Axially Adjusted Patents (Class 415/131)
  • Patent number: 11895951
    Abstract: A fan hub for an extractor for a harvesting machine that harvests a crop. The fan hub having a hub cover positioned along a rotation axis of a fan of the extractor. The hub cover is adjustable to alter the profile of the hub cover relative to the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Blain J. Cazenave
  • Patent number: 11690665
    Abstract: Pump assemblies and systems are provided. For example, a pump assembly comprises a pump head, a bezel surrounding an outer perimeter of the pump head, a motor, and tubing. The bezel comprises a bezel upper side, a bezel lower side opposite the bezel upper side, a bezel inlet side extending from the bezel upper side to the bezel lower side, and a bezel outlet side opposite the bezel inlet side and extending from the bezel upper side to the bezel lower side. The bezel defines an inlet channel on the bezel inlet side and an outlet channel on the bezel outlet side, each of the inlet channel and the outlet channel guiding the tubing into the pump head. An exemplary pump system comprises a plurality of pump assemblies that each supply a fluid to a cooling circuit and a base for supporting the plurality of pump assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Avent, Inc
    Inventors: Ruoya Wang, Michael D. Brown, Jennifer J. Barrett, Kun-Chi Wu, Claire B. Couch, Ken Driver
  • Patent number: 11415138
    Abstract: A submersible well fluid pump has diffusers non-rotatably mounted in a pump housing. A drive shaft rotates an impeller between each of the diffusers. A bearing is positioned between and in abutment with two of the diffusers. An annular recess encircles an outer wall of the bearing. A wave spring has undulations with inward protruding indentations in contact with a base of the recess and outward protruding indentations in engagement with an inner wall of the housing. The wave spring is split and radially compressed between the base of the recess and the housing inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Zheng Ye, Risa Rutter, Ryan Anthony Lack, Jason Ives
  • Patent number: 11174874
    Abstract: A multistage centrifugal pump includes an upstream housing and a downstream housing. The upstream housing and the downstream housing each have a first end, a second end and a plurality of turbomachinery stages. Each of the plurality of turbomachinery stages includes a diffuser and an impeller. A compression bulkhead is connected between the second end of the upstream housing and the first end of the downstream housing. The compression bulkhead applies a compressive force to the diffusers within the upstream housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Baker Hughes ESP, Inc.
    Inventor: Colby Lane Loveless
  • Patent number: 11085541
    Abstract: A labyrinth seal includes a step portion, a high-puressure-side fin, a low-puressure-side fin and an annular groove. The step portion is formed in a portion of a second member on one side of the facing direction and faces a high-pressure side. The high-pressure-side fin is arranged on a high-pressure side relative to the step portion. The low-pressure-side fin is arranged on a low-pressure side relative to the step portion. The annular groove is formed in a portion of the second member on the one side of the facing direction and is arranged in at least a part of a region on the low-pressure side relative to the step portion as well as on the high-pressure side relative to the low-pressure-side fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Morinaka
  • Patent number: 11035472
    Abstract: A labyrinth seal is included in a rotary machine. The rotary machine includes a first member, a second member facing the first member, and a gap formed between the first member and the second member. The labyrinth seal includes a step portion, a high-pressure-side fin on the high-pressure side relative to the step portion, a low-pressure-side fin on the low-pressure side relative to the step portion, and an annular groove. The step portion is configured to allow a portion of the second member on the low-pressure side relative to be arranged closer to the other side of the facing direction than a portion of the second member on the high-pressure side. The annular groove is arranged in at least a part of a region on the low-pressure side and on the high-pressure side, relative to the low-pressure-side fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Morinaka
  • Patent number: 10982719
    Abstract: There are provided a seal fin, a seal structure, and a turbo machine that can achieve a high leak-suppressing effect and can reduce leak loss of the turbo machine. The disclosure suppresses leak of a fluid from a gap between a first structure being in a static state and a second structure rotating around an axis line and is formed on the first structure so as to extend toward the second structure while keeping a clearance between a tip face thereof on an extending direction and the second structure. The first structure and the second structure face each other in a radius direction with the gap inbetween. A plurality of hollows opening at a tip on the extending direction are arranged along a circumference direction in parallel with each other on a front face facing an upstream side of a flow direction of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Toyoharu Nishikawa, Yoshihiro Kuwamura, Hiroharu Oyama, Katsuhisa Hamada, Hideaki Sugishita
  • Patent number: 10753223
