Patents Examined by Eric A Lange
  • Patent number: 11441431
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a holding system for the dismantling of a blade wheel, the blade wheel comprising: a disc, a plurality of blades configured to be mounted circumferentially around the disc, the plurality of blades defining a plurality of inter-blade spaces, each of the inter-blade spaces being defined circumferentially between two adjacent blades of the plurality of blades, the holding system comprising a plurality of inserts, each of the inserts being configured to be inserted into each of the inter-blade spaces in a holding position so as to hold the relative position of the blades when the plurality of blades is dismantled from the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Nicolas Daniel Delaporte, Alain Dominique Gendraud, Emmanuel Bernard Marie Charrier
  • Patent number: 11428243
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a variable vane arrangement of a turbine engine. A platform extends circumferentially about a centerline and radially relative to the centerline between a first platform side and a second platform side. The platform includes a plurality of variable vane receptacles arranged in an annular array about the axial centerline, which variable vane receptacles include a first variable vane receptacle. The first variable vane receptacle is configured with a recess, a bore and a shelf. The recess extends longitudinally along a variable vane pivot axis into the platform from the first platform side to the shelf. The bore extends longitudinally along the variable vane pivot axis into the platform from the shelf. An insert includes a sleeve and a plate. The sleeve lines at least a portion of the bore. The plate is located within the recess adjacent the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Mayer, Peter F. Gero, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 11421644
    Abstract: The present invention provides a turbine sub-runner that is positioned to be within the vortex zone of a turbine main runner. The sub-runner includes at least two sub-runner blades, configured to monitor the relative flow of the vortex created by the main runner. A sub-runner hub will be positioned downstream of the main runner blades. A sub-runner shaft, having a threaded section, will also be a part of the sub-runner, and will be connected to the sub-runner hub housing adjustable sub-runner blades and the mechanism enabling to regulate angular position of sub-runner blades. A main runner blades control mechanism will be connected to the sub-runner shaft via threaded interface, and is capable of transferring the rotational energy of the sub-runner into angular movement of the main runner blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: COMPOSITE HYDRAULIC TURBINE OTTAWA INC.
    Inventor: Jacek Swiderski
  • Patent number: 11415002
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an vane airfoil, which has a ceramic matrix composite airfoil section including an outer wall that defines an internal cavity. The vane airfoil has an associated temperature profile which defines at least one high temperature area and at least one low temperature area. The vane airfoil includes a first zone which is defined in a first radial extent and corresponds to the high temperature area of the temperature profile and a second zone defined in a second radial extent and corresponds to the low temperature area of the temperature profile. An insert is situated in the internal cavity. The insert includes a first zone defined in a first radial extent that is aligned with the first zone of the vane airfoil. The first zone includes a first plurality of cooling holes which are configured to provide a first cooling density. A second zone is defined in a second radial extent that is aligned with the second zone of the vane airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Adam P. Generale, Lucas Dvorozniak, San Quach
  • Patent number: 11408440
    Abstract: The present application provides a stator blade, a compressor structure and a compressor. The stator blade comprises a blade body, wherein a cavity is formed inside the blade body, and a gas supply hole is formed on the blade body. The present application forms a jet on the suction surface of the stator blade by supplemented gas, thereby blowing off the low-speed low-energy region formed by the suction surface, reducing the gas flow mixing loss caused by the supplemented gas, thereby improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the centrifugal compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: Gree Electric Appliances (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai
    Inventors: Zengyue Liu, Ruixing Zhong, Liandong Lei, Yuhui Chen, Nan Jiang, Xinwang Ouyang, Caiyun Jiang, Yi Zhou
  • Patent number: 11401830
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal for a gas turbine engine includes a platform having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and at least one cooling cavity disposed within the platform. A pair of circumferential edges connects the leading edge and the trailing edge. An end wall protrudes radially outward from the platform at the trailing edge. A support hook protrudes radially outward from a leading edge of the platform. A boss structure protrudes radially outward from the platform and defining a solid kinetic energy path from an inner diameter of the platform to a radially outward facing surface of the boss structure, wherein the boss structure extends less than a circumferential length of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Christina G Ciamarra
