Patents Examined by Brian Christopher Delrue
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Patent number: 10975839Abstract: Vertical axis windmill turbine assemblies, as well as methods, systems and components related thereto. In one illustrative embodiment, a central shaft is supported by upper and lower bearings allowing it to rotate. Upper and lower support plates are disposed on the central shaft and support a plurality of vanes that extend therebetween. Each vane may have a closed leeward side formed from at least two planar members that join at a central ridge and an open windward side. Generators may be operatively connected to the central shaft at the lower end and the upper end. Multiple vertical axis assemblies may be disposed on a planar platform. Where multiple assemblies are present, they may be positioned to optimize production based on prevailing wind directions and may include windmill and turbine assemblies optimized for different wind conditions. In some systems, the assemblies may be disposed in a linear array.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Inventor: William Olen Fortner
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Patent number: 10975881Abstract: A centrifugal impeller having an axis of rotation extending from front to rear, and including a body extending around the axis of rotation, the body having a front portion and a rear portion of larger section than the front portion, the impeller also have blades projecting from a front face of the body, the body presenting a setback in its front face between two consecutive blades, which setback is situated at a circumferential distance from the two blades.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Sylvain Frederic Avakian, Arnaud Jacques Jean Gascq, Felipe Winston Gomez Moyano, Damien Bernard Emeric Guegan
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Patent number: 10975714Abstract: The gas turbine engine rotor assembly includes a rotor disc with a plurality of sealing tabs projecting radially out from a peripheral surface of the rotor disc in the rear end portion thereof. A said sealing tab is disposed at a tip portion of a fixing member of the disc, formed between pairs of blade root slots, adjacent a trailing edge of the rotor disc. The sealing tabs help to reduce the leakage of secondary air out the back of a blade pocket defined between adjacent blades mounted on the rotor disc.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2018Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Daniel Lecuyer, Robert Huszar
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Patent number: 10968777Abstract: A vane for a gas turbine engine includes at least one airfoil. A first platform has a first rail located at a first end of the airfoil. A second platform has a second rail located at a second end of the airfoil. A first chordal seal is located on an axially aft surface of the first rail. A second chordal seal is located on an aft surface of the second rail and has a second radius of curvature at least partially truncated by an outer edge of the second rail.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley, Kyle J. Brevick
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Patent number: 10968922Abstract: A radial compressor having an impeller having a housing with a radially outer and a radially inner insertion section a main flow channel for suppling a medium towards the impeller, a circulation chamber radially outside of the main flow channel separated from the main flow channel by a contour wall and connected to the insertion section via struts. The main flow channel is delimited by the contour wall and by a first segment of the insertion section. The struts engage with a second segment of the insertion section. The second segment of the insertion section engages with a downstream end of the first segment of the insertion section. The upstream end of the first segment of the insertion section protrudes freely in the direction of the contour wall. The first segment of the insertion section has a constant thickness.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: MAN Energy Solutions SEInventors: Boris Thaser, Matthias Strauss, Oswald Löwlein, Sven Eisenbach
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Patent number: 10961829Abstract: An electrical submersible pump comprising a fallback bearing protection system, the system comprising: locking member; boot pivotally connected to shaft of electrical submersible pump adjacent to locking member, wherein the boot comprises a sloped outer wall capable of forming a fluid boundary thereby diverting fallback fluid away from uppermost bearing of electrical submersible pump; ridge disposed on the sloped outer wall of the boot.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventors: Wesley John Nowitzki, Jason Eugene Hill, Thomas Gottschalk
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Patent number: 10961854Abstract: A component for use in a gas turbine engine includes a channel configured to port a gas from an inlet along a flow path. The component further includes a wall defining an outlet configured to receive the gas, the wall forming an angle with the flow path that is between 60 degrees and 120 degrees, the outlet having a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion with a second diameter, the first portion configured to receive the gas before the second portion, and the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Timothy J. Jennings, Mark F. Zelesky