    Abstract: A rotor assembly apparatus that includes a rotatable component and a ring-shroud. The rotatable component is mounted for rotation about a first axis. The ring-shroud defines an inner surface that surrounds the rotatable component and that defines a second axis. A sensing system is configured to monitor the position of the first axis relative to the second axis. A casing surrounds the ring-shroud and an actuation system is configured to move the ring-shroud relative to the casing, in response to the sensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jason David Shapiro
  • Patent number: 10746283
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine. This assemble includes a stationary structure configured with a first side, a second side and a bore that extends through the stationary structure between the first side and the second side. The assembly also includes a fluid transfer tube extending within the bore and forming a plenum between a sidewall of the fluid transfer tube and the stationary structure. The fluid transfer tube is configured with a first end at the first side, a second end at the second side, a flowpath and an aperture. The flowpath is at least partially formed by the sidewall and extends through the fluid transfer tube between the first end and the second end. The aperture fluidly couples the flowpath with the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher T. Anglin
  • Patent number: 10694678
    Abstract: A combine harvester fan housing assembly may include a fan enclosure formed as a single unitary body out of a polymeric material. The fan enclosure may include a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a first axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a fan therethrough and a second axial inlet opening and a discharge duct extending from the spiral duct. The combine harvester fan housing assembly may further include an inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Matthew T. Wold, Kenneth J. Carter
  • Patent number: 10655486
    Abstract: An assembly for a turbine engine or turbine engine test bed, including a hub defined about a longitudinal axis, a blade, including a blade root, extending in a radial direction to the longitudinal axis, the hub including a recess capable of receiving the blade root by insertion in the radial direction, wherein the recess includes a groove, the blade root including a groove, so that the two grooves are facing each other when the blade root is inserted into the recess, the assembly further includes a seal located in the two grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Benjamin Bulot, Claire Marie Figeureu
  • Patent number: 10550677
    Abstract: A pumping system includes a motor, a shaft driven by the motor, a pump driven by shaft, a thrust bearing housing and a thrust bearing assembly contained within the thrust bearing housing. The thrust bearing assembly includes a rotating component connected to the shaft, a first bearing adjacent to the rotating component and an adjustment mechanism for the adjusting the distance between the rotating component and the first bearing. The adjustment mechanism can be externally manipulated from outside the thrust bearing housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas ESP, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Alan Howell, Aaron Noakes
  • Patent number: 10539142
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump assembly has an electric drive motor (2) and at least one impeller (10; 10?), which is movable in an axial direction (X) between at least two functional positions. In one functional position a flow path through the impeller (10; 10?) is essentially closed and in another functional position the flow path through the impeller (10; 10?) is opened. The impeller (10; 10?) in a first functional position is held by a magnetic force (FM) or a spring force and in a second functional position is held by a hydraulic force (FH) produced by a delivered fluid. An impeller is provided for the centrifugal pump assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/S
    Inventor: Thomas Blad
  • Patent number: 10415598
    Abstract: A pump features a bearing sleeve couples to a pump shaft, and includes a bearing sleeve surface having bores for receiving fasteners; and an adjusting nut having a central bore with central bore threads to rotationally couple to pump shaft threads, is configured to rotate in relation to the bearing sleeve and move the pump shaft axially to adjust an impeller clearance between a working side of an impeller arranged on the pump shaft and a casing of the pump, and is configured with an adjusting nut surface having openings different in number than the bores, sets of corresponding bores and openings aligning at angular adjustment intervals, e.g. every 9 or 15°, when the adjusting nut is rotated in relation to the bearing sleeve in either direction in order to receive fasteners to couple the adjusting nut to the bearing sleeve when the adjustment of the impeller clearance is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: ITT MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Jason D. Peckham, Mark A. Playford
  • Patent number: 10350331
    Abstract: The present invention provides a dry powder that is suitable for use in forming a hydrogel and characterized by a stable composition at ambient conditions. The dry powder includes a prepolymer including a straight chain polyethylene glycol, and a thermally activated free radical initiator selected from the group consisting of sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and ammonium persulfate. The present invention also provides a method of forming the dry powder, and a method of preparing a hydrogel where a reaction mixture is formed including the dry powder and a buffered aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Endologix, Inc.
