Patents Examined by Adam W Brown
  • Patent number: 8932002
    Abstract: An air turbine starter is provided and includes a rotor including turbine blades, which is rotatable about a rotational axis, a housing including a portion thereof radially surrounding the turbine blades to define a pathway along which fluids flow to interact with the turbine blades and a containment ring affixed to an exterior of the portion of the housing radially surrounding the turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Makulec, Matthew Slayter, Dean A. Norem, Jody A. Peterson, Brian Kent Rockwell, Matthew Gorajski
  • Patent number: 8932008
    Abstract: A securing element includes a head section and a shank. The cross-section of the shank changes in the axial direction in such a way that, by taking into account a qualitative and/or quantitative predetermined bending torque profile in the shank, the cross-section has a substantially uniform bending stress profile in the shank in relation to a securing element with a constant shank cross-section. An exhaust gas turbocharger having variable turbine geometry includes a VTG-guide vane configuration having at least one such securing element and being secured to a housing component of the exhaust gas turbocharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Boening, Dirk Frankenstein, Holger Faeth, Marc Hiller
  • Patent number: 8926276
    Abstract: Turbomachines having close-coupling flow guides (CCFGs) that are designed and configured to closely-couple flow fields of adjacent bladed elements. In some embodiments, the CCFGs may be located in regions extending between the adjacent bladed elements, described herein as coupling avoidance zones, where conventional turbomachine design would suggest no structure should be added. In yet other embodiments, CCFGs are located upstream and/or downstream of rows of blades coupled to the bladed elements, including overlapping one of more of the rows of blades, to improve flow coupling and machine performance. Methods of designing turbomachines to incorporate CCFGs are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Concepts ETI, Inc.
    Inventor: David Japikse
  • Patent number: 8926288
    Abstract: A rotor blade (1), in particular of a main rotor of a rotary-wing aircraft, made of fiber-reinforced plastic includes a blade section (10) and a connecting section (12) for fastening the rotor blade (1) to a drive device (18) which includes a sleeve-shaped connecting device (14), is further developed in that the connecting device (14) includes flat fiber layers (S1 to S18) running substantially in the plane of extension of the connecting section (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Kuntze-Fechner, Elif Ahci, Christine Muller, Alois Wagner
  • Patent number: 8915707
    Abstract: An exhaust gas housing for a gas turbine is provided and includes a support structure, which, arranged concentrically, includes an outer ring and an inner ring which are interconnected by radially arranged struts, and a flow liner, which is attached inside the support structure and, arranged concentrically, includes an outer liner and an inner liner which are interconnected by radially arranged liner ribs. The liner ribs each encompass the struts of the support structure, and the outer and inner liners inside the support structure form an annular passage for the turbine's hot exhaust gases. The liner ribs are welded together from front and rear parts in the flow direction, forming welded seams which extend axially in the outer liner and in the inner liner up to the liner edge. End rings, which cover the welded seams at the liner edge, are welded on the liner's rear edges for reinforcement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Eduard Brühwiler
  • Patent number: 8899927
    Abstract: A device is described herein that harnesses wind energy by employing large rectangular airfoils mounted on a rotating frame. As the frame rotates, sliders cause the airfoils to expand and contract in a cyclical pattern. The aerodynamic drag of the airfoils is maximized during the power stroke and minimized during the recoil stroke. When subjected to wind, the wind causes more pressure on the expanded airfoils than the contracted ones, which drives rotation of the entire frame. The design is highly scalable, limited only by stiffness and strength limitations of the materials used in its construction. It may be possible to achieve efficiency of power generation that greatly surpasses that of traditional propeller style windmills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventor: John Andrew Nelsen
  • Patent number: 8894375
    Abstract: A blade for a stator in a torque converter including: a first blade segment connected to first inner and outer circumferential sections; a second blade segment, separately formed from the first blade segment, connected to second inner and outer circumferential sections, and including first and second portions; and a channel disposed between the first and second blade segments. In a circumferential direction, the first and second portions are separated by the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: William Brees, Cem Ersahin
  • Patent number: 8894378
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems methods, and apparatus for sealing a bucket dovetail in a turbine. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for sealing a gap between a bucket dovetail and a rotor wheel slot. The method can include providing a bucket tab associated with a bucket dovetail, wherein the bucket tab is configured to accept a seal tab; configuring the bucket tab and the seal tab to engage at least one dimension upon insertion of the seal tab into the bucket tab; and sealing a gap between the bucket dovetail and a rotor wheel slot with the seal tab; wherein at least a portion of the seal tab changes as a function of temperature for further sealing gap between the bucket dovetail and the rotor wheel slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Srinivasa Govardhan Jayana
  • Patent number: 8894360
    Abstract: A turbomachine compressor rotor including at least two blade-carrying disks mounted on a common axis and connected together by a wall forming a substantially cylindrical surface of revolution, and a centripetal air bleed mechanism including air passages passing through the wall and radial fins for deflecting a stream of air leaving the passages in the wall, the fins being carried by one of the disks and being substantially in radial alignment with the passages through the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Benjamin Philippe Pierre Pegouet
  • Patent number: 8882465
    Abstract: A hybrid wind machine includes a fan shaft to drive a fan, and an electrical motor/generator combination, coupled to the first shaft, so as to allow the electrical motor/generator to drive the fan shaft when the wind machine is operating in a wind generating mode. Further, the coupling of the electrical motor/generator combination to the fan shaft allows the fan shaft to drive the electrical motor/generator combination as an electrical generator when the wind machine is operating in a power generating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignees: Valley Christian Schools
