Tined Or Irregular Periphery Patents (Class 416/228)
  • Publication number: 20130183160
    Abstract: A high solidity hub assembly with lightweight, high efficiency, hybrid airfoil/sail blades. The hub includes at three to eight, blade mounting surfaces each with a radially extending blade. The blades are identical and wedge shaped and evenly distributed radially around the hub. Gaps are created between each blade. Each blade has an airfoil profile with a curved outer skin layer with a large curved leading edge and a flat trailing edge, similar to an airfoil. The outer skin layer is secured along its leading edge and removeably attached along its trailing edge to a lightweight internal frame. Each blade includes a transversely aligned end cap with optional louvers. The blades are oriented so that their outer skin layers face downwind and rotate in the direction of their leading edges. When wind flows against the inside surface of the skin layers, the blades act as a sail to produce thrust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: 3 Phase Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Pete Agtuca
  • Patent number: 8480372
    Abstract: A system including an airfoil portion of an unshrouded turbine bucket, which includes a pressure-side surface and suction-side surface each extending from a root surface to a tip surface and joined at a leading edge and a trailing edge, the pressure-side surface having a generally concave shape and the suction-side surface having a generally convex shape; the airfoil portion having an increasing stagger angle in a span-wise direction from the root surface to the tip surface and an increasingly loaded suction-side surface as the suction-side surface approaches the tip surface and the tip surface approaches the leading edge, the airfoil portion having a resultant lean in a direction of the suction-side surface as the leading edge approaches the tip surface, and the pressure-side surface and the suction-side surface each having a locally reduced or reversed curvature in a direction of the pressure-side surface at their intersection with the tip surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Scott Matthew Sparks
  • Patent number: 8475130
    Abstract: An axial flow fan comprises a central hub (2) and a plurality of blades (3), each fixed to the central hub (2) and extending from a respective first end (3a) proximal to the hub (2) to a respective second end (3b) distal from the hub (2); the blades (3) are inclined at a keying angle (?) to a rotation plane (R) of the fan which also comprises a plurality of aerodynamic protrusions (11), each extending from a first lateral edge (6) of a corresponding blade (3) in the vicinity of its second end (3b); each protrusion (11) lies in a plane (PP) perpendicular to an axis (A) of fan rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: SPAL Automotive S.r.l.
    Inventor: Alessandro Spaggiari
  • Publication number: 20130164488
    Abstract: An airfoil and method of fabricating an airfoil including a first and a second side coupled together at a leading and a trailing edge and extending there between. The airfoil includes a plurality of first chord sections having a first chord length and extending outward from one of the first side or second side of the airfoil at the leading edge and a plurality of second chord sections having a second chord length and extending outward from the one of the first side or the second side of the airfoil at the leading edge. The leading edge including spaced-apart wave-shaped projections defining a waveform. The configuration defining a three-dimensional crenulated airfoil configured to facilitate desensitization of an airfoil unsteady pressure response to at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex by decorrelating spatially and temporally and reducing in amplitude an unsteady pressure caused by interaction of the airfoil with the upstream generated wake or vortex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Umesh Paliath
  • Publication number: 20130149108
    Abstract: A blade having a root portion and an aerofoil portion, wherein the aerofoil portion has a tip remote from the root portion, and a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein the tip of the aerofoil portion has a set-back portion extending from the leading edge or the trailing edge of the aerofoil portion part way towards the respective other edge and set back from the remainder of the tip of the aerofoil portion towards the root portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: John R. Webster
  • Publication number: 20130129519
    Abstract: A rotor blade element and a method for improving the efficiency of a wind turbine rotor blade are provided. The wind turbine rotor blade element is adapted for mounting on the wind turbine rotor blade. The wind turbine rotor blade has a trailing edge, a suction side and a pressure side. The blade element has a trailing edge, a first surface and a second surface. The first surface forms a pressure side surface portion. The second surface has a suction side surface portion and a contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Soeren E. Nielsen, Carsten Thrue
  • Patent number: 8439643
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil and integral platform. The platform is biformally contoured in elevation to include bilaterally disposed elevated ridges and depressed troughs on opposite sides of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Miller Kuhne, Joseph Steven Bubnick, Alisha Vachhani Kalb
  • Patent number: 8439642
    Abstract: A pump assembly that includes a pump housing defining an inlet for receiving fluid to be pumped and an outlet for discharging fluid. A rotatable impeller operatively coupled to a drive motor includes a plurality of vane structures integrally formed with a shroud. Each vane structure includes a curved, axial vane segment extending axially from the shroud. A compound, multi-step auxiliary vane extends transversely from each axial vane segment. The auxiliary vane or wing includes at least first and second sections, with the second section overlying the first section in a staggered configuration such that the trailing edges of the first and second sections are spaced apart to form a step. The second auxiliary vane section includes an axial surface that also forms a working vane surface for the auxiliary vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: The Gorman-Rupp Company
