Patents by Inventor Lorenz Edwin Drack
Lorenz Edwin Drack has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11268489Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a trailing edge including a radially inboard portion and a radially outboard portion opposite the radially inboard portion and a retrofit system coupled to the trailing edge. The retrofit system includes a mounting structure for coupling the retrofit system to the trailing edge and at least one serrated portion extending at least partially along the mounting structure. The serrated portion includes at least one substantially acoustically absorbent material. A method for reducing noise emission from a wind turbine blade including a trailing edge and retrofit system is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Roger Drobietz
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Publication number: 20190170114Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a trailing edge including a radially inboard portion and a radially outboard portion opposite the radially inboard portion and a retrofit system coupled to the trailing edge. The retrofit system includes a mounting structure for coupling the retrofit system to the trailing edge and at least one serrated portion extending at least partially along the mounting structure. The serrated portion includes at least one substantially acoustically absorbent material. A method for reducing noise emission from a wind turbine blade including a trailing edge and retrofit system is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Roger Drobietz
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Patent number: 10240576Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a trailing edge including a radially inboard portion and a radially outboard portion opposite the radially inboard portion. The trailing edge further includes at least one serrated portion extending at least partially between the radially inboard portion and the radially outboard portion. The serrated portion includes at least one substantially acoustically absorbent material.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Roger Drobietz
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Patent number: 9677537Abstract: A wind blade is provided that includes a primary blade body defining a leading edge and a trailing edge and further defining a pressure side and a suction side joining along the trailing edge. The wind blade also includes a secondary blade having an aerodynamic contour defining a first surface and a second surface and coupled with the primary blade body for the purpose of shielding noise. The secondary blade body is disposed proximate to at least a portion of the trailing edge on at least one of the pressure side and the suction side of the primary blade body and may also improve overall performance of the wind blade.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2013Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Gowri Jaganathan Sengundermudaliar, Karthickprabu Vijayakumar
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Publication number: 20170145990Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a trailing edge including a radially inboard portion and a radially outboard portion opposite the radially inboard portion. The trailing edge further includes at least one serrated portion extending at least partially between the radially inboard portion and the radially outboard portion. The serrated portion includes at least one substantially acoustically absorbent material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2015Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Roger Drobietz
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Patent number: 9658124Abstract: A method for determining a flow condition includes disposing a plurality of sensors on a surface and receiving a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal from the plurality of sensors. The method further includes determining at least one correlation parameter based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal. The method also includes receiving a plurality of stored parameters from a database, wherein each of the plurality of stored parameters is representative of a corresponding flow condition. The method also includes comparing the at least one correlation parameter with the plurality of stored parameters and selecting at least one matching stored parameter and determining a matching flow condition based on the at least one matching stored parameter.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Benoit Philippe Petitjean, Pratish Patil
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Patent number: 9593670Abstract: A method for reducing noise generated by a wind turbine includes measuring a reference temperature of the wind turbine. The method also includes regulating a trailing edge surface temperature of a trailing edge portion of a rotor blade attached to the wind turbine. In addition, the method includes measuring the trailing edge surface temperature. Further, the method includes regulating the trailing edge surface temperature to maintain a predetermined temperature differential between the reference temperature and the trailing edge surface temperature.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Benoit Philippe Petitjean, Jorge Alejandro Carretero Benignos, Akil Abbas Rangwalla, Pratish Patil
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Publication number: 20160123307Abstract: A method for determining a flow condition includes disposing a plurality of sensors on a surface and receiving a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal from the plurality of sensors. The method further includes determining at least one correlation parameter based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal. The method also includes receiving a plurality of stored parameters from a database, wherein each of the plurality of stored parameters is representative of a corresponding flow condition. The method also includes comparing the at least one correlation parameter with the plurality of stored parameters and selecting at least one matching stored parameter and determining a matching flow condition based on the at least one matching stored parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2014Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Benoit Philippe Petitjean, Pratish Patil
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Publication number: 20150316032Abstract: A method for reducing noise generated by a wind turbine includes measuring a reference temperature of the wind turbine. The method also includes regulating a trailing edge surface temperature of a trailing edge portion of a rotor blade attached to the wind turbine. In addition, the method includes measuring the trailing edge surface temperature. Further, the method includes regulating the trailing edge surface temperature to maintain a predetermined temperature differential between the reference temperature and the trailing edge surface temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2014Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Benoit Philippe Petitjean, Jorge Alejandro Carretero Benignos, Akil Abbas Rangwalla, Pratish Patil
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Publication number: 20140294592Abstract: A wind blade is provided that includes a primary blade body defining a leading edge and a trailing edge and further defining a pressure side and a suction side joining along the trailing edge. The wind blade also includes a secondary blade having an aerodynamic contour defining a first surface and a second surface and coupled with the primary blade body for the purpose of shielding noise. The secondary blade body is disposed proximate to at least a portion of the trailing edge on at least one of the pressure side and the suction side of the primary blade body and may also improve overall performance of the wind blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2013Publication date: October 2, 2014Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Gowri Jaganathan Sengundermudaliar, Karthickprabu Vijayakumar
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Publication number: 20140093380Abstract: Rotor blade assemblies for wind turbines and methods for reducing rotor blade noise are disclosed. A rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having external surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade further defines a span and a chord. The rotor blade assembly further includes a tab. The tab includes an inner surface, an outer surface, a forward end and an aft end. The inner surface is mounted to one of the pressure side or the suction side. The outer surface has a cross-sectional profile configured to modify an operational value of the rotor blade at the trailing edge. The forward end is disposed within the chord.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2012Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Roger Drobietz, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Gowri Sengundermudaliar, Lorenz Edwin Drack, Andreas Herrig, Christian A. Carroll
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Publication number: 20110268557Abstract: A system and method for reducing the noise of an airfoil is provided. The airfoil includes a main portion including a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil further comprises a noise attenuator coupled to the main portion and disposed proximate to at least a portion of the trailing edge. The noise attenuator has a chord length in the range of about 0.5 to about 5 times a trailing edge thickness and is fixed relative to the trailing edge. The airfoil can be a rotating blade deployed on a wind turbine. The airfoil can also be deployed on an aircraft as a fixed wing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2010Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Lorenz Edwin Drack, Akil Abbas Rangwalla, Gowri Jaganathan Sengundermudaliar