Patents Examined by Jeffrey A Brownson
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Patent number: 9212559Abstract: A rotor in a gas turbine engine has a rotor body with at least one slot receiving a blade. The blade has an outer surface formed of a first material and an airfoil extending from a dovetail. The dovetail is received in the slot. A grounding element is in contact with a portion of the dovetail formed of a second material that is more electrically conductive than the first material. The grounding element is in contact with a rotating element that rotates with the rotor and is formed of a third material. The first material is less electrically conductive than the third material. The grounding element and rotating element together form a ground path from the portion of the dovetail into the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: James R. Murdock
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Patent number: 9206694Abstract: In a method of providing a dynamic energy-saving superconductive interaction of a rotating propeller with a fluid medium, an optimizer has a modulator modulating a value of a connection by the fluid medium flowing between perforations on working surfaces of a propeller blade through a shunt passage under an action of a difference of pressures generated on the working surfaces by providing a frequency, a range, a law and a phase of the modulating; and the optimizer optimizes a value of at least one parameter of the modulating in dependence on a change of a value of at least one controlled characteristic influencing energy efficiency of a work of an object interacting with the propeller system, thereby providing a dynamic energy optimization of the work of the object by optimization of modulated blowing/suction wave effects on a boundary layer adjacent to the working surfaces of the rotating propeller.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: REMCO International, Inc.Inventor: Arkadi Relin
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Patent number: 9200635Abstract: A regenerative blower is disclosed with a rotating impeller that includes a hub that includes a main body and a tapered outer periphery or volute that extends around the main body of the hub. The volute has a wide base that extends to a tapered volute tip. A plurality of vanes are spaced apart along the main body of the hub and intersect the volute. Each vane has a base coupled to or integral with the main body of the hub and a distal end extending radially away from the hub. Each vane has a downstream side and an upstream side. The downstream sides are concave and the upstream sides are convex. Each vane may also include a pair of side edges that are beveled inwardly towards the volute as the side edges extend from the downstream side of the vane to the upstream side of the vane.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Gast Manufacturing, Inc. A Unit of IDEX CorporationInventor: Christopher Lee Blackburn
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Patent number: 9200612Abstract: The invention relates to a direct-connected low-speed small mixed flow type water turbine applied in a hydrodynamic energy-saving cooling tower, which comprises a water inlet scroll case (1), a seat ring (2) provided with single column of guide vanes annularly, a runner (12), a straight tapered water outlet pipe (9) and a side water outlet box (10), wherein the seat ring (2) is mounted on the inner side of the scroll case (1), a water outlet among the guide vanes in the seat ring (2) is communicated with a water inlet formed among curved surface blades (4), the water outlet formed among the curved surface blades (4) is communicated with the water inlet of the straight tapered water outlet pipe (9), the water outlet of the straight tapered water outlet pipe (9) is communicated with the water inlet of the side water outlet box (10), and the direct-connected low-speed small mixed flow type water turbine is characterized in that a bearing seat (6) is mounted on the runner (12), a shaft (7) is mounted in the beariType: GrantFiled: April 1, 2010Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: NANJING XINGFEI COOLING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.Inventor: Xingkang Gu
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Patent number: 9200536Abstract: A static structure of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a multiple of airfoil sections between an outer ring and an inner ring. A spring biased tie-rod assembly is mounted through at least one of the multiple of airfoil sections.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2011Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
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Patent number: 9194246Abstract: An arrangement is disclosed in which deflections and mechanical stresses in turbine low pressure casings are controlled by inserting struts between the turbine diaphragm ledge ring stages. Preferably, the struts are cylindrical in shape, although other different shapes can be used in accordance with the needs of different applications. The struts can be solid or hollow in construction, although preferably they are hollow to reduce the material needed to fabricate them. The struts are located around the turbine casing, as is required to connect together two ledge rings where there is high axial deflection in the casing.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Ross Predmore, Rajendra Gonoor, Erik Eduardo Lopez Partida