    Inventors: Thomas M. Scott, Eddie D. Cottrell
  • Patent number: 8430638
    Abstract: A noise reducer for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and a rotor blade assembly are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge and a trailing edge each extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade further defines a span and a chord. The rotor blade assembly further includes a noise reducer configured on the rotor blade. The noise reducer includes a plurality of rods each having a body extending between a first end and a second end. The body of each of the plurality of rods contacts and extends parallel to the body of a neighboring rod of the plurality of rods when the noise reducer is in a stable position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger Drobietz, Ariane Frere, Andreas Herrig, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin
  • Patent number: 8419373
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a wind turbine blade with superior aerodynamic characteristics and rigidity, a wind turbine generator equipped with the wind turbine blade, and a method of designing the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade 1 is provided with a blade tip part 2, a blade root part 4 connected to a hub 112, and an airfoil part 6 disposed between the blade tip part 2 and the blade root part 4. The airfoil part 6 includes a flatback airfoil 10 with a blunt trailing edge 8 at least in an area in a longitudinal direction of the wind turbine blade 1 where a blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%. X indicates a ratio of a maximum thickness tMAX to a chord length LC. In the area where the blade thickness ratio X is 40% to 50%, the flatback airfoil has a trailing edge thickness ratio Y which is 5% to YH%, Y indicating a ratio of a trailing edge thickness tTE to the maximum thickness tMAX and YH has a relationship of YH=1.5X?30 with the blade thickness ratio X.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 8419372
    Abstract: An airfoil of varying span-wise thickness comprising a suction side and a pressure side coupled together at a leading edge and a trailing edge, with the trailing edge comprising a plurality of spaced-apart wave-shaped projections. Exemplary embodiments provide airfoil geometry and/or trailing edge features to influence downstream wake flow. Methods of fabricating an airfoil for improved wake flow are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Anurag Gupta, Ludwig Christian Haber, Philip Roger Gliebe
  • Patent number: 8419368
    Abstract: A high-efficiency wind turbine structure for providing torque to a rotary machine such as a generator. The structure embraces a flat central member arranged to rotate on an axis, and a plurality of peripheral vanes arranged so as to exhaust wind to a plurality of constrictions that exist between curved end portions of adjacent vanes. Improved efficiency and simplified construction are considered to be the advantageous characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Inventor: Henry L. Blevio, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8414265
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes a body having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, and a tip region, and a winglet arranged on the pressure side of the body in the tip region extending from a point in the tip region down stream of the leading edge to the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8414261
    Abstract: A rotor blade assembly and a method for reducing the noise of a rotor blade for a wind turbine are disclosed. The rotor blade has surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a noise reducer configured on a surface of the rotor blade, the noise reducer including a plurality of noise reduction features. Each of the plurality of noise reduction features includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface includes a first portion mounted to one of the pressure side or the suction side and a second portion configured to interact with wind flowing past the other of the pressure side or the suction side. The second surface interrupts an aerodynamic contour of the one of the pressure side or the suction side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Laurent Bonnet
  • Publication number: 20130071253
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade having an aerodynamic profile which is formed in a longitudinal section of the rotor blade and which has a pressure side, a suction side, a profile leading edge and a profile trailing edge with a thickness of 3 mm or greater, characterized by a plurality of bristles which are arranged on the profile trailing edge and which are arranged in a suction-side row and in a pressure-side row, the suction-side row forming an aerodynamic surface which forms a smooth continuation of the suction side, and the pressure-side row forming an aerodynamic surface which forms a smooth continuation of the pressure side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventor: Gunter Fischer
  • 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: 8371819
    Abstract: Provided is a quiet propeller including a propeller blade having such a pitch angle not at its root portion but at its blade end edge portion with respect to a relative flow in the rotational direction, as to raise the internal pressure of a liquid thereby to eliminate a cavity, a water bubble or a cavitation at the blade root portion at the time of a high-speed rotation so that the propeller is rotated at a high speed by a small prime mover and by a prime mover capable of moving much fluid backward. In the quiet propeller, a propeller blade is curved backward at its leading end portion to form a slope portion, and a rotational front side end portion in the slope portion is formed into an arcuate shape in the side view whereas a rotational rear side end portion is so gradually extended backward from the rotational front side end portion as to become straight from the blade root to the blade end, thereby to form a deflecting slope face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bellsion