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Patent number: 10954816Abstract: A turbocharge includes: a compressor wheel; a turbine wheel configured to rotate with the compressor wheel; a turbine housing disposed so as to cover the turbine wheel; a bearing supporting a rotational shaft of the turbine wheel rotatably; and a bearing housing accommodating the bearing. One of the turbine housing or the bearing housing includes a fin portion protruding toward the other one of the turbine housing or the bearing housing so as to extend along an axial direction of the rotational shaft, and, between the turbine housing and the bearing housing, a cavity is formed on each side of the fin portion with respect to a radial direction of the rotational shaft.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2017Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kitamura, Seiichi Ibaraki, Toyotaka Yoshida, Hiroshi Suzuki, Motoki Ebisu
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Patent number: 10954955Abstract: A centrifugal fan assembly comprises a blade assembly integrally formed. The blade assembly comprises a plurality of blades integrally formed, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades has a twisted shape with a first portion of a hub end of the each blade facing a first adjacent blade, and a second portion of a outer end of the each blade diagonal to the first portion of the hub end facing a second adjacent blade, a fixing portion integrally connected to the blades. The centrifugal fan assembly comprises at least one opening formed in the fixing portion and a hub plate comprising a recessed portion and a convex portion enabled to couple to the blade assembly. The concave portion is provided to correspond to a shape of the fixing portion and the convex portion is provided to correspond to a shape of the at least one opening.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Hooi Joong Kim, Ho Choi
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Patent number: 10947959Abstract: A method of performing maintenance on a wind turbine component (18, 22, 24) of a wind turbine (10) having an integrated lifting apparatus (40). The method includes lifting a first temporary support (104) using the integrated lifting apparatus (40), coupling the first temporary support (104) to the nacelle (12) or the hub (16) and the integrated lifting apparatus (40), removing the wind turbine component (18, 22, 24) using the integrated lifting apparatus (40) and the first temporary support (104) in combination. The method may further include installing a replacement wind turbine component (18, 22, 24) using at least a part of the integrated lifting apparatus (40) and the first temporary support (104) in combination, decoupling the first temporary support (104) from the nacelle (12) or the hub (16) and the integrated lifting apparatus (40), and removing the first temporary support (104) from the wind turbine (10) using the integrated lifting apparatus (40).Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/SInventor: Tomohiro Numajiri
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Patent number: 10947864Abstract: A gas turbine having a turbine casing, an outer and inner casing part between which a hot gas flows. An annular duct is formed between the outer casing part and the turbine casing to accommodate a cooling fluid. An exhaust gas casing is positioned downstream in the flow direction of the hot gas. A bearing system for a rotor has bearing struts arranged around the circumference which extend from a shaft bearing to an outer casing and, in the hot gas path of an exhaust gas diffuser arranged in the exhaust gas casing are shielded by another strut set which surrounds the bearing struts and is hollow to support the diffuser, wherein, to center the turbine and the exhaust gas casing, these are connected to one another via a fit wherein the turbine and the exhaust gas casing can be supplied with cooling air independently of one another.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KGInventors: Dirk Allebrod, Stephan Sonnen
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Patent number: 10947901Abstract: Gas turbine engine (GTE) compressor sections and compressor intake ducts are provided having Soft Foreign Object debris (SFOD) endwall treatments, which reduce peak damage to GTE components in the event of SFOD ingestion. In embodiments, the GTE compressor section includes a compressor rotor and a compressor intake duct. The compressor intake duct includes an intake flow passage, which extends through compressor intake duct to the compressor rotor. A first duct endwall extends around a centerline of the flow passage to bound a peripheral portion of the intake flow passage. An SFOD endwall treatment includes topological features formed in or otherwise provided on the first duct endwall. The topological features of the SFOD endwall treatment are configured such that SFOD impacting the topological features is directed in a radially inward direction toward the flow passage centerline prior discharge of the SFOD from the intake flow passage and into the compressor rotor.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Timothy Darling, Costantinos Vogiatzis
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Patent number: 10934848Abstract: In a fan blade of a turbofan engine and a method for determining a shape of the fan blade, a shape from a blade root of the fan blade up to a predetermined position in a span direction of the fan blade is same as a shape from a blade root of an original fan blade up to a predetermined position in a span direction of the original fan blade, and a shape from the predetermined position in the span direction of the fan blade up to a blade tip thereof is a shape formed by rotating, only by a predetermined angle in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the fan blade with a rotating shaft as a center, each of blade elements present from the predetermined position in the span direction of the original fan blade up to a blade tip thereof.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Yu Narita