    Inventors: Donovan Prewett, Paolo Mendoza, Charles Bankert, Mehdi Durali
  • Patent number: 10221707
    Abstract: An integrated strut and turbine vane nozzle (ISV) has inner and outer annular duct walls defining an annular flow passage therebetween. Circumferentially spaced-apart struts extend radially across the flow passage. Circumferentially spaced-apart vanes also extend radially across the flow passage and define a plurality of inter-vane passages. Each of the struts is integrated to an associated one of the vanes to form therewith an integrated strut-vane airfoil. The inter-vane passages on either side of the integrated strut-vane airfoil may be adjusted for aerodynamic considerations. The vanes may be made separately from the struts and manufactured such as to cater for potential misalignments between the parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Vincent Paradis, Edward Vlasic, Panagiota Tsifourdaris
  • Patent number: 10107134
    Abstract: A turbofan engine including a fan section including a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an axis, a compressor including a plurality of compressor blades, a turbine including a plurality of turbine blades and a geared architecture driven by the turbine for driving the fan section at a speed and direction different than the turbine is disclosed. A rub strip proximate at least one of the compressor blades, the turbine blades and the fan blades slows rotation when engaged. The rub strip generates a torque opposing rotation when in an engaged condition that is between 2 and 6 times a torque encountered in a non-engaged condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Husband, Drew W. Lancaster
  • Patent number: 9897090
    Abstract: A pump assembly and components therefor including an impeller which has flow inducer elements on an inner surface of a front shroud thereof, a flow directing device or strainer having passageways for delivering material to the impeller and at least one flow circulating passageway and a pump casing having an intake section with flow distribution vanes in the region of a feed opening adjacent the intake section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Edward Burgess, Garth Norman Cantrill
  • Patent number: 9828999
    Abstract: An impeller assembly and a pump for pumping a liquid, including a pump chamber and an impeller arranged to rotate in the pump chamber, the impeller being suspended in a lower end of an axially extending drive shaft unit, wherein the lower end of the drive shaft unit is received in a cylinder-shaped recess of the impeller, wherein the impeller is displaceable back and forth in the axial direction in relation to the drive shaft unit. The impeller further includes an axially extending hole that connects the cylinder-shaped recess and the pump chamber and that the drive shaft unit includes an axially extending pin that projects from the lower end of the drive shaft unit, wherein the pin is arranged in the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: XYLEM IP MANAGEMENT S.Á R.L.
    Inventors: Patrik Andersson, Stefan Ramström
  • Patent number: 9605678
    Abstract: The free-flow pump comprises an impeller (11, 22, 33) with an impeller base that is constituted by a front side (14, 5 24) of a hub body (12, 23) projecting at the center of the impeller (11, 22, 33) and by a disk surface (18, 28) located deeper than the front side (14, 24) of the hub body (12, 23) and reaching to an outer circumference of the impeller with its maximum depth. The disk surface (18, 28) is provided with vanes (19, 29, 34) comprising open vane front sides (20, 30, 35) adjoining the hub body (12, 23) at their inner end and extending from there to the outer circumference of the impeller (11, 22, 33). To avoid material accretions in front of the impeller (11, 22, 33) it is suggested that at least within an inner third of its radius, the impeller base is not located deeper with respect to the inner end of the vane front sides (20, 30, 35) than at most one sixth of the height difference (H) between the inner end of the vane front sides (20, 30, 35) and the maximum depth of the disk surface (18, 28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: EGGER PUMPS TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Jean-Nicolas Favre, Hagen Renger, Michel Grimm
  • Patent number: 9255604
    Abstract: A hydro dynamic bearing device comprising an upper half of a main bearing and a lower half of the main bearing, wherein the upper half of the main bearing is lined with a low-strength metal such as a Babbitt metal, wherein a circumferential groove is formed in the lower half of the main bearing, and wherein the low-strength metal of the upper half of the main bearing, which is formed at a region opposed to a downstream side of the circumferential groove formed in the lower half of the main bearing, is partially removed to cause a high-strength bearing base metal to be partially exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayasu Tanaka, Kenichi Hattori, Yukihiro Yamamoto, Kenichi Tomita, Kengo Iwashige, Kenichi Tohrisawa, Yasunori Shigenaga, Tomoaki Yamashita, Makoto Hemmi, Tateki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8992163
    Abstract: An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Thoratec Corporation, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Mark W. McBride, Thomas M. Mallison, Gregory P. Dillon, Robert L. Campbell, David A. Boger, Stephen A. Hambric, Robert F. Kunz, James P. Runt, Justin M. Walsh, Boris Leschinsky
  • Patent number: 8979471
