Blade Cuff Or Shank Construction Patents (Class 416/239)
  • Patent number: 8376703
    Abstract: A blade extension for a rotor blade and a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine 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 in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes a blade extension including a first panel and an opposed second panel. Each of the first panel and the second panel includes an interior surface and an exterior surface each extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of each of the first panel and the second panel is spaced apart from the rotor blade in a generally chord-wise direction in a standard operation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian A. Carroll, Stefan Herr, Aaron Yarbrough
  • Fan
    Patent number: 8360719
    Abstract: A fan includes an impeller comprising a hub and a plurality of blades, and a housing receiving the impeller and comprising a first frame having a side wall and an inlet, and a second frame having a side wall and an outlet, wherein an inner surface on a periphery of the inlet is a smooth curved surface. The first or second frame has at least one side hole disposed at the side wall of the first or second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jing-Cao Huang, Chui Chu, Yi-Liang Gong, Chi-Ming Yu
  • Publication number: 20130017095
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine, a flow directing member includes a platform supported on a rotor and includes a radially facing endwall and at least one axially facing axial surface extending radially inwardly from a junction with the endwall. The flow directing member further includes an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the endwall and a fluid flow directing feature. The fluid flow directing feature includes a groove extending axially into the axial surface. The groove has a radially inner groove end and a radially outer groove end, wherein the outer groove end defines an axially extending notch in the junction between the axial surface and the endwall and forms an opening in the endwall for directing a cooling fluid to the endwall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Kok-Mun Tham, Paul H. Vitt, Stephen R. Williamson, Matthew D. Montgomery, Chander Prakash, Melissa Harris
  • Patent number: 8353673
    Abstract: A main rotor blade assembly includes a main spar with an integral cuff. The main spar is directly to a rotor hub assembly through the integral cuff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin P. Leahy, Richard Joseph Simkulak, David A. Kovalsky
  • Publication number: 20130011264
    Abstract: A blade for a rotor of a turbine includes an airfoil, a shroud and a platform. The platform includes a top plate, a shank and a fixing part. An upstream wall projects in the circumferential direction away from the shank and extends from the top plate toward the fixing part, the upstream wall at least partially covering an upstream side of the shank. A downstream wall projects in the circumferential direction away from the shank and extends from the top plate toward the fixing part, the downstream wall at least partially covering a downstream side of the shank. A recess is disposed in at least one of the upstream wall and the downstream wall. The recess has an open side facing in a same direction as a respective one of the upstream wall and the downstream wall, in which the recess is disposed, is projecting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Alexander Anatolievich Khanin, Andrei Vladimirovich Pipopulo
  • Patent number: 8348621
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vane (200) for an aircraft turbine engine receiver. The vane is a blade (14) having an aerodynamic shell (24) enveloping a principal hollow structure core (34) extending in the direction of wingspan of the blade. The vane further has a secondary structural assembly (34?) enveloped by the hollow core (34) and extending also in the direction of wingspan, as well as a first coating made of shock-absorbing material (50) arranged between a longeron (44) of the core (34) and the assembly (34?), and a second coating made of shocking-absorbing material (52) arranged between another longeron (38) of the core (34) and this same assembly (34?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Laurent Lafont
  • Patent number: 8287241
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade having reduced stresses around a regions where the airfoil training edge joins the platform is disclosed. The lower stresses are achieved due to an undercut region proximate the blade trailing edge being placed in the platform. The undercut region has a compound fillet radius formed from two single and tangent radii where the first radius closer to the airfoil is larger than the second radius such that a ratio of R1/R2 is approximately 2.0 to 2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: James Page Strohl, David Parker
  • Patent number: 8282354
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine having an edge buttress having an aperture. A method of reducing rotor blade weight includes removing material from within a truss area bounded by a platform section, an internal airfoil cooling passage, and an underplatform fillet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon W. Spangler
  • Patent number: 8267651
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a blade for a wind power plant with an assembly face for mounting in a circular pitch bearing, whose pitch axis is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the blade, and wherein the blade comprises a root part with an approximately elliptic cross-section, in which root part the assembly face is arranged. The invention further relates to a wind power plant in general having a pitch-adjustable blade mounted in a pitch bearing such that the distance between the outermost part of the blade and the tower is increased when the leading edge of the blade is pitched up in the wind. This is accomplished in that the longitudinal axis of the blade is angled in a particular way compared to its pitch axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: LM Glasfiber A/S
