Patents Examined by Jason Davis
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Patent number: 9316202Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a wind turbine (1) to guard against oscillations of the wind turbine blades (5) when they are at a standstill or idling at low speeds, and to a wind turbine blade anti-oscillation apparatus (10). The apparatus comprises a releasably attachable blade cover (10) that provides a non-aerodynamic surface for a region of the blade. This has been found to prevent air flow adhering to the blade and periodically detaching in a phenomenon known as vortex shedding, and therefore prevents oscillations of the blade becoming problematic. The blade cover can comprise a sleeve (10) of a net-like material, that can be positioned on the blade either before installation or in the field by service engineers using guide lines 16 and 17.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2010Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventor: Anton Bech
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Patent number: 9316231Abstract: A catcher ring assembly (170) configured to limit axial movement of a turbomachine shaft assembly (132, 132?) during a failure mode, the catcher ring assembly comprising a catcher ring (172) disposable about and connectable to the shaft assembly, wherein one of the shaft assembly and the catcher ring comprises a protrusion (194, 182) and the other of the shaft assembly and the catcher ring comprises a recess (192, 184), the recess corresponding in shape to the protrusion, wherein the protrusion and recess are circumferentially disposed about a longitudinal axis of the shaft assembly and the protrusion extends in an axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Paul Simms
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Patent number: 9308992Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft yoke is provided including an arcuate medial portion. A pair of arms extends from the medial portion and each terminates in a distal end. The yoke is made from multiple plies of glass and graphite fibers of varying orientations. The number of graphite plies increases along each arm from adjacent the medial portion to the distal end.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2012Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Pedro L. Cabrera, Kenneth F. Deyo, David Templeton, Kevin Laitenberger
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Patent number: 9303516Abstract: A movable blade for a turbomachine, the blade including at its distal end a top portion including opposite first and second side edges and upstream and downstream sealing wipers. Each of the first and second side edges has a substantially Z-shaped profile between the upstream and downstream wipers. On a side of the first side edge, the platform includes a first outwardly projecting rim not connected to either of the upstream and downstream wipers. The platform includes a second outwardly projecting rim, the second rim including a downstream portion connected to the downstream wiper and extending along the second edge, and an upstream portion extending the downstream portion as far as the upstream wiper, and set back relative to the second side edge.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Yannick Collin, Thomas Lardellier, David Mathieu, Denis Trahot, Christophe Remy, Xavier Godfrind
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Patent number: 9297363Abstract: A wind turbine main bearing realized to bear a shaft of a wind turbine, which shaft is caused to rotate by a number of blades connected to the shaft is disclosed. The wind turbine main bearing includes a fluid bearing with a plurality of bearing pads arranged about the shaft. Also disclosed is a wind turbine with a number of blades connected to a shaft and realized to rotate the shaft, which wind turbine includes as main bearing a wind turbine main bearing. Further described is a method of performing maintenance on a wind turbine, including the steps of halting a rotation of the shaft, operating a lifting arrangement to raise the shaft, and removing a bearing pad of the wind turbine main bearing from the bearing housing of the wind turbine main bearing.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2009Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Pierre-Antoine Guerenbourg, Nigel New, Jason Stege, Kim Thomsen
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Patent number: 9273558Abstract: A trip strip having a saw-tooth configuration that has application for cooling flow channels in a blade of a gas turbine engine. The saw-tooth configuration is defined by trip strip sections positioned end-to-end, where a leading edge of a trip strip section has a lower height than a trailing end of the trip strip section, and where the next trip strip section having the lower height leading edge disrupts the vortex created by the preceding trip strip section so that its size is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2014Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.Inventor: George Liang
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Patent number: 9267511Abstract: Blades forming a turbofan included in an indoor unit each have, in a blade outer-circumferential surface of the blade and near a blade rear-edge portion, a plurality of rear-edge horizontal grooves extending horizontally (in a plane perpendicular to a center of rotation) with predetermined lengths L2 reaching the blade rear-edge portion. The rear-edge horizontal grooves are each a combination of a groove recessed portion provided with a predetermined depth in the blade outer-circumferential surface and a groove wrapping portion continuous with the groove recessed portion and provided at the terminal end of the blade rear-edge portion. The rear-edge horizontal grooves are provided in a region extending upward from the main plate defined by a distance H1 and in a region extending downward from the shroud defined by a distance H2.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2011Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Takashi Ikeda, Takahide Tadokoro, Masahiko Takagi, Makoto Kurihara
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Patent number: 9255567Abstract: Two-bladed vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) have many efficiency advantages over turbines with other numbers of blades. Principles for making them in the ideal fashion are presented for both drag and lift configurations.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Leviathan Energy Wind Lotus Ltd.Inventors: Daniel Farb, Joe Van Zwaren, Avner Farkash, Ken Kolman
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Patent number: 9249665Abstract: Systems and devices adapted to reduce disturbances and windage effects in a turbine during operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a cap includes: a body portion having a shape complementary to an aperture in a turbine component, the body portion including an external surface which substantially covers the aperture; and a cap groove formed in a circumferential surface of the body portion, the cap groove configured to substantially align with a component groove formed in the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Herbert Dimmick, III, Bruce Carlisle McClintick
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Patent number: 9238968Abstract: A vane is provided for directing hot gases in a gas turbine engine. The vane includes a hollow aerofoil portion, which in use spans the working gas annulus of the engine. The vane further includes an impingement tube which forms a covering over the interior surface of the aerofoil portion and which has jet-forming apertures formed therein for the production of impingement cooling jets. The impingement tube includes two tube portions which are separately insertable into position into the aerofoil portion to form the covering. The impingement tube further includes an expansion member which, when the tube portions are in position in the aerofoil portion, is locatable in the aerofoil portion to urge each tube portion outwardly and thereby holds the tube portions in position against the aerofoil portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2012Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Adrian L Harding, Thomas Randles, John H Brookhouse
