Method Of Operation Patents (Class 415/1)
  • Patent number: 10161311
    Abstract: An aircraft with aturbofan engine assembly having at least one compressor, a nacelle surrounding the turbine engine and defimng an annular bypass duct between the nacelle and the turbine engine, a thrust reverser having at least one moveable control surface, a thrust reverser locking system configured to selectively lock the thrust reverserand an injection cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Qiang Pang, Guohua Zhong, Yao Li
  • Patent number: 10138900
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes at least one rotor assembly and at least one compressor casing. The compressor casing has at least one inner compressor casing chamber for arranging the rotor assembly and at least one outer compressor casing chamber for tempering the compressor casing. The inner and outer compressor casing chambers are separated from each other by a separating casing wall. The outer compressor casing chamber has at least one boundary casing wall. The boundary casing wall and the separating casing wall are oppositely spaced such that the outer compressor casing chamber is formed. The boundary casing wall has at least one inlet opening for leading in an inlet tempering gas flow with tempering gas into the outer compressor casing chamber such that a tangential material temperature variation of the compressor casing is reduced in comparison to a non tempered compressor casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Andersson, Allan Persson
  • Patent number: 10137981
    Abstract: An aeronautical propulsion system includes a fan having a plurality of fan blades rotatable about a central axis and defining a fan pressure ratio, FPR. The propulsion system also includes an electric motor mechanically coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the electric motor including a number of poles, npoles, and defining a maximum power, P. The relationship between the fan pressure ratio, FPR, of the fan, the number of poles, npoles, of the electric motor, and the maximum power, P, of the electric motor is defined by an equation: n pole p = C 1 · e - 9.062 · FPR + C 2 · e - 1.2604 · FPR ; wherein C1 is a constant having a value between 22,000 and 52,000, wherein C2 is a constant having a value between 4.0 and 9.8, and wherein e is Euler's number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Randy M. Vondrell, Patrick Michael Marrinan, Paul Robert Gemin, Nicholas Taylor Moore
  • Patent number: 10125789
    Abstract: A variable area vane arrangement includes a stator vane, a bushing and a vane platform with an aperture. The stator vane rotates about an axis, and includes a shaft that extends along the axis into the aperture. The bushing is connected to the shaft, and is arranged within the aperture between the vane platform and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: David Maliniak, Nathan F. Champion, Kenneth A. Frisk
  • Patent number: 10125579
    Abstract: An apparatus can include a first curved blade for use in a centrifuge. The centrifuge can be for collecting debris particles in a fluid flowing through the centrifuge. The first curved blade can include a plurality of eccentric slots. The first curved blade can include a groove positioned at an outer edge of the curved blade. The first curved blade can also include a first mating element and a second mating element. The first and second mating elements can be for coupling the first curved blade to a second curved blade about a central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Gao, Nicholas Budler, Linda Xin
  • Patent number: 10119403
    Abstract: An example method of reducing a vibratory response of airfoils that support a shroud includes circumferentially misaligning some of the airfoils in a radially inner array of airfoils with all airfoils of a radially outer array of airfoils, and circumferentially aligning at least one of the airfoils in the radially inner array of airfoils with all airfoils of the radially outer array of airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Richard K. Hayford, Steven J. Ford
  • Patent number: 10119474
    Abstract: A hydrostatic seal and vibration damping apparatus for a gas turbine engine adapted to reduce vibrations during cold engine start-ups is disclosed. In one disclosed configuration, the vibration damping apparatus is comprised of a temperature sensitive control ring having a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion adapted to expand quickly at relatively low temperatures to protect the hydrostatic seal during such gas turbine engine startups. At operational temperatures, the control ring is adapted to become separated from the hydrostatic sea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dave J. Hyland, Joseph T. Caprario, Timothy Dale
  • Patent number: 10113556
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor assembly for use in a turbine engine is provided. The assembly includes an impeller that includes a plurality of rotor blades. The assembly also includes a stationary assembly circumscribing the impeller such that a clearance is defined therebetween. The stationary assembly includes at least one articulating seal member positioned adjacent the plurality of rotor blades, and a biasing mechanism configured to cause the at least one articulating seal member to selectively translate relative to the plurality of rotor blades based on an operating condition of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Ory Moniz, Joseph George Rose
  • Patent number: 10113555