    Inventor: Tommy Sørensen
  • Fan
    Patent number: 8235672
    Abstract: A fan includes a hub and a plurality of blades formed on the hub with a rake angle. In an axial direction of the hub, no part of a trailing edge of any of the blades is disposed past an air outlet end of the hub at more than a distance approximately equal to 25% of a diameter of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seok Ho Choi, Deok Huh
  • Patent number: 8206116
    Abstract: An array of blades for use in an engine includes a disk having a slot, a pair of rails adjacent the slot and extending above an upper surface of the slot, and a pair of shoulders located outside the rails. A plurality of radially loaded blades are inserted into the slot. A plurality of snaps overhang the rails and rest on the shoulders. Each of the blades is positioned between a pair of snap seals and overlaps a side edge of each one of the pair of snap seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John Pickens, Phillip Alexander, Roland Barnes
  • Patent number: 8128375
    Abstract: The monocrystalline turbomachine blade according to the invention that is cast and directionally solidified, is disclosed. The blade includes an airfoil with a leading edge, a pressure face, a suction face, a trailing edge, a skeleton and having a longitudinal axis, the faces and having a neck line, respectively a pressure face neck and a suction face neck relative to the adjacent blade in the turbomachine rotor of which it forms an element; an endpiece of the airfoil, such as a heel or a platform, having an airfoil end face, on the stream side, forming an angle with the axis ZZ; and a connection zone between the airfoil and the airfoil end face. The connection zone forms a fattening of the airfoil. The connection zone extends about the leading edge between a point P1 situated on the suction face of the airfoil upstream of the suction face neck and a point P3 situated on the pressure face of the airfoil upstream of the pressure face neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Marie Girard, Jean-Claude Marcel Auguste Hanny, Renaud Martet, Olivier Charles Henri Massy, Philippe Jean-Pierre Pabion, Stephanie Dominique Roger
  • Patent number: 8123463
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a blade is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of first plies, each of the first plies sized to extend substantially the length of a span of the blade and providing a plurality of second plies, each of the second plies sized to extend only partially the length of the span of the blade. The method also includes layering the plurality of first plies and the plurality of second plies in a mold such that the plurality of second plies is interspersed throughout the plurality of first plies to spread apart the plurality of first plies to facilitate increasing a cross-sectional area of the blade and bonding the plurality of first plies to the plurality of second plies to facilitate forming a structural core of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Tod Davis, Christopher Lee McAfee, Michael John Franks, Kevin Lee Kirkeng, David Crall
  • Patent number: 8113788
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surface of the blade having a cylindrical root portion, an airfoil portion and a transition portion connecting the root portion with the airfoil portion, wherein the blade comprises a shoulder at the border between the transition portion to the airfoil portion, wherein the blade comprises an element which is arranged substantially at the root portion and/or at the transition portion which creates a slot between the element and the surface of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Henrik Stiesdal
  • Patent number: 8047792
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine including at least two pitch controlled wind turbine blades. Each blade has pitch bearings including two or more bearing rings, and pitch controlling means for pitching the blades by means of the bearings. The blades are mounted on a hub via the pitch bearings and the pitch bearings include separate flexibility enhancing means for controlling loads in the bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Anton Bech, Gerry Madden
  • Patent number: 8038406
    Abstract: An axial fan which includes a hub portion having the rotational center thereof and blades arranged on the outer periphery of the hub portion is equipped with a thickness reinforcing portion which extends from the joint portion between the blade front edge portion of the blade and the hub portion to the outer periphery of the blade along the blade front edge and whose width and thickness are smaller as the distance from the rotational center of the hub portion is larger. There is achieved an arc corresponding to the overlap portion between the blade and a circle of a first radius which passes from the blade front edge side of the blade to the blade rear edge side and has as the center thereof any reference point displaced from the rotational center on a plane vertical to the rotational axis of the hub portion and the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Tanigawa
  • Patent number: 8007245
