Hollow Blade Patents (Class 29/889.72)
  • Patent number: 11493021
    Abstract: A windmill blade includes a leading edge protector at a leading edge portion of a blade main body including a skin surrounding a hollow space. The leading edge protector is fixed to the skin from the hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Fujita, Kentaro Shindo, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Toshiyuki Hirano, Atsushi Yuge
  • Patent number: 11346362
    Abstract: A fixture assembly including a first fixture portion; a second fixture portion that interfaces with the first fixture portion; and a bladder assembly mounted to the second fixture portion to face the first fixture portion. A method of manufacturing a fan blade includes inserting a blade body and a cover into a fixture; and deploying a bladder assembly within the fixture to press the cover into the blade body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel A. Bales, Thomas DeMichael
  • Patent number: 11292057
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a thin-walled metal component by three-dimensional (3D) printing and hot gas bulging. The present invention uses 3D printing to obtain a complex thin-walled preform, which reduces a deformation during subsequent hot gas bulging. The present invention avoids local bulging thinning and cracking, undercuts at the parting during die closing, and wrinkles due to the uneven distribution of cross-sectional materials, etc. The present invention obtains a high accuracy in the form and dimension through hot gas bulging. After a desired shape is obtained by hot gas bulging, a die is closed to keep the component under high temperature and high pressure for a period of time, so that a grain and a phase of the material are transformed to form a desired microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dalian University of Technology
    Inventors: Zhubin He, Yi Xu, Jiangkai Liang, Wei Du, Peng Lin
  • Patent number: 11215054
    Abstract: An airfoil 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 portion and a root section in a spanwise direction. The airfoil section defines pressure and suction sides separated in a thickness direction, and includes a sheath having first and second sheath portions extending along an airfoil body of the airfoil section. The first sheath portion includes a first interface portion, and the second sheath portion includes a second interface portion that cooperates with the first interface portion to establish a joint having a circuitous profile along an edge of the airfoil body. A method of assembly for an airfoil is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nicholas D. Stilin
  • Patent number: 11174737
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil body defining a recessed region and including at least one rib dimensioned to loop about a respective pocket within a perimeter of the recessed region. At least one cover skin is welded to the airfoil body along the at least one rib to enclose the recessed region. The at least one cover skin is welded to the at least one rib along a respective weld path. The weld path defines a weld width, the at least one rib defines a rib width, and a ratio of the weld width to the rib width is equal to or greater than 3:1 for each position along the weld path. A method of forming a gas turbine engine component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert C. Dolan, Michael A. Weisse, Daniel A. Bales, Steven T. Gordon, Dmitri Novikov, Eric W. Malmborg, Francis B. Parisi
  • Patent number: 11085305
    Abstract: A lost core mold component comprises a first leg and a second leg with a plurality of crossover members connecting the first and second legs. The plurality of crossover members includes outermost crossover members spaced from each other. Adjacent ends of each of the first and second legs, and second crossover members are spaced closer to each other than are the outermost crossover members. Central crossover members extend between the first and second leg and between the second crossover members. The outermost crossover members extend for a first cross-sectional area. The second crossover members extend for a second cross-sectional area and the central crossover members extend for a third cross-sectional area. The first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area. The second cross-sectional area is greater than the third cross-sectional area. A gas turbine engine and component are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Taffet, Brandon S. Donnell, Daniel C. Nadeau, Russell Deibel, San Quach
  • Patent number: 11060410
    Abstract: A method of forming a protective sheath for an aerofoil component includes: providing a first sheath portion and a second sheath portion, the first sheath portion and the second sheath portion each comprising an inner surface, an outer surface and an end surface between the inner and outer surfaces and having a sacrificial flange at its distal end; positioning the first sheath portion and second sheath portion so that the inner surface of the first sheath portion abuts against the inner surface of the second sheath portion with the end surfaces of the first and second sheath portions aligned to form a mating edge; and joining the first sheath portion to the second sheath portion by welding along the mating edge, wherein the sacrificial flanges are completely consumed and a curved outer profile is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Daniel J. Blair, Timothy J. Summers, Ewan F. Thompson
  • Patent number: 10995632