  • Patent number: 11396862
    Abstract: The present invention relates to control of a wind turbine where nacelle vibration is reduced by use of blade pitching. The nacelle vibrations are reduced based on a position signal of the nacelle. A pitch signal is determined based on the position signal and applied to the pitch-adjustable rotor blades in order to reduce nacelle vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen
  • Patent number: 11391166
    Abstract: A turbine wheel is disclosed. The turbine wheel includes a plurality of first dovetail slots (300) and a plurality of second dovetail slots (100). The plurality of first dovetail slots and the plurality of second dovetail slots are alternately spaced circumferentially on a radially outer periphery of the turbine wheel (200). And a rotor assembly (600) is disclosed. The rotor assembly is used with the turbine wheel a plurality of first turbine buckets (700) and a plurality of second turbine buckets (800).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Lutz
  • Patent number: 11371351
    Abstract: A rotor assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine. This rotor assembly includes a first rotor disk, a second rotor disk, a plurality of rotor blades and a plurality of disk mounts. The first rotor disk is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The second rotor disk is configured to rotate about the rotational axis. The rotor blades are arranged circumferentially around the rotational axis. Each of the rotor blades is axially between and mounted to the first rotor disk and the second rotor disk. The disk mounts connect the first rotor disk and the second rotor disk together. The disk mounts include a first disk mount. The first disk mount is integral with the first rotor disk. The first disk mount projects axially through the second rotor disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 11358691
    Abstract: To provide a propeller for a boat propulsion apparatus, which propeller is excellent in maintainability including easy assembly and easy disassembly and reliably reduces the impact force caused by colliding with an obstacle and transmitted to the hub and the output shaft of the boat propulsion apparatus. The propeller includes: a shaft sleeve insertably and removably fixed to an output shaft of the boat propulsion apparatus; a plurality of blade components that are individually supported by the shaft sleeve and are arranged at intervals in a rotation direction of the output shaft; and a plurality of dampers disposed in such a manner that each of the plurality of dampers is disposed between adjacent two of the plurality of blade components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kimpara
  • Patent number: 11359501
    Abstract: A locking spacer assembly for filling a final spacer slot in a disk groove between platforms of adjacent blades of a blade assembly, a blade assembly and a method for installing a locking spacer assembly into a final spacer slot in a disk groove between platforms of adjacent blades of a blade assembly are presented. The locking spacer assembly includes a first side piece, a second side piece, a bolt and a mid piece. The mid piece includes a hollow cylindrical body to receive the bolt and a top platform to flush with top surfaces of the first and second side pieces and a middle platform disposed at bottom of the hollow cylindrical body. At least two pins are radially inserted through apertures of the first and second side pieces respectively extending toward the middle platform of the mid piece to prevent radial movement of the mid piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Krishna Veluru, Kenneth W. Giersdorf
  • Patent number: 11339672
    Abstract: A method for disassembling/assembling a gas turbine including a seal plate disposed on a first side of a rotor disc in an axial direction of the rotor disc, and a seal plate restraint part for restricting movement of the seal plate in a radial direction of the rotor disc. The method includes a seal-plate-restraint-state switching step of operating the seal plate restraint part from a second side in the axial direction via a clearance between a platform of a blade and a region of an outer peripheral surface of the rotor disc except a blade groove for receiving the blade to switch between a seal plate non-restraint state where the seal plate restraint part does not restrict movement of the seal plate in the radial direction and a seal plate restraint state where at least a part of the seal plate restraint part protrudes in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Murata, Eiichi Tsutsumi, Yoshimasa Takaoka, Shinya Hashimoto, Naoki Ikushima, Tetsuya Shimmyo
  • Patent number: 11326555
    Abstract: A gearbox for a gas turbine engine with a rotatably mounted structural component that is formed with an at least approximately rotationally symmetrical duct into which, starting from its radially inner area, oil from an oil supply which is fixedly attached at the housing can be introduced. Starting from the oil supply, an introduction direction of the oil into the duct encloses an angle of 90° or an angle of between 60° and 90° with the axial extension direction of the duct. Additionally, in the circumferential direction of the duct, the introduction direction of the oil encloses an angle with the radial extension direction that is larger than or equal to 0° and smaller than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Stephan Uhkoetter, Uwe Kracht
  • Patent number: 11300100
