Patents Examined by Eric J Zamora Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11970957
    Abstract: Acoustic turbofan airfoil apparatus are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a platform of a turbofan engine, the platform including perforations to receive acoustic waves, acoustic chambers protruding from a first side of the platform, the acoustic chambers aligned with the perforations in a radial direction defined by the turbofan engine, the acoustic chambers to attenuate the acoustic waves, and an airfoil protruding from a second side of the platform opposite the first side of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Egbert Geertsema, Nicholas J. Kray, Brandon W. Miller
  • Patent number: 11971050
    Abstract: A shrouded impeller includes an impeller having a plurality of blades and configured to rotate about an axis, and a shroud disposed adjacent to the impeller and configured to corotate about the axis with the impeller and translate axially relative to the impeller. A method of varying a geometry of a flow area of the shrouded impeller includes rotating the shroud and the impeller about the axis and axially translating the shroud relative to the impeller to increase or decrease a rate of flow between the shroud and the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Viktor Kilchyk, Dmytro M. Voytovych, Jeremy Clavette
  • Patent number: 11965524
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor includes: a housing accommodating an impeller; a diffuser flow path formed radially outside the impeller in the housing; and a scroll flow path formed in the housing and connected to the diffuser flow path from a radially-outer side, the scroll flow path extending in a rotational axis direction and a rotational direction of the impeller with respect to the diffuser flow path, the scroll flow path including a radially-inner end located at the radially-innermost position, and the radially-inner end being spaced apart from the diffuser flow path with respect to a middle point of the maximum flow path width of the scroll flow path in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Katsunori Tokieda
  • Patent number: 11965528
    Abstract: A fan case assembly adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes a case at extends circumferentially at least partway about an axis of the gas turbine engine and a plurality of vanes. The case is formed to define a plenum that extends circumferentially at least partway about the axis. The plurality of vanes are arranged in the plenum and spaced apart circumferentially about the axis to define a plurality of inlet openings in fluid communication with the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr., Jonathan M. Rivers
  • Patent number: 11959394
    Abstract: A suction side fillet portion of a turbine rotor blade includes a central fillet portion located at the center of a length of the suction side fillet portion along an extension direction of the suction side fillet portion, an upstream intermediate fillet portion which is located between the central fillet portion and a front edge that is an upstream end of the suction side fillet portion, and in which a fillet height from an upper surface of a platform portion is higher than a fillet height of the central fillet portion, and a downstream intermediate fillet portion which is located between the central fillet portion and a rear edge that is a downstream end of the suction side fillet portion, and in which a fillet height from the upper surface of the platform portion is higher than the fillet height of the central fillet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Norifumi Hirata
  • Patent number: 11952917
    Abstract: A vane multiplet includes first and second ceramic matrix composite (CMC) singlet vanes that are arranged circumferentially adjacent each other. Each of the CMC singlet vanes includes an airfoil section and a platform at one end of the airfoil section. The platform defines forward and trailing platform edges and first and second circumferential side edges. A CMC overwrap conjoins the CMC singlet vanes. The CMC overwrap includes fiber plies that are fused to the platforms of the CMC singlet vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David J. Wasserman, Raymond Surace
  • Patent number: 11952907
    Abstract: A sensor system for a turbomachine having an axis is disclosed. The sensor system includes a mounting member including a body configured to be mounted to only a circumferential portion of a circumferential interior surface of a casing of the turbomachine. A plurality of sensors are coupled to the mounting member and configured to measure an operational parameter of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kurt Kramer Schleif, Andrew David Ellis, Michael Allen Ball
  • Patent number: 11952910
    Abstract: A turbine rotor includes a base and a plurality of blades. A central nose is radially inward of the blades and defines an axis of rotation. A plurality of cooling manifolds is disposed within the turbine rotor and includes impingement cooling jets extending through a rear surface of the turbine rotor. An internal cooling manifold extends radially inward of the impingement cooling jets and extends between the base and the rear surface of the turbine rotor. A central nose cooling manifold extends into the central nose and is fluidically connected to the internal cooling manifold. A base cooling manifold is fluidically connected to the central nose manifold and extends radially outward from the central nose cooling manifold. A blade cooling manifold is fluidically connected to the base cooling manifold and extends within the blade. Trailing edge jets extend from the blade cooling manifold and through the trailing edge of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Ram Ranjan, Robert H. Dold
  • Patent number: 11952133
    Abstract: A motor-integrated fan having an intake port and a blow-out port comprises a rotary part 12 that is rotatably supported by a shaft, and a motor 14 that rotates the rotary part 12. The motor 14 is an outer periphery drive motor that rotates the rotary part 12 by supplying motive power from a duct provided on the outer peripheral side of the shaft. The motor 14 includes: a permanent magnet 45 provided on a rotary support ring 33 connected to the outer peripheral side of blades 32 of the rotary part 12; and a coil 46 provided opposite the permanent magnet 45 in the axial direction of the axis of rotation. Among the plurality of blades 32, a first blade 32a and a second blade 32b are located at different positions in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naoaki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11946416
    Abstract: A front centre body (FCB) structure for a geared turbofan engine comprises a plurality of vanes extending across the inlet duct to a low pressure compressor and integrates a heat exchanging arrangement to control the temperature of the gearbox of the turbofan engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden AB
    Inventors: Lars Ellbrant, Hans Mårtensson, Carlos Arroyo, Fredrik Wallin, Mattias Billson
  • Patent number: 11939872
    Abstract: A miniaturized turbogenerator (200) to directly provide electrical propulsion (307 308, 309) to small land, air, and maritime vehicles without an intervening electricity storage battery (315). The invention comprises of a process of miniaturization (500) of a turbine engine core (100), in particular its compressors and turbines (400), by means of hyper-feed machining by linear force alone, i.e. without rotation of either the workpiece or the cutting tool (505), and a resulting apparatus of a miniaturized turbogenerator (200) that has sufficient power density to provide high-performance electrical propulsion (310) for commercially feasible automobiles, urban air mobility vehicles, and other small vehicles and vessels with greater performance than battery-electric vehicles (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Tennine Corp.
