Patents Examined by J. M. McAleenan
  • Patent number: 6890153
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at opposite leading and trailing edges, and at a forward bridge spaced behind the leading edge to define a flow channel. The bridge includes a row of impingement holes. The flow channel includes a row of fins behind the leading edge, a row of first turbulators behind the pressure sidewall, and row of second turbulators behind the suction sidewall. The fins and turbulators have different configurations for increasing internal surface area and heat transfer for back side cooling the leading edge by the cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Edward Demers, Mohammad Esmaail Taslim
  • Patent number: 6872050
    Abstract: A system for preventing stall in a centrifugal compressor. The compressor includes an impeller rotatably mounted in a housing and a nozzle base plate fixed to the housing adjacent the impeller. The nozzle base plate cooperates with the housing to define a diffuser gap. The base plate includes a plurality of mechanism support blocks positioned on the backside of the nozzle base plate. A drive ring, mounted to the support blocks, is rotationally moveable with respect to the support blocks and the nozzle base plate between a first position and a second position. Connected to the drive ring is a diffuser ring that moves in response to movement of the drive ring. Diffuser ring moves between a retracted position that is not within the diffuser gap and an extended position extending into the diffuser gap to constrict the gap opening and reduce the flow of fluid through the diffuser gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: York International Corporation
    Inventor: Kurt Nenstiel
  • Patent number: 6848884
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce the adverse effect of interference between stationary blades and moving blades on the performance of an axial-flow turbine and to provide a high-performance turbine stage. Each of the stationary blades has a trailing edge convex toward a face side with respect to a radial line radially extending from the axis of the rotor shaft, and the each of the moving blades has a blade center-of-gravity line convex toward the face side with respect to a radial line radially extending from the axis of the rotor shaft, and shapes of the stationary blades and the moving blades meet conditions expressed by: 1<?nr/?nt 1<?bt/?br where, ?nt and ?nr are angles between the stationary blade tip and the stationary blade root, and radial lines, and ?bt and ?br are angles between the blade center-of-gravity line of the moving blade at the tip of the same, and the blade center-of-gravity line of the moving blade at the tip of the moving blade, and radial lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Sakae Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6843638
    Abstract: A variable geometry vane for use in a turbine engine. The vane can be radially mounted in a shroud ring while outside the turbine engine. The shroud and vane assembly can then be mounted to an engine hub without disassembly of the shroud, eliminating the need for a split ring shroud. Once located surrounding the hub, vanes are slid radially inward until a radially inward vane button engages a hole within the hub. Vanes are locked in place using clips slid into slots within the shroud. The clips are retained in place using an adjacent engine part bolted to the face of the shroud. Once in place within the engine, vanes are attached to a control arm for airflow adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Mario A. Hidalgo, Adrian R. Allan, Louis D. Cruse
  • Patent number: 6832891
    Abstract: A device for sealing between the guide vanes (1) and the rotor (17) of turbomachines, especially gas turbines has inner rings (3) suspended on the vane footing (14) of the guide vanes (1) in a thermally elastic manner with soldered honeycomb seal (4) and labyrinth tips (5) arranged on the rotor (17). First flow channels, which are connected to the cavities (21) of the cooled guide vanes (1), through which said cavities cooling air flows, are led through the vane footings (14). The first flow channels are connected to at least one of second flow channels led through the inner ring (3) to the vicinity of the honeycomb seal (4). The second flow channels open into at least one of third flow channels that are open at the rear edge of the inner ring (3) or are led to an annular groove (10) open toward the honeycomb seal (4) on the underside of the inner ring (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Man Turbomaschinen AG
    Inventors: Emil Aschenbruck, Hildegard Ebbing, Andreas Kleinefeldt, Klaus Dieter Mohr
  • Patent number: 6821084
    Abstract: A bearing assembly for use in a gas turbine engine to rotatably mount a torque tube in an access hole extending through a fan duct. The torque tube connects a variable stator vane bell crank positioned inside the fan duct to an actuator positioned outside the fan duct. The bearing assembly includes a bearing having a spherical external engagement surface and a housing having a flange and an annular interior surface having an inner edge and an outer edge. The interior surface is sized and shaped for rotatably receiving the spherical external engagement surface of the bearing so the spherical engagement surface and the annular interior surface make contact along an annular contact area centered on a contact plane lying between the inner and outer edges. The contact plane is tilted with respect to the flange at an angle greater than five degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Julius Bathori, Sang Yeng Park, Mitchell Jay Headley
  • Patent number: 6814541
    Abstract: A jet aircraft fan case containment design that uses polyurethane to absorb fan blade fragments and uses polyurethane to prevent fan blade fragments from penetrating the fan case. The polyurethane is used in place of or to supplement KEVLAR® and/or fiberglass wraps used to contain fan blade fragments. The polyurethane is also used in place of aluminum alloy and stiffening ribs in the fan case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles R. Evans, Douglas D. Ward