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine system with a plurality of wind turbine modules each with a rotor. A control system is arranged to execute a shutdown procedure with a first control command for terminating power production from a first subset of wind turbine modules resulting in a thrust force change with a reduced thrust force from the wind on a first part of the support structure carrying the first subset of wind turbine modules. A second control command is applied to a second subset of wind turbine modules for enabling thrust control of the second subset of wind turbine modules to oppose the thrust force change at the first part. Thus, there is obtained an improved and cost-effective way of stabilizing a wind turbine system with multiple rotors during shutdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventor: Kim Hylling Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11293291
    Abstract: A blade coupling structure and a turbine system having the same securely couple a blade to a rotor disk. The blade coupling structure includes a root elastic member disposed between a root end of a blade root of the blade and an inner end of a coupling slot formed in the rotor disk; and a wedge member having a wedge body fitted between the root elastic member and the inner end of the coupling slot. The wedge member and the root elastic member press each other and press the root end so that the blade root is fixedly coupled to the coupling slot. A flat portion of the wedge member contacts the root elastic member, and an inclined portion of the wedge member facilitates the fitting of the wedge body. A wedge passage is formed in non-contact regions of the wedge body and passes a cooling fluid to the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventor: Jinho Bae
  • Patent number: 11293440
    Abstract: A compressor includes a case, a driving motor including a stator mounted inside the case and a rotor disposed radially inward of the stator and rotatable, a centrifugation space defined inside the case by one side of the driving motor and the case, a discharge pipe passing through the case and defining a refrigerant inlet hole, a rotation shaft coupled to the rotor to rotate, a compressing portion defined at the other side of the driving motor, where refrigerant is compressed by rotation of the rotation shaft, and a rotating member disposed to spread a rotary power of the rotor to the centrifugation space, thereby providing a centrifugal force to refrigerant and oil. The rotating member is disposed at one side of the rotor to rotate integrally with the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Taekyoung Kim, Kangwook Lee, Cheolhwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11286782
    Abstract: An airfoil that includes an airfoil body having a root and a tip, and convex and concave sides that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil also includes at least a first cladding element that is attached to the airfoil body. The first cladding element includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is configured to separate from the first portion when the first cladding element encounters a force of at least a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt, Douglas Duane Ward, David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray
  • Patent number: 11261745
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotor (1) of a turbomachine turbine, comprising a rotor disc (2) and a plurality of blades (3) distributed at its periphery, said rotor disc (2) comprising a plurality of mainly axial cells (23), each blade (3) comprising a root (32), retained in one of the cells (23) of said rotor disc, each root being dimensioned so as to form a space (4) between the bottom of the cell (23) and the radially inner face (324) of the root. This rotor is remarkable in that said root comprises a mainly axial blind hole (5) opening onto the upstream face of the root and a plurality of mainly radial air ejection orifices (6), each air ejection orifice (6) opening into said blind hole (5) and onto the radially inner face (324) of the root located facing the bottom of the cell (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Antoine Hervé Dos Santos, Quentin De Richaud, Nicolas Xavier Trappier
  • Patent number: 11255214
    Abstract: A compressor with negative coefficient of thermal expansion case material comprising a rotor having blades with tips, the case including an inner case comprising a negative coefficient of thermal expansion material, and a tip clearance located between the tips and the inner case; wherein the tip clearance is maintained responsive to a flow of air over the negative coefficient of thermal expansion material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dilip Prasad, Gavin Hendricks
  • Patent number: 11242865
    Abstract: Structures are formed in a shape protruding from a wing surface, and a plurality of riblets are formed in a shape depressed from the wing surface. A first cross section obtained by cutting the structure by a flat face that is parallel to a flow and perpendicularly intersects with the wing surface has an inclined side that extends from a point on the wing surface to a top that is a point apart from the wing surface. An inter-structure flow channel is formed between two adjacent structures among the plurality of structures. The area of a face in one of the two structures and the area of a face in the other structure with which a fluid flowing in the inter-structure flow channel comes into contact are different from each other. Accordingly, peeling of the flow can be suppressed and the frictional resistance of the flow can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mariko Miyazaki, Akihiro Miyauchi