    Inventor: Masahiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8366399
    Abstract: A blade or vane includes a platform 130 and an airfoil 132 extending from the platform. The airfoil has a pressure surface offset in a first direction D1 from a part span mean camber line 148, a suction surface offset in a second direction D2 from the part span mean camber line, and a base 146 that is laterally enlarged in the first direction for reducing secondary flow losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Eunice Allen-Bradley, Eric A. Grover, Thomas J. Praisner
  • Patent number: 8366400
    Abstract: A blade as a main body of a rotor blade has a suction side made convex and a pressure side made concave so as to have an aerofoil profile. A squealer tip having a back face continuous to the suction side and a front face matching with a center plane of the blade is formed at a distal end of the blade. The front face is coated with a hard coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ochiai, Takashi Furukawa, Mitsutoshi Watanabe, Tetsuji Fujimura
  • Patent number: 8360734
    Abstract: An example method of repairing an airfoil includes securing a cap to an end portion of a worn airfoil and securing additional material to the cap. The method includes altering some of the cap to form a desired airfoil contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: William M. Rose
  • Patent number: 8356979
    Abstract: A ceiling fan (10) has an electric motor (13) which rotatably drives an annular array of blade irons (14) coupled to blades (15). Each blade has a fastener mounting hole (18) and an end notch (19). Each blade iron (14) has a blade mounting portion (23) with a blade fastener (24) configured to pass through the fastener mounting hole, and a releasable spring biased catch (27). The fastener has main post (30) and stops (25) configured to overlay the top surface of the blade once the blade is coupled to the blade iron. The catch has a moveable flat spring (28) straddled by two L-shaped guides (29) having an upright wall portion (31) and a horizontal top portion (32). The horizontal top portion is spaced a select distance from the blade iron top surface (26) through the height of the vertical wall portion so as to catch the blade therebetween. The flat spring has a hand gripping portion (34) extending above the top surface of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
    Inventor: Cecil Fred Haynes
  • Patent number: 8353665
    Abstract: An impeller for use in a two-chamber extracting blower that separates liquid and solid contaminants from a supply of and provides a supply of clean air moving at high velocity air. The impeller includes a plurality of blades wherein each blade includes a first section perpendicular to and formed of the blade and a second section perpendicular to the first section, also formed of the blade and radiating outward. The height of each section and the construction of the main section of the blade create differing pressure zones during rotation of the impeller, segregating air contain the impurities and prompting separation of the impurities. The construction of the first and second sections promotes more efficient and quieter operation, strengthens the blade, and permits removal of the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: GlobalTech Motor & Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank T. Stockstill, Fernando Osornia, Fernando S. Osornia
  • Patent number: 8328513
    Abstract: A row of stator blades in a compressor of a combustion turbine engine, the combustion turbine engine including a diffuser located downstream of the compressor, and the row of stator blades disposed in close proximity to the diffuser; the row of stator blades comprising: a plurality of stator blades that include at least one of an inboard forward notch and an outboard forward notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kirtley
  • Patent number: 8317473
    Abstract: A showerhead cooling arrangement for a turbine airfoil in which the showerhead includes a row of film cooling holes on the stagnation point of the leading edge, a row of pressure side film cooling holes, and a row of suction side film cooling holes to form the showerhead. A pattern of grooves is formed on the leading edge surface in both a criss cross shape and three longitudinal shapes and in which the showerhead film cooling holes are located in the grooves. A TBC is applied over the leading edge surface and into the grooves. The grooves retain the TBC and prevent spallation, and the grooves hold the film layer together longer so that the cooling effectiveness is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8317482
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade including a plurality of blade sections stacked along a radial axis is disclosed. The projection of a line interconnecting the leading edges of the blade sections of the bottom stack onto a mid-plane presents a first longitudinal angle of inclination towards the leading edge that lies in the range 10° to 25°. The projection of a line interconnecting the leading edges of the blade sections of the intermediate stack presents a second longitudinal angle of inclination towards the trailing edge lying in the range 10° to 25°. The projection of a line interconnecting the leading edges of the blade sections of the top stack presents a third longitudinal angle of inclination towards the trailing edge lying in the range 20° to 50°. The bottom limit of the intermediate stack of the blade sections lies in the range 30% to 40% of the total radial height of the stack of blade sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Beatrice Nathalie Bois, Alain Paul Madec, Amadou Lamine M'Bengue