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an airfoil section extending in a spanwise direction, extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction, and extending in a thickness direction between a pressure side and a suction side. The airfoil section has a main body and a first skin. The main body includes a plurality of ribs defining a plurality of internal channels. The first skin is attached to the main body to enclose the plurality of internal channels such that the main body and the first skin cooperate to define the pressure and suction sides. A damper has at least one layer of damping material sandwiched between the first skin and the plurality of ribs. A method of forming a gas turbine engine component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric W. Malmborg, Donald A. Jacques
  • Patent number: 10914321
    Abstract: An air filtering device with a replaceable microparticle filter element consists of a rotating blade member, an air filtering panel, a first set of vortex generators, a second set of vortex generators, a receiving channel, and a positioning aperture. The air filtering panel is secured in the positioning aperture that traverses through the rotating blade member. The rotating blade member consists of a fixed end, a free end, a structural body, a top surface, a bottom surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The structural body extends in between the fixed end, the free end, the leading edge, and the trailing edge. Both the first and second set of vortex generators are mounted onto the top surface and along the leading edge for filtering efficiency purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Inventor: William Beznoska
  • Patent number: 10801331
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade includes a blade portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge. A first surface connects the leading edge to the trailing edge and a second surface connects the leading edge to the trailing edge. A tip section is located at a first end of the blade portion and includes a pocket protruding into the tip section from an outermost end of the tip section. The pocket has a first side wall adjacent the first surface and a second side wall adjacent the second surface. At least one of the first side wall and the second side wall have a curve distinct from a curve of the corresponding adjacent surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick D. Couture, Scott D. Lewis, Kyle C. Lana
  • Patent number: 10774008
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite article includes a chemical vapor infiltration ceramic matrix composite base portion including ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having between 0% and 5% free silicon. The ceramic matrix composite article further includes a melt infiltration ceramic matrix composite covering portion including a ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having a greater percentage of free silicon than the chemical vapor infiltration ceramic matrix composite base portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Suresh Subramanian, Mark Eugene Noe, James Dale Steibel, Jason David Shapiro, Brandon ALIanson Reynolds, Kurtis C. Montgomery, Jared Hogg Weaver, Daniel Gene Dunn
  • Patent number: 10689990
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vane arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprises providing an aerofoil having a hollow cavity with an open end and providing a support member having a stub. The method further comprises welding the aerofoil to the stub. The method yet further comprises removing material from the stub so as to define a hollow region that extends through the support member and stub to the cavity of the aerofoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Dale E. Evans, Steven A. Radomski, Clive Grafton-Reed
  • Patent number: 10612389
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as a turbine engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior of the airfoil can include a porous section having a porosity permitting a volume of fluid, such as air, to pass through the porous section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10605090
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting to the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning a leading edge passage from the radially extending chamber. The rib configuration may also include a first center transverse rib connecting to the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning an intermediate passage from the radially extending chamber directly aft of the leading edge passage. The intermediate passage is defined by the pressure side outer wall, the suction side outer wall, the leading edge transverse rib and the first center transverse rib, and thus spans airfoil between its outer walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10533757
    Abstract: A fan includes a fan member, a motor that drives to rotate the fan member, and a rotating shaft that is connected to the fan via a vibration prevention member and transmits a turning force of the motor to the fan. The vibration prevention member is an elastic member that connects an inner cylinder made of metal included in the rotating shaft and an outer cylinder made of metal included in the fan member. At least one of an outer circumferential section of the inner cylinder and an inner circumferential section of the outer cylinder is configured in a polygonal shape when viewed from the rotating shaft direction. A turning force received by the vibration prevention member acts as compression stress on an adhesion interface between a vibration prevention material and metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi-Johnson Controls Air Conditioning, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideshi Obara, Koji Yonekura, Hiroyasu Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 10533427