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Patent number: 9234462Abstract: A fluidic dampening film supply method for a guiding bearing of a turbine engine shaft, said turbine engine being known to vibrate according to at least one given vibratory mode, said turbine engine being adapted to enter in resonance at a given resonance speed (wr) for said given vibratory mode, a monitoring range (P) being defined around the resonance speed (wr), a method wherein the fluidic dampening film of the guiding bearing being only supplied with fluid when the rotation speed of the turbine engine belongs to the monitoring range (P).Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2012Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Fabrice Chevillot, Serge Rene Morreale
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Patent number: 9222484Abstract: A pump casing having a casing body is configured with a discharge formed in the casing body where a midline of the discharge is offset from a tangent line of the casing body and offset from a centerline of the casing body, such that the midline of the discharge is located along a point between the defined centerline and defined tangent line of the casing body.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Weir Minerals Australia, Ltd.Inventor: Thomas E. Stirling
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Patent number: 9206786Abstract: A method for acoustically monitoring a wind turbine, in particular for monitoring the existence of loose objects inside the wind turbine is provided. A sound generated in a rotating part of the wind turbine is monitored during operation of the wind turbine which sound is analyzed with respect to specific parameter values of the sound within at least one specific frequency range and if such specific parameter values are detected, a signal for possible further actions is generated. An acoustic monitoring system for a wind turbine and a re-equipment kit are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2012Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Jimmi Andersen, Per Egedal, Dennis Soebye Jensen
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Patent number: 9206784Abstract: A high-performance turbine, particularly with increased specific power, including a rotor and a distribution apparatus which is adapted to convey a fluid stream onto the elements of the rotor for the rotation of the rotor about its own rotation axis, where the rotor includes a plurality of thrust ducts adapted to receive the fluid stream conveyed by the distribution apparatus to generate a rotary thrust on the surrounding walls of the thrust ducts, the turbine further including at least one slot, which is formed on the walls of the thrust ducts and/or of the distribution apparatus and is adapted to connect the fluid stream to the outside environment of the turbine, where at least one of the thrust ducts and the distribution apparatus crossed by the fluid stream includes at least one portion that converges in the direction in which the fluid stream travels, which is defined upstream of the slot in the direction of travel of the fluid stream for the at least local lowering of the pressure inside the thrust ductType: GrantFiled: November 2, 2010Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Inventor: Giancarlo Alfonsi
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Patent number: 9194258Abstract: A gas turbine engine case has a metallic composite boss mounted thereto. The boss may have a main metal injection molded (MIM) part, and a separately formed flange part integrated to the main MIM part and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom. The MIM part and the flange part may be made of different materials. The material of the flange part is selected to provide a suitable mounting interface with the gas turbine engine case.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Eric Durocher, Guy Lefebvre
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Patent number: 9169010Abstract: A tiltrotor rotor hub comprises first and second configurations of yokes arranged in two parallel and axially offset planes, each having an equal number of two or more yokes substantially equally spaced about a mast, wherein a portion of each yoke overlaps with a portion of each azimuthally adjacent yoke. Another tiltrotor rotor hub is selectively positionable for operation in helicopter/airplane/transition modes and comprises substantially parallel and axially offset first and second planes, each containing a plurality of blade yokes arranged about a central axis and a portion of each yoke overlaps with a portion of each azimuthally adjacent yoke. Another tiltrotor rotor hub is coupled to a tiltrotor mast and comprises a stacked arrangement of blade yokes wherein a portion of each yoke overlaps with a portion of each azimuthally adjacent yoke, and a plurality of mounting components coupling each yoke to the overlapping azimuthally adjacent yoke.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2012Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.Inventors: Christopher Foskey, Frank B. Stamps
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Patent number: 9163728Abstract: A strip seal for providing a seal between adjacent components, which include a first groove and a second groove angled with respect to and intersecting the first groove. The grooves of respective components are opposed to one another when the components are assembled. The strip seal includes a first strip section to span between and be received in the opposed first grooves, and a second strip section to span between and be received in the opposed second grooves. One end of the first strip section is arranged to butt against the second strip section at the intersection of the grooves. The other end of the first strip section has at least one deformable projection that can engage the end of the first groove. The projection deforms as it engages the end of the groove and urges the end of the first strip section against the second strip section.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2012Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Adrian L Harding
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Patent number: 9145872Abstract: An engine for harvesting energy stored in water vapor includes a vortex chamber coupled to an extraction unit and also to a vortex induction unit, the vortex induction unit configured to induce a vortex of water vapor in the chamber and the extraction unit configured to harvest energy from the flow of water provided by the chamber. A method of operation is provided. Additionally, and electrical generation system is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2014Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Inventor: John M. Cotton
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Patent number: 9140126Abstract: A novel airfoil design comprising a reactionary front face that pushes into the flow of air with a high angle of attack and a vacuum-producing face which forces the early separation of the flow of air from the top side of the airfoil, creating an area of high negative pressure which pulls upward, contributing to lift.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2012Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Inventor: Anthony V. Hins
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Patent number: 9140133Abstract: A disclosed vane assembly includes a vane section formed of a plurality of circumferentially spaced fixed vanes. The vanes extend radially outward from an inner platform and hooked into case. The inner platform includes a mount rail extending radially inwardly from the inner platform. An air seal is attached to the inner platform of the vane section and includes a ring extending circumferentially about the axis. The disclosed air seal includes a plurality of tabs that receive lugs disposed on the mount rail. A ring nut is secured to the air seal and engaged to the mount rail for securing the vane section to the air seal.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2012Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Benjamin F. Hagan, Joseph T. Caprario