Patents Examined by Justin A Pruitt
  • Patent number: 10138746
    Abstract: A flow control device for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a seal body having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface and at least one stand-up protruding from the radially outer surface and configured to seal an interrupted surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryan C. McMahon
  • Patent number: 10132194
    Abstract: A turbine shroud adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of metallic carrier segments and a plurality of blade track segments mounted to corresponding metallic carrier segments. Cooling flow inserts direct cooling air onto the blade track segments to cool the blade track segments when exposed to high temperatures in a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel K. Vetters
  • Patent number: 10125774
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes: a casing; and an impeller that is attached to a rotation shaft of a motor, wherein the casing has an upper suction port and a lower suction port, wherein the impeller has a rotor hub, a plurality of blades arranged around the rotor hub in a circumferential direction, and a main plate coupled to the rotor hub and connects the blades in the circumferential direction, and wherein an inclination of an outer edge of the blades at an upper blade portion that is located above the main plate with respect to a plane parallel to the rotation shaft and an inclination of the outer edge of the blades at a lower blade portion that is located below the main plate with respect to the plane parallel to the rotation shaft are set to be in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Higuchi, Naoya Murakami
  • Patent number: 10107108
    Abstract: A rotor blade includes an airfoil having a blade tip and a tip cavity formed at the blade tip. The tip cavity includes a tip cap that is recessed radially inwardly from the tip and surrounded continuously by pressure and suction side walls of the airfoil. The tip cap further includes an aperture that extends through the tip cap and provides for fluid communication between an internal cavity defined within the airfoil and the tip cavity. An exhaust port provides for fluid communication out the tip cavity through one of the pressure side wall, the suction side wall or the trailing edge. A portion of at least one of the suction side wall and the pressure side wall that defines the tip cavity extends obliquely outwardly from the tip cavity with respect to a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Clarence Jones, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Mitchell Allan Merrill
  • Patent number: 10100654
    Abstract: A turbine shroud adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of metallic carrier segments and a plurality of blade track segments mounted to corresponding metallic carrier segments. Impingement tubes direct cooling air onto the blade track segments to cool the blade track segments when exposed to high temperatures in a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel K. Vetters, Peter Broadhead, Steven Hillier
  • Patent number: 10100667
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component is provided. The gas turbine engine component comprises a main body and a leading edge cooling passage defined within the main body. The main body has a leading edge and a leading edge wall including an elongated transition portion extending between the leading edge and a proximate flowpath surface of the main body. The leading edge cooling passage comprises an axial flow cooling passage defined within the main body and adjacent to the leading edge wall and has a leading edge periphery that generally conforms to the elongated transition portion of