  • Patent number: 6805534
    Abstract: A turbine bucket comprising an airfoil portion and a shank portion with a substantially horizontal platform radially therebetween, the shank portion having a forward shank wall and an aft shank wall; at least the aft shank wall convexly curved from one side of the bucket to an opposite side of the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Patent number: 6802690
    Abstract: Both air duct inlet silencers and air duct outlet silencers for use with a stationary gas turbine are disclosed. The sound attenuating duct unit suitable for connecting to an outlet of a stationary gas turbine includes a housing having a horizontal housing section and a vertical housing section and having sidewalls surrounding a main airflow passageway that extends along a substantial bend. An air inlet is located at one end of the horizontal housing section and is adapted for connection to the outlet of the gas turbine. Preferably two air outlets are located proximate to an upper end of the vertical housing section. Splitters are mounted in the housing, and they divide sections of the main airflow passageway into smaller air passageways. At least one of the splitters is positioned upstream in the main airflow passageway relative to other splitters. The splitters contain sound attenuating material capable of withstanding airflow temperatures in the main airflow passageway of at least 500 degrees Celsius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: M & I Heat Transfer Products, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Hui Han, Muammer Yazici
  • Patent number: 6786696
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil and dovetail. The dovetail includes a pair of supporting tangs. A rectangular root block bridges the tangs over a majority of the root end thereof. The block terminates short of one endface of the dovetail to form a root notch thereat for preferentially reducing weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Charles Herman, Brian Alan Norton, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 6779974
    Abstract: A device of a volute channel of a pump is contained in a circular casing and cooperates a rotational impeller for pumping and delivering fluid. The device comprises a volute channel structure and a throat partition. The volute channel structure is a spiral volute channel and surrounds an impeller exit side. A leading edge of the volute channel is a water-cut angle. A sectional area of the volute channel is wider and deeper from the water-cut angle. An outer diameter of the volute channel is a concentric arrangement. The throat partition connects to a rear edge of the volute channel and extends toward an exit of the casing so as to that the throat partition is at least and mainly an extension of the volute channel; the extension of the volute channel overlaps the leading edge of the volute channel to have the total length of the volute channel, the total length is able to surround the impeller exit side over 360 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: PolyVane Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Huan-Jan Chien
  • Patent number: 6776578
    Abstract: Small winglets placed at the outer end of each fan blade substantially reduce the vortices created in conventional fans by the pressure differential between the low pressure and high pressure sides of the blade. The winglet acts as a barrier, which substantially blocks leakage around the blade tip, thus suppressing vortices. Technical advantages include noise reduction, because there are no shedding vortices to create noise as the blades pass the struts; increased aerodynamic efficiency of the fan, providing higher air flow for the same fan speed, size, and power, because less energy is lost in vortices; and minimal cost impacts, because housings currently used for fans can still be used with standard finger guards and because winglets and blades can be formed integrally of injection molded plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Christian L. Belady
  • Patent number: 6773234
    Abstract: A method enables a rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine to be fabricated. The method includes forming a blade including an airfoil extending from an integral dovetail used to mount the blade within the rotor assembly, and extending a projection from at least a portion of the blade, such that the stresses induced within at least a portion of the blade are facilitated to be maintained below a predetermined failure threshold for the blade to facilitate preventing failure of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sunil Kumar Sinha, Max Farson, Ming Cheng Li, Paul Izon, Nicholas Joseph Kray
  • Patent number: 6769877
    Abstract: A compressor blade includes an airfoil portion having a leading edge, a radially inner attachment portion, and a platform between the airfoil portion and the attachment portion, wherein material is removed from the attachment portion to form an undercut at a front face thereof to thereby provide an overhang radially inward of the platform and leading edge of the airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Francis Martin, James Charles Gautreau
  • Patent number: 6769870
    Abstract: A structure for separating the high and low pressure turboexpanders of a gas turbine comprises a diaphragm (31) having the function of supplying flows of cooling air, a pair of shaped plates (50′, 50″) fixed to the diaphragm (31) and forming a gap (52) into which is blown cooling air which is drawn from a turbocompressor (11) and is then sent to hot areas of the turboexpanders, and a sealing ring (60) supported by the shaped plates (50′, 50″), designed to isolate the high pressure (12) and low pressure (13) turboexpanders and to receive and distribute the cooling air obtained from the gap (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Holding S.p.A.