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Patent number: 9194365Abstract: A wind turbine composite structure for absorbing radio frequency energy, the wind turbine composite structure comprising: a sandwich panel construction comprising a core having an inner surface and an outer surface, disposed between an inner skin and an outer skin; the outer surface and the outer skin facing towards an exterior surface of the wind turbine composite structure and the inner surface and the inner skin facing towards an interior of the wind turbine composite structure; a reflector layer disposed adjacent to the inner skin; and a functional layer comprising printed or deposited circuitry, the functional layer forming a radar absorbing circuit in combination with the reflector layer, wherein the functional layer is printed or deposited directly on to the outer surface of the core.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2010Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventor: Steve Appleton
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Patent number: 9190823Abstract: A wind energy installation includes a tower and a nacelle arranged at the top of the tower such that it can swivel in the azimuth direction. The installation also includes a plurality of cables which are guided via a loop from the tower into the nacelle, the cables being held at a distance from one another in the loop by means of rotationally fixed and loose holders. The holders each have receptacles for attachment of the cables with a predetermined circumferential separation. The holders include a lower rotationally fixed guide ring and an aligning upper loose guide ring. A loop guide is formed such that the loop is subdivided by means of the rotationally fixed lower guide ring into a curved untwisted area and an extended twisted area.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2010Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: SENVION SEInventor: Matthias Schubert
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Patent number: 9181956Abstract: An example seal shaft includes a cylindrical body establishing a bore that extends axially between a first end portion of the body and a second end portion of the body. Apertures are also established in the body. The apertures extend radially between an outer surface of the body and the bore. The seal shaft further includes a first group knife edge seals and a second group of knife edge seals. The first group of knife edge seals have a diameter, and a ratio of the diameter to the total cross-sectional area of the apertures is between 58.79 and 78.77.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand CorporationInventors: Seth E. Rosen, Craig M. Beers
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Patent number: 9175775Abstract: A steam turbine with a shaft seal is provided. The shaft seal steam barrier is supplied with a slight excess pressure. In order to avoid complex additional devices necessary for liquefying the water vapor once again, a condensation chamber, which is sealed from the surrounding air as well as from the steam barrier chamber with brush seals, is provided between the steam barrier chamber and the surrounding air. The condensation chamber is constructed in such a manner that the heat, developing in the interior thereof, is discharged to the outside.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2012Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Edwin Gobrecht, Achim Hammann, Dirk Knudsen, Karsten Peters, Jan Walkenhorst
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Patent number: 9169825Abstract: A device for assembling sections of wind-turbine blades provided with casings, including at least one tie including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being a portion for assembly with a casing of a first section and the second portion being a portion for mounting with a complementary tie supported by a casing of a second section, wherein the first portion includes at least one composite/metal shear link provided with a continuous fitting element on at least one surface of the casing which receives one end of the aformentioned surface of the casing, provided with attachment pins passing through the fitting and the end of the surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2010Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: ASTRIUM SASInventors: Marcel Auberon, Nicolas Petermann
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Patent number: 9163642Abstract: An impeller of a rotary machine, in which a direction of flow is configured to gradually change from an axial direction to a radial direction as the flow goes from an interior in the radial direction of a fluid flow passage to an exterior in the radial direction of the fluid flow passage, includes: a hub surface defining at least a portion of the fluid flow passage; a blade surface defining at least a portion of the fluid flow passage; and a bulge being disposed so as to bulge toward the interior of the fluid flow passage at a corner where the hub surface, which is located at a rear half on an outlet side of the fluid flow passage, is in contact with the blade surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2010Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventor: Jo Masutani
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Patent number: 9156544Abstract: A rotary system including a yoke having an opening forming a bridge for receiving a spoke extending therethrough. A rotor blade couples to the spoke and a pitch horn positioned outside the opening pitches the rotor blade during flight. A bearing assembly attaches the spoke and the pitch horn to the bridge and control blade forces exerted against the hub assembly during flight.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2012Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Mark Wiinikka, Frank Bradley Stamps, Daniel P. Sottiaux, Zach Dailey
