Patents Examined by Julian Getachew
  • Patent number: 10288083
    Abstract: A variable pitch fan for a propulsion device is provided. The variable pitch fan includes a plurality of fan blades coupled to a disk and a rotatable front hub covering the disk. Each fan blade is rotatable about a pitch axis to vary a pitch of the fan blade. The pitch is variable within a pitch range that is at least about 80° to about 130°. Each fan blade extends radially outward from the disk along a span from a root to a tip. A portion of the span adjacent the root defines a root span region, a portion of the span adjacent the tip defines a tip span region. A solidity of the variable pitch fan is at least 1.0 in the root span region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Syed Arif Khalid, Christopher James Kroger, Daniel Alan Niergarth
  • Patent number: 10208768
    Abstract: A compressor may include a casing defining a discharge cavity and a seal cavity. A rotary shaft may be disposed in the casing, and a shaft seal assembly may be disposed in the seal cavity and about the rotary shaft. An impeller may be coupled with and configured to be driven by the rotary shaft. A balance piston may be integral with the impeller and may define the discharge cavity and the seal cavity. A balance piston seal may be disposed about the balance piston such that the balance piston seal and the balance piston define a radial clearance therebetween. The radial clearance may be configured to provide fluid communication from the impeller to the discharge cavity. A heat shield may be disposed in the discharge cavity, and may be configured to prevent the conduction of heat from the discharge cavity to the seal cavity via the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: DRESSER-RAND COMPANY
    Inventors: David J. Peer, David Andrew Taylor, Brian David Massey, Kirk Ryan Lupkes, Scott David Wisler, James M. Sorokes, Mark J. Kuzdzal
  • Patent number: 10156154
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement rotatably supports a shaft of an aircraft engine. The bearing arrangement comprises a bearing having rolling elements disposed between inner and outer races. The inner race is affixed to the shaft. A decoupler normally structurally couples the outer race of the bearing to a stator structure of the engine. The decoupler is configured to release the bearing from the stator structure when subject to a predetermined critical load. A bumper is mounted to the stator structure and encircles the bearing. The bumper has a radially inwardly facing surface disposed in close proximity to a radially outer surface of the outer race of the bearing and defines therewith a radial gap to accommodate and constrain an orbiting motion of the rotor about the central axis of the engine after decoupling at the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: David Denis, Philippe Bonniere, Milica Kojovic, Oleg Korshikov, Lena Raykowski, Czeslaw Wojtyczka
  • Patent number: 10138737
    Abstract: A rotor for a turbine engine includes a disk having cavities called primary cavities at its periphery; a plurality of blades each having a root of which the lower part is composed of a bulb locked axially in the primary cavities; a plurality of added platforms, each being arranged between two consecutive blades, wherein the platforms have: a substantially straight plate and a bulb extending radially under the plate, the bulb being locked axially in the secondary cavities arranged at the periphery of the disk, the secondary cavities being positioned between two consecutive primary cavities; a spoiler extending in the axial direction, the spoiler forming an annular sector facing at least two consecutive blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Nicolas Trappier, Antoine Jean-Philippe Beaujard
  • Patent number: 10132329
    Abstract: A vacuum pump comprises a vacuum exhaust section, the vacuum exhaust section including a stator, and a rotor having a rotor cylindrical section, the rotor cylindrical section discharging gas in cooperation with the stator, a suction port; a base; an exhaust port disposed on the base, wherein at least a part of the exhaust port faces an outer peripheral surface of the stator, and gas sucked through the suction port by the vacuum exhaust section is discharged through the exhaust port; and a conductance increasing function section formed on at least one of the outer peripheral surface of the stator and an inner peripheral surface of the base, the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface facing an exhaust path for gas discharged by the rotor cylindrical section and the stator leading to the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuya Tsubokawa
  • Patent number: 10119554
    Abstract: A compressor and a method for reducing acoustic energy generated in the compressor are provided. The compressor may include a housing defining a fluid pathway and a shunt hole fluidly coupling the fluid pathway with another component of the compressor. The compressor may also include an impeller at least partially disposed in the fluid pathway and coupled with a rotary shaft. The impeller may be configured to rotate with the rotary shaft to direct a process fluid through the fluid pathway of the compressor. A disk may be disposed between the fluid pathway and the shunt hole. The disk may define a plurality of openings fluidly coupling the fluid pathway with the shunt hole and configured to reduce acoustic energy generated in the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: DRESSER-RAND COMPANY