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Patent number: 10935048Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a center body support for a gas turbine engine includes a fan exit guide vane mounting ring and an outer annular wall. An aft flange extends radially outward from the outer annular wall. An inner annular wall is radially spaced from and structurally interconnected to the outer annular wall by a circumferential array of struts. A brace interconnects the aft flange to a forward portion of the outer annular wall. The aft flange includes inner and outer mounting features spaced radially apart from one another. The inner and outer mounting feature respectively receive first and second sets of fasteners. The forward portion extends in a radially outward direction from the outer annular wall. The forward portion includes a forward mounting feature that receives a third set of fasteners. The outer and forward mounting features are secured to the fan exit guide vane mounting ring respectively by the first and third sets of fasteners.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2018Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Raytheon Technologies CorporationInventors: John C. Ditomasso, Gregory E. Reinhardt
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Patent number: 10934892Abstract: An axial flow turbine comprising a casing, a rotor having an axial rotational axis and rotatably mounted into the casing, at least one set of a plurality of moving blades supported by the rotor; and at least one diaphragm having an outer ring, an inner ring, concentric to the outer ring, and a plurality of static blades mounted therebetween, at least the outer ring being split in an upper half and a lower half along a vertical joint plane. The turbine diaphragm comprises an assembly system for assembling the upper half to the lower half while allowing the upper half and the lower half to move axially relative to each other.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2017Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBHInventors: Julien Lemaire, Eric Ollivau, Dominique Travers
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Patent number: 10927757Abstract: A method of reducing rotor bow in a high pressure rotor of a gas turbine engine that has in axial flow a low pressure rotor and a high pressure rotor. The method involves storing bleed air from the gas turbine engine when the engine is running to provide stored pneumatic energy; and using that stored pneumatic energy after the engine has been shut-down to rotate the high pressure rotor at a speed and for a duration that reduces rotor bow. A gas turbine engine wherein rotor bow in the high pressure rotor after engine shut-down has been reduced by carrying out the aforesaid method is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Andrew Stevenson
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Patent number: 10927685Abstract: An abrasive coating for a substrate of a component in a gas path exposed to a maximum temperature of 1750 degree Fahrenheit, comprising a plurality of grit particles adapted to be placed on a top surface of the substrate; a matrix material bonded to the top surface; the matrix material partially surrounds the grit particles, wherein the grit particles extend above the matrix material relative to the top surface; and a film of oxidant resistant coating applied over the plurality of grit particles and the matrix material.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Raytheon Technologies CorporationInventors: Kevin Seymour, Christopher W. Strock, Thomas D. Kasprow
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Patent number: 10920619Abstract: A part for a turbine engine, the part having a general annular shape about an axis of revolution, this part including a first annular shrink-fitted mounting flange and comprising an annular row of orifices for the passage of screws, this part being made by casting and including protruding pads required for the control and the manufacture of the part by casting, wherein the pads are located on the flange and in that each comprises a thread configured to engage with an extraction screw of the flange.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Etienne Gerard Joseph Canelle, Jacques Marcel Arthur Bunel, Faouzi Aliouat
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Patent number: 10914209Abstract: An oil tank filling system for filling the oil tank of a gas turbine engine that includes an aft core cowl. The system includes: an oil tank that is located within a core of the engine; an oil access port located on the aft core cowl; an oil tank filling pipe that connects the oil access port to a tank filling port on the oil tank; and a hydraulic lock that prevents oil entering the oil tank once the oil tank contains a predetermined volume of oil. A method of filling the oil tank of a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine that includes the oil tank filling system are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: David A. Edwards, Clare L. Bewick
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Patent number: 10907609Abstract: An apparatus for modifying the geometry of at least one part of a turbine can include a shell assembly 3 that includes an outer shell that is shaped to modify the shape of a pre-existing element of a turbine. The outer shell 8 of the shell assembly 3 can be composed of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material and can at least partially define an inner cavity. The outer shell 8 can be bonded to a structure to modify the geometrical shape of that structure. Thereafter, a polymer casting 12 can be injected into the inner cavity via at least one injection port attached to the shell assembly. In some embodiments, one or more stiffeners 9 and/or a core 10 can be positioned within the inner cavity to help improve the bonding of the polymer casting 12 to the shell 2 and/or improve a structural property of the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: GE Renewable TechnologiesInventors: Sebastien Beaulieu, Michel Sabourin