    Inventors: William Q. Tingley, William Q. Tingley, III, Daniel R. Bradley
  • Patent number: 11933196
    Abstract: An airfoil vane assembly includes a vane piece defining a first vane platform, a second vane platform, and a hollow airfoil section joining the first vane platform and the second vane platform. The first vane platform defines a collar projection therefrom. A spar piece defines a spar platform and a spar extends from the spar platform into the hollow airfoil section. The spar platform includes a radial opening defined by first and second axial faces. The radial opening is configured to receive the collar projection, and a groove in the first axial face. A seal is situated in the groove. The seal seals against the collar projection and a biasing member is configured to bias the seal towards the collar projection. A method of assembling a vane is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Robert White, III
  • Patent number: 11933264
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a lengthwise portion that extends between a root region and a tip region of the wind turbine blade. The lengthwise portion includes a cross section in which a first region surrounds a second region. The densities of the first and second regions vary with the first density being greater than the second density. The lengthwise portion includes a surface layer that bounds the first region, forms an exterior surface, and is configured to resist environmental degradation. At least one structural element extends longitudinally through the first region and is configured to reinforce the blade during use of the wind turbine. The lengthwise portion of a wind turbine blade may be made through an additive manufacturing process by depositing a main body in a plurality of layers. Each layer may be deposited in a plane generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the lengthwise portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Henrik Kudsk
  • Patent number: 11920486
    Abstract: A high-temperature component according to an embodiment is a high-temperature component which requires to be cooled by a cooling medium, and includes: a plurality of cooling passages through which the cooling medium is able to flow; and a first partition wall disposed inside each of the cooling passages to partition the cooling passage into a plurality of first branch flow passages. The first partition wall includes an oblique portion formed such that, in an upstream side region of the first partition wall, a flow-passage cross-sectional area of the cooling passage as seen in an extension direction of the cooling passage gradually decreases from an upstream side toward a downstream side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Koichiro Iida, Yoshinori Wakita, Taro Tokutake, Shuji Tanigawa, Ryuta Ito
  • Patent number: 11920605
    Abstract: A rotating machine includes a shaft, a first impeller wheel, and a second impeller wheel. The rotating machine also includes a first seal assembly including a first carbon ring disposed about the shaft, with the first carbon ring having a first carbon surface. The first seal assembly also includes a first mating ring disposed about the shaft, with the first mating ring having a first mating surface facing and configured to contact the first carbon surface. The rotating machine additionally includes a second seal assembly including a second carbon ring disposed about the shaft, with the second carbon ring having a second carbon surface. The second seal assembly also includes a second mating ring disposed about the shaft, with the second mating ring having a second mating ring surface facing and configured to contact the second carbon surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Ransom Garrard, Erwin Perry Ellwood, III, Frederick Michael Huscher
  • Patent number: 11920499
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a fan rotating about an engine main axis; a core duct; an engine core; an Engine Section Stator (ESS) including a plurality of ESS vanes and arranged in the core duct downstream of the fan; and a plurality of variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV) adapted to rotate about a pivot axis and arranged in the core duct downstream of the ESS. The VIGV vanes are arranged angularly rotated with respect to the ESS vanes such that the VIGVs are shielded by the ESS, thereby protecting the VIGVs from icing and from ice shedding from the ESS vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Geoffrey B Jones, Edward J Spalton, Duncan A Macdougall
  • Patent number: 11913468
    Abstract: A method of making an impeller includes building the impeller in a layer by layer process in a build direction along the rotational axis starting from a base of the hub. The plurality of blades includes a plurality of perforated blades that support the shroud during additively manufacturing the impeller. The method can include installing the impeller in a fuel pump, air compressor, or the like, without removing the perforated blades from the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason A. Ryon, Jacob Greenfield, Adrian L. Stoicescu
  • Patent number: 11913356
    Abstract: A single-crystal turbine blade and a method of making such single-crystal turbine blade are disclosed. During manufacturing, a secondary crystallographic orientation of the material of the single-crystal turbine blade is controlled based on a parameter of a root fillet between an airfoil of the single-crystal turbine blade and a platform of the single-crystal turbine blade. The parameter can be a location of peak stress in the root fillet expected during use of the turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Chao Zhang, Robert Huszar, Othmane Leghzaouni
  • Patent number: 11913352
    Abstract: Cover plate connections for a hollow fan blade are disclosed. An example fan blade includes a hollow body including a surface defining an airfoil, the hollow body including an aperture extending through the surface, a cover plate, and at least one connection element to couple the cover plate to the surface such that the cover plate encloses the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Li Zheng, Nicholas Kray
  • Patent number: 11905842
    Abstract: Partition damper seal configurations for segmented internal cooling hardware apparatus are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an inner wall and an outer wall, the outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall in a radial direction, a space between the inner and outer walls defining a flow passage, and a body positioned between the inner and outer walls, the body traversing the inner and outer walls in an axial direction and attached to an inner surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the inner wall, the body to detach from the inner and outer surfaces and to at least partially seal the flow passage in response to the outer wall moving relative to the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ashish Sharma, Tomasz Edward Berdowski, Maciej Czerwiński, Katarzyna Anna Mikolajczyk, Raymond Floyd Martell, Tomasz Jan Bulsiewicz