    Abstract: A turbocharger unit for an internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust line for the evacuation of exhaust gases from the combustion chamber of the engine and at least one inlet line for the supply of air to the combustion chamber is provided. The turbocharger unit includes a turbine which interacts with a compressor in order to extract energy from the exhaust-gas flow of the engine and pressurize the inlet air of the engine. The compressor is of the radial type and is provided with an impeller having backswept blades in which the blade angle between an imaginary extension of the center line of the blade between root section and tip section in the direction of the outlet tangent and a line connecting the center axis of the impeller to the outer tip of the blade is at least about 40 degrees. The ratio between the inlet diameter of the impeller and its outlet diameter lies within the range 0.50-0.62.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventor: Magnus Ising
  • Patent number: 10113553
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor for a chiller includes a casing, an inlet guide vane, an impeller downstream of the inlet guide vane, a motor and a diffuser. The casing has inlet and outlet portions with the inlet guide vane disposed in the inlet portion. The impeller is rotatable about a rotation axis defining an axial direction. The motor rotates the impeller. The diffuser is disposed in the outlet portion downstream from the impeller with an outlet port of the outlet portion being disposed between the impeller and the diffuser. A hot gas injection passage is provided to inject hot gas refrigerant between the inlet guide vane and the impeller. A controller is programmed to control an amount of the hot gas refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: DAIKIN APPLIED AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Umeda, Md Anwar Hossain, Takatoshi Takigawa
  • Patent number: 10110156
    Abstract: A system has an electric motor having a stator and a rotor. The rotor rotates with a shaft and the shaft drives a fluid rotor. A control senses a fault condition on the electric motor. The control actuates a speed reduction feature when a fault is detected to bring rotation of the motor rotor and the fluid rotor to a stop more rapidly than if the speed reduction feature had not been actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sunstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas C. Koenig, John M. Beck, Joseph Kenneth Coldwate
  • Patent number: 10100675
    Abstract: An outer diffuser case of a diffuser case assembly for use in a gas turbine engine may have a housing orientated about an engine axis, a forward flange projecting radially outward from the housing, a mid-flange spaced axially aft of the forward flange and projecting radially inward from the housing, and an aft flange projecting radially outward from the housing. The mid flange is spaced axially between the forward and aft flanges and is configured to detachably engage an inner diffuser case of the case assembly. The forward flange is configured to detachably engage a high pressure compressor and the aft flange is configured to detachably engage a high pressure turbine of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Eastwood, Dave J. Hyland, Timothy Dale
  • Patent number: 10100654
    Abstract: A turbine shroud adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of metallic carrier segments and a plurality of blade track segments mounted to corresponding metallic carrier segments. Impingement tubes direct cooling air onto the blade track segments to cool the blade track segments when exposed to high temperatures in a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Peter Broadhead, Steven Hillier
  • Patent number: 10100665
    Abstract: A method for heating up a steam turbine or for keeping a steam turbine hot, which steam turbine has at least one pressure stage working at an initial pressure or intermediate pressure, at least one final pressure stage which is fluidically connected downstream of the pressure stage and works at a final pressure which is lower than the initial pressure or intermediate pressure, and at least one condenser which is connected downstream of the final pressure stage, wherein steam generated outside the steam turbine is introduced into the pressure stage. After flowing through the pressure stage and bypassing the final pressure stage, the steam is supplied directly to the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tobias Hogen, Yevgen Kostenko, Sebastian Zahn, Uwe Zander
  • Patent number: 10093171
    Abstract: A grill assembly for attachment to a vehicle front end including a base grill portion, having a front surface, a back surface, a perimeter portion, and cross-rail portions. The cross-rail portions define a plurality of grill openings therebetween. A plurality of louvers are configured to communicate with the plurality of grill openings. The assembly is in communication with a controller to effectuate generally linearly reciprocal movement of at least one of the base grill portion or the plurality of louvers in a direction generally defined by a direction of travel of the vehicle to vary an amount of air flow through the plurality of grill openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Lacks Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: David Walters
  • Patent number: 10087943
    Abstract: A flow volume measurement device for a turbo compressor includes a first pressure guide tube communicating with an intake pipe connected to a second compression stage having a compressor impeller that compresses a gas; and a second pressure guide tube communicating with an intake port of the second compression stage, which has a smaller internal diameter than an internal diameter of the intake pipe, and measures the flow volume of the gas on the basis of a difference in pressure between the first pressure guide tube and the second pressure guide tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: IHI Rotating Machinery Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshimichi Taketomi
  • Patent number: 10087767