    Abstract: A turbine includes a turbine wheel having a plurality of buckets, each of the buckets including a bucket airfoil, a bucket dovetail to connect the bucket to a turbine wheel and a shank shape to connect the airfoil to the bucket dovetail, the shank having an uncoated nominal profile including a concave, pressure side, substantially in accordance with Cartesian values of X, Y and Z? set forth in Table I wherein the Z? values are non-dimensional values in a range from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z? values by shank height in inches, and a convex, suction side, substantially in accordance with Cartesian values of X, Y and Z? set forth in Table II wherein the Z? values are non-dimensional values in a range from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z? values by the shank height in inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Linda Jean Farral, Chistopher Paul Keener, Holly Renae Davis
  • Publication number: 20110182747
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a hub fin device for improving the efficiency of a propeller. The hub fin device can include a propeller having a hub and a plurality of propeller blades that extend radially outward from the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blades has a trailing edge region. A fin can also be included and located in the trailing edge region of at least one of the plurality of propeller blades. The fin extends radially outward from the hub and reduces or eliminates a hub vortex that is normally present during operation of the propeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventor: Walter S. Gearhart
  • Patent number: 7972114
    Abstract: A spar of a rotor blade having moderate depth transitions to a relatively much deeper shank over a relatively short distance. This rapid transition enables a low-weight blade root that is structurally efficient, offers a high moment capability, and enables high Mach number axial flow. A transition could advantageously reduce section depth by at least 15%, 20%, 30%, or even 40% over at most 5%, 6%, 10%, or 12% of a total length of the rotor blade. Such a transition could advantageously be accomplished using a cuff, which has interfaces with each of the spar and the shank. The rotor blade shank has a generally circular cross-section which allows for a rotary attachment to a hub, where the attachment may advantageously comprise a mechanical or elastomeric bearing. Preferred embodiments have a spar with a generally rectangular cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Karem Aircraft, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Gupta, Abe Karem
  • Publication number: 20110142672
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade may comprise a root portion, a tip, and a body extending between the root portion and the tip. The body may include a pressure side and a suction side. Additionally, a winglet may be defined by the body. The winglet may terminate at the tip of the rotor blade and extend inwardly in a direction of the suction side of the body. Further, a bend may be defined in the body such that a portion of the body extends outwardly in a direction of the pressure side of the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Klaus Ulrich Koegler, Ramesh Vedula, Ariane Myriam Daisy Frère
  • Patent number: 7946827
    Abstract: A blade for a gas turbine engine includes a root portion, an aerofoil portion and a transition portion between the root portion and the aerofoil portion. The aerofoil portion and the transition portion are defined by first and second wall members, the first and second wall members being secured together in the transition portion and each having an outer surface. The outer surface of at least one of the first and second wall members is generally concave in the transition portion in a radial direction of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Peter R. Beckford
  • Publication number: 20110081250
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic impulse waterwheel turbine designed to exploit the head of watercourses. The waterwheel is contained within a wheel well mass housing enclosure, which maintains half of said waterwheel out of the water stream, wherein a multiplicity of interlocking inner wheels, with a novel designed of multifaceted cells, uniformly spaced within the periphery and the interior of said waterwheel, will turn in relationship to the waterwheel axis, presenting a new facet of the cell to the incoming water flow as it turns, increasing their efficiency exponentially, referred to as the actual water inflow rate to the plant per unit of time and the actual available head. The space between the cells is maintained vertically and horizontally but the location of the cells are offset in relationship to the cell immediately in front, allowing the free flow of the water throughout the waterwheel maintaining the waterwheel turning at the same velocity of the water stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventor: Jose Ramon Santana
  • Patent number: 7845910
    Abstract: A propeller blade mounted with a preload adjacent a propeller blade root retention which increases the moment capacity of the retention for a given pitch diameter, yet permits pitching of the propeller blade about a blade axis in response to a propeller pitch change actuation system. The propeller blade retention assembly includes a tapered roller bearing set having a multiple of tapered roller bearing cartridge assemblies. Each tapered roller bearing cartridge assembly includes a retention cartridge and at least one tapered roller bearing element to facilitate installation and retention during assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Talasco, Paul A. Carvalho
  • Patent number: 7832985
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a rotor blade for a wind energy plant, with a blade root, with a first longitudinal portion starting from the blade root, with a second longitudinal portion, following up the first longitudinal portion and running into a blade tip, with a first surface, facing a tower of the wind energy plant in its assembled state, and a second surface, facing away from the tower of the wind energy plant in its assembled state, wherein an imaginary reference plane is spanned up by a rotation, taking place in the operation of the rotor blade, of the longitudinal axis of the first longitudinal portion around the rotational axis of a rotor of the wind energy plant carrying the rotor blade which prevents collisions of the blade tip with the tower of the wind energy plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbH
