Patents Examined by Adam W Brown
  • Patent number: 10625450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a shell part (101) for a wind turbine blade also comprising an add-on component (301, 302) connected to the shell part (101) along a connection face. The method comprises the steps of providing an insert (102) with a side surface of approximately the same shape as the connection face, positioning the insert in an open mould, and placing one or more layers (105) of material in the mould (103) to form the shell part (101) wherein the layers (105) are placed in abutment to the side surface (104) of the insert (102) thereby forming a side surface (108) of the shell part (101) of approximately the same shape as the connection face. After resin cure, the insert (102) is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Alan Laight
  • Patent number: 10619649
    Abstract: A bellcrank assembly for variable vane assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a first bellcrank segment. Also included is a second bellcrank segment. Further included is a bolt extending through respective interior barrels defined by the first and second bellcrank segments to couple the first and second bellcrank segments to each other. Yet further included is a torque frame wall defining an aperture, the bolt extending through the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William S. Pratt, John C. DiTomasso
  • Patent number: 10612557
    Abstract: An assembly for attaching a nose cone to a turbofan engine includes a single center bolt connector, a nose cone, and a turbofan hub. Further, the single center bolt connector couples the nose cone to the turbofan hub and axially clamps the nose cone to the turbofan hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher Hall
  • Patent number: 10605085
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a plurality of disks, on which outer circumferential surfaces a plurality of blades are arranged, and has an objective to provide a gas turbine disk including a plurality of cooling channels penetrating the side surfaces of the disks and spaced from each other in a circumferential direction, and reinforcement parts coupled to partial arcs of exits of the cooling channels so as to reduce stress concentrated on the cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Sunghul Jung
  • Patent number: 10598155
    Abstract: A wind turbine platform configured to float in a body of water and support a wind turbine thereon includes a buoyant hull platform. A wind turbine tower is centrally mounted on the hull platform and a wind turbine is mounted to the wind turbine tower. An anchor is connected to the hull platform and to the seabed, and a weight-adjustable mass is suspended from the hull platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: University of Maine System Board of Trustees
    Inventors: Habib J. Dagher, Anthony M. Viselli, Andrew J. Goupee
  • Patent number: 10590786
    Abstract: A method for cooling a component of a gas turbine engine includes flowing a cooling airflow through a cooling passage of a turbine rotor blade, wherein the cooling passage includes an inlet and an outlet formed on a blade tip of the turbine rotor blade. The method further includes receiving at least a portion of the cooling airflow exiting the outlet of the cooling passage with an aperture defined in a casing of the gas turbine engine, wherein the casing is spaced from the blade tip along the radial direction. In addition, the method includes providing the cooling airflow received with the aperture defined in the casing to the component of the gas turbine engine through a coolant duct assembly of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert Charles Groves, II
  • Patent number: 10590951
    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: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Concepts NREC, LLC
    Inventor: David Japikse
  • Patent number: 10584676
    Abstract: Rotor blade assemblies for wind turbines are provided. A rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade. In some embodiments, the rotor blade assembly further includes a surface feature configured on an exterior surface of the rotor blade, the surface feature having an exterior mounting surface. At least a portion of the exterior mounting surface has a contour in an uninstalled state that is different from a curvature of the exterior surface of the rotor blade at a mount location of the surface feature on the rotor blade. In other embodiments, the rotor blade assembly further includes a seal member surrounding at least a portion of a perimeter of the surface feature. The seal member contacts and provides a transition between the exterior surface and the surface feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Robert Tobin, Scott Gabell Riddell, Michael Christopher Booth, Megan Michela Wilson
  • Patent number: 10577949
    Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a first region formed substantially of a first CMC material, wherein first region defines a first thermal conductivity. The component further includes a second region formed substantially of a second CMC material, wherein the second region defines a second thermal conductivity. Further, the component defines a thickness and the first region is positioned adjacent to the second region along the thickness, wherein the first thermal conductivity is different than the second thermal conductivity to alert a thermal profile of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shawn Michael Pearson, Kirk Douglas Gallier, Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10563524
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) turbine blade includes a root region, a narrowed neck region extending from the root region, and a hub region extending from the narrowed neck region. At least one central CMC ply extending from the root region is interwoven with at least one insert extending toward the narrowed neck region from the hub region. A method of forming a CMC turbine blade includes interweaving at least one central CMC ply extending from the root region with at least one insert extending toward the narrowed neck region from the hub region. The CMC turbine blade includes a root region, a narrowed neck region extending from the root region, and a hub region extending from the narrowed neck region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jacob John Kittleson, Peter De Diego
  • Patent number: 10556483
