Patents Examined by Dwayne J. White
  • Patent number: 10641099
    Abstract: An impingement cooled component includes a first wall having a plurality of impingement holes and a second wall spaced apart from the first wall. The second wall is downstream of the first wall, relative to a cooling flow, the second wall has a contoured surface facing the first wall. The contoured surface includes a plurality of contours defined by at least one of a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, and at least one of the contours in the plurality of contours is aligned with an axis defined by one of the impingement holes in the plurality of impingement holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Alan Waite, Matthew A. Devore
  • Patent number: 10641102
    Abstract: A vane cluster for a gas turbine engine includes an outer diameter platform and an inner diameter platform. A plurality of vanes span from the outer diameter platform to the inner diameter platform. At least one inbound region is defined between a first vane of the plurality of vanes and a second vane of the plurality of vanes. The first vane includes a suction side facing the inbound region. Each of the vanes includes a leading edge core passage and a trailing edge core passage. A plurality of electrical discharge machined (EDM) holes are disposed within at least 0.500 inches (12.7 mm) of a leading edge of the first vane. Each of the EDM holes connect a leading edge core passage of the vane to an exterior surface of the vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. McMahon, Christopher Whitfield, Kristopher K. Anderson, Jason B. Moran, Brett Alan Bartling, Christopher Perron, Justin M. Aniello, Stephanie Tanner, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10641242
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a floating wind energy harvesting apparatus for offshore installation, the wind energy harvesting apparatus comprising: an elongated wind turbine body extending along a longitudinal wind turbine body axis, the wind turbine body comprising a lower body portion to be below a water surface when the wind energy harvesting apparatus is in operation and an upper body portion to be above the water surface when the wind energy harvesting apparatus is in operation; wind turbine blades attached to the upper body portion for converting wind energy to rotation of the wind turbine body around the longitudinal wind turbine body axis; an energy converter attached to the wind turbine body for converting the rotation of the wind turbine body in relation to a non-rotatable part to electrical energy; and anchorage means connecting the non-rotatable part to at least one anchor point via at least one float body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SEA TWIRL AB
    Inventor: Daniel Ehrnberg
  • Patent number: 10641116
    Abstract: A plurality of circumferential blowout passages that communicate with a cavity into which cooling air flows and that open in a circumferential end surface are formed in a shroud of a vane. Of a central region of the circumferential end surface, an upstream-side region of the circumferential end surface, and a downstream-side region of the circumferential end surface, at least the central region has openings of the plurality of circumferential blowout passages formed therein. A density that is the number of the openings of the circumferential blowout passages per unit length in an axial direction is highest in the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otomo, Satoshi Hada
  • Patent number: 10633982
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a housing; a rotor rotatably provided in the housing; a turbine blade to receive rotating force from combustion gas and rotate the rotor; a turbine vane to guide a flow of the combustion gas toward the turbine blade, the turbine vane having a turbine vane cooling passage for delivering cooling fluid to an inner wall of the turbine vane; and an impingement plate installed in the turbine vane cooling passage, the impingement plate having a plurality of injection holes through which the cooling fluid is injected onto the inner wall of the turbine vane, the injection holes formed at predetermined locations of the impingement plate, wherein the injection holes are formed differently depending on locations of the injection holes. A temperature gradient or thermal stress may be prevented from occurring in the turbine vane that is cooled by cooling fluid ejected from the impingement plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Myeong Hwan Bang
  • Patent number: 10626848
    Abstract: A lift-driven wind turbine has a turbine rotor with blades mounted to the turbine shaft by two struts hinged to the shaft and each blade to form a four-bar linkage. The blades' airfoil cross section generates lift that rotates the blades around the axis in the presence of a prevailing wind. The airfoil chord forms a geometric angle of attack ?G relative to the tangent of the blade path and the struts orient the blades with an outward tilt angle ?. The turbine is designed with values of ?G and ? that cause the lift generated by each blade to have an upward component that supports the blade against the force of gravity and a mean radially inward component that substantially balances centrifugal forces on the blade. Wind turbines designed according to the principles disclosed herein facilitate the construction of free-floating utility scale wind turbines for deep water installations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: CONTINUUM DYNAMICS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander H. Boschitsch, Alan J. Bilanin, Glen D. Whitehouse