    Inventor: Hermann Rochholz
  • Patent number: 7766621
    Abstract: A shroudless turbine rotor blade of the type having a platform damper interface, is provided with at least one slot which extends from the aerofoil side of a platform flow boundary to a point in the root. The slot extends between opposing flanks of the blade so as to divide the platform and partially divide the root. The segregated root is made more flexible by the slot which provides for greater platform vibratory amplitudes for a given length of root. The increased platform motion provides for improved dampability when the blade vibrates. The slot also provides a pair of confronting platform surfaces which are urged into mutual contact by centrifugal load acting on the blade to create an additional damping interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Peter J Maggs, Steven M Bagnall, Neil M Evans
  • Publication number: 20100178159
    Abstract: The present application provides an angel wing seal for a turbine bucket. The angel wing seal may include a first wing with a sinusoidally-shaped outer edge and a number of wing teeth positioned thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Alan Bulgrin, Ariel Caesar-Prepena Jacala, Gary Michael Itzel, Ralph Chris Bruner
  • Patent number: 7736131
    Abstract: A turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine, where the turbine blade is made from a spar and shell construction in which a thin walled shell is formed from carbon or molybdenum nanotubes arranged in a direction such that the nanotubes are under tension when the blade is rotating in the engine. The carbon nanotubes are allotropes of carbon in which the length to diameter ratio exceeds 1,000,000 in order to produce very high tensile strength, unique electrical properties, and a very efficient conductor of heat. The nanotube shell includes a metal insert having a tear drop shape and the lower end of the shell wraps around the metal insert to form a wedge in which the shell is held in place against radial displacement between the platform and the attachment portion of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack W Wilson, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100129228
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade having reduced stresses around a regions where the airfoil training edge joins the platform is disclosed. The lower stresses are achieved due to an undercut region proximate the blade trailing edge being placed in the platform. The undercut region has a compound fillet radius formed from two single and tangent radii where the first radius closer to the airfoil is larger than the second radius such that a ratio of R1/R2 is approximately 2.0 to 2.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Alstom Technologies Ltd. LLC
    Inventors: James Page Strohl, David Parker
  • Publication number: 20100111700
    Abstract: A turbine blade is disclosed. The turbine blade may have an airfoil extending from a first surface of a turbine platform. The turbine blade may further have a first side pocket of the turbine platform that is configured to substantially entirely house a first moveable seal between a forward wall of the first side pocket and an aft wall of the first side pocket. The first side pocket may have a convex surface, extending between the forward wall and the aft wall, and a concave surface. The turbine blade may also have a second side pocket of the turbine platform configured to receive a portion of a second moveable seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Hyun Dong Kim, Marius Dumitrascu, Michael Eugene Greenspan, Yungmo Kang, Yong Weon Kim
  • Publication number: 20090274561
    Abstract: A wind collector device for energy production comprising a fixed external structure formed by a vertical cylinder having two bases, the upper and the lower, of variable height and diameter, with vertical dividing walls distributed circumferentially and equidistantly, which form nozzles that concentrate and channel the wind; wherein inside the structure is arranged in concentric form at least one turbine, including a rotation shaft sustained between the bases and associated to an upper and a lower bearing, to which multiple radial vanes are fixed, to transmit this movement to complementary transmission means supported by at least a power generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventor: Marcelo Ricardo Gornatti
  • Publication number: 20090269205
    Abstract: A main rotor blade assembly includes a main spar with an integral cuff. The main spar is directly to a rotor hub assembly through the integral cuff.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventors: Kevin P. Leahy, Richard Joseph Simkulak, David A. Kovalsky
  • Patent number: 7578059
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a hollow blade for a turbomachine, the blade is made from a preform derived from external primary parts. Each primary part comprising a root part is formed by flattening a blank cut out from a ring with a large diameter provided with a protuberance, in order to reduce costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Serges Bergue, Michel Breton, Jean-Michel Patrick Maurice Franchet, Alain Georges Henri Lorieux, Philippe Francois Christian Sagot
  • Patent number: 7575416
