Patents Represented by Attorney McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC
  • Patent number: 7770411
    Abstract: A humidity control method is provided for a multi-stage cooling system having two or more refrigerant circuits that balances humidity control and cooling demand. Each refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. A hot gas reheat circuit having a hot gas reheat coil is connected to one of the refrigerant circuits and is placed in fluid communication with the output airflow from the evaporator of that refrigerant circuit to provide additional dehumidification to the air when humidity control is requested. The hot gas reheat circuit bypasses the condenser of the refrigerant circuit during humidity control. Humidity control is only performed during cooling operations and ventilation operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: York International Corporation
    Inventors: John Terry Knight, Stephen Wayne Bellah, Stephen Blake Pickle
  • Patent number: 7766992
    Abstract: A metallic article is produced by furnishing one or more nonmetallic precursor compound comprising the metallic constituent element(s), and chemically reducing the nonmetallic precursor compound(s) to produce an initial metallic particle, preferably having a size of no greater than about 0.070 inch, without melting the initial metallic particle. The initial metallic particle is thereafter melted and solidified to produce the metallic article. By this approach, the incidence of chemical defects in the metal article is minimized. The melted-and-solidified metal may be used in the as-cast form, or it may be converted to billet and further worked to the final form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Philip Woodfield, Clifford Earl Shamblen, Eric Allen Ott
  • Patent number: 7766623
    Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a plurality of radially outwardly facing blade conical surfaces; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes: a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chen-yu J. Chou, Charles W. Carrier
  • Patent number: 7763127
    Abstract: A metallic article is prepared by first furnishing at least one nonmetallic precursor compound, wherein all of the nonmetallic precursor compounds collectively containing the constituent elements of the metallic article in their respective constituent-element proportions. The constituent elements together form a titanium-base alloy having a stable-oxide-forming additive element therein, such as magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium, and mixtures thereof. The stable-oxide-forming additive element forms a stable oxide in a titanium-based alloy. At least one additive element is present at a level greater than its room-temperature solid solubility limit in the titanium-base alloy. The precursor compounds are chemically reduced to produce an alloy material, without melting the alloy material. The alloy material may be consolidated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew P. Woodfield, Clifford E. Shamblen, Eric A. Ott, Michael F. Gigliotti
  • Patent number: 7762197
    Abstract: A vibrating device having a flywheel rotatably disposed within a housing assembly. The housing assembly includes one or more openings therethrough structured to allow an effective amount of air to pass between the housing assembly enclosed space and the atmosphere. By exchanging an effective amount of air between the enclosed space and the atmosphere, the temperature within the housing assembly remains below the breakdown point of a lubricant used to reduce friction created when the flywheel is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Harsco Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Michael Allen VanBergen, Jerome Papes
  • Patent number: 7764041
    Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronous operation of variable speed drives having active converters include extending the synchronous operation of an active converter to the AC mains voltage during complete line dropout. A phase angle control circuit includes a squaring amplifier, a first phase-lock loop circuit associated and a second phase-lock loop circuit. The squaring amplifier receives the AC power source and outputs a rectangular output signal to a pair of phase lock loop (PLL) circuits. The first PLL circuit with a first lag-lead filter is configured with a high cutoff frequency to provide the converter stage with a phase angle parameter; and the second phase-lock loop circuit including a second lag-lead filter configured to have a low cutoff frequency to provide the lag-lead filter the capability of storing the phase angle of the mains voltage during mains interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Harold R. Schnetzka, Shreesha Adiga Manoor
  • Patent number: 7762502
    Abstract: A process for forming a molded polymer resin fiber tube clamp, as well as the tube clamp formed by that process. Continuous top and bottom plies provide increased resistance to delamination/cracking as they sandwich a filler material. The tube clamp is free from exposed fiber ends so than no wear is produced on a tube being clamped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Carl Mesing, Allan Robert Sieckman, Stephen Mark Whiteker
  • Patent number: 7763808
    Abstract: An electrical feedthrough assembly for providing connection to components of a compressor. The electrical feedthrough assembly includes a housing having an inner surface defining a channel. A sealed wire assembly is provided in the channel. The sealed wire assembly includes a body having an outer surface defining a groove and a plurality of wires sealingly passing through the body. An o-ring fits in the groove to provide a hermetic seal between the body and the inner surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors International, Inc.