    Abstract: A bearing assembly, a pump with a bearing assembly and a method of lubricating a pump bearing using a bearing assembly. The bearing assembly includes a bearing carrier and a bearing housing that are rotatably connected to one another to permit axial adjustment of the pump's impeller or other fluid-conveying apparatus, as well as variable rotational positioning of the bearing carrier relative to a pump housing. Numerous lubricant access apertures placed around the periphery of the bearing carrier facilitate lubricant passage from a connection on the bearing housing to the bearings, regardless of the rotational position of the carrier relative to the bearing housing or other pump structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Flowserve Management Company
    Inventors: Philip Richard Riley, Sarath Alayilveetil, John Roger Bower, Anthony George Stafford
  • Patent number: 8939715
    Abstract: A turbine bucket tip clearance control system includes a rotor assembly having a rotor supporting a plurality of axially spaced wheels, each wheel mounting an annular row of buckets, the annular row of buckets on at least one of the plurality of axially-spaced wheels having a radially outer tip shroud provided with at least one seal tooth. A stator assembly includes a radially inwardly facing, axially-stepped surface, formed with radially inner and outer seal surfaces connected by a shoulder. The stator assembly and rotor assembly are moveable axially relative to each other, enabling selective positioning of the at least one seal tooth radially opposite one of the radially inner and outer seal surfaces to thereby selectively alter a clearance gap between the at least one seal tooth and the radially inward facing axially-stepped surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Harold Edward Miller
  • Patent number: 8840365
    Abstract: A turbocharger is provided herein. The turbocharger includes a housing and an adjustable core at least partially circumferentially surrounded by the housing, the adjustable core having a turbine rotor coupled to a compressor rotor via a shaft. The turbocharger further includes an adjustment mechanism coupled to the adjustable core configured to adjust an axial position of the housing relative to the adjustable core in response to adjustment commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Douglas Ervin, August Thomas Vaught
  • Patent number: 8801369
    Abstract: The invention regards a turbine for the expansion of gas and vapor that comprises a body or casing with a volute for the transit of the fluid from an input to an output passage through at least a statoric and a rotoric group, a possible front shield that extends radially from said volute towards the axis of the turbine shaft, an external tube member fixed in front of said shield or said volute designed to hold the turbine shaft with the interposition of a supporting unit (19), where said turbine shaft (15) has a head (15?) supporting the rotoric group (16, 17). The turbine shaft (15) together with the rotoric group (16, 17) is movable axially between a work position, in which the head of said shaft is at a distance from an internal end of the external tube member (18) facing towards the statoric group, and a retracted position, in which the head of the shaft or a part of the rotoric group rests against said internal end of said tube member with the interposition of at least a front seal (41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Turboden S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mario Gaia, Roberto Bini
  • Patent number: 8764385
    Abstract: In an axial-centrifugal compressor, the rotor of which includes an impeller, axial play is controlled by a special air ventilation to the rotor, by a circuit including two parallel arms, flow rates of which are both controlled by respective veins, and moreover the temperature in one of them is changed by a heat exchanger. The ventilation air is thus controlled, both in terms of temperature and flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Laurent Donatien Behaghel, Eddy Stephane Joel Fontanel, Benjamin Philippe Pierre Pegouet
  • Patent number: 8671893
    Abstract: A controllable coolant pump, insertable in a coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine includes a pump housing, in which a hollow pump shaft is supported rotationally with an allocated impeller. Rotation of the impeller conveys coolant. To control a volume conveyed by the coolant pump an axially displaceable guide disk is provided, allocated to the impeller and cooperating with an actuating mechanism. The guide disk is connected to a push rod, guided in the pump shaft, and is displaceable between two end positions defined by a rear wall and a pump cover of the impeller. The actuating mechanism further includes a displacement pump integrated in the coolant pump, with a coolant flow of the displacement pump being supplied for adjustment of the guide disk via a control valve to an actuator, which includes a piston in a pressure chamber in the pump shaft connected to the push rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Popp, Sebastian Hurst
  • Patent number: 8608452
    Abstract: A variable coolant pump for a cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine that has a pump housing in which is mounted a hollow shaft that is driveable by a pulley. At one end of the hollow shaft an impeller is fastened which has vanes projecting into an inlet chamber and which is firmly connected via axial bridges to a cover disc. Through rotation of the impeller together with the cover disc, water can be sucked into the inlet chamber via an inlet connection piece of the pump housing and conveyed by the vanes into an annular passage of the pump housing. A guide disc with a contour corresponding to the impeller is further arranged between impeller and cover disc. The guide disc is guided by the axial bridges and can be displaced axially via a positioning unit by a piston located inside the hollow shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alexander Draheim, Andreas Nendel, Eduard Golovatai-Schmidt, Jens Schaefer, Sandra Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8376707