  • Publication number: 20120282105
    Abstract: A wind turbine for generating electrical energy may include a wind turbine blade including a plurality of vortex generators integrally formed in the outer surface of the blade. The vortex generator includes a first component that defines a portion of the outer surface of the blade and a second component defining the shape of the vortex generator and at least partially surrounded by the first component. A method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade includes disposing a first plurality of layers of structural material over a mold main body and a removable insert member with a shaped cavity. A shaped plug is then pressed into the shaped cavity, and a second plurality of layers of structural material is disposed over the plug and the mold main body to complete manufacture of a wind turbine blade with a vortex generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Ronald Grife, Carsten Hein Westergaard, Joshua Bryant, David Chao, Kim Mittendorf, Jou-Young Choi, Abigail Arrington
  • Publication number: 20120275925
    Abstract: A winglet for a rotor blade is disclosed. The winglet may generally include a winglet body extending between a first end and a second end. The winglet body may define a sweep and may have a curvature defined by a curve fit including a first radius of curvature and a second radius of curvature. The sweep between the first end and the second end may range from about 580 millimeters to about 970 millimeters. Additionally, the first radius of curvature may range from about 1500 millimeters to about 2500 millimeters and the second radius of curvature may range from about 1200 millimeters to about 2000 millimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Klaus Ulrich Koegler, Stefan Herr, Ramesh Vedula
  • Patent number: 8297933
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade has a leading edge and a trailing edge and includes an upper shell member and a lower shell member. The shell members include transversely spaced attachment edge that are spaced rearward of the leading edge. A preformed bond cap having opposite legs with rearward edges is mounted to the attachment edges of the upper and lower shell members. The bond cap is preformed into an aerodynamic parabolic shape and size so as to define the leading edge of said blade and lie essentially flush with the upper and lower shell members. The bond cap defines a primary external bonding bridge between the upper and lower shell members and defines at least a portion of the leading edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Amir Riahi
  • Patent number: 8267657
    Abstract: A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a noise reducer configured on a surface of the rotor blade. The noise reducer includes a plurality of noise reduction features and a plurality of auxiliary noise reduction features. Each of the plurality of auxiliary noise reduction features is configured on one of the plurality of noise reduction features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Karl Huck, Kevin Wayne Kinzie, James Paul Davidson, Roger Drobietz
  • Publication number: 20120230832
    Abstract: A winglet for a blade of a wind turbine is disclosed. The winglet contains a core with a predetermined water absorption-rate to reduce or even avoid the absorption of water in the core. This may be achieved via different variations on the core material and/or core cover material including composition, density and thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventor: Jason STEGE
  • Patent number: 8257049
    Abstract: A process for building up a leading edge of a machine component such as a leading edge of a turbine blade for a turbocharger includes forming a molten pool along the edge of the machine component, feeding a filler material in a solid state into the molten pool and melting the filler material via heat transfer between the molten pool and the filler material. A solid layer may be formed along the leading edge by cooling the molten pool. The process is applicable to remanufacturing damaged machine components having a plurality of blades with relatively thin leading edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Alexei Yelistratov, Marion Grant
  • Patent number: 8251658
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, and a tip cap that includes a row of teeth and slots extending from a bottom side that engage with similar shaped teeth and slots on a tip end of the spar to secure the tip cap to the spar against radial displacement. The tooth on the trailing edge end of the tip cap is aligned perpendicular to the pressure side wall of the blade in the trailing edge region in order to minimize stress due to the teeth wanting to bend under high centrifugal loads. To reduce stress, some of the teeth include a cutback to shorten the teeth in places where high stress levels would occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William B Diggs, Keith D Kimmel
  • Patent number: 8251656
    Abstract: Actuation system for a wind turbine blade flap. A method of actuating a flap (9) in a wind turbine rotor blade (1) is provided wherein a fluid is used for reversibly expanding an actuating element (16, 17, 19) acting a movable part (13) of the flap by varying the fluid pressure in the actuating element (16, 17, 19). Further, a wind turbine rotor with a rotor blade (1) comprising a flap (9) and a flap actuating system, where the flap comprises a fixed part (12) that is fixed to the rotor blade (1) and a movable part (13) that is movable relative to the fixed part (12), is disclosed, in which the flap actuating system comprises an actuating element (16, 17, 19) with a reversible changeable volume located between the movable part (13) of the flap and the fixed part (12) of the flap, a fluid within the actuating element (16, 17, 19) the pressure of which is settable and a pressure setting device which is designed to press fluid into or release fluid from the element (16, 17, 19) as to change its volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Henrik Stiesdal