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil (10) includes a flow displacement element (26A-B, 26A?-B?) positioned in an interior portion (11) of an airfoil body (12) between a pair of adjacent partition walls (24) and comprising a radially extending elongated main body (28). The main body (28) is spaced from the pressure and suction side walls (16, 18) and further spaced from one or both of the adjacent partition walls (24), whereby a first near wall passage (72) is defined between the main body (28) and the pressure side wall (16), a second near wall passage (74) is defined between the main body (28) and the pressure side wall (18) and a central channel (76) is defined between the main body (28) and a respective one of the adjacent partition walls (24). The central channel (76) is connected to the near wall passages (72, 74) along a radial extent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan H. Marsh, Paul A. Sanders
  • Patent number: 10300321
    Abstract: An exercise bicycle configured to provide fan-based resistance and a fan wheel thereof are disclosed. The fan wheel includes a hub and a plurality of vanes. The hub includes a pivot portion and a plurality of mounting portions. The mounting portions are arranged in an annular manner around a center defined by the pivot portion and each have a groove. Each vane includes a connecting end inserted into a corresponding one of the mounting portions and fixedly connected to the corresponding mounting portion by a plurality of fasteners. The fan wheel is thus easy to manufacture and assemble.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Great Fitness Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chih-Yung Hsu
  • Patent number: 10287894
    Abstract: A turbine component includes a root and an airfoil extending from the root to a tip opposite the root. The airfoil forms a leading edge and a trailing edge portion extending to a trailing edge. A plurality of nested cooling channels in the trailing edge portion of the airfoil permit passage of a cooling fluid from an interior of the turbine component to an exterior of the turbine component at the trailing edge portion. A method of making a turbine component includes forming an airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge portion extending to a trailing edge, and a plurality of nested cooling channels in the trailing edge portion. Each nested cooling channel fluidly connects an interior of the turbine component with an exterior of the turbine component at the trailing edge portion. A method of cooling a turbine component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sandip Dutta, James Zhang, Gary Michael Itzel, John McConnell Delvaux, Matthew Troy Hafner
  • Patent number: 10280759
    Abstract: A blade assembly may be configured to rotate about an axis of a gas turbine engine. The blade assembly may include a blade and a blade cover. A blade may include a first surface defining a perimeter of a cavity in the blade. A first portion of the perimeter of the cavity includes a lip. A blade cover disposed over the cavity in the blade, such that the cavity is disposed between the blade and the blade cover, and under the lip, such that blade cover is between a portion of the blade and the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: James R. Murdock
  • Patent number: 10247008
    Abstract: A turbomachine fan blade preform (10) comprising a pair of mutually opposing panels (12), and a membrane (20) sandwiched between the pair of panels (12). The membrane (20) is of a non-uniform thickness. The thickness of at least a portion of the membrane tapers along its length and/or width, between a relative thicker first region and relatively thinner second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Ian Andrews
  • Patent number: 10138897
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compressor blade, defined at each one of the points of its surface by a sweep angle and a dihedral angle, comprising: a root, a tip, the distance between the root and the tip, measured along an axis referred to as the radial axis, perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the compressor, being referred to as radial height (h), a zone, between the root and the tip, of which a first portion has a strictly positive leading edge dihedral angle, and a second portion has a strictly negative leading edge dihedral angle, the zone of maximum dihedral angle being, along the radial axis, between r=0.25 h and r=0.7 h.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Damien Cellier
  • Patent number: 10100802
    Abstract: A centrifugal turbine having a single impeller having two separate halves which face away from each other, at least one impeller half having an outlet tube which rotates with the impeller, the impeller halves held together by pins with blades floating on the pins, the blades not being connected to the impeller halves; a housing having three components, one housing component containing the two impeller halves comprising an inlet, and two outer housing components having an outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Inventor: Charles Wayne Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10082129
