Patents Examined by Jason Fountain
  • Patent number: 9644493
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fan case with a liner includes the steps of providing a preform having a circular cross-section with a cut and a first diameter, flexing the preform to reduce the first diameter to a second diameter, and adhering the preform to an inner surface of a fan case. A fan case for a gas turbine engine includes a fan case body having an inner surface. A preform is adhered to the inner surface and has a cut providing a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven Clarkson
  • Patent number: 9617859
    Abstract: The present application provides a turbine component for use in a hot gas path of a gas turbine. The turbine component may include an outer surface, an internal cooling circuit, a number of cooling pathways in communication with the internal cooling circuit and extending through the outer surface, and a number of adaptive cooling pathways in communication with the internal cooling circuit and extending through the outer surface. The adaptive cooling pathways may include a high temperature compound therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, Stephen Gerard Pope, Jacob Kittleson, Lawrence Matthew Levy
  • Patent number: 9616996
    Abstract: An aircraft rotor head is provided and includes a rotor hub including a central portion and radial arms extending outwardly from the central portion, blade retention yokes, each blade retention yoke being pivotably coupled to a corresponding one of the radial arms at one end and to a corresponding blade at another end and a lag restraint star rotatable about and translatable along the central portion. The lag restraint star is coupled to each of the blade retention yokes to facilitate uniform blade lead/lag and uniform blade coning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David N. Schmaling, Frank P. D'Anna
  • Patent number: 9611751
    Abstract: A number of variations may include a product comprising: a vane lever comprising a first end; a second end; a top surface; and a bottom surface; and an opening defined by an inner surface which extends through the top surface and the bottom surface of the second end, and wherein at least a portion of the inner surface comprises a non-cylindrical, multi-lobed shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: John Zagone, Eli Morgan, Greg Williams
  • Patent number: 9611744
    Abstract: A multi-stage intercooled compressor for a gas turbine engine, including multiple stages of rotating blades and cooling stator vanes, a cooling stator vane including an outer wall that defines an internal coolant fluid passage and has a length along a centerline from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the outer wall, and an internal flow divider wall disposed within the internal passage and extending along the centerline to divide the internal coolant fluid passage into an inflow pathway and an outflow pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Inventor: Betty Jean Taylor
  • Patent number: 9599126
    Abstract: A noise abating impeller having a disc-shaped central hub and a plurality of blades extending radially outward from the central hub. The blades are symmetrically arranged in quadrants around the central hub and within two alternating quadrants, each blade is spaced an increasing distance apart from a prior adjacent blade and within the other two alternating quadrants, each blade is spaced a decreasing distance apart from a prior adjacent blade. The impeller also has a dividing rib located along the entire outer peripheral edge of the central hub and located along the center of the blades dividing each blade into a first blade half and a second blade half. The first blade half is offset from the second blade half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AIRTECH VACUUM INC.
    Inventors: Raphael Sagher, Thomas Stergioulas
  • Patent number: 9598962
    Abstract: A turbine rotor includes a high- and low-temperature side rotor base materials. The high- and low-temperature materials include concavities and grooves. The turbine rotor has an enclosed space formed by the concavity of the high- and low-temperature materials being disposed opposingly, and a gap formed by the grooves of the high- and low-temperature materials being disposed opposingly. The turbine rotor contains a buildup welding section formed between the high- and low-temperature materials, which has the same composition as that of the high- or low-temperature material, and has a penetration bead on the enclosed space side, and the gap contains a weld metal filled therein. Thus, a stable penetration bead can be formed in a dissimilar material welded rotor combining two kinds of alloy materials with different thermal properties, and then generation of a non-welded portion of a butting section that becomes a start point of fracture can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Nishioka, Kenichi Murata, Kazuhiko Endo, Jun Sato, Toshio Namatame, Shinya Imano
  • Patent number: 9587643
    Abstract: A drive shaft and improved marine water pump are disclosed. The drive shaft connects to a water pump impeller on one end and to a an accessory drive for rotating the impeller on the opposite end. The drive shaft of the present invention comprises an elongate shaft portion that includes differing sectional diameters to facilitate easy placement of the pump shaft within the marine water pump and through the marine pump bearing assembly preventing bearing assembly oil seal damage. The drive shaft further comprises a widened drive shaft tang to facilitate more secure engagement to a marine pump accessory drive and a flange rim adjacent to the pump shaft tang for improved and quicker alignment of the marine pump shaft with respect to the marine pump bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Don Mason
  • Patent number: 9581042
    Abstract: A composite article includes a substrate and a metal-containing layer on the substrate. The metal of the metal-containing layer is oxidizable to a plurality of different oxide phases. The metal-containing layer includes a plurality of phase-specific seed particles promoting formation of a selected one of the different oxide phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher W. Strock
  • Patent number: 9581035
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method for controllably reducing of the flow area of a turbine nozzle component are provided, as are embodiments of turbine nozzle components having reduced flow areas. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of obtaining a turbine nozzle component having a plurality of turbine nozzle flow paths therethrough, positioning braze preforms in the plurality of turbine nozzle flow paths and against a surface of the turbine nozzle component, and bonding the braze preforms to the turbine nozzle component to achieve a controlled reduction in the flow area of the turbine nozzle flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Bill Macelroy
  • Patent number: 9551350
