Patents Examined by Carlos A Rivera
  • Patent number: 10519788
    Abstract: A composite airfoil comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge, a pressure side and a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, a tip at a radial outer end of the airfoil, a shank at a radial inner end of the airfoil, a dovetail connected to the shank, and a metal patch disposed between the dovetail and the shank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Qiang Li, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Scott Roger Finn
  • Patent number: 10519927
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a shear web for a rotor blade of a wind turbine and a method of manufacturing and assembling same. The rotor blade generally includes an upper shell member having an upper spar cap configured on an internal surface thereof and a lower shell member having a lower spar cap configured on an internal surface thereof. Further, the shear web extends between the spar caps along a longitudinal length of the blade. In addition, the shear web includes first and second outer pultruded layers at least partially encompassing a core material, wherein end portions of the first and second outer pultruded layers form compressed flanges at opposing ends of the shear web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Robert Tobin, Aaron A. Yarbrough, Daniel Alan Hynum, Christopher Daniel Caruso
  • Patent number: 10513330
    Abstract: A blade damper with a magnetic contaminants trap includes, a housing defining a cavity, a piston in operable communication with the housing dividing the cavity into at least a first chamber and a second chamber, a passageway in operable communication with the cavity configured to allow fluid within the cavity to move between the first chamber and the second chamber through the passageway, and at least one magnet in operable communication with fluid in at least one of the cavity and the passageway, such that magnetic contaminants are prevented from freely moving about within the fluid after having been attracted toward the at least one magnet by a magnetic field of the at least one magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adrial Kirchen, James Orbon
  • Patent number: 10514003
    Abstract: An exhaust duct for a gas turbine engine has an annular inlet conduit having an inlet axis. At least two outlet conduits branch off from the inlet conduit along respective outlet centerlines that are distinct from one another. The outlet centerlines when projected onto a projection plane perpendicular to the inlet axis are spaced apart from the inlet axis so as not to intersect the inlet axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eray Akcayoz, Francois Doyon, Julie Demers
  • Patent number: 10508554
    Abstract: A turbine bucket according to embodiments includes: a base; a blade coupled to base and extending radially outward from base, blade including: a body having: a pressure side; a suction side opposing pressure side; a leading edge between pressure side and suction side; and a trailing edge between pressure side and suction side on a side opposing leading edge; and a plurality of radially extending cooling passageways within body; and a shroud coupled to blade radially outboard of blade, shroud including: a plurality of radially extending outlet passageways fluidly connected with a first set of the plurality of radially extending cooling passageways within body; and an outlet path extending at least partially circumferentially through shroud and fluidly connected with all of a second, distinct set of the plurality of radially extending cooling passageways within body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rohit Chouhan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Gunnar Leif Siden, Zachary James Taylor
  • Patent number: 10508551
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component, such as an airfoil, including a wall to separate a hot flow from a cooling fluid flow. The component can include at least one trench disposed in a hot surface. The trench can be fed with the cooling fluid flow to cool the engine component along the hot surface with the cooling fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10502091
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a sync ring assembly associated with an engine, comprising: a sync ring, and a clevis coupled to the sync ring, where the clevis includes a rib that resists a deflection of the sync ring assembly when the engine is operated, and where the clevis is made of titanium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James F. McGuire, II, Venkata Reddy Chimalamarri, Seetharama Reddy Katta Jayakumar
  • Patent number: 10502235
    Abstract: In a fan case having an annular outer wall with a plurality of fan case bolt holes there through, bushings are inserted into the fan case bolt hole and are dimensioned to define an annular gap between the bolt hole inner surface and the bushing outer surface. An adhesive material disposed within each annular gap between the bushing and the corresponding fan case bolt hole, with the adhesive material forming a liquid shim separating the bushing outer surface from the bolt hole inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Robertson, Mark W. Costa
  • Patent number: 10502073
    Abstract: A rotor assembly is provided. The rotor assembly includes a plurality of blades spaced circumferentially. An airfoil of each blade includes a pressure side, a suction side, a pressure side nub extending from the pressure side, and a suction side nub extending from the suction side. An airfoil length is greater than one of (i) 40 inches, wherein the rotor is configured for operation at about 3600 rpm, and (ii) 48 inches, wherein the rotor is configured for operation at about 3000 rpm. The rotor assembly also includes a plurality of sleeves. Each of the sleeves extends from a first end to a second end. The first end is coupled to the pressure side nub of a first of the blades and the second end is coupled to the suction side nub of an adjacent second of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Edward Deallenbach, John James Ligos, Kristopher John Frutschy
  • Patent number: 10502225
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a centrifugal fan assembly (19) for the debris collection arrangement (100) of a road cleaning machine (10). The assembly (19) comprises a casing (101), a rotatable impeller (103) and a wall (107). The casing (101) comprises a volute portion (30) connected to an outlet passageway (31), a corner (106) being formed therebetween. The impeller (103) comprises a plurality of blades (25) and is located in the volute portion (30) proximate the corner (106). The wall (107) separates the outlet passageway (31) into a first and second passageway (36, 37) and extends to an inner end (102) proximate the impeller (103). The inner end (102) is positioned, and the impeller (103) is arranged, such that when a blade (25) passes the inner end (102) a second pressure wave is formed that destructively interferes with a first pressure wave formed by a blade (25) passing the corner (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Johnston Sweepers Limited
    Inventors: Gareth Knopp, Michael Sandford, Stephen Catchpole
  • Patent number: 10502084