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for mounting a rear edge ridge onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the rotor blade has a pressure and a suction side and an essentially straight trailing edge. A tongue section projecting to the rear is provided at the trailing edge to form a step each to the pressure side and to the suction side in the area of the tongue section. The rear edge ridge or part thereof is then fitted onto the tongue section, so that it is flush with the suction side or pressure side, respectively, in the area of the step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Andree Altmikus
  • Patent number: 10081043
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing highly dimensionally accurate, deep-drawn half shells having a bottom region, a jacket and optionally having a flange, wherein a half shell pre-formed from a blank is formed into a finished half shell, wherein the pre-formed half shell has excess blank material on account of its geometrical shape, and the half shell being upset by way of at least one pressing operation in an upsetting tool to form the finished half shell during the forming of the pre-formed half shell into its finished shape on account of the excess blank material. The object of specifying a method and an apparatus, by way of which the process reliability can be increased during the production of a half shell, is achieved by way of the abovementioned method by virtue of the fact that the size of the upset gap is reduced during the closing of the upsetting tool to the actual wall thickness of the jacket of the pre-formed half shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP STEEL EUROPE AG
    Inventors: Thomas Flehmig, Konstantinos Savvas
  • Patent number: 9995149
    Abstract: A turbine blade having an airfoil defined by a concave shaped pressure side outer wall and a convex shaped suction side outer wall that connect along leading and trailing edges and, therebetween, form a radially extending chamber for receiving the flow of a coolant. The turbine blade may further include a rib configuration that partitions the chamber into radially extending flow passages. The rib configuration may include a camber line rib having a wavy profile. The wavy profile may include at least one back-and-forth “S” shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Thomas Foster, Lisa Anne Wichmann, Brian Denver Potter, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 9969035
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing multiple metal turbine engine parts, comprising steps consisting in: a) casting a metal alloy in a mold in order to produce a blank (3); and b) machining the blank in order to produce the parts, characterized in that the blank obtained by casting is a solid polyhedron having first and second sides (30a, 30b) and third and fourth sides (30c, 30d), in which the third and fourth sides extend between the first and second sides, flaring apart from the first side towards the second side, first at a first angle and subsequently at a second larger angle, and said at least one part is machined in the blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Patrick Emilien Paul Emile Huchin, Karine Deschandol, Sébastien Digard Brou De Cuissart, Serge Fargeas, Marc Soisson, Anthony Texier, Valéry Piaton
  • Patent number: 9879545
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow aerofoil component for a gas turbine engine includes using a capping panel to cover a pocket in a pocketed aerofoil body. During manufacture, the outer surface of the capping panel is located relative to the pocketed aerofoil body. This ensures that the outer surface of the capping panel is located as accurately as possible. This means that the capping panel can be made to be as thin as possible, which in turn reduces weight and material wastage. Once the capping panel has been located in position, it may be welded to the aerofoil body in order to produce the hollow aerofoil component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Steven Aleksy Radomski, Clive Grafton-Reed, Ian Crowston, Andrea Lelio Maurizio
  • Patent number: 9845786
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to spar caps for wind turbine rotor blades and methods of manufacturing same. The spar cap includes a plurality of plies having varying lengths that are arranged in a tapered configuration. Further, the tapered configuration includes at least an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is configured for attachment to at least one of a pressure side or a suction side of the rotor blade. Further, one or more plies of the upper and lower portions tapers towards an intermediate ply configured between the upper and lower portions of the spar cap. In addition, the intermediate ply has a length that is shorter than the plies in the upper and lower portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron A. Yarbrough, Christopher Daniel Caruso
  • Patent number: 9488066
    Abstract: Vane members have a space formed therein and a plate spring member is disposed inside the space of the vane members and elastically contacts inner surfaces of the vane members. The plate spring member includes a positioning portion, an elastic contact portion, and a connection portion. The elastic contact portion is divided into a plurality of segments in a length direction of the vane members. The elastic contact portion elastically contacts the inner surfaces of the vane members without any partial contact throughout an entire surface thereof. The elastic contact area between the elastic contact portion and the inner surfaces of the vane members is widened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Hiroharu Oyama, Takashi Maruyama, Yuki Yamamoto, Shohei Danno