    Abstract: A device for uncoupling a bearing carrier in a turbomachine, the bearing carrier including an upstream part and a downstream part including a plurality of upstream orifices respectively facing a plurality of downstream orifices. The uncoupling device includes rupture screws each passing through an upstream orifice and a downstream orifice, and at least a mechanism for double centering of a rupture screw with respect to the upstream orifice and to the downstream orifice respectively. The mechanism for double centering is independent of the upstream and downstream parts of the bearing carrier and of the rupture screw, and is configured to collaborate with the upstream part of the rupture screw such that when the rupture screw breaks, the upstream part carries with it the mechanism for double centering. A turbomachine can include such an uncoupling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Eric Nicolas Decerle, Regis Eugene Henri Servant
  • Patent number: 9551324
    Abstract: A pitch bearing assembly for a wind turbine having a stiffener is disclosed. The pitch bearing assembly may include an outer race and an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race. The inner race may define a mounting surface and an inner circumference. The mounting surface may extend generally perpendicular to the inner circumference. In addition, the stiffener may include a body and a mounting flange. The body may extend axially within a volume defined by the inner circumference of the inner race. Further, the mounting flange of the stiffener may be coupled to the mounting surface of the inner race.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Adam Daniel Minadeo
  • Patent number: 9546555
    Abstract: A rotatable blade for use in a turbomachine includes an airfoil portion having a leading edge, a trailing edge a radially-inner end and a radially-outer end; a root section at to the radially-inner end of the airfoil portion, and a part-span shroud located on the airfoil portion between the root section and the radially-outer end. The part-span shroud decreases in width and thickness from decreasing in width and thickness from the airfoil portion to a contact surface adapted to engage a mating contact surface on a part-span shroud of an adjacent blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rohit Chouhan, Holly Renae Davis, Lakshmanan Valliappan
  • Patent number: 9546667
    Abstract: An exemplary fan includes a hub and an impeller. The hub is made of metal, and includes a flange. The impeller is made of plastic. The impeller is formed around the hub and has the flange embedded therein. A method for manufacturing the fan is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wen-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9534507
    Abstract: A disclosed harness assembly includes a base including a mounting surface and an opening that receives a mount end of a harness clip. A lockable clip is moveable between open and closed positions to secure one or more supply conduits or wire harnesses. The opening of the base includes a securement feature that corresponds with the mount end to hold the harness in a desired orientation relative to the base, to provide a fixed topographical routing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Marc R. Sauerhoefer, Richard A. Ciamarra
  • Patent number: 9534607
    Abstract: Provided is a compressor for use in a gas turbine engine, capable of preventing a creation of rust on an inner surface of the compressor casing, without complicating assembling process. The casing 15 of the compressor 3 accommodates rotor and stator blade wheels 13 and 17. The stator blade wheels 17 are supported on the inner surface of the casing 15 through outer flanges 30 thereof. Seal rings 52 are provided at inner surface portions of the casing 15 opposing the radially outward ends of the rotor blade wheels 13. The inner surface of the casing 15 is covered by the seal rings 52 and the outer flanges 30 of the stator blade wheels 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Ikeguchi, Koji Terauchi
  • Patent number: 9528388
    Abstract: A method and system to prevent the equipment corrosion in an offshore wind turbine by minimizing the humid ambient air entry into the turbine. The method uses the fact that the ambient air entry into or the inside air leakage out of the turbine can be minimized by lowering the air pressure difference across the outside and inside faces of the seals. The proposed system includes a slotted, streamlined plenum over each of these interfaces that helps moderate the air pressure on the outside of the seals. On the inside, the air pressure over the seals is controlled by a variable air flow resistance system that consists of two circular, coaxial perforated plates that can rotate relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: ADWEN OFFSHORE, S.L.
    Inventor: Peri Sabhapathy
  • Patent number: 9523281
    Abstract: A blade for a wind turbine comprising a blade root portion for attachment to a mounting flange of the wind turbine, the blade root comprising a plurality of first holes provided with an internal bushing wherein the bushings comprise a first end at or near a mounting surface of the blade root and an opposite second end embedded in their corresponding first holes, and wherein one or more internal bushing being guiding bushings, the guiding bushings comprising a first end that is adapted to guide the blade root with respect to a mounting flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: ALSTOM Wind, S.L.U.
    Inventor: Luca Feigl
  • Patent number: 9523348
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine designed to mitigate pitch bearing loads. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade, a pitch bearing, and at least one shim plate. The rotor blade includes a body extending between a blade root and a blade tip. The pitch bearing includes an outer race, an inner race, and a plurality of roller elements between the outer race and the inner race. As such, the inner race is rotatable relative to the outer race. The at least one shim plate may be configured between the inner race and the blade root or between the outer race and a hub of the wind turbine so as to mitigate loads experienced by the pitch bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eric Morgan Jacobsen, Adam Daniel Minadeo, Alexander William Vossler
  • Patent number: 9518467
    Abstract: A blade for a turbomachine impeller including an airfoil, and a platform extending at one of the ends of the airfoil in a direction globally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the airfoil, the blade configured, together with other identical blades, to form a ring around a ring axis, with the adjacent blade platforms joining in pairs so as to form an inter-airfoil surface linking the pressure surface of one airfoil to the suction surface of the neighboring airfoil. In this blade, the inter-airfoil surface includes, in an upstream half of the airfoil, a boss located closer to the pressure surface than to the suction surface, and a recessed passage located between the same and the suction surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Guimbard, Olivier Kueny, Ludovic Pintat