    Abstract: A pre-diffuser may include a plurality of struts, and each strut may have a leading edge. An upper contour of the leading edge may have a forward end and an aft end, and may include a first radius and a second radius. The first and second radii may be associated with the forward end and the aft end, respectively. The first radius may also be located farther forward than the second radius, and may be larger than the second radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Jeffery Eastwood, Dave J. Hyland, Timothy Dale
  • Patent number: 10082148
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a surge prevention apparatus and method for a centrifugal compressor. The surge prevention apparatus includes a control unit for controlling a gas provision operation based on a flow rate and pressure on an inlet side of a compressor and pressure on an outlet side of the compressor, and a gas provision unit for storing a part of gas flowing into the inlet side of the compressor and providing the stored gas to the inlet side in response to a control signal from the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Joa-Hyoung Lee, Gwang-Ja Jin, You-Hee Choi
  • Patent number: 10036322
    Abstract: Aircraft turbomachine comprising at least one heat exchanger (40) and a gearbox (10) in a V-shaped overall configuration and comprising two lateral arms (20) joined together by a central joining piece, the heat exchanger being mounted between the arms of the gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Carmen Ancuta, Bruno Albert Beutin
  • Patent number: 10025893
    Abstract: A life consumption of a component in a machine may be predicted. Load data may be received from a load session of the machine. A plurality of parameter sets may be accessed, each associated with a critical point of the component, which point is considered to have critical life consumption. For each critical point, life consumption may be calculated using a life consumption calculation model receiving the load data and the parameter sets as input. By selecting a plurality of critical points on the component, a more complete view is presented of how the different parts of the component are affected by the load session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden AB
    Inventors: Magnus Andersson, Anders Larsson
  • Patent number: 10006681
    Abstract: A pulse width modulation control is provided for a suction valve located on a suction line. When the flow rate through a refrigerant system needs to be reduced, the suction valve is rapidly cycled from an open position to a closed position. A bypass line connecting compressor discharge to compressor suction with a bypass valve and a discharge valve positioned on the discharge side of the compressor are also provided. When the control closes the suction valve, it also closes the discharge valve to prevent the refrigerant to backflow into the bypass line, and, at the same time, the control opens the bypass valve. Opening of the bypass valve reduces discharge pressure, leading to reduction in compressor power consumption and subsequent operating efficiency gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Lifson, Michael F. Taras
  • Patent number: 10006439
    Abstract: An energy production plant has a drive train including a differential gear (14) with three drive and power take-off assemblies, a first drive assembly being connected to a drive shaft, a power take-off assembly being connected to a generator (13) and a second drive assembly being connected to a differential drive assembly (16). The differential gear (14) is a planetary gear. Both an emergency brake (4) and a service brake (20) are located in the drive train. In the event of a power failure, grid fault or an emergency shutdown, the service brake (20) is activated such that the torque acting on the rotor (1) supplied by the drive train remains substantially constant for a period of at least 0.5 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Inventor: Gerald Hehenberger
  • Patent number: 10006290
    Abstract: A two-sided turbocharger compressor wheel and a housing forming a diffuser for the compressor. A first side and a second side of the compressor wheel are characterized by different values of a trim and of an annulus area. A first side of the diffuser surrounds the first side of the compressor wheel, and a second side of the diffuser surrounds the second side of the compressor wheel. The first and second sides of the diffuser are characterized by different annulus area ratios. The blades of the first and second sides of the compressor wheel are angularly offset from one another. The compressor wheel is configured for greater flow through the side of the compressor wheel that faces away from a related turbine wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Vit Houst, Daniel Turecek, Vaclav Kares, Milan Nejedly, Michal Mokos, Hua Chen, Annie Li, Michael Zhao, Wei Dai, Jose Luis Lazaro Bercianos
  • Patent number: 10001083
    Abstract: A turbofan aircraft engine having a primary duct (C), including a combustion chamber (BK), a first turbine (HT) disposed downstream of the combustion chamber, a compressor (HC) disposed upstream of the combustion chamber and coupled (W1) to the first turbine, and a second turbine (L) disposed downstream of the first turbine and coupled (W2) via a speed reduction mechanism (G) to a fan (F) for feeding a secondary duct (B) of the turbofan aircraft engine. A square of a ratio of a maximum blade diameter (DF) of the fan to a maximum blade diameter (DL) of the second turbine is at least 3.5, in particular at least 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventors: Klaus Peter Rued, Werner Humhauser, Hermann Klingels, Rudolf Stanka, Eckart Heinrich, Hans-Peter Hackenberg, Stefan Weber, Claus Riegler, Erich Steinhardt, Jochen Gier, Manfred Feldmann, Norbert Huebner, Karl Maar
  • Patent number: 9995277