    Inventor: John W. Tolbert, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7763989
    Abstract: A method for controlling a tip speed of a blade of a wind turbine. The method includes determining the wind speed proximate the wind turbine; maintaining a first substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a first predetermined nominal wind speed and below the second predetermined nominal wind speed; maintaining a second substantially constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade during variable wind speeds above a second predetermined nominal wind speed. The noise generated by wind at the second predetermined nominal wind speed is greater than noise generated by the blade at the second constant rotational speed of the tip of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Kinzie, Stefan Herr, Benoit Petitjean
  • Patent number: 7759298
    Abstract: The present invention includes a process using environmentally benign materials for the removal of adhesive residues from hard substrates, particularly vehicles, e.g., cars, trucks, buses, aerospace vehicles including airplanes, and the like. The invention uses an absorbable indicator (tracer) dye to aid in detection of remaining residues that may be in need of additional cleaning. The process uses a novel adhesive remover composition comprising a non-halogenated organic solvent, a non-abrasive thickening agent, a surfactant, glycerine, and an absorbable indicator dye. The invention provides a cost effective, safe, environmentally friendly adhesive remover composition specifically formulated for removal of, e.g., pressure sensitive adhesive residues from large areas of aircraft composite and aluminum surfaces, as well as others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Ralph E. Dufresne, James F. Kirchner, David F. Feider
  • Patent number: 7754342
    Abstract: A corrosion resistant coating for gas turbine engine includes a glassy ceramic matrix wherein the glassy matrix is silica-based, and includes corrosion resistant particles selected from refractory particles and non-refractory MCrAlX particles, and combinations thereof. The corrosion resistant particles are substantially uniformly distributed within the matrix, and provide the coating with corrosion resistance. Importantly the coating of the present invention has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) greater than that of alumina at engine operating temperatures. The CTE of the coating is sufficiently close to the substrate material such that the coating does not spall after frequent engine cycling at temperatures above 1200° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian T. Hazel, Jane A. Murphy, Andrew J. Skoog, Bryan T. Bojanowski, Michael J. Weimer
  • Patent number: 7754126
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a turbine engine component is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of ceramic cloth plies, each ply having woven ceramic fiber tows and at least one fugitive fiber tow, laying up the plurality of plies in a preselected arrangement to form a turbine engine component shape, oxidizing the fugitive fibers to produce fugitive fiber void regions in the ply, rigidizing the component shape to form a coated component preform using chemical vapor infiltration, partially densifying the coated component preform using carbon-containing slurry, and further densifying the coated component preform with at least silicon to form a ceramic matrix composite turbine engine component having matrix rich regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Suresh Subramanian, James Dale Steibel, Douglas Melton Carper
  • Patent number: 7755106
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor structure includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a Schottky diode. The structure has a substrate, the heterojunction bipolar transistor overlying and contacting the substrate, wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a transistor collector layer, and a Schottky diode overlying the substrate and overlying the transistor collector layer. The Schottky diode includes a Schottky diode barrier layer structure that desirably is not of the same material, doping, and thickness as the transistor collector layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Berinder P. S. Brar
  • Patent number: 7754043
    Abstract: An optical coating is applied to an article surface of an article by providing a deposition substrate other than the article surface, wherein the deposition substrate is made of a removable material. The optical coating is thereafter deposited onto the deposition substrate. The optical coating is thereafter transferred to the article surface using a transfer support, which may be the deposition substrate or may be a different piece. The method includes thereafter affixing the optical coating to the article surface, and thereafter removing the transfer support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Peter Ivkovich, Jr., Andrew Jay Skoog, Jane Ann Murphy, Thomas Walter Rentz, William Randolph Stowell, Bryan Thomas Bojanowski