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Patent number: 9151175Abstract: Turbine and compressor casing abradable component embodiments for turbine engines, with composite grooves and vertically projecting alternating rows of first and second height ridges in planform patterns, to reduce, redirect and/or block blade tip airflow leakage downstream into the grooves rather than from turbine blade airfoil high to low pressure sides. The first ridges have a first ridge height greater than that of the second ridges. These ridge or rib embodiments have first lower and second upper wear zones. The lower zone, at and below the second ridge height, optimizes engine airflow characteristics, while the upper zone, between tips of the second and first ridges, is optimized to minimize blade tip gap and wear by being more easily abradable than the lower zone.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2014Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Kok-Mun Tham, Vincent P. Laurello, Ching-Pang Lee, Gm Salam Azad, Nicholas F. Martin, Jr., David G. Sansom, Neil Hitchman
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Patent number: 9133819Abstract: A blade for use in a wind turbine comprises a pressure side and suction side meeting at a trailing edge and leading edge. The pressure side and suction side provide lift to the turbine blade upon the flow of air from the leading edge to the trailing edge and over the pressure side and suction side. The blade includes one or more openings at the suction side, in some cases between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The one or more openings are configured to provide a pressurized fluid towards the leading edge of the blade, in some cases at an angle between about 0° and 70° with respect to an axis oriented from a centerline of the blade toward the leading edge.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: Kohana Technologies Inc.Inventors: Michael D. Zuteck, Leigh Zalusky, Paul Lees
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Patent number: 9127569Abstract: There is provided a shroud structure for gas turbines capable of suppressing a drop in the amount of cooling air for cooling the inner shroud by reducing the amount of cooling air leakage that occurs along the cooling air path when feeding cooling air from the one-piece outer shroud to the inner shroud of the gas turbine and ensure more reliable cooling of the inner shroud. The gas turbine shroud structure contains a one-piece outer shroud, and an inner shroud retained on the inner circumferential side of the outer shroud in a structure divided into multiple inner shrouds along the periphery. An inner seal plate groove is formed on the outer circumference of the hook formed on the inner shroud, a seal plate is inserted in the inner seal plate groove, and the seal plate is mounted so that a section of the seal plate protrudes in the gap between the hook mechanism of the outer shroud and the inner shroud.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2011Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Ryou Akiyama, Yasuo Takahashi, Tetsuro Morisaki, Yasuhiro Horiuchi
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Patent number: 9121283Abstract: A fixture for assembling a stator vane assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a base which defines a multiple of locators to position each of a multiple of vanes relative to an outer fairing and an inner fairing. A first tangential wedge clamp is receivable in a first aperture located within the base for each of the multiple of vanes. A second tangential wedge clamp is receivable in a second aperture located within the base for each of the multiple of vanes.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2012Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Steven J. Feigleson, Dennis R. Tremblay
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Patent number: 9115599Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a compressor housing (3), having a bearing housing (28) which can be connected at one end to the compressor housing (3) by means of a first fastening device (19), and having a turbine housing (2) which can be connected to the bearing housing (28) at the other end of the latter by means of a second fastening device (20), with the compressor housing (3), the bearing housing (28) and the turbine housing (2) extending along an exhaust-gas turbocharger longitudinal axis (R), wherein the second fastening device (20) is designed as a plug-and-twist connecting device, and a seal (25) is provided between the turbine housing (2) and the bearing housing (28).Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2010Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.Inventors: Oliver Schumnig, Frank Scherrer
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Patent number: 9103221Abstract: A system and method for securing a blade within a disk so as to eliminate the need for permanently deforming materials associated with the blade disk is disclosed. A recess is formed generally within each slot used to secure a blade within the disk. A retaining insert is positioned within the recess and a wedge insert is positioned within a slot of the retaining insert, such that a pressure is applied to the retaining insert thereby deflecting the retaining insert into a pre-set radial position to prevent axial movement of the blade within the slot of the disk.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTDInventors: Alex Torkaman, Kevin Carpenter, William David Day
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Patent number: 9091277Abstract: Multipart shrouded impellers and methods for manufacturing multi-part shrouded impellers are described. Components of the shrouded impeller include alignment features that, when brought into contact, provide concentric and spatial alignment of the component parts. Upon alignment a gap remains between portions of the components, which permits the introduction of a filler material that joins the components into a unitized whole.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Computer Assisted Manufacturing Technology CorporationInventor: Lance A. Young