    Abstract: An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignees: Thoratec Corporation, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Mark W. McBride, Thomas M. Mallison, Gregory P. Dillon, Robert L. Campbell, David A. Boger, Stephen A. Hambric, Robert F. Kunz, James P. Runt, Justin M. Walsh, Boris Leschinsky
  • Patent number: 8348598
    Abstract: In order to provide a rolling bearing for a wind turbine and a wind turbine which can prevent the deterioration of the lubrication condition even when the rolling bearing receives high load while the inner ring and the outer ring are kept still relative to each other, the wind turbine generator of the present invention for supporting a first member and a second member which rotates relative to the first member, comprises an inner ring to which the first member is fixed; an outer ring to which the second member is fixed; a center ring which is arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring and can rotate independently of the inner ring and the outer ring; rolling elements which are provided between the bearing rings in such a manner that the rolling elements can freely roll; and a center ring drive unit for rotating the center ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naota Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8231337
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pump for pumping contaminated liquid including solid matter, comprising a pump housing provided with a rotatable impeller suspended in a drive shaft and having at least one vane, and an impeller seat, at least one part of the impeller and the impeller seat being movable in the axial direction in relation to each other. Furthermore, the impeller seat presents at least one groove in the top surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Xylem IP Holdings LLC
    Inventor: Patrik Andersson
  • Patent number: 8210829
    Abstract: A pump (10) includes a housing, a stator (20) supported in the housing, and a rotor assembly (30). The rotor assembly (30) includes a rotor (32) supported in the housing for rotation relative to the stator (20) about an axis (12). The rotor assembly (30) also includes a first impeller (34) operatively coupled to a first axial end of the rotor (32) for rotation with the rotor about the axis (12). The rotor assembly further includes a second impeller (36) operatively coupled to a second axial end of the rotor (32), opposite the first axial end, for rotation with the rotor about the axis (12). The rotor assembly (30) is movable along the axis (12) relative to the housing to adjust hydraulic performance characteristics of the pump (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
    Inventors: David Horvath, Leonard A. R. Golding, Alex Massiello
  • Patent number: 8197192
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pump for pumping contaminated liquid including solid matter, comprising an impeller (1), which is rotatable in a pump chamber of said pump, the impeller (1) being movable in the axial direction in relation to a seal housing cover (3) between a first position adjacent to an impeller seat (2) and a second position spaced apart from said impeller seat (2), said pump also comprising a cavity (17) defined by the seal housing cover (3) and the impeller (1), and at least one opening gap (20) connecting said cavity and said pump chamber. Furthermore, said opening gap (20) has a first flow area when the impeller (1) is in the first position, and a second flow area bigger than said first flow area when the impeller (1) is' spaced apart from said first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Xylem IP Holdings LLC
    Inventor: Patrik Andersson
  • Patent number: 8177476
    Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes a magnetic actuator configured to adjust a radial clearance between a housing and rotary blades via translational movement along a rotational axis. The system includes a controller configured to engage the magnetic actuator to adjust the radial clearance in response to feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Andrew, James M. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 8162596
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for supporting and adapting high pressure pumping apparatus for use on or in a marine vessel subject to direct dynamic motions imparted to the marine vessel without damaging the pumping apparatus to thereby extend the useful life of the pumping apparatus. For this purpose the method and apparatus is designed to prevent the deflection of the bearings by providing an axial support and radial damping to vibrations resulting from the motions imparted to the marine vessel. In addition, the pumping shaft is protected when inoperative by preventing the pumping shaft from rotation. Specifically the method and apparatus provide the suction vessel housing the high pressure pumping apparatus to be secured to the marine vessel's deck at all times along with the provision for absorbing the vibrations and stresses due to the marine vessel's movements imparted thereto by being subjected to the direct dynamic motions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: EBARA International Corp.