    Inventors: Annette Lane, Steve Lane, Marcus Byrd, Aaron Roth, Derek Snyder
  • Patent number: 8864461
    Abstract: The invention concerns a turbine structure for the expansion of gas and vapour, comprising a body or casing with a peripheral work fluid transit volute from an entrance to an exit passage, at least a first stator and possible subsequent stators, a turbine shaft rotating around an axis and carrying at least a first rotor and possible subsequent rotors working together downstream of the first stator and subsequent rotors, respectively, an external tube member jutting out frontally from said body or casing and coaxial to the rotating turbine shaft, and where between the tube member (18) and the turbine shaft (15) is positioned a supporting unit (19) extractable en bloc from said external tube (18) except for the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Turboden S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mario Gaia, Roberto Bini
  • Patent number: 8858168
    Abstract: A method for assembling a ventilation system is provided. The method includes providing a ventilation hood that includes a cover portion and a discharge portion extending from the cover portion. The cover portion includes a first aperture, an opposite second aperture, and a cavity therein, wherein an interior of the discharge portion is in flow communication with the cover portion cavity. The method also includes coupling a rotatable member at least partially within the ventilation hood, such that the rotatable member extends at least partially through at least one of the first and second apertures, and such that rotation of the rotatable member induces a windage-driven flow of fluid between a portion of the rotatable member and at least one of the first and second apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Lynn Loud, Carlos Andres Rodriguez, Timothy Andrew Melsert
  • Patent number: 8845275
    Abstract: A cranking pad assembly for a gearbox of a turbomachine including a cranking pad shaft rotatably secured in a gearbox housing and engageable with a gearbox drivetrain when urged inwardly into the gearbox housing. The cranking pad shaft includes an interface for a cranking tool. An interlock pin retains the cranking tool at the cranking pad shaft and a disconnect spring is operably connected to the gearbox housing to bias the cranking pad shaft outwardly from the gearbox housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Keith E. Short, Jeff A. Brown
  • Patent number: 8845279
    Abstract: A supercharger device, including, at least one of a variable turbine and a compressor geometry; a guide vane device arranged in a housing, wherein the guide vane device includes at least one vane mounting ring; at least one guide vane is at least one of rotatably mounted thereon the vane mounting ring and rotatably mounted therein the vane mounting ring; and an adjusting ring arranged coaxially to the vane mounting ring and mounted on the latter, which is rotated relative to the vane mounting ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Patric Hoecker, Florian Rentz, Ian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8845291
    Abstract: An engine arrangement has a gear assembly that drives a first propeller assembly. The gear assembly is driven by a power drive shaft that joins to the gear assembly at a first side. The engine arrangement has a static conduit that extends along a longitudinal internal cavity of the power drive shaft. The conduit penetrates the gear assembly such that a portion of the conduit projects from an opposing second side of the gear assembly. The engine arrangement has one or more first fluid supply lines routed along the static conduit between a hydraulic pressure power source and the first hydraulic actuator. A first hydraulic rotating coupling is mounted to the projecting portion of the static conduit. The first fluid supply lines fluidly communicate with the first hydraulic actuator via the first rotating coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Andrew Swift, Antony Morgan
  • Patent number: 8834129
    Abstract: An integrally bladed disk includes a rotor disk and circumferentially spaced first and second blades. The rotor disk has a rim the periphery of which forms a flow surface. The first and second blades extend integrally outward from the rim. The rim defines a trench in the flow surface between the first and second blades aft of a leading edge of the rim. The trench extends axially forward and rearward of a leading edge of the first blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Roland R. Barnes, Cagdas Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 8814514
    Abstract: A fiber optic sensor is embedded in an integral housing block formed by molding or extrusion. The housing block has a mounting surface for attachment to a wind turbine component by adhesive or mechanical connection. In an arrangement where the sensor is to be isolated from strains on the component, the housing block may be mounted on the component by means of a smaller mounting portion, joining the mounting portion at a neck region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Ib Olesen
  • Patent number: 8814521
    Abstract: An annulus filler for mounting to a rotor disc of a gas turbine engine. The filler comprises a lid for bridging the gap between two adjacent blades attached to the rotor disc, and forward and rearward hook members projecting below the lid and configured to respectively engage with forward and rearward outwardly directed hooks provided on the rotor disc. The filler can further comprise a lip extending from the rear of the lid, the lip being configured to fit beneath a gas-washed element located rearwards of the annulus filler. One or more guide ramps then extend from the rear of the lip, the or each guide ramp being angled down relative to the lip to encourage the lip to slide beneath said fairing when the annulus filler is translated in the generally rearwards direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Matthew A. C. Hoyland, Paul Mason
  • Patent number: 8814524
    Abstract: A wheel is constructed from a disk disposed for rotation about an axis and a ring with a plurality of blades being connectable to the disk. The wheel is operable for pumping, compressing, or expanding fluid in a turbomachine. The disk is configured to receive at least a portion of the ring within the disk and be coupled using a protrusion or protrusions. The protrusion can be configured to prevent relative movement between the disk and the ring. In some forms a bracket can be extended between the ring and disk to prevent relative movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Stephen Krautheim
  • Patent number: 8801363
    Abstract: A wind turbine for generating electrical power, the turbine having a rotor assembly comprising a hub, an annular rim and a plurality of blade members extending between the hub and rim, a pulley transfer box apparatus and a looped member extending circumferentially about the annular rim and through the pulley box transfer apparatus, the pulley box transfer apparatus having a pair of drum pulleys each having a plurality of annular grooves receiving the looped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Inventor: Herbert Williams