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind farm includes: receiving temperature data associated with a plurality of locations along a sound path between the wind farm and a sound immission point from one or more sensors; estimating a propagation characteristic of the sound path based at least in part on the temperature data; predicting a noise level at the sound immission point based at least in part on the propagation characteristic; determining a control signal for one or more wind turbines in the wind farm based at least in part on the noise level; and using the control signal to control the one or more wind turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andreas Herrig, Seongkyu Lee, Stefan Kern, Thierry Pascal Maeder, Benoit Philippe Petitjean, Roger Drobietz, Sujan Kumar Pal, Biju Nanukuttan
  • Patent number: 9995381
    Abstract: A torque converter is provided. The torque converter includes a front cover, an impeller shell and a turbine axially movable to frictionally engage the impeller shell such that the turbine forms a piston of a lockup clutch. A first pressure chamber is defined axially between the turbine and the impeller shell. The torque converter further includes a reaction plate positioned axially between the front cover and the turbine. A second pressure chamber is defined axially between the reaction plate and the turbine and a third pressure chamber is defined axially between the reaction plate and the front cover. A method of forming a torque converter is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Sagar Adari
  • Patent number: 9988930
    Abstract: A method of predicting the condition of a compressor with respect to rotating stall is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: i) comparing the difference between the largest and smallest values of a variable occurring during a time period with a difference threshold, the variable at any given time being dependent on the compressor exit pressure at that time, and ii) predicting either that the compressor is in rotating stall or that the compressor is not in rotating stall in dependence upon the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: David Andre Elysee
  • Patent number: 9970293
    Abstract: A rotating liquid ring rotating casing gas turbine (10) has at least one liquid ring rotating casing (13) having an eccentrically mounted impeller (11) adapted to rotate within a surrounding liquid ring (14) so as to form chambers (15) of successively increasing volume between adjacent vanes of the impeller. A working fluid formed by high pressure gas is injected into the impeller where the chambers are narrow via a fluid inlet (19) within a static axial bore (23) of the impeller so as to rotate the impeller and in so doing the gas expands isentropically. A fluid outlet (20) within the static axial bore of the impeller and fluidly separated from the fluid inlet allows the working fluid to escape at low pressure and low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Agam Energy Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Gad Assaf
  • Patent number: 9951461
    Abstract: A washing machine including a cabinet having an inlet port formed at a front panel for laundry insertion thereinto and a door to open or close the inlet port; a tub within the cabinet for storing wash water; a drum in communication with the inlet port, and rotatably provided within the tub; and a detergent dispenser provided below the inlet. The detergent dispenser includes a dispenser case having an opening portion on an upper surface thereof; and at least one of an automatic detergent supply unit and a manual detergent supply unit mounted at the dispenser case. The automatic detergent supply unit includes a container provided with an inlet port and an outlet port for storing liquid detergent; a container receiving portion to receive the container; and a pumping device to selectively discharge liquid detergent discharged from the outlet port of the container by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Bosung Seo, Myunghun Im
  • Patent number: 9951793
    Abstract: A compressor housing may include a shroud portion which is axially spaced from an inlet portion and configured to at least partially surround the compressor wheel. The compressor housing may be further configured to include a recirculation cavity which is formed between an exterior surface of the shroud portion and an interior surface of the compressor housing. Furthermore, a recirculation slot may define an airflow pathway between the recirculation cavity and the compressor wheel. Additionally, the compressor housing may include an angled shroud support extending radially through the recirculation cavity from the exterior surface of the shroud portion to the interior surface of the compressor housing. The angled shroud support may be spaced an axial distance away from the recirculation slot to reduce turbulence in the airflow as the airflow moves from the recirculation cavity to the compressor wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Evan Lucas
  • Patent number: 9920647
    Abstract: A seal segment of a shroud arrangement for bounding a hot gas flow path within a gas turbine engine is described. The seal segment is upstream of a second component of the gas turbine engine relative to the hot gas flow path. The seal segment comprises: a plate having: a downstream trailing edge; an inboard side which faces the hot gas flow path when in use; an outboard side; and a first part of a two part seal attached on the outboard side, wherein a second part of the two part seal is attached to the second component such that in an assembled gas turbine engine the two part seal provides an isolation chamber which is in fluid communication with the hot gas flow path via the trailing edge of the plate. A gas turbine having the seal segment is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Simon Lloyd Jones, Rupert John Taylor, Julian Glyn Balsdon