    Inventors: Zheji Liu, Scott D. Wisler
  • Patent number: 10100836
    Abstract: A fan assembly includes a nozzle and a device for creating an air flow through the nozzle. The nozzle includes an interior passage, a mouth for receiving the air flow from the interior passage, and a Coanda surface located adjacent the mouth and over which the mouth is arranged to direct the air flow. The mouth and the Coanda surface extend about an axis. The Coanda surface comprises a diffuser portion, the angle subtended between the axis and the diffuser portion of the Coanda surface varying about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Timothy Nicholas Stickney, Christopher Steven Hodgson, James John Bryden
  • Patent number: 10094389
    Abstract: An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a seal and a flow diverter. The flow diverter is disposed adjacent the seal to direct a secondary gas flow that passes across the seal away from a rotor cavity such that the secondary gas flow travels back toward a main gas flow path of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Conway Chuong, John A. Carella
  • Patent number: 10087841
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aircraft nacelle including: an outer aerodynamic wall having an upstream air intake lip; an inner aerodynamic wall, the air intake lip connecting the two outer and inner aerodynamic skins; a front wall arranged downstream of the air intake lip and connecting the two outer and inner aerodynamic skins; and a network for the circulation of a first fluid for cooling a second fluid. The network includes two air/oil-type heat exchangers, one air/air type heat exchanger, an air scoop to collect air from the outside of the nacelle, an orifice to collect cold air, and an outlet orifice to discharge air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventor: Pierre Caruel
  • Patent number: 10077992
    Abstract: A tip clearance probe includes at least one anti-rotation feature within the probe housing that prevents a sensor component from rotating when the tip clearance probe fails due to extraordinary wear and tear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Eli Cole Warren
  • Patent number: 10077783
    Abstract: A rotation mechanism includes a casing with an upper half portion and a lower half portion; and an internal unit disposed in the casing with a rotor rotating around an axis thereof. Additionally, a bearing portion rotatably supports the rotor, and an annular seal portion seals a gap surrounding a circumferential surface of the rotor. An axial movement restricting portion includes a fitting concave portion on one of the casing and the internal unit, and a fitting convex portion to be fitted into the fitting concave portion as a pair, which restricts relative movement between the casing and the internal unit in a direction of axis. A tapered surface is formed on the fitting concave portion and the fitting convex portion and a width thereof in the direction of axis increases toward an inner circumferential side in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Masuda, Atsushi Higashio
  • Patent number: 10072669
    Abstract: A centrifugal impeller for a blower has a base plate, a cover plate, and a plurality of curved blades mounted between the base plate and the cover plate. The base plate and the cover plate have blade mounting portions including a plurality of mounting holes. Cover plate mounting portions and base plate mounting portions project from each blade and engage with the mounting holes of the cover plate and base plate, respectively. The mounting holes of the cover plate include first mounting holes arranged outwardly from a central region. The first mounting holes have a circular shape. The cover plate mounting portions of each blade include first mounting protrusions engaged with the first mounting holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Jun Feng Shen, Ching Hang Leung, Siu Chun Tam
  • Patent number: 10053992
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine airfoil includes a body that provides an exterior airfoil surface that extends in a radial direction to a tip. The exterior surface has a leading edge in a forward direction and a trailing edge in an aft direction. The tip includes a squealer pocket that has a recess surface. A cooling passage is arranged in the body. Each of the cooling holes extends from an inlet at the cooling passage to an outlet at the recessed surface. The inlet and outlet are arranged at an angle in an angular direction relative to the recessed surface. The angular direction is toward at least one of the forward and aft directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: San Quach, Scott D. Lewis, Steven Bruce Gautschi, Christopher King, Christopher Corcoran, David Donald Chapdelaine
  • Patent number: 10036391