  • Patent number: 9482104
    Abstract: A turbine blade for a turbojet engine, made of a ceramic matrix composite material and including a vane that extends above a platform and a root that extends below the platform is provided. The pressure face and the suction face of the vane is formed by sheets of a composite material, the sheets meeting at the leading edge and trailing edge of the vane. The pressure face and suction face are formed by the same sheet bent back on itself, in a radial direction, at the leading edge or trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Francois Gallet
  • Patent number: 9121286
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil body that defines a longitudinal axis. The airfoil body includes a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first side wall and a second side wall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first side wall and the second side wall join the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially define a cavity in the airfoil body. At least one of the first side wall and the second side wall includes at least one longitudinally elongated buttress that tapers longitudinally. The at least one longitudinally elongated buttress defines an increased thickness of, respectively, the first side wall or the second sidewall. The at least one longitudinally elongated buttress projects partially across the cavity toward the other of the first side wall or the second sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory M. Dolansky, Benjamin T. Fisk, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley, Anita L. Tracy
  • Patent number: 9003657
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes providing a substrate with an outer surface and at least one interior space and machining the substrate to selectively remove a portion of the substrate and define one or more cooling supply holes therein. Each of the one or more cooling supply holes is in fluid communication with the at least one interior space. The method further includes disposing an open cell porous metallic layer on at least a portion of the substrate. The open cell porous metallic layer is in fluid communication with the one or more cooling supply holes. A coating layer is disposed on the open cell porous metallic layer. The coating layer having formed therein one or more cooling exit holes in fluid communication with the open cell porous metallic layer. The substrate, the one or more cooling supply holes, the open cell porous metallic layer and the cooling exit holes providing a cooling network for a component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Scott Andrew Weaver, Wayne Charles Hasz
  • Publication number: 20150064018
    Abstract: A turbine blade is provided, having a fastening section, a platform, and a blade, which follow one another along a longitudinal axis of the turbine blade, wherein the platform, in radial relation to the longitudinal axis, has an inner platform part and an outer platform part, wherein the outer platform part is designed as a closed platform frame that encloses the outer edge of the inner platform part. An associated method for producing a turbine blade is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Fathi Ahmad, Hans-Thomas Bolms, Nihal Kurt
  • Patent number: 8938879
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component is provided. The method includes forming one or more grooves in an outer surface of a substrate. Each groove extends at least partially along the surface of the substrate and has a base, a top and at least one discharge point. The method further includes forming a run-out region adjacent to the discharge point for each groove and disposing a coating over at least a portion of the surface of the substrate. The groove(s) and the coating define one or more channels for cooling the component. Components with cooling channels are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 8915713
    Abstract: The present application thus provides an airfoil for use in a turbine. The airfoil may include a wall, an internal cooling plenum, and a cooling hole extending through the wall to the cooling plenum. The cooling hole may include an offset counterbore therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Bradley Taylor Boyer
  • Patent number: 8910379
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating coated components using multiple types of fillers are provided. One method comprises forming one or more grooves in an outer surface of a substrate. Each groove has a base and extends at least partially along the outer surface of the substrate. The method further includes disposing a sacrificial filler within the groove(s), disposing a permanent filler over the sacrificial filler, disposing a coating over at least a portion of the substrate and over the permanent filler, and removing the first sacrificial filler from the groove(s), to define one or more channels for cooling the component. A component with a permanent filler is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Raul Basilio Rebak, Renee Bushey Rohling, Scott Andrew Weaver, Ronald Scott Bunker, Don Mark Lipkin, Lawrence Bernard Kool
  • Publication number: 20140356182
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade (162) and a method of forming a wind turbine blade. The method includes: forming an inner segment (10) of an airfoil, leaving a portion (16) of an inner weave (12) extending from the inner segment; forming an outer segment (18) of the airfoil, leaving a portion (24) of an outer weave (20) extending from the outer segment; overlapping the extending portion of the inner weave with the extending portion of the outer weave; infusing the overlapped extending portions with additional resin; and curing the additional resin to form a monolithic airfoil (160).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: JOHN M. OBRECHT