  • Patent number: 9915176
    Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine engine includes a shroud having a front side confronting the blades of a turbine and a back side opposite the front side, a hanger configured to couple the shroud to with casing of the turbine, a cooling conduit extending through the hanger to supply a cooling fluid stream to the back side of the shroud, and a particle separator having a through passage forming part of the cooling conduit and a scavenge conduit branching from the through passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Carl Murray, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Corey Bourassa, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Curtis Walton Stover
  • Patent number: 9912162
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power consumption of a group of a plurality of wind turbines, in particular of a wind park. The wind turbines are prepared for feeding electrical energy into an electrical supply network and an energy supply is offered to the wind turbines for consumption in a recurring cycle, in predetermined order successively, and subject to a total park energy supply available to the wind turbines for consumption, and the respective wind turbine reserves this or a smaller energy supply as a reference power, and subsequent wind turbines in the cycle are provided with, at most, the energy supply available to the wind park, reduced by the reference energy supply already reserved, as energy supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Helge Giertz
  • Patent number: 9909673
    Abstract: A fluid supply system for providing a turbomachine fluid to a component of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The fluid supply system includes a fluid container, a moveable barrier, and an airbag. The moveable barrier fluidly divides the fluid container into a first portion and a second portion. The moveable barrier is moveable between a flow-permitting position and a flow-restricting position. The turbomachine fluid experiences a circulating flow between the component and the second portion of fluid container when the moveable barrier is in the flow-permitting position. The circulating flow is at least partially impeded by the moveable barrier when the moveable barrier is in the flow-restricting position. The airbag is positioned within the first portion of the fluid container. The airbag is selectively operable to move the moveable barrier from the flow-permitting position to the flow-restricting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: JinQuan Xu
  • Patent number: 9889915
    Abstract: A control system to optimize response time of a plurality of engines of a machine is provided. The control system includes a controller configured to determine a first engine group and a second engine group based on data regarding response time characteristics of the plurality of engines, control the first engine group to increase output power of the machine when the output power of the machine is below a predetermined power output threshold, and control the second engine group to increase output power of the machine responsive to the output power of the machine reaching the predetermined power output threshold. A response time of the first engine group is faster than a response time of the second engine group when the output power of the machine is below the predetermined power output threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Yanchai Zhang, Michael A. Snopko, Insu Chang, Vijay Janardhan, Perry D. Converse
  • Patent number: 9856853
    Abstract: A multi-stage radial turbine for usage in energy capture from fluid streams with low to moderate relative speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: John French
  • Patent number: 9845807
    Abstract: Provided is a compressor control device configured to control a flow rate of a compressor having a plurality of impellers connected to an outlet port-side flow path in parallel and a flow rate regulation unit configured to regulate a flow rate of each of the impellers, the compressor control device including a pressure detection unit configured to detect a pressure of the outlet port-side flow path, a flow rate detection unit configured to detect the flow rate of each of the impellers, and a control unit configured to output a flow rate regulation command of each of the impellers to the flow rate regulation unit and control the flow rate regulation unit based on the detection result of the pressure detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takeda, Yosuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9816483
    Abstract: An operation control system for a wind farm having wind turbines includes: a remaining-lifetime estimation unit for estimating remaining lifetime of a component of each wind turbine; a sales-income estimation unit for estimating, for each wind turbine, an income from sales of electric power under a plurality of output control conditions; a maintenance-cost estimation unit for estimating, for each wind turbine, maintenance cost based on the remaining lifetime of the component under each of the plurality of power limit conditions; a power-limit-condition selection unit for selecting, for each wind turbine, a power limit condition that maximizes income obtained from the wind farm, based on the income from sales of electric power and the maintenance cost estimated for each wind turbine under each of the power limit conditions; and an operation command unit for sending an operation command to each wind turbine based on the selected power limit condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Nakamura, Tohru Minami
  • Patent number: 9816511