    Abstract: An impeller of a fan comprises a hub, a plurality of blades, a permeable shell and a permanent magnet. The hub includes a top portion and a side wall, and the inside of the top portion adjacent to the side wall includes a plurality of first balance rooms. The blades are disposed around the hub. The permeable shell is disposed within the hub. The permanent magnet is disposed within the permeable shell, and at least a portion of the first balance room is defined between the top portion and the permanent magnet. A fan is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shir-Harn Yeh
  • Patent number: 10024329
    Abstract: A fan assembly in which all of the major structural components of the assembly are mechanically fastened together by non-welding means, such as mechanical fasteners, is disclosed. The disclosure also relates to a fan assembly in which the major structural components have planar segments separated by bend lines that approximate a curved shape, and that can be formed, for example, by a press brake machine. Such a construction can eliminate the necessity for rolling, welding, and painting of the structural components of the fan assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Greenheck Fan Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan D. Fetting, Scott S. Kurszewski, Joe A. Knoedler, Todd J. Burns
  • Patent number: 10006353
    Abstract: A turbocharger system of an embodiment includes: a wastegate valve; an electrically-operated actuator configured to adjust a valve lift of the wastegate valve; a temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a target temperature which is a temperature of the turbocharger body or a temperature correlating with the temperature of the turbocharger body; and an actuator controller configured to control the electrically-operated actuator on the basis of the target temperature. The temperature acquisition unit acquires the target temperature, and the actuator controller controls the electrically-operated actuator on the basis of the target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Koike, Tsuyoshi Nishiyama, Kazuhiko Shinagawa, Mitsushi Maeyama, Satoshi Kusano, Yuji Kobayashi, Masanori Okada
  • Patent number: 9970452
    Abstract: Embodiments of a forward-swept impeller are provide, as are embodiments of a gas turbine engine containing a forward-swept impeller. In one embodiment, the gas turbine engine includes a shaft and a forward-swept impeller mounted to the shaft. The forward-swept impeller includes, in turn, an inboard impeller section, an outboard impeller section circumscribing the inboard impeller section, and a plurality of hub flow paths extending over the forward-swept impeller from the inboard impeller section to the outboard impeller section. The plurality of hub flow paths each have a flow path exit that is tilted in a forward direction, as taken along a line tangent to the flow path exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Richard David Conner, Michael Todd Barton, Yoseph Gebre-Giorgis, Harry Lester Kington, John Repp
  • Patent number: 9970444
    Abstract: The invention relates to an adapter for vacuum pumps, characterized in that it comprises an annular inlet flange (15) intended to be coupled to an outlet orifice of a chamber and an outlet coupling (16) comprising at least two cylindrical outlet through-housings (21) and forming an at least partial pump casing for the case (4) of a respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3), said turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) being intended to be received in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21). The invention also relates to a pumping device, characterized in that it comprises an adapter for vacuum pumps (2) as described hereinabove and at least two turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) housed at least partially in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH
    Inventors: Thibaut Bourrilhon, Rainer Mathes, Nicolas Varennes
  • Patent number: 9920767
    Abstract: Provided is a well pump system that includes a pressure pipe, a rotatable shaft surrounded by a plurality of bearings, a pumping mechanism mounted to the pressure pipe and having a plurality of pump impellers mounted to a second end of the shaft, a rotating mechanism mounted to a first end of the shaft and configured for rotating it within the bearings, thereby causing the pump impellers to move the fluid in the pressure pipe, and at least one non-return valve configured for assuming at least two states including a first, opened state, in which the second pipe chamber is in fluid communication with the first pipe chamber, and a second, closed state, in which the non-return valve obstructs the fluid communication between the first and the second pipe chambers, thereby lubricating them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MEKOROT WATER COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Gavriel Klain, Avraham Zacharin, Gennadi Heifetz, Igor Kolodin
  • Patent number: 9909431
    Abstract: An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes a wave spring with integral end blocks which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the wave spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the wave spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The body of the device has an oblong cross-sectional shape, thereby preventing rotation of the device in the space between the blade and the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Mohit Gupta, Robert Hudson, Erica Holden, David Myers