachine, comprising an internal annular platform (12) and a plurality of fixed vanes (11) which are mounted on this platform, the internal platform comprising a support plate (121) forming the base of said vanes, a radial annular partition (120) extending from the support plate toward an axis of the vanes assembly, and an internal ring (122) attached to the radial annular partition and having an internal surface on which an abradable material (123) is arranged, the vanes assembly being characterized in that the internal ring comprises at least one cut-out (1223) delimiting a tongue (1226), the tongue being bent to press against the radial annular partition (120). The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a vanes assembly and to a turbomachine incorporating such vanes.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Sebastien Congratel, Marion Chambre, Bruno Richard, Romain Roullet
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Patent number: 10024336Abstract: A compressor for a turbine engine, including: a casing, at least one compressor stage including an impeller having stationary blades and an impeller having moving blades positioned downstream of the stationary blade impeller, and cavities in a thickness of the casing that are disposed along a circumference of the casing opposite the moving blades. The cavities, which are elongate and extend along a main direction of orientation, are closed upstream and downstream by upstream and downstream faces respectively, and an upstream border and a downstream border are formed at the intersections between same and the casing. The cavities are offset in relation to the moving blades to overlap the moving blade impeller in the upstream portion, thereby covering the upstream end thereof. The downstream border of the cavities is oriented parallel to the chord at the head of the moving blade.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2013Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Thierry Jean-Jacques Obrecht, Celine Ghilardi, Vincent Perrot
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Patent number: 9995274Abstract: The invention concerns a rotor hub of a wind power installation comprising a handling apparatus for lifting the rotor hub by means of a crane for mounting the rotor hub to a pod arranged on a wind power installation pylon, wherein the handling apparatus is so adapted that upon being lifted at a fixing portion of the handling apparatus the rotor hub rotates from a perpendicular orientation with a substantially perpendicular hub axis into a horizontal orientation with a substantially horizontal hub axis.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2012Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbHInventors: Frank Knoop, Gerrit Kuiper
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Patent number: 9995168Abstract: A hover aircraft rotor having a hub which rotates about an axis and has a number of blades; a drive shaft connectable to a drive member of the aircraft and connected functionally to the hub to rotate the hub about the axis; and damping means for damping vibration transmitted to the shaft, and which include a mass designed to oscillate, in use, to oppose transmission to the shaft of vibration generated by rotation of the blades; the mass being free to oscillate parallel to the axis, to oppose transmission to the shaft of vibration having main components along the axis.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2014Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: AGUSTAWESTLAND S.P.A.Inventor: Attilio Colombo
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Patent number: 9989070Abstract: According to one aspect, an air cycle machine includes a fan rotor, a diffuser cone axially aligned with the fan rotor, and a strut plate assembly. The strut plate assembly includes a first strut plate and a second strut plate with an ejector formed between the first strut plate and the second strut plate. The first strut plate is axially positioned between the fan rotor and the ejector, and the second strut plate is axially positioned between the fan rotor and the diffuser cone. The first strut plate includes a plurality of outer struts and is absent inner struts between the fan rotor and the ejector. The second strut plate includes a plurality of inner struts and outer struts, where the inner struts are axially positioned between the ejector and the diffuser cone.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2014Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventors: Craig M. Beers, Harold W. Hipsky