  • Patent number: 8899936
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing a spar for a wind turbine blade. The method includes providing at least two caps, each cap forming an intermediate portion between two end portions, where the end portions each forms a cap joint surface portion along a longitudinal extending edge of the end portion and the intermediate portion forms an outer surface portion of the spar, providing at least two webs, each web being provided with web joint surface portions along opposite and longitudinally extending edges, and connecting the joint surface portions of the caps with the joint surface portions of the webs to form a tubular configuration of the spar. The caps are provided so that the end portions extend transversely to the intermediate portion and the caps are arranged relative to each other so that the end portions of one cap extend from the intermediate portion towards the end portions of another cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Mark Hancock, Andrew Hedges, Tomas Vronsky
  • Patent number: 8863382
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade and a wind turbine incorporating the rotor blade include a first and second composite skin. A first and a second spar pultrusion having a base and a plurality of integral ribs generally normal to base are attached to the inside surface of the first and second composite skins and extend the span of the rotor blade. At least one shear web connects a rib of the first spar pultrusion to a corresponding rib of the second spar pultrusion. The width of the spar pultrusions decreases in a step-wise fashion along the span of the rotor blade from the root to the tip. The leading or trailing edge of the rotor blade may be selectably opened for inspection and repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Piasecki Aircraft Corp.
    Inventor: Frederick W Piasecki
  • Patent number: 8857055
    Abstract: A process is provided for forming shaped air holes, such as for use in turbine blades. Aspects of the disclosure relate to forming shaped portions of air holes using a short pulse laser, forming a metered hole corresponding to each shaped portion, and separately finishing the shaped portion using a short-pulse laser. In other embodiments, the order of these operations may be varied, such as to form the shaped portions and to finish the shaped portions using the short-pulse laser prior to forming the corresponding metered holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bin Wei, Jon Conrad Schaeffer, Ronald Scott Bunker, Wenwu Zhang, Kathleen Blanche Morey, Jane Marie Lipkin, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Wilbur Douglas Scheidt
  • Patent number: 8857054
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an aerofoil for a gas turbine engine (10). The method comprises the steps of providing first and second panels (16, 18), providing a web (30) between the first and second panels, deforming the panels by applying internal pressure between the panels so as to form an internal cavity. The method further includes the step of providing a pattern of ribs (60) on the web so as to define a aerofoil having first and second panels with at least one rib (60) forming a protrusion extending from the first panel partially across the space between the first and second panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Keith C. Goldfinch, Oliver M. Strother, Julian MacKechnie-Jarvis
  • Publication number: 20140271227
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow aerofoil component for a gas turbine engine includes using a capping panel to cover a pocket in a pocketed aerofoil body. During manufacture, the outer surface of the capping panel is located relative to the pocketed aerofoil body. This ensures that the outer surface of the capping panel is located as accurately as possible. This means that the capping panel can be made to be as thin as possible, which in turn reduces weight and material wastage. Once the capping panel has been located in position, it may be welded to the aerofoil body in order to produce the hollow aerofoil component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Steven Aleksy RADOMSKI, Clive GRAFTON-REED, Ian CROWSTON, Andrea Lelio MAURIZIO
  • Patent number: 8826537
    Abstract: A method for making a rib for an aerofoil structure, the aerofoil structure including a skin component, the method including the steps of scanning the inner surface of the skin component to determine the surface profile thereof, providing a rib having a rib body and a rib foot protruding from the body, machining a foot surface profile into the rib foot, the foot surface profile being arranged to complement the skin inner surface profile where the rib foot is intended to abut the skin component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Amir Kayani, Ian L Gray
  • Patent number: 8789275