    Abstract: The invention relates to a module for a gas turbine comprising a rotationally symmetrical outer casing of a first material having a first linear thermal expansion coefficient, a rotationally symmetrical component for guiding hot gas of a second material having a linear thermal expansion coefficient which is lower than the first coefficient, at least one annular structure arranged radially within the component, and at least three struts having a radially inner end secured on the outer casing and a radially outer end secured on the annular structure. The component also comprises at least one first fixing which is free in radial direction and fixed in axial direction and arranged between the component and the outer casing and/or the annular structure, as well as at least three second fixings having an elastic effect in radial, axial and/or circumferential direction and being arranged between the component and the strut and/or the annular structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: MTU AERO ENGINES AG
    Inventors: Werner Humhauser, Hermann Klingels, Rudolf Stanka, Alois Eichinger
  • Patent number: 10494115
    Abstract: A system and a method for the automatic starting of the engines of a twin-engine aircraft. When a first engine is made by the pilots of the aircraft to follow an automatic starting procedure, this engine follows the conventional four-phase starting cycle. The rotor of the high-pressure stage of the second engine is spun up for a predetermined duration and to a speed that is substantially constant and less than the nominal value during the starting cycle for the first engine. Once the starting cycle for the first engine is complete, the second engine is made by the pilots of the aircraft to follow an automatic starting procedure. The starting cycle for the second engine comprises just three phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignees: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS, AIRBUS SAS
    Inventors: Patrick Zaccaria, Pierre-Henri Brousse, Alexis Manneville, Paul-Emile Roux, Damien Lozach, Christine Molliet
  • Patent number: 10495353
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to a mechanism which can be used in gas cooling devices, pneumatic motors, turbines and other pressurized gas devices. A rotatable rotor is provided along with a number of hollow conduits that radially radiate from an exit port at the center of the rotor. The pressurized gas is injected into the mechanism at the inlet port(s). The gas enters the conduits and travels from the inlet port(s) to the exit port(s). In doing so, the gas causes the rotor to rotate about its central axis while the gas cools. This results in a colder gas at the exit port(s) than at the inlet port(s) due to an enhanced extraction of work, while maintaining a very low flow rate at the cold outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Inventors: Jeliazko Polihronov, Anthony Straatman
  • Patent number: 10495092
    Abstract: Disclosed is an impeller for a pump for conveying waste water having a support body which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (A) and on which two blades for conveying are provided, wherein the blades each have an inlet region which extends from an inlet edge up to an apex, wherein the wall thickness increases at its end side remote from the support body in the inlet region from the inlet edge and reaches its maximum value at the apex, wherein the blade converges in the inlet region in an axial direction from the support body to the end side with respect to the wall thickness. A base plate is furthermore proposed for interaction with such an impeller as well as a pump for conveying waste water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Sulzer Management AG
    Inventors: Kais Haddad, Horst-Paul Klein
  • Patent number: 10494935
    Abstract: A blade track for a gas turbine engine includes segments and joints that couple the segments together. Each segment extends part-way around a central axis of the engine and the joints couple together adjacent segments to form a full hoop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Aaron D. Sippel, Daniel K. Vetters, Jun Shi, David J. Thomas, Andrew J. Eifert, Peter Broadhead
  • Patent number: 10487843
    Abstract: An airfoil member (100) comprising has a substrate (120) along at least a portion of an airfoil (102) of the airfoil member. A sheath (122) has a channel (144) receiving a portion (160) of the substrate. A scrim (200) is between the substrate and the sheath. A spacer (220) is between the sheath and the substrate and has a plurality of spaced-apart portions (232, 234) with gaps between the spaced-apart portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Lee M. Drozdenko, James O. Hansen, Maria C. Kirejczyk, Scot A. Webb, Jesse C. Meyer, Brandon A. Gates, Richard B. Bergethon, Michael A. Morden
  • Patent number: 10487666
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes a wall having first and second wall surfaces, a cooling hole extending through the wall and a convexity. The cooling hole includes an inlet located at the first wall surface, an outlet located at the second wall surface, a metering section extending downstream from the inlet and a diffusing section extending from the metering section to the outlet. The diffusing section includes a first lobe diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section and a second lobe adjacent the first lobe and diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section. The convexity is located near the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: JinQuan Xu, Glenn Levasseur
  • Patent number: 10487751
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section having multiple stages, a combustor section fluidly connected to the compressor section, a turbine section fluidly connected to the combustor section, and a bleed structure radially outward of the stages. The bleed structure includes a body structure having a first set of openings radially outward of a first stage and a second set of openings radially outward of a second stage. The bleed structure further includes a circumferential sleeve configured to cover the first set of openings in a first position and configured to cover the second set of openings in a second position. An actuator is coupled to the circumferential sleeve and is configured to articulate the sleeve between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Enzo DiBenedetto
  • Patent number: 10487661
    Abstract: A power turbine includes a first stage vane having an airfoil with a cold un-coated nominal profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Krishan Mohan, Panagiota Tsifourdaris
  • Patent number: 10486785
    Abstract: A propeller assembly that includes a hub having an outer radial surface and a plurality of wedge retaining members removably coupled to the hub. The plurality of wedge retaining members are spaced circumferentially about the outer radial surface such that a dovetail slot is defined between adjacent wedge retaining members. The assembly also includes at least one propeller blade including a root portion having a dovetail profile. The root portion is coupled to the hub and positioned within the dovetail slot. The plurality of wedge retaining members are configured to restrict radial movement of the root portion within the dovetail slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Peggy Lynn Baehmann, Stefaan Guido Van Nieuwenhove