Patents Examined by Andrew C Knopp
  • Patent number: 8206087
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement for use in a turbine engine having ceramic components. The sealing arrangement is retained in a seal gap formed between adjacent segments and is compliant to accommodate variations in the size of the seal gap as the adjacent segments move relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian X. Campbell, Gary B. Merrill
  • Patent number: 8206112
    Abstract: A wind turbine having a cooling system, which wind turbine includes a nacelle in connection with which one or more wind turbine components are arranged, is disclosed. The cooling system includes at least one cooling circuit arranged to lead a heat transfer medium to and from one or more of the wind turbine components, at least one cooling device arranged to cool the heat transfer medium, at least one pump arranged in connection with the at least one cooling circuit to circulate the heat transfer medium in the cooling circuit, and at least one medium tank arranged in connection with the cooling circuit. The at least one medium tank is arranged inside the nacelle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Poul T. Tietze, Jesper Nyvad, Anand Bahuguni, Ravi Kandasamy, Krishnamoorthi Sivalingam
  • Patent number: 8197193
    Abstract: An air distribution blower housing has an adjustable restriction in the interior of the blower housing. The adjustable restriction has the configuration of a rectangular plate. One edge of the plate is connected by a pivoting connection to an interior wall of the blower housing in the air flow path from the blower housing. The plate can be pivoted about the pivot connection through a plurality of adjusted angular positions of the plate in the air flow path. In each adjusted position of the plate, the length of the plate extends from the pivot connection in the air flow direction. A sliding connection is provided between the plate and at least one side wall of the blower housing. The sliding connection selectively holds the plate in its adjusted angular position and also provides a visual indication on the exterior of the blower housing of the adjusted angular position of the plate inside the blower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Unico, Inc.
    Inventor: Craig S. Messmer
  • Patent number: 8197205
    Abstract: A blade actuation system comprises at least one motor coupled to a rotor blade for changing the pitch angle of the rotor blade. The motor is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one flight control computer to modulate the pitch angle. At least one generator may be mounted on a rotor shaft to generate power during rotation of the rotor shaft. The generator may provide power to the motor. The flight control computer is operative to provide control signals to at least one of the generators and motors for regulation thereof. The flight control computer, motor and generator may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Frank M. Rudley, Evhen M. Mychalowycz, Joseph R. Wagner, Jr., Edward J. Glembocki
  • Patent number: 8197211
    Abstract: A composite turbine rotor blade that uses the high heat resistance capability of a ceramic material along with the high strength capability of a high strength metallic material. The blade includes a metallic piece with the blade root and platform with a leading edge spar and a trailing edge spar extending from the platform. The two spars form radial cooling channels for the edges of the blade. A ceramic mid-chord piece is secured between the two spars by a T-shape tip rail piece that includes a tip rail cooling channel extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The tip rail piece includes a hollow radial pin that extends through the root to secure to the tip rail piece to the rest of the blade and supply cooling air to the tip rail cooling channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8197208
    Abstract: A floating underwater support structure is disclosed. The underwater support structure includes a joint capable of rotation and angular movement along two or three axes coupled to a truss. The truss is capable of sustaining loads in tension, compression, and bending, and comprises one or more elongate, rigid members. The elongate, rigid members are capable of sustaining loads in at least tension and compression. A buoyant member positioned between or around the members of the truss at a predetermined distance below the water provides a buoyant force that typically exceeds the weight of the entire structure. In deeper water, cross bracing may be provided between the members of the truss, and in particularly deep water, a single tendon may connect between the joint, typically anchored to the floor of the body of water, and the truss. The support structure may be used to support wind turbines and other structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Clear Path Energy, LLC
    Inventors: William G. Sharples, Christopher H. Tracy
  • Patent number: 8197198
    Abstract: A fan system with enhanced air flow-static pressure characteristics and reduced fan noise compared to the related art is provided. The number of duct blades of a duct is the same as the number of stationary blades of an axial flow fan located in front of the duct, and the duct blades correspond to the stationary blades respectively. An end surface of a rear end portion of each stationary blade and an end surface of a front portion of a duct blade corresponding to the stationary blade have the same shape, and they align together and contact each other to form one composite stationary blade, with a discharge port of each axial flow fan communicating with an inlet port of a duct housing located behind the axial flow fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Miyabara, Jiro Watanabe, Hiromitsu Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 8192155
    Abstract: A multistage, centrifugal partial emissions pump with a first stage impeller, a final stage impeller, a first stage casing liner, one or more first stage discharge nozzles, a final stage casing liner, one or more final stage discharge nozzles, an interstage delivery channel liner, one or more delivery channels, and an outer pressure shell wherein the first stage casing liner and the final stage casing liner are connected by one or more fluid channels integral within a delivery channel liner, that follow an arced path directed predominantly radially inward within the interstage delivery channel liner, and the sum of the cross sectional areas of all delivery channels taken on a radial plane intersecting the delivery channels is less than the sum of cross sectional areas of the non-channel areas within the boundaries of the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Flowserve Management Company
    Inventor: Dale B Andrews
  • Patent number: 8192169
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade and a wind turbine incorporating the rotor blade include a first and second composite skin. A first and a second spar pultrusion having a base and a plurality of integral ribs generally normal to the base are attached to the inside surface of the first and second composite skins and extend the span of the rotor blade. At least one shear web connects a rib of the first spar pultrusion to a corresponding rib of the second spar pultrusion. The width of the spar pultrusions decreases in a step-wise fashion along the span of the rotor blade from the root to the tip. The leading or trailing edge of the rotor blade may be selectably opened for inspection and repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Inventor: Frederick W Piasecki