    Abstract: A rotor assembly having a seal member in the root section of a rotor blade is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for blocking the flow of gases between adjacent rotor blades. In one detailed embodiment, a deformable seal member formed of a high temperature material is disposed between the root sections of adjacent rotor blades and engages the blades under operative conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley J. Funk, Wieslaw A. Chlus
  • Patent number: 7549846
    Abstract: A turbine blade is provided for use in a gas turbine engine. The turbine blade has a platform, an airfoil radially extending from the platform, and an attachment portion comprising an asymmetric root neck portion having a higher stress side and a lower stress side. The turbine blade may further have additional material and a compound fillet for dispersing strain in a region where the airfoil overhangs the neck portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan P. Dube, John W. Golan, Randall J. Butcher, Richard M. Salzillo
  • Publication number: 20090136356
    Abstract: The angular nature of corners 3 to roots 2 of a conventional blade 1 used in a gas turbine engine has resulted in relatively thick fan casings in order to contain any blade fragments from these corners 3 as a result of blade failure. By angling the end face 26 of the root 22 such that it is nearer to perpendicular to an axis of curvature 27 for a blade 21 the corners 23 are reduced in their angular nature. In such circumstances the potential for penetration of a fan casing through impingement with such corners 23 is reduced and the fan casing thickness can more confidently be thinned reducing overall weight. Furthermore by appropriate profiling of an aerofoil 24 adjacent to the front and trailing edges 20 of the aerofoil about the root 22 and face 26 further reductions in angular parts of the blade can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Peter R. Beckford, Stephen J. Booth
  • Patent number: 7517194
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine is provided, wherein the rotor blade has radial bores in a wall of a blade root portion, the radial bores being staggered in a longitudinal direction of the rotor blade, and longitudinal bores in the wall of the blade root portion, wherein each of the longitudinal bores extends from a blade flange to a corresponding radial bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Florian Doorenspleet, Rainer Arelt, Enno Eyb
  • Patent number: 7481614
    Abstract: In a gas turbine having a plurality of moving blades provided on a rotary shaft in a circumferentially adjoining condition, a seal pin is provided in a spacing between the shanks of the adjacent moving blades for preventing leakage of cooling air from a blade root portion side to an airfoil side; an arcuately depressed portion is formed on the shank of each of the moving blades; and vibration of each of the moving blades is suppressed in such a manner that the seal pin serves as a spring system while the airfoil portion, the platform, the shank, and the blade root portion serve as a mass system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuoki Tomita, Masaki Ono, Eiji Akita, Masao Terazaki, Masayuki Takahama, Kouji Watanabe, Hideki Murata
  • Publication number: 20080286109
    Abstract: A rotor blade assembly includes a shank, an airfoil that is formed integrally with the shank, and a removable platform coupled between said shank and said airfoil via a friction fit. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine rotor blade assembly that includes a removable platform, and a gas turbine engine rotor assembly including the removable platform are also described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Sean Robert Keith, Michael Joseph Danowski, Leslie Eugene Leeke, JR.
  • Patent number: 7438533
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a flange section configured to connect the rotor blade to a rotor hub. The flange section is formed from a hybrid material including glass fibers and carbon fibers embedded in a matrix material. The carbon fibers are oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Enno Eyb, Rainer Arelt
  • Patent number: 7422419
    Abstract: A propeller blade mounted with a preload adjacent a propeller blade root retention that increases the moment capacity of the retention for a given pitch diameter, yet permits pitching of the propeller blade about a blade axis in response to a propeller pitch change actuation system. During assembly, the preload condition is established by preload springs which apply a load on the end of a tapered roller bearing set as a floating race is rotated which allows the tapered roller bearing set to progressively push the propeller blade root outboard and the floating race inboard to generate the preloaded condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Armand Carvalho
  • Publication number: 20080112813
    Abstract: The present invention is related to rotor blade for a wind energy plant, with a blade root, with a first longitudinal portion starting from the blade root, with a second longitudinal portion, following up the first longitudinal portion and running into a blade tip, with a first surface, facing a tower of the wind energy plant in its assembled state, and a second surface, facing away from the tower of the wind energy plant in its assembled state, wherein an imaginary reference plane is spanned up by a rotation, taking place in the operation of the rotor blade, of the longitudinal axis of the first longitudinal portion around the rotational axis of a rotor of the wind energy plant carrying the rotor blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Hermann Rochholz
  • Patent number: 7252481
    Abstract: A tuning notch is defined preferably in the back of a blade root to tune the blade natural frequency in a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Stone
  • Patent number: 7165944