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a load is provided. The apparatus comprises a multiple-shaft gas turbine comprising a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine drivingly connected to one another by a first gas turbine shaft and a low pressure compressor and a power turbine drivingly connected to one another by a second gas turbine shaft extending coaxial with the first gas turbine shaft, the high pressure compressor and the high pressure turbine. The apparatus also comprises a load coupling drivingly connecting the power turbine to the load and a dual-speed turning gear with an output shaft drivingly engageable to and disengageable from the load, the dual-speed turning gear comprising a low speed turning motor and a high speed turning motor, wherein the low speed turning motor and the high speed turning motor are configured to selectively drive the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventors: Daniele Marcucci, Giuliano Milani
  • Patent number: 9816524
    Abstract: The centrifugal compressor (1) includes: an impeller (3); and a casing (2) accommodating the impeller (3). The casing (2) includes: an inlet (6); an impeller-accommodating portion (14) in which the impeller (3) is disposed; an annular chamber (11) formed around the inlet (6); a downstream groove (13) communicating a downstream end portion of the annular chamber (11) with the impeller-accommodating portion (14); and an upstream groove (12) communicating an upstream end portion of the annular chamber (11) with the inlet (6). In addition, the downstream groove (13) is provided in a predetermined range in a circumferential direction of the impeller (3) so as to communicate with a high-pressure part to occur in part of the impeller-accommodating portion (14), and the upstream groove (12) is provided over the entire circumference of the inlet (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideaki Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9810088
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal (BOAS) assembly for an engine case of a gas turbine engine includes a multiple of supported air seal segments and a multiple of floating air seal segments circumferentially alternate with the multiple of supported air seal segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thurman C Dabbs, James N Knapp
  • Patent number: 9803504
    Abstract: A steam turbine includes a boiler unit, first supply pipes, a second supply pipe, a plurality of valve units, a drain valve unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to control, before rotation of the turbine starts, an operation time and temperature of the auxiliary boiler so that the temperatures of the high-pressure turbine and the intermediate-pressure turbine are increased to the first setting temperature. The controller is configured to control, when the temperatures of the high-pressure turbine and the intermediate-pressure turbine are maintained at the first setting temperature, operation of the main boiler such that the temperature of the intermediate-pressure turbine reaches a second setting temperature while operation of the auxiliary boiler is interrupted, and control, when the temperature of the intermediate-pressure turbine is maintained at the second setting temperature, the operation of the main boiler such that steam is supplied only to the high-pressure turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Luke Park
  • Patent number: 9790797
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a spool, a turbine coupled to drive the spool, a propulsor coupled to be driven at a at a design speed by the turbine through the spool, and a gear assembly coupled between the propulsor and the spool. Rotation of the turbine drives the propulsor at a different speed than the spool. The propulsor includes a hub and a row of propulsor blades that extend from the hub. Each of the propulsor blades includes an airfoil body. The leading edge of the airfoil body has a swept profile such that, at the design speed, a component of a relative velocity vector of a working gas that is normal to the leading edge is subsonic along the entire radial span.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Edward J. Gallagher, Thomas H. Rogers
  • Patent number: 9785602
    Abstract: An electronic flow instrument and method which uses the instrument for monitoring and/or controlling the production or flow of a fluid. The instrument has a multiplexer linked by a USB connection to a microcontroller so that the multiplexer provides multiple USB connection ports for the microcontroller. A resident USB flash drive is installed in one of the USB connection ports for storing long term logging data related to the production or flow of the fluid. Secure access to the electronic flow instrument is provided by using a second USB flash drive containing a security file or password as a security key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: T & T Computer Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Houston Browning Mount, John T. Penn
  • Patent number: 9784108
    Abstract: A rotary machine for compression and decompression, comprising a disc-shaped rotor having a first rotation axis at right angles to the plane of the rotor and situated in a plane of orientation and a disc-shaped swing element having a second rotation axis. In the orientation plane, the second rotation axis makes an angle with the first rotation axis. Furthermore, a spherical housing is present surrounding the rotor and the swing element and in combination forming four (de-)compression chambers. A connecting body positions the rotor and the swing element in the housing. The rotary machine furthermore comprises a power drive and a mechanical connection delivering power to or taking off power from the rotary machine. In addition, the rotary machine is suitable for the seamless integration of generator components for generating or using electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Be-Kking Management B.V.