  • Patent number: 8251669
    Abstract: A cooling fan includes a fan housing and a stator and an impeller received in the fan housing. The fan housing includes a frame and a mounting portion located in the frame. The stator is received in the frame and mounted to the mounting portion. The impeller is mounted to the stator and rotatable with respect to the stator. The impeller includes a hub and a plurality of blades extending radially and outwardly from the hub. Each of the blades includes an inner end connected with the hub and an outer end distant from the hub. Each of the blades forms a tab on the outer end at the end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dung-Chang Yeh, Zhi-Ya Yang, Xue-Lian Suo, Ying-Liang Li, Song-Lin Ye, Yung-Ping Lin
  • Patent number: 8251663
    Abstract: An impeller is provided for a pump unit, in particular for a waste water pump unit, having two cover plates (2, 4), which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction (X) and are connected to one another by at least one connecting element (8). The impeller has at least one blade (12, 14) which is arranged between the two cover plates (2, 4) and extends from an inner diameter of the impeller to an outer diameter of the impeller. The blade (12, 14) has a continuous slot (16), which extends from the edge (22, 24) of the blade (12, 14) which is situated at the inner diameter to the edge (26, 28) of the blade (12, 14) which is situated at the outer diameter. A pump unit is also provided having an impeller of this type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Grundfos Management A/S
    Inventors: Lasse Ilves, Heikki Yli-Korpela
  • Patent number: 8246307
    Abstract: A blade for a rotor, such as a turbine rotor of a gas turbine engine, has a squealer tip comprising a peripheral wall which defines a cavity. A first region of the peripheral wall extends radially, with its outer surface forming a continuation of the adjacent aerofoil surface of the blade. A second region extends obliquely with respect to the radial direction and the adjacent part of the aerofoil surface. The second region defines a winglet, and serves to increase the width of the chamber towards the trailing edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Brian C. Y. Cheong, Stephen C. Diamond
  • Patent number: 8241002
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a rotor blade for a wind power plant having an aerodynamic profile. The rotor blade has a main rotor body with an aerodynamic profile and a tip. The tip extends away from a plane of the rotor blade and in a direction of at least one of a low pressure side or a high pressure side of the main rotor body. The tip includes a tip upper edge, a tip leading edge, and a tip trailing edge. At least a portion of the tip leading edge is curved such that a width of the tip defined between the tip leading edge and the tip trailing edge is reduced towards the upper edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Aloys Wobben
  • Patent number: 8231343
    Abstract: Provided is an axial fan apparatus including a housing and an axial-flow impeller. The axial-flow impeller is capable of rotating inside the housing and includes a plurality of axial-flow wings each having a negative pressure generation surface for generating a negative pressure, and an auxiliary vane standing on the negative pressure generation surface at an end portion of each of the plurality of axial-flow wings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Kazutoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120183407
    Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine having a vertical rotating axle and a plurality of blades each attached to an upper portion to the rotating axle and at the bottom portion to a convex base dome attached to and rotable with the vertical axle. Each blade wraps around vertical axle and has a radial width that increases from its upper portion to its lower portion while supporting an open brow section forming a cup-like space with webbed like stiffeners section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventor: Roberto Vallejo
  • Patent number: 8206108
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes a convex suction side wall, a concave pressure side wall, a tip wall, an internal cooling circuit, and a plurality of tip edge channels. The tip wall is recessed from a first tip edge of the suction side wall and a second tip edge of the concave pressure side wall to define a suction side wall tip section and a pressure side wall tip section, and the suction side wall tip section is shorter than the pressure side wall tip section. The internal cooling circuit is formed at least partially between the convex suction side wall, the concave pressure side wall, and the tip wall. The plurality of tip edge channels formed through the first tip edge of the convex suction side wall extend to the internal cooling circuit. Methods of manufacturing turbine blades are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ardeshir Riahi, Kin Poon, David Chou, Malak F. Malak
  • Patent number: 8197217
    Abstract: An axial flow fan is configured to allow leakage flows in regions near rear edges of bent portions formed by bending outer peripheries of blades towards negative pressure surfaces to smoothly flow out to reduce the vortex scale of the leakage flows themselves and to be able to effectively control turbulence of the flows. The axial flow fan includes a bellmouth and blades, with outer peripheries of the blades being bent towards negative pressure surfaces, wherein in regions near rear edges of bent portions that are bent towards the negative pressure surfaces, there are disposed second bent portions formed by bending part of the bent portions further towards the negative pressure surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Yamamoto, Masahiro Shigemori, Koji Somahara
  • Patent number: 8197201