  • Patent number: 8177475
    Abstract: A seal assembly for deflecting contaminated fluid flowing through the seal assembly from an upstream space to a downstream space includes an annular housing, at least one vent hole peripherally disposed on the annular housing, a first set of seals disposed within the annular housing adjacent to the downstream space, the first set of seals having an inclined surface to deflect the flow of contaminated fluid through the at least one vent hole, and a second set of seals mounted on the shaft, disposed within the annular housing, adjacent to the first set of seals and adjacent to the upstream space. The second set of seals may have larger inside diameter than the first set of seals. The seal assembly may prevent contaminated fluid from entering an air bearing cooling circuit, thereby preventing bearing wear, erosion and failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Fidel Manalo Joco, Marshall Saville, Alan Kang
  • Patent number: 8177483
    Abstract: A gas turbine with an active clearance control system includes a plurality of actuators circumferentially spaced between an inner shroud and an outer casing. The actuators are configured to eccentrically displace the shroud relative to the outer casing. A plurality of sensors circumferentially spaced around the shroud detect a parameter that is indicative of an eccentricity between the rotor and shroud as the rotor rotates within the shroud. A control system in communication with the sensors and actuators is configured to control the actuators to eccentrically displace the shroud to compensate for eccentricities detected between the rotor and shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Martel Alexander McCallum
  • Patent number: 8172512
    Abstract: An accessory gearbox system for a gas turbine engine includes an accessory compressor mounted to a gearbox housing. The gearbox housing defines a seal air core, and the gearbox housing communicates a seal airflow through the seal air core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Keith E. Short, Jeffrey M. Makulec, Brian Kent Rockwell, Michael F. Cass, Gregory W. Vermillion
  • Patent number: 8152441
    Abstract: A reengineered undershot waterwheel adapted to capture unutilized hydrokinetic energy is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the blades, partitions, and shafts of the waterwheel are composed of engineered plastics and composites for improved operation and longevity. In other embodiments, the waterwheel may be fixed, floating, partially or fully submerged, mounted vertically or horizontally, and will operate in deep and shallow flowing water sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Ray Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8152470
    Abstract: A device is provided for the adjustment of the pitch of a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The device includes a pitch actuator and a fixing device. The pitch actuator includes a tube. The fixing device includes a first and a second ring-like element, each of which is arranged at the tube and each of which is supported towards a respective stopper assigned to the tube, and a clamping means which press the first and the second ring-like element in such a way towards the respective stopper that the fixing device and the tube are substantially non-relocatable relatively to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jesper Munch
  • Patent number: 8152454
    Abstract: A guide vane for a gas turbine includes a vane body having a leading edge and a trailing edge and a shroud extending at least between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The shroud has a first side wall and a second side wall extending essentially radially and in a longitudinal direction of the gas turbine. The first side wall has a groove disposed in a region of the trailing edge extending in a longitudinal direction of the shroud and is configured to receive a sealing plate. The first side wall also has a clearance extending from the groove in a region of the trailing edge, wherein a depth of the clearance in a circumferential direction of the gas turbine is equal to a depth of the groove, and wherein a width of the clearance in the longitudinal direction of the shroud is between one to three times the depth of the clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Alexander Khanin, Igor Kurganov, Sergey Vorontsov, Victor Odinokov
  • Patent number: 8113769
    Abstract: Expansion turbine having a variable nozzle mechanism comprises an adiabatic expansion device located in a vacuum container having a turbine impeller therein which rotates and drives the turbine impeller during adiabatic expansion of very low temperature gas, and varies the throat area of very low temperature gas introduced in the turbine impeller by driving a nozzle member disposed near the outside end of the adiabatic expansion device by a drive force from a driving member located outside the vacuum container; a plate member provided detachably in contact with the outside end of the body of the adiabatic expansion device, wherein the support side of the nozzle member is connected to and supported by the plate member, and the drive side of the nozzle member is connected to and supported by the driving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Takahashi, Seiichiro Yoshinaga, Hirohisa Wakisaka
  • Patent number: 8105036
    Abstract: A device is provided for the adjustment of the pitch of a rotor blade of a wind turbine comprising a pitch actuator acting on an adjusting plane for the adjustment of the pitch and a fixing device to which the pitch actuator is attached, the fixing device comprises a first and a second bearing shaft allowing a pendulum motion of the pitch actuator wherein both the first and the second bearing shaft are arranged respectively under a certain tilt angle relatively to the adjusting plane which tilt angle is respectively substantially different from 0° or 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jesper Munch
  • Patent number: 8100655
    Abstract: An airfoil root fillet having a predetermined compound curve profile can be flank milled with a single flank milling cutter having a generally conical flank milling portion and a rounded tip portion defining a compound curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Paul Stone, Dinesh Chawla, Frank Kelly, Edward Fazari, Kari Heikurinen, Ignatius Theratil
  • Patent number: 8092165
    Abstract: A stator vane segment, for constructing a circumferential array of like segments in a gas turbine engine, each segment in the array being separated by an axially extending joint from an adjacent segment and being releasably mounted to an outer engine casing. Each stator vane segment has: a number of vane airfoils spanning radially between an inner platform and an outer platform, and the outer platform includes: a casing mounting fastener on an outer surface and mating lateral joint edges extending between forward and aft edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Guy Bouchard, Danny Mills
  • Patent number: 8087890
    Abstract: A turboprop having a set of variable-pitch rotary blades constrained to rotate with a rotary support. In order to vary its pitch, each blade of said set is coupled to a specific hydraulic actuator carried by the rotary support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Francois Gallet