    Abstract: A blade of an axial compressor comprising: an airfoil is disclosed that has a leading edge and a root; a platform attached to the root of the airfoil; a dovetail attached to a side of the platform opposite to the airfoil; a neck of the dovetail adjacent the platform, and a slot in the neck and generally parallel to the platform, and the slot extends from a front of the neck to position in the neck beyond a line formed by the leading edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Charles Gautreau, Nicholas Francis Martin, Chris A. Rickert
  • Patent number: 7128537
    Abstract: A rotor blade (1) for a flow machine includes an aerodynamic blade (2) and a foot (3). The foot (3) has an anchoring section (5) on a side facing away from the blade (2). A rotor (4) of the flow machine has an axial anchoring groove (6) which is complementary to the anchoring section (5). The anchoring section (5) can be inserted axially into the anchoring groove (6) in order to radially attach the rotor blade (1) to the rotor (4). At least one pulling-off contour (7) is formed on the foot (3), via which an axial pulling-off force can be introduced into the rotor blade (1), which is attached to the rotor (4) with the aid of a pulling-off tool (15) which is complementary to this pulling-off contour (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Emil Anner, Edouard Sloutski, Alexandre Tchekanov, Remigi Tschuor
  • Patent number: 7121802
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil, platform, shank, and dovetail. The platform includes a first side disposed along the pressure side of the airfoil, and an opposite second side disposed along the airfoil suction side. The platform second side includes an integral damper keeper disposed below the midchord of the airfoil, and is locally thinner at the forward and aft ends of the platform second side for reducing blade weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Edward Athans, Brian Alan Norton
  • Patent number: 7097429
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil, platform, shank, and dovetail. The shank includes opposite forward and aft faces corresponding with leading and trailing edges of the airfoil, and opposite first and second sides corresponding with pressure and suction sides of the airfoil. The shank further includes lugs extending outwardly from the two sides, with a first lug having an inverted skirt extending outwardly toward the platform to join the shank aft face. The skirt cooperates with a seal body when mounted in the engine for reducing inter-blade leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Edward Athans, William Charles Herman, Brian Alan Norton
  • Patent number: 7090466
    Abstract: A method facilitates assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine. The method comprises providing a first rotor blade that includes an airfoil, a platform, a shank and a dovetail, coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft using the dovetail, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that a shank cavity is defined between the first and second blades. The method also comprises inserting a seal pin into the horizontal platform seal pin slot such that a gap defined between the first and second rotor blade platforms are substantially sealed wherein the seal pin includes a first end, a second end and a substantially cylindrical body extending therebetween and sized to frictionally engage the slot, wherein at least one of the first and second ends has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Steven Honkomp, Joseph Scott Barrett
  • Patent number: 6957948
    Abstract: The present invention seeks to provide a turbine blade with increased creep capability for both uncooled and cooled turbine blades while generally maintaining operating stress levels at an interface region between the turbine blade and a turbine disk. A turbine blade is disclosed having an attachment, a neck, a platform, and an airfoil. Extending radially outward from the attachment, through the neck, and terminating radially inward of the platform is a plurality of first cavities. The turbine blade in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is cast from a high density nickel base alloy with high temperature capability and improved creep capability. A plurality of first cavities are placed in the attachment and neck region to reduce excess weight of the turbine blade due to the higher density, greater creep capable alloy. Reducing the weight of the blade in this region provides increased creep capability in the turbine blade airfoil while maintaining operating stress levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg., LLC
    Inventors: Tom Brooks, Richard Seleski, Thomas Churbuck, Thomas E. Brew, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6666651
    Abstract: Composite blade assembly 10 for a propeller assembly for an airplane, including unitary metal ferrule 50 attached to a fiber-reinforced composite blade 20; and a method for manufacturing blade assembly 10. Internal pressure molding includes unitary ferrule 50 as part of mold 81 and bladder 90 pressurizes composite material 31 from within. Blade 20 is retained within inner bore 53 of unitary ferrule 50 by adhesion of the epoxy matrix and by grooves 55. The method of manufacture creates a cured blade assembly 10 that requires little or no post-machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: Jim Rust
  • Patent number: 6506016
    Abstract: A gas turbine has buckets rotatable about an axis, the buckets having angel wing seals. The seals have outer and inner surfaces, at least one of which, and preferably both, extend non-linearly between root radii and the tip of the seal body. The profiles are determined in a manner to minimize the weight of the seal bodies, while maintaining the stresses below predetermined maximum or allowable stresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John Zhiqiang Wang