  • Patent number: 7749570
    Abstract: A method for depositing a platinum-group-containing layer on a substrate includes furnishing the substrate, and preparing a water-base paint containing metallic platinum-group powder, water, and a binder. The method further includes spraying the water-base paint overlying the substrate to form a platinum-group-containing layer, and thereafter heating the platinum-group-containing layer to interdiffuse the platinum-group-containing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Howard Rucker, Andrew Jay Skoog, Jane Ann Murphy
  • Patent number: 7749303
    Abstract: A method is provided for indicating the useful service life of a gas filtration and purification system comprising steps of embedding two or more mass-responsive electronic sensors (e.g., surface acoustic wave devices) in a sorbent bed of a filtration cartridge, wherein the mass-responsive electronic sensors are coated with a non-conductive absorptive organic polymer; passing a gas containing a volatile chemical of interest through the filtration cartridge and in contact with the two mass-responsive electronic sensors; and measuring a difference in an electronic property between the two mass-responsive electronic sensors. In such a manner, the two mass-responsive electronic sensors act as internal references with respect to each other, thereby eliminating variations in temperature, interferents, pressure, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Michael W. Wright
  • Patent number: 7750521
    Abstract: An electromagnetic machine for extracting power from a turbine engine includes an outer rotor and an inner rotor rotatably supported adjacent to a stator. The stator is disposed between the inner and outer rotors. The stator has an inner set of windings disposed on an inner surface adjacent to the inner rotor, and an outer set of windings on an outer surface of the stator adjacent to the outer rotor. A plurality of permanent magnets are disposed on an inner surface of the outer rotor element and on an outer surface of the inner rotor element. Air gaps are defined between the outer surface of the stator and the outer permanent magnets, and between the inner surface of the stator portion and the inner permanent magnets. The inner stator windings form a set of multiple-phase windings, and the outer stator windings form a set of multiple-phase windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronghai Qu, John M. Kern, Wei Wu, Juan M. De Bedout, Manoj R. Shah, Ayman Mohamed Fawzi El-Refaie
  • Patent number: 7751530
    Abstract: An X-ray tube anode assembly, an X-ray tube assembly and a method for heat management to an X-ray assembly having a movable X-ray target having a target surface. The anode assembly includes a drive member arranged and disposed to provide oscillatory motion to the target assembly and a target surface that is configured to remain at a substantially fixed distance from a cathode assembly during oscillatory motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mandyam Sridhar, Manoharan Venugopal, Debasish Mishra, Savio Sebastian, Harith Vadari, Mark Frontera
  • Patent number: 7746020
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improved Variable Speed Drives having active inverters include an input filter for filtering common mode and differential mode currents. A three-phase inductor has three windings, each winding of the three-phase inductor having a center tap dividing each winding into a pair of inductor sections; and a three-phase input capacitor bank connected in a wye configuration to the three center taps at one end, and to a common point at the opposite end. The three-phase input capacitor bank provides a short circuit for frequencies above a predetermined fundamental frequency for shunting such frequencies through the three phase capacitor bank, while passing the predetermined fundamental frequency to an input AC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Harold R. Schnetzka, Ivan Jadric, Shreesha Adiga Manoor
  • Patent number: 7743617
    Abstract: A noise control method is provided for a cooling system having at least one refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a condenser, at least one condenser fan, and an evaporator. Noise control is only performed periodically in response to requirements for reduced operation at predetermined times. The request for reduced noise triggers the commencement of the noise control method. The noise control method involves reducing the operating speed of the compressor, as well as reducing the operating speed of at least one condenser fan, to within a predetermined range of allowable reduced operating speeds. The noise control method temporarily overrides the ability of the cooling system to fully respond to increased cooling or heating demands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: York International Corporation
    Inventors: Curtis Christian Crane, Frank Highland Hill, IV, Andrew John Graybill, Ian Michael Casper