    Inventor: Roger De Meo
  • Patent number: 6767181
    Abstract: A pump includes a pump casing and an impeller. The pump casing has an axis and comprises a cover having a face surface and a body positioned about the axis. A channel is defined in the face surface of the cover. An inlet opening extends through the cover and is coupled to the channel. The channel has a first section and a second section. The first section extends from the inlet opening and is continually sloped relative to the face surface of the cover. The first section has a length of about 40 to about 90 degrees, as measured circumferentially on the face surface of the cover about the axis. The first section includes an inlet ramp, a main ramp, and a secondary ramp, with the secondary ramp being positioned between the main ramp and the inlet ramp, and the inlet ramp being positioned adjacent the inlet opening. Each ramp has at least one depth and at least one slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: DeQuan Yu, Sheven Sharp
  • Patent number: 6767179
    Abstract: In a fuel pump having a high pump efficiency, an annular portion is formed on an outer periphery of an impeller to let one- and opposite-side blade grooves be independent of each other. Then, various improvements are made such as tilting front and rear wall surfaces of the blade grooves in a predetermined direction, forming one- and opposite-side blade grooves in a zigzag fashion, forming a guide surface in a communicating passage of a pump housing, and forming communicating holes in an impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kusagaya, Yoshihiko Ito, Motoya Ito, Yukio Mori, Masatoshi Takagi, Koji Maruyama, Eiji Iwanari
  • Patent number: 6764277
    Abstract: A fan guard 18 of an outdoor unit comprises an outer frame, a plurality of radiating ribs 27, and a plurality of annular ribs 28. The outer frame is disposed around the outer circumference of a lid member that is an air conditioner discharge port. The plurality of radiating ribs 27 are formed such that they radiate in the outer radial direction from the vicinity of the center of the outer frame 26 to the outer frame 26, and are curved in the rotational direction of a ventilation fan. The plurality of annular ribs 28 are integral with the radiating ribs 27, are concentrically disposed at a predetermined spacing in the radial direction around the center of the rotational axis of the ventilation fan, and are formed such that at least those in an outer circumference are slanted toward the outer radial direction to follow the flow of the air blown from the ventilation fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Somahara, Toshihiko Takayama, Makoto Momosaki
  • Patent number: 6761533
    Abstract: A pitch governing mounting assembly for a windmill blade and a windmill incorporating such an assembly. The assembly has a first member coupled to a second member in a manner which causes simultaneous axial and rotational movement of the second member relative to the first member. Input for axial movement of the second member relative to the first member is provided by centrifugal force arising from rotation of the windmill blades secured to the second member about a windmill input shaft. A biasing member is provided acting between the second member and the first member to urge the second member toward its first position relative to the first member as centrifugal input diminishes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Natus Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Primo Favaro
  • Patent number: 6761536
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade having an airfoil to platform interface configured to minimize thermal and vibratory stresses is disclosed. This configuration minimizes exposure to the conditions that are known to cause high cycle fatigue and low cycle fatigue cracks. The turbine blade incorporates a channel in the platform trailing edge that extends from the platform concave face to the platform convex face and has a portion having a constant radius. The channel extends a sufficient distance into a stress field created by the aerodynamic loading of the turbine blade airfoil in order to redirect the mechanical stresses away from the blade trailing edge while allowing the platform trailing edge region to be more responsive to thermal fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg, LLC
    Inventors: Gary Bash, J. Page Strohl