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating sewage The apparatus receives sewage at a receiving compartment and separates solids from liquids at the receiving compartment. The solids can be extracted from the receiving compartment by an auger. The liquid sewage flows through a series of treatment compartment containing rotating biological contactor discs for treatment by these rotating biological contactor discs. The rotating biological contactor discs are secured to a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft and the auger are powered by a quasi-submerged turbine displaced by a flow of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Societe EG06 Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Mayrand
  • Publication number: 20120134837
    Abstract: A noise reducer for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and a rotor blade assembly are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge and a trailing edge each extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade further defines a span and a chord. The rotor blade assembly further includes a noise reducer configured on the rotor blade. The noise reducer includes a plurality of rods each having a body extending between a first end and a second end. The body of each of the plurality of rods contacts and extends parallel to the body of a neighboring rod of the plurality of rods when the noise reducer is in a stable position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Roger Drobietz, Ariane Frere, Andreas Herrig, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin
  • Patent number: 8186965
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil having first and second tip ribs extending along the opposite pressure and suction sides thereof. A tip baffle bifurcates the airfoil tip into two pockets, with a first pocket being laterally open at its aft end to recover leakage flow, and a second pocket being laterally closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Miller Kuhne, Joseph Steven Bubnick, Alisha Vachhani
  • Fan
    Patent number: 8186958
    Abstract: A fan includes a main plate and at least one or more blades connected to the main plate. At least a portion of a boundary portion between the main plate and a pressure surface of the blade is provided as a curved boundary portion such that the blade and the main plate are connected to each other at a curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Woo Lee, Dong Soo Moon, Seok Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 8182232
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade having an aerodynamic profile (5) with a leading edge (11), a trailing edge (13) and suction and pressure sides (17, 19) between the leading edge (11) and the trailing edge (13) which has, on at least one part of the wind turbine blade, a Trailing Edge Region (TER), the transversal section of which increases in the direction of the trailing edge (13). Said trailing edge region (TER) preferably has a divergent form with a curved concave surface on its lower part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Gamesa Innovation & Technology, S.L.
    Inventor: Mark Olaf Slot
  • Patent number: 8177484
    Abstract: An impeller of a blower is disposed with circular support plates that are made of a resin and rotate about an axis of rotation and a plurality of blades that are made of a resin. The blades are disposed on outer peripheral portions of the circular support plates so as to be parallel to an axis of rotation, and serrated shapes are formed on the blades by cutting out blade tips at plural places. Additionally, a step is formed in a blade face of each of the blades at a position a predetermined distance from the blade tip where the serrated shape is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Haraguchi, Yoshinori Kagawa, Hideshi Tanaka, Kouzou Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 8172507
    Abstract: A turbine blade is provided comprising: an airfoil including an airfoil outer wall extending radially outwardly from a blade root, a squealer tip section located at an end of the airfoil distal from the root, and cooling structure. The squealer tip section comprises a blade tip surface including pressure and suction edges joined together at chordally spaced-apart leading and trailing edges of the airfoil, and a squealer tip rail. At least a substantial portion of the squealer tip rail is located near the blade tip surface suction edge. The cooling structure directs cooling fluid toward the squealer tip rail to effect impingement cooling of the rail after the cooling fluid has convectively cooled at least a portion of the airfoil outer wall. Cooling fluid is also deflected by the squealer tip rail so as to yield a very small effective flow area above the squealer tip section through which hot working gases may flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8172510
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a radial compressor having first and second blades. The first blade has a tuned leading edge that prevents either blade from exciting at a natural frequency at speeds within an expected operating speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Loc Q. Duong, Shiv C. Gupta, Xiaolan Hu
  • Patent number: 8172518
    Abstract: A method for assembling a rotor assembly and a rotor assembly are provided. The method comprises providing a rotor blade including a first sidewall, a second sidewall, where the first and second sidewalls are connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge and extend in span from a root portion to a tip portion, removing blade material from the tip portion to form a tip portion rake angle that enables the tip portion to extend obliquely between the first and second sidewalls, and coupling the rotor blade to a shaft such that during tip rubs the tip portion rake angle facilitates reducing radial loading induced to the blade during tip rubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Carl Ruehr, Michael Harvey Schneider, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Jay L. Cornell