  • Patent number: 10626735
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A slot extends longitudinally in the skin passage. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core passage and the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10618665
    Abstract: A turbomachine casing (10) comprising an endoscopy port (12) and a member (14) mounted on and fixed to the casing and comprising a duct (16) that communicates with the port and that comprises an internal thread into which a cap (28) can be screwed, and means (22, 26) for fixing the member to the casing, characterised in that it further comprises a cover (30) mounted on the member and at least partially covering the fixing means in order to hinder, or indeed prevent, access to same when the cover is mounted on the member, the cover being arranged to allow free access to the duct when the cap is not screwed into the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Florence Irene Noelle Leutard, Didier Noel Durand, Thibault Jamon
  • 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: 10619645
    Abstract: The centrifugal compressor includes an hermetic housing; a drive shaft (4); a first and a second compression stage (8, 9) configured to compress a refrigerant, the first and second compression stages (8, 9) respectively including a first and a second impeller (18, 19), the first and second impellers (18, 19) being connected to the drive shaft (4) and being arranged in a back-to-back configuration; a radial annular groove (27) formed between the back-sides (25, 26) of the first and second impellers (18, 19); an inter-stage sealing arrangement (35) provided between the first and second compressor stages (8, 9) and in the radial annular groove (27); a radial bearing arrangement configured to rotatably support the drive shaft (4); and a thrust bearing arrangement configured to limit an axial movement of the drive shaft (4) during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventors: Arnaud Daussin, Patrice Bonnefoi, Nicolas Nouyrigat
  • Patent number: 10612398
    Abstract: A method of sealing one or more openings provided in a wall of an aerofoil for a gas turbine engine, the aerofoil comprising at least one cavity which is at least partly filled with a vibration damping material, the method comprising steps to provide a metallic material onto the wall of the aerofoil in order to cover the opening and bond the metallic material to the wall of the aerofoil to seal the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Phillip J. Doorbar
  • 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: 10605097
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade comprises: a blade effective part; a snubber disposed on radially outer side of the blade effective part; a platform disposed on radially inner side of the blade effective part; and an implanted part disposed on radially inner side of the platform. A first flow path is formed inside the implanted part for a cooling medium to pass through. A second flow path is formed inside the platform for the cooling medium having passed through the first flow to pass through. A blade effective part flow path is formed inside the blade effective part for the cooling medium having passed through the second flow path to pass through. A snubber flow path is formed inside the snubber for the cooling medium having passed through the blade effective part flow paths to pass through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutaka Tsuruta, Shoko Ito, Iwataro Sato
  • 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: 10598144
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a runner unit of a tidal power plant, and more particularly to a device for reversing a blade of the runner unit. The device according to the embodiments is lighter and more efficient with respect to known solutions which involve articulated mechanisms as it is based on a reversing servomotor including an annular piston which acts on the blade to be reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies
    Inventors: Alain Mathieu, Erwan Pein
  • Patent number: 10598025
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section defining an airfoil profile, the airfoil section including a core structure and a plurality of rods disposed adjacent the core structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Raymond Surace
  • Patent number: 10590774
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to rotary machines and, more particularly, to the control of wheel space purge air in gas turbines. In one embodiment, the invention provides a turbine bucket comprising: a platform portion; an airfoil extending radially outward from the platform portion; a platform lip extending axially from the platform portion; and a plurality of voids disposed along a surface of the platform lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rohit Chouhan, Soumyik Kumar Bhaumik
  • 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: 10590779
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core and skin passages. A centerline of the resupply hole is arranged at an acute angle relative to the direction of fluid flow in the core passage and is configured to provide a low turbulence flow region in the skin passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.