Patents Examined by John Hunter
  • Patent number: 9732620
    Abstract: A turbine assembly includes a first turbine blade circumferentially adjacent to a second turbine blade. The first turbine blade includes a first platform with a first underplatform surface. The second turbine blade includes a second platform with a second underplatform surface. The first underplatform surface and the second underplatform surface at least partially defines a cavity. A damper with a platform rub surface is included adjacent the first underplatform surface and the second underplatform surface. A seal is included with a forward portion, an aft portion, and a damper interface portion therebetween. The damper interface portion extends along a damper underside and the forward portion and the aft portion adjacent the first underplatform surface and the second underplatform surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew A. Hough
  • Patent number: 9719488
    Abstract: An arrangement to reduce noise of a wind turbine rotor blade is provided, including a wind turbine rotor blade and a noise reduction device. The noise reduction device includes a serrated extension for at least reducing noise generated from the wind turbine rotor blade, the noise reduction device attached to the trailing edge section. The serrated extension has a number of first and second teeth. The designs of the first and second teeth are differently compared to each other such that suction side noise and pressure side noise are both reduced by the teeth of the serrated extension. Advantageously, the first teeth and the second teeth are arranged in an alternating, periodic pattern and differ from each other by an angle of inclination with regard to a trailing edge streamline and or by its planform shape. Furthermore, a method to reduce noise of a wind turbine rotor blade is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Oerlemans
  • Patent number: 9683549
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a cage that rotates around a cage axis and a turbine located at an end of the cage and rotating around a turbine axis. A turbine blade may have an adaptable shape. A frame of the turbine blade may have a first frame portion that pivots relative to the second frame portion. The curvature of the turbine blade may be controlled by shortening a connection while concurrently lengthening another connection. Controllers may control the rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s) based on a speed, a direction, a velocity, an acceleration of wind, and/or a load carried by the apparatus. The apparatus may be a Savonius machine. Rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s) may induce a Magnus effect. A seat and user controls near the seat may be included. The user controls may control the rotation of the cage(s) and/or turbine(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Inventor: Hassan Mohajer
  • Patent number: 9650895
    Abstract: A turbine wheel including a plurality of blades having roots engaged axially and held radially in slots in a disk alternating between teeth of the disk, in which the blades have platforms arranged circumferentially end to end and each connected to a blade root by a tang, is provided. Separator walls extend from the tangs in a circumferential direction and from upstream to downstream so as to define radially between the platforms and the teeth of the disk at least a radially inner cavity and a radially outer cavity between two adjacent tangs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Josselin Sicard, Helene Barret, Stephane Pierre Guillaume Blanchard, Youki Olivier Ito-Lardeau, Bertrand Pellaton
  • Patent number: 9638046
    Abstract: An internally cooled airfoil, such as a turbine blade, has an airfoil section extending between a tip and a root. The interior of the airfoil includes a distribution of lands at the trailing edge in the span direction. A width of each of the lands is a widest dimension in the span direction of the land in the interior of the airfoil. A pitch is a distance in the span direction between centerlines of two adjacent lands. The pitch is constant throughout the distribution of the lands. The distribution of the lands includes at least two different widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Michael Papple, Ghislain Plante
  • Patent number: 9611759
    Abstract: A support assembly for externally adjusting an inner casing with respect to an outer casing for a turbomachine includes a carrier plate, a carrier block that is fixedly connected to the carrier plate, a restrictor block fixedly connected to the carrier plate, a rod coupled to the carrier plate, and a plate threadably connected to the rod. The carrier block includes an inclined side and a carrier side. The restrictor block includes a restrictor side and an inclined side. The restrictor side is generally oriented towards the carrier side. A vertical gap for receiving a support arm of an inner turbine casing is defined between the restrictor side and the carrier side. The plate may be rotated about the rod to cause simultaneous movement of the rod, the carrier plate, the carrier block and the restrictor block, thus adjusting the inner casing with respect to the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: James Adaickalasamy, Pramod Akulu, Kenneth Damon Black
  • Patent number: 9605685
    Abstract: A ceiling fan includes a motor and plural blades. The motor has its topside and underside respectively secured with a fixed seat, which has its inner side formed with two protruding edges spaced apart and respectively having a pressing plate fixed thereon. The pressing plates are correspondingly combined with the fixed seats so that the blades can be firmly combined with the fixed seats via the pressing plates. The pressing plates can easily be processed and made by small-sized forming molds, able to lower manufacturing cost, and the blades of this invention can be secured on the motor quickly and stably and driven to rotate smoothly and steadily. Further, during assembly of the blades, fine adjustment can be done to respective assembly structure for overcoming errors caused by tolerance. To sum up, this invention is able to shorten man-hour in assembly, enhance assembly efficiency and increase economic gains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: YOUNGO LIMITED
    Inventor: Cliff Wang