    Inventor: Keijun Kamio
  • Patent number: 8061973
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor having a compressor intake, and an intake system mounted upstream of the compressor intake. The intake system includes a housing and a plurality of selectively positionable vanes arranged within the housing. The plurality of selectively positionable vanes are moveable between a first position to remove a first amount of foreign particles, and a second position, to remove a second amount of foreign particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert Henry Devine, II
  • Publication number: 20110239695
    Abstract: A turbo compressor having an impeller and a rotary shaft connected to the impeller, the turbo compressor including: a positioning unit that positions the impeller and the rotary shaft in a direction orthogonal to an axis of the rotary shaft; and a rotation regulating unit installed at a location different from the positioning unit and regulating relative rotation between the impeller and the rotary shaft around the axis, in which the rotation regulating unit includes an impeller-side regulating unit integrally formed with the impeller and a shaft-side regulating unit integrally formed with the rotary shaft and locked to the impeller-side regulating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Noriyasu SUGITANI, Katsuya FUJISAKU
  • Publication number: 20110229301
    Abstract: A turbine bucket tip clearance control system includes a rotor assembly having a rotor supporting a plurality of axially spaced wheels, each wheel mounting an annular row of buckets, the annular row of buckets on at least one of the plurality of axially-spaced wheels having a radially outer tip shroud provided with at least one seal tooth. A stator assembly includes a radially inwardly facing, axially-stepped surface, formed with radially inner and outer seal surfaces connected by a shoulder. The stator assembly and rotor assembly are moveable axially relative to each other, enabling selective positioning of the at least one seal tooth radially opposite one of the radially inner and outer seal surfaces to thereby selectively alter a clearance gap between the at least one seal tooth and the radially inward facing axially-stepped surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Harold Edward MILLER
  • Patent number: 8016553
    Abstract: A turbine rim cavity seal with a variable gap clearance control in a gas turbine engine. A stator vane includes an inner shroud with an inter-stage sealing housing extending inward and separating a front rim cavity from an aft rim cavity. Front and aft rotor disks are located on the sides of the stator vane and include labyrinth seal teeth extending upward to form a seal with an abrasive material supported on the underside of the housing cavity. The abrasive material includes a slanted sealing surface. A hydraulic actuator moves the rotor disks in an axial direction to control the seal gap and regulate the purge air flow into the front rim cavity and leakage flow through the seal into the aft rim cavity. In another embodiment, the sealing surface is stepped as well as slanted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 7927068
    Abstract: An impeller includes a hub, and a plurality of blades supported by the hub, the blades being arranged in at least two blade rows. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blades extend away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which at least one of the blades is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may also have an operational configuration in which at least some of the blades are deformed from the deployed configuration upon rotation of the impeller when in the deployed configuration. The outer edge of one or more blades may have a winglet, and the base of the blades may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignees: Thoratec Corporation, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Mark W. McBride, Thomas M. Mallison, Gregory P. Dillon, Robert L. Campbell, David A. Boger, Stephen A. Hambric, Robert F. Kunz, James P. Runt, Justin M. Walsh, Boris Leschinsky
  • Publication number: 20110006523
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for a more efficient and dynamic waste heat recovery system in an automobile. The present invention includes a heat exchanger connected to a generator. The heat exchanger includes variable pitch impellers attached to and rotating a shaft. The pitch of the impellers can be dynamically varied and the impellers can also be staggered. The generator includes a rotor connected to the shaft. The rotor rotates within a stator when the shaft rotates. The stator includes windings with different thicknesses and different turn ratios allowing for generation of different energy levels by each of the windings. Each of the windings can be dynamically activated. The pitch of the impellers can be dynamically altered and the windings can be dynamically activated depending on energy requirements of an energy storage unit and/or accessories in the automobile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Eengineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Woodson Wayne Samuel
  • Patent number: 7824151
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes an engine housing enclosing: a centrifugal compressor having a rotor; at least one centrifugal compressor bore mounted to the rotor; at least one blade mounted to each of the at least one centrifugal bore and disposed proximate to at least one static wall; a turbine disposed in connection with the centrifugal compressor; a thrust bearing disposed in connection with the rotor; and means for moving said rotor with reference to the at least one static wall attached to the thrust bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Jesse W. Smith
