Patents Examined by Jason Fountain
  • Patent number: 11053810
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of turbine engine (50) parts having a longitudinal axis (X), the assembly comprising at least two adjacent fan blades made of a 3D woven composite material, each blade (1) comprising a root (3), a vane (2) extending from the root (3), and an integrated platform (4) inserted between the root (3) and the vane (2), the platform (4) extending on either side of the vane (2) and forming a pressure face platform portion (4I) and a suction face platform portion (4E), the pressure face and suction face platform portions of adjacent blades being connected by a fin (14) extending at least radially at the outer side of the pressure face and suction face platform portions (4I, 4E), relative to the longitudinal axis (X), having a substantially triangular transverse cross section and extending axially and so as to upper overlap the longitudinal edges (11A, 11B) of the pressure face and suction face platform portions (4I, 4E) of the adjacent blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Matthieu Pierre Michel Dubosc, Benjamin Bulot
  • Patent number: 11047238
    Abstract: A vane configured to be placed with a plurality of identical vanes so as to form a vane wheel for an aeroengine, the vane wheel defining an axis, the vane having an airfoil presenting a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading-edge curve describing the shape of the leading edge of the airfoil in a view perpendicular to the airfoil presenting at least one leading-edge undulation, said at least one leading-edge undulation extending over less than 30% of a length of the airfoil from the first end of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Damien Bernard Emeric Guegan, Prasaad Cojande, Pierre-Hugues Ambroise Maxime Victor Retiveau, Jonathan Evert Vlastuin
  • Patent number: 11047256
    Abstract: A variable nozzle unit includes a variable nozzle vane which is disposed between a hub wall surface and a shroud wall surface and is rotatable around a rotation axis parallel to a rotation axis of a turbine impeller inside a gas flow passage. The variable nozzle vane includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an outer vane surface connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge and facing a radial outside of the rotation axis. A concave portion at least in a range of a leading edge side in relation to the rotation axis is formed at the hub wall surface side of the outer vane surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Natsuko Motoda
  • Patent number: 11041496
    Abstract: A mixed-flow impeller for an electric submersible pump can include a lower end and an upper end; a hub that includes a through bore that defines an axis; blades that extend at least in part radially outward from the hub where each of the blades includes a leading edge and a trailing edge; an upper balance ring that includes a radially inward facing balance chamber surface and a radially outward facing diffuser clearance surface; and an upper guard ring disposed radially outwardly from the upper balance ring where the upper guard ring includes an axially facing diffuser clearance surface that is disposed axially between the trailing edges of the blades and the upper end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kean Wee Cheah, David Milton Eslinger
  • Patent number: 11041388
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes rotor having a hub, and a plurality of blades extending generally radially from the hub. Each of the blades has an airfoil portion. The airfoil portion has a leading edge and a trailing edge defining a chordwise direction, and a root and a tip defining a spanwise direction. Only a sub-set of the blades has a cutback at at least one of the trailing edge and the leading edge. A method of designing and a method of assembling a rotor having noise reduction properties in a gas turbine engine is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Yau-Wai Li, Peter Townsend, Vijay Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 11035372
    Abstract: Controller for controlling a bleed valve including a first body with an internal cavity connected to an air inlet port and an air outlet port, a second body including a chamber, a mobile member in the cavity and in the chamber, connecting the two bodies. The member is mobile between a position whereby the ports fluidly communicate and a position whereby the ports are isolated, the member further including two pistons housed in the chamber and defining in this chamber at least two spaces. The controller also includes a fluid supply for at least one of the spaces for the purpose of moving the pistons in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Antoine Marie George Caratge
  • Patent number: 11028715
    Abstract: An air seal for a jet turbine engine with an upper stator, lower stator and finned turbine disk. The thermal expansion of the stators may be regulated by a control ring, which has a lower rate of thermal expansion that the stators, to prevent rubbing between the stator and fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas David Dierksmeier
  • Patent number: 11028824
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade is provided with two shell parts each at least partly made of a sandwich structure including an inner skin (76), an outer skin (74), and an intermediate core material (75, 77), wherein the shell parts are bonded together at least along their respective leading edges (18). The blade also comprises a longitudinally extending spacing section in which the respective trailing edges (58a, 58b) of the pressure side shell part and the suction side shell part are spaced apart, wherein a trailing edge shear web (45) is arranged between and connected to the sandwich structure of the suction side shell part (84, 86, 87) and the sandwich structure of the pressure side shell part (74, 76, 77).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventor: Jesper Hasselbalch Garm
  • Patent number: 11022125
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor includes: a rotor that includes a shaft rotatably disposed inside a casing and impellers fixed to an outer periphery of the shaft; a diaphragm that surrounds the impellers from an outer peripheral side; a suction-side casing head disposed separately from the diaphragm on a side on which fluid is sucked; a temperature controlling mechanism that is provided inside the suction-side casing head and is configured to control ambient temperature through flow of a heating medium; a heat insulating body disposed between the suction-side casing head and the diaphragm; and a locking structure that locks the heat insulating body and the suction-side casing head with each other to be relatively displaceable in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriyuki Okada, Yuji Masuda
  • Patent number: 11022141
    Abstract: A fan assembly for a refrigerator interior includes a lower housing where a fan that rotates around a rotation axis as a center is installed, the rotation axis extending in an up-down direction; an upper housing that includes an inlet that sucks air from the refrigerator interior; and a side housing that covers a surrounding portion of the fan, wherein any one of the upper housing, the lower housing, and the side housing includes a flow straightening member that straightens a flow of air that is discharged from the fan, and wherein any one of the upper housing, the lower housing, and the side housing includes a discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Hayamitsu, Atsushi Michishita
  • Patent number: 11015569