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Theodorus Clemens Bekking
  • Patent number: 9776712
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft including a vehicle vibration control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: LORD Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Jolly, Russell E. Altieri, Askari Badre-Alam, Douglas E. Ivers, Doug A. Swanson, Daniel Mellinger, Andrew D. Meyers
  • Patent number: 9777642
    Abstract: A method and system for a turbofan gas turbine engine system is provided. The gas turbine engine system includes a variable pitch fan (VPF) assembly coupled to a first rotatable shaft and a low pressure compressor LPC coupled to a second rotatable shaft. The LPC including a plurality of variable pitch stator vanes interdigitated with rows of blades of a rotor of the LPC. The gas turbine engine system also includes a speed reduction device coupled to said first rotatable shaft and said second rotatable shaft. The gas turbine engine system further includes a modulating pressure relief valve positioned between an outlet of said LPC and a bypass duct and a controller configured to schedule a position of said plurality of variable pitch stator vanes and said modulating pressure relief valve in response to an operational state of said turbofan gas turbine engine system and a temperature associated with said LPC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kurt David Murrow, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Randy M. Vondrell, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Anthony Hamel, Darek Tomasz Zatorski
  • Patent number: 9771856
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor having a casing that houses an impeller allowing rotation about a rotational axis C, a gas channel, a treatment hollow part provided inside the casing, a first channel open to the gas channel on the downstream side of the blade leading edge of the impeller, a second channel open to the gas channel at the upstream side of the blade leading edge, a guide vane that imparts a swirl component in an opposite rotational direction of the impeller to gas discharged from the second channel, a constricting part that constricts the gas channel, and a rectifying part that rectifies gas in a direction that minimizes the swirl component about the rotational axis C and also increases the component in the direction of the rotational axis C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidefumi Nakao
  • Patent number: 9765789
    Abstract: System and method for testing a pump. The testing of the pump includes determining a Mechanical Power Index (MPI) for the pump. The MPI is determined by operating the pump at operating speed for a minimum operating interval. When the pump is stopped under normal operation by the application, the pump speed is continuously monitored. The time when the pump speed decreases to an initial speed close to the operating speed is read as an initial time. When the pump speed decreases to a final pump speed close to the critical speed, the end time is read and the elapsed time is determined as ?t=end time?initial time. The MPI is calculated to be the initial pump speed minus the final pump speed divided by ?t. The MPI can be used during the lifetime of the pump to determine when the pump is deteriorating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Follo Alessandro, Flavio Cometti, Gianluca Buccheri, Jonathan Rohed
  • Fan
    Patent number: 9745996
    Abstract: A fan casing includes an impeller housing, a mixed-flow impeller located within the impeller housing, and a motor for driving the impeller. The impeller includes a hub connected to the motor, and a plurality of blades connected to the hub, each blade comprising a leading edge located adjacent the air inlet of the impeller housing, an inner side edge connected to and extending partially about the outer surface of the hub, an outer side edge located opposite to the inner side edge, and a blade tip located at the intersection of the leading edge and the outer side edge. The leading edge comprises an inner portion located adjacent the hub, and an outer portion located adjacent the blade tip, and wherein the inner portion is swept rearwardly from the hub to the outer portion, and the outer portion is swept forwardly from the inner portion to the blade tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventor: Michal Rafal Nurzynski