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a spar cap disposed between layers constituting an outer skin or disposed on an inner side of the outer skin and a method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade are provided, wherein in manufacture of the wind turbine blade, generation of manufacturing defects, such as misalignment and wrinkles in fabrics, can be suppressed and the time required for repairing the defects as well as for laminating the layers can be reduced. In the method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade having the spar cap as a main structural member of the blade disposed between the layers constituting the outer skin or disposed on the inner side of the outer skin, the spar cap is formed as a separate piece from the outer skin, and the spar cap, dry fiber fabrics for the layers constituting the outer skin, and a sandwich core member are collectively impregnated with resin under a vacuum process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Esaki, Takao Kuroiwa, Nozomu Kawasetsu, Kentaro Shindo, Toru Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20140205454
    Abstract: A hollow blade for a turbomachine comprises an airfoil portion; the airfoil portion extends longitudinally for a length; the airfoil portion is defined laterally by an external surface; the airfoil portion has at least one internal cavity extending along said length and defined laterally by an internal surface; the airfoil portion has a set of channels extending from the external surface to the internal surface; the openings of said channels on said external surface are aligned along a curved line that reflects an isobar on said external surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Nuovo Pignone Srl
    Inventors: Iacopo Giovannetti, Lorenzo Cosi, Mirco Innocenti, Frencesco Piraccini, Pierluigi Tozzi
  • Patent number: 8764401
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising an aerodynamic fairing supported along at least a portion of its axial length by a spar (12). The spar comprises at least two spar segments (12) joined end-to-end at an interface (9), each spar segment comprising a shear web (3) with a spar cap (4) on each side. The outer face (6) of each spar cap tapers inwardly towards the interface such that its depth is reduced towards the interface creating a recess on each side of the interface formed by the tapered faces of adjacent spar caps. A respective connection piece (8) is sized to fit into each recess. Each connection piece (8) is sized to fit into each recess. Each connection piece (8) being fixed to the tapered faces of adjacent spar caps to form a double scarf joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Blade Dynamics Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Trevor Hayden, Harald Behmer
  • Patent number: 8739404
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to the use and manufacture of cooling features within a component used in a hot gas path, such as within a turbine. In one embodiment, channels are formed within an external surface of the component and filled with a removable material. The external surface and channels may then be coated with one or more layers, such as a structural layer and/or top coat. The removable material may then be removed to leave the channels free of the removable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Bin Wei, Ann Melinda Ritter, Don Mark Lipkin, Raul Basilio Rebak, Lawrence Bernard Kool, Dennis Michael Gray
  • Publication number: 20140140859
    Abstract: Uber-cooled multi-alloy integrally bladed rotors (IBR) are made having blades with internal cooling passages with a cavity in the root portion attached to a disk having a protrusion on the periphery of the disk. The blades are put on the protrusion and the blade and disk are forced together, followed by locally heating the blade cavity/disk protrusion to a temperature between the blade and disk material softening temperatures, causing the protrusion to deform against the blade cavity, and holding them in place until bonding occurs. Subsequent to bonding the portion of the blade that defines the cavity is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel A. Bales, Steven D. Jenkel, Benjamin T. Fisk
  • Publication number: 20140119937
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes an internal support structure extending span-wise from a blade root to a blade tip. A plurality of ribs are fixed to and spaced along the internal support structure, with each rib extending in a generally chord-wise direction and having a generally aerodynamic blade contour. A plurality of chord-wise oriented fabric strips are affixed to the ribs in a tensioned state, wherein the fabric strips define an aerodynamic outer skin of the rotor blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Biao Fang, Steven Haines Olson, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Sriram Krishnamurthy, Balaji Haridasu, Prakash Kashiram Jadhav, Subbareddy Daggumati, Suresh Subramanian, Scott Roger Finn, Udit Kulmi, Vasan Churchill Srinivasan Chandrasekaran
  • Publication number: 20140093387
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cooled turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine. The method includes forming an inner blade pattern, the inner blade pattern including an inner spar and a plurality of inner spar cooling fins. The method also includes forming an inner blade core, removing the inner blade pattern from the inner blade core, forming an outer blade pattern, forming a casting shell, removing the outer blade pattern from the casting shell, and casting the cooled turbine blade in the casting shell. The method also includes removing the casting shell from the cast cooled turbine blade, and removing the inner blade core from the cast cooled turbine blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: SOLAR TURBINES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Pointon, Andrew Meier, Nnawuihe Asonye Okpara, Daniel Martinez