    Abstract: A vortex generator for a wind turbine blade to be mounted to a wind turbine blade includes: a platform portion to be mounted to a surface of the wind turbine blade; and at least one fin disposed upright on the platform portion. The platform portion has a cross section having a curved convex shape, at least along a blade spanwise direction of the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 11015652
    Abstract: A hybrid bearing system includes a self-lubricated bearing assembly including a self-lubricated bearing element and at least one elastomeric bearing assembly arranged adjacent the self-lubricated bearing assembly. The elastomeric bearing assembly is torsionally mated with the self-lubricated bearing element as a torsional load is applied about an axis of the self-lubricated bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Bryan Kenneth Baskin
  • Patent number: 11015575
    Abstract: One object is to improve the control upon detecting an excessive load in the movable section of a wind turbine, thereby to raise the capacity utilization of the wind turbine. A wind turbine drive system includes: a plurality of driving devices installed in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine, each of the plurality of driving devices including a drive gear meshing with a ring gear installed in another structure at the movable section of the wind turbine; a state quantity detection unit for monitoring, for each of the plurality of driving devices, a load generated between the drive gear of each of the plurality of driving devices and the ring gear; and a control unit for performing control for reducing the load when the state quantity detection unit detects an abnormal load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Watanabe, Yoichi Fujii, Jun Asaida
  • Patent number: 11009060
    Abstract: A fastener assembly may be configured to mount structures in a gas turbine engine. The fastener assembly may comprise a fastener and a leak resistant insert. The leak resistant insert may be configured to at least partially reduce fluid leakage between the coupling of the fastener and the leak resistant insert. The leak resistant insert may comprise an outer surface opposite an inner threaded surface. The inner threaded surface may define an insert opening through leak resistant fastener insert, configured to receive the fastener. The outer surface may define an insert end enclosing the inner threaded surface opposite the insert opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Dale W. Petty
  • Patent number: 11009029
    Abstract: A reflection mechanism is disposed above a rotor blade. A chamfered surface of the rotor blade is formed to gradually open wide by 0 to 10 degrees toward the downstream side in the rotational direction, from an imaginary line passing through a rotational direction-side tip end point of a horizontal surface and drawn parallel to a rotating shaft. In the reflection mechanism, inclined plates, inclined at a predetermined angle, are arranged radially in the radial direction from a central disc portion. A particle reflected on the chamfered surface of the rotor blade collides with each inclined plate of the reflection mechanism and is then re-reflected and falls in the downstream direction. Since the particle can securely be reflected toward the reflection mechanism, the particle can be prevented from exiting through an inlet port to flow back toward a chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Edwards Japan Limited
    Inventor: Takashi Kabasawa
  • Patent number: 10995677
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a fan mounted to rotate about a main longitudinal axis; an engine core, comprising in axial flow series a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine coupled to the compressor through a shaft; a reduction gearbox that receives an input from the shaft and outputs drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the shaft; wherein the compressor comprises a first stage at an inlet and a second stage, downstream of the first stage, comprising respectively a first rotor with a row of first blades and a second rotor with a row of second blades, the first and second blades comprising respective leading edges, trailing edges and tips, and wherein the ratio of a maximum leading edge radius of the first blades to a maximum leading edge radius of the second blades is greater than 2.8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian J Bousfield, Duncan A Macdougall
  • Patent number: 10982560
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blade (16), in particular a fan blade, for resurfacing an abradable coating (26) on an internal surface of a turbine engine case (18) intended to surround the blade. The comprises a root (20) and an airfoil (24) having a tip opposite the root, said root comprising a housing (32) for the storage or passage of a polymerisable refill resin. The airfoil comprises longitudinal channels (34), the first ends of said channels being connected to the housing and the opposite ends opening at the aforementioned tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Michael Isemene, Alexandre Branco
  • Patent number: 10982650
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine system (1) with several wind turbine modules (2) mounted to a support structure (3). A control system is configured to determine a lift command (21) for a particular wind turbine module (2?) of the 5 plurality of wind turbines modules (2). The control system is applying the lift command (21) to a corresponding rotor blade pitch adjustment system of the particular wind turbine module (2?) so as to create a lift force (F_up) in the opposite direction of gravity on the particular wind turbine module mounted on the support structure. Providing an upwards lift force on one, or more, particular 10 wind turbine module(s) may reduce, or eliminate, static and/or dynamical loads from the wind turbine module on the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Erik Carl Lehnskov Miranda
  • Patent number: 10982682
    Abstract: A fan rotor for a ram air fan includes a hub and blades extending radially outwards from the hub. The hub includes an inner hub portion, a disk portion connected to a radially outer surface of the inner hub portion, and an outer hub portion connected to a radially outer surface of the disk portion. The outer hub portion has an upstream arm with a compound contoured surface. The compound contoured surface is configured to direct air flow around the compound contoured surface and along roots of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Darryl A. Colson, Roberto J. Perez
  • Patent number: 10982651
    Abstract: A method for damping an oscillation of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed, wherein a pitch angle of each of the one or more rotor blades is individually adjustable, the method comprising damping the oscillation of the tower by pitching each rotor blade individually according to tower damping pitch control signals, wherein each tower damping pitch control signal comprises a first periodic component, where a first frequency of the first periodic component corresponds to a frequency difference between a tower frequency of the oscillation of the tower and a rotor frequency of a rotation of the rotor, and where a second periodic component has been reduced or removed. A second frequency of the second periodic component corresponds to a frequency sum of the tower frequency and the rotor frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Fabio Caponetti, Jesper Sandberg Thomsen, Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Poul Brandt Christensen