  • Publication number: 20100247283
    Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes a magnetic actuator configured to adjust a radial clearance between a housing and rotary blades via translational movement along a rotational axis. The system includes a controller configured to engage the magnetic actuator to adjust the radial clearance in response to feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Andrew, James M. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 7704054
    Abstract: A pump (10) includes a housing, a stator (20) supported in the housing, and a rotor assembly (30). The rotor assembly (30) includes a rotor (32) supported in the housing for rotation relative to the stator (20) about an axis (12). The rotor assembly (30) also includes a first impeller (34) operatively coupled to a first axial end of the rotor (32) for rotation with the rotor about the axis (12). The rotor assembly further includes a second impeller (36) operatively coupled to a second axial end of the rotor (32), opposite the first axial end, for rotation with the rotor about the axis (12). The rotor assembly (30) is movable along the axis (12) relative to the housing to adjust hydraulic performance characteristics of the pump (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
    Inventors: David Horvath, Leonard A. R. Golding, Alex Massiello
  • Patent number: 7591632
    Abstract: The invention relates to a side channel compressor, comprising a housing shell and a running wheel. The running wheel is mounted to be rotatable with respect to the housing shell to provide two annular sealing areas between the housing shell and the running wheel. The housing shell between the first and the second sealing area can be made of one piece. The gap dimensions of the first and second sealing areas can be adjusted by means of a disc spring/nut system or a wobble means. A fan impeller may be fixed on the motor shaft, and the housing shell can comprise cooling ribs, wherein the cooling ribs are arranged and formed such that the air conveyed by the fan impeller sweeps through the cooling ribs. One of the annular sealing areas can include a dead volume chamber. The housing shell may be a casting or a machined extruded profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Inventors: Martin Baecke, Peter Hartung, Iugo Müller
  • Patent number: 7585149
    Abstract: A fan system includes a rotatable axial flow fan unit, a fan shroud unit adjacent to the fan unit and capable of surrounding at least a portion of an outer periphery of the fan unit; and an actuator coupled to one of the units and operable to move said one of the units with respect to the other of the units, thereby varying immersion of the fan unit within the shroud unit. The actuator may be coupled to the shroud unit and is operable to move the shroud unit with respect to the fan unit. A control unit controls the actuator to vary fan immersion as a function of sensed parameter signals, and thereby maximizes fan efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Andrey Valeryevich Skotrikov, Ronnie Franklin Burk
  • Patent number: 7553124
    Abstract: The present invention is a centrifugal pump that pumps high-viscosity liquids, slurries, and solids-containing liquids. The pump has a housing, a chamber formed within the housing, a first discoidal member positioned in the chamber, a second discoidal member positioned in that chamber, connecting rods connecting a periphery of the first discoidal member to a periphery of the second discoidal member, and a drive for rotating the first discoidal member and the second discoidal member positioned in the chamber. The first discoidal member is either a recessed impeller or half-regular closed centrifugal impeller. The second discoidal member is a recessed impeller, a disc impeller, or a half-regular closed centrifugal impeller. The second discoidal member has a hole in the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Inventor: Juan Jimenez
  • Patent number: 7549835
    Abstract: A system and method for extending seal life and for reducing leakage flow in a turbine engine is directed to an interface defined between a stationary component and a rotating component. A seal, which can be a flexible seal such as a brush seal, can be operatively attached to the stationary component. The rotating component has a first region at a first radius relative to the axis of rotation that transitions into a second region at a second, larger radius relative to the axis of rotation. In one embodiment, the rotating component can be selectively axially moved between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the seal is disposed over the first region so as to define a clearance. In the second position, the seal is disposed over the second region so as to decrease the size of the clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Dieter Brillert
  • Publication number: 20080247865
    Abstract: A device and method for axially displacing at least one turbine rotor relative to at least one corresponding turbine stator in a multistage axial turbine is disclosed. The turbine shaft is provided with a split design and has a first axially displaceable shaft half, which is connected via a turbine disc to the turbine rotor and via a torque coupling to the second shaft half. By axially displacing the turbine rotor relative to the turbine stator and by controlling this axial displacement, the operation of the turbine is held in its possible optimum of efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Fiala, Michael Kremmer