    Abstract: A holding apparatus for securing a fan for cooling a component of a vehicle, having a main body made from foam material. The main body has a fan receptacle for receiving the fan in a positively locking manner at least in sections. The fan receptacle has an air inlet for feeding in air to the fan and an air outlet for discharging air from the fan. The main body also has at least one inlet opening with an adjoining inlet duct and at least one outlet opening with an adjoining outlet duct. The inlet duct is in a fluid-communicating connection with the air inlet and the outlet duct is in a fluid-communicating connection with the air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Werner, Heinz Rebholz, Alexander Klausmann
  • Patent number: 10549520
    Abstract: A structure includes a first body section that has a wall that spans in a vertical direction. The wall has a relatively thin thickness with respect to a length and a width of the wall. A second body section is arranged next to, but spaced apart from, the first body section. A gusset connects the first body section and the second body section. The gusset extends obliquely from the wall of the first body section with respect to the vertical direction such that the gusset is self-supporting. The first body section has a geometry that corresponds to an end-use component exclusive of the gusset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sergey Mironets, Lyutsia Dautova, Joseph Ott, Christopher F. O'Neill, Robert P. Delisle, Jesse R. Boyer, Agnes Klucha, Louis Porretti
  • Patent number: 10539140
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a pump device comprising an impeller; a pump housing surrounding an interior region and having an inlet and an outlet. The impeller is provided in the interior region of the pump housing. The wall of the pump housing has at least one first subregion and at least two further subregions in at least one plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the pump housing. The at least one first subregion comprises at least 60% by weight, based on the total mass of the at least one first subregion, of at least one nonmagnetic material. The further subregions comprise at least 41% by weight, based on the total mass of the further subregions, of at least one ferromagnetic material, wherein each further subregion is adjacent to at least one first subregion in the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Oliver Keitel, Jörg-Martin Gebert
  • Patent number: 10532809
    Abstract: The bearing system is configured for treating and reacting dynamic loading within a rotor hub of rotorcraft. The bearing system includes an outer member having a plurality of alternating outer elastomeric layers and shim layers. The outer member has an inboard surface configured for bonding to an inboard bearing support, and the outer member has an outboard surface configured for bonding to an outboard bearing support. The bearing system has an inner member bonded to an interior surface of the outer member. The inner member can include a rigid inner core, as well as a plurality of elastomeric layers and shim layers configured to react torsional movements of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Hunter Davis, Frank B. Stamps
  • Patent number: 10519802
    Abstract: A vane structure includes a baffle movably mounted within an aperture, the baffle movable to control a cooling flow between a first cooling cavity and a second cooling cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Slavens, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz, Thomas J. Martin, Mark F. Zelesky, Steven B. Gautschi, Matthew A. Devore, Alexander Staroselsky
  • Patent number: 10513942
    Abstract: A seal comprises a housing. A coating has at least two layers with a bond layer to be positioned between a housing and a second hard layer. The second hard layer is formed to be harder than the bond layer. The bond layer has a bond strength greater than or equal to 200 psi and less than or equal to 2000 psi. A gas turbine engine, and a method of forming a coating layer are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher W. Strock, Enzo DiBenedetto
  • Patent number: 10514044
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a pump device, comprising i. an impeller; ii. a pump housing which at least partly surrounds an interior region, having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the impeller is located within the interior region of the pump housing; wherein the pump housing comprises at least one first subregion and at least one further subregion; wherein the first subregion comprises a ceramic, wherein the further subregion comprises a metal, wherein at least one part of the first subregion and at least one part of the further subregion are connected to one another. One aspect of the invention further relates to a housing which comprises the features described for the pump housing. One aspect of the invention also relates to a method for producing a pump housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Schibli, Ulrich Hausch
  • Patent number: 10502182
    Abstract: A wind turbine including a plurality of substantially similar vertically extending blades with a semi-circular profile, wherein each of such blades is divided into two adjacent compartments; an upper plate; a lower plate; and an electric generator with a gear box. The wind turbine may also include a braking mechanism to control the rotational speed of the blades such that the produced electrical parameters are below the rated characteristics of the electric generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Inventor: Moa'z Mahmoud Yusuf Elayyan
  • Patent number: 10502090
    Abstract: A borescope plug for a gas turbine engine includes a base attachable to a case and defining a base cavity, a shank having a base engagement element at a first end of the shank, and a plug member located at a second end of the shank, the plug member configured to plug a borescope aperture in a borescope vane cluster. The base engagement element fits within the base cavity such that the base moveably retains the base engagement element and wherein the base engagement element can move within the base cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fabian D. Betancourt, Amarnath Ramlogan, Lisa P. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 10494936
    Abstract: A stator assembly having: an inner air seal carrier having a mounting body; a plurality of guide vanes secured to the mounting body via a plurality of fasteners; and a fastener retention mechanism secured to the mounting body via the plurality of fasteners. The fastener retention mechanism having: a housing defining an inner chamber; and a filler located within the inner chamber. The portions of the plurality of fasteners are encapsulated within the filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Biolsi, Kevin C. Eckland, Steven J. Feigleson, Thomas Freeman