Patents Examined by Christopher Verdnier
  • Aerodynamically optimized mid-span snubber for combustion turbine blade
    Patent number: 5695323
    Abstract: An aerodynamically optimized mid-span snubber for combustion turbine blades provides sufficient stiffness to ameliorate vibratory stress but does so with minimal degradation of aerodynamic performance. The snubber has an optimized aerodynamic cross-sectional shape that forms when two snubber portions attached to adjacent rotor blades come into contact upon rotation of the rotor at an operational velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan R. Pfeifer, John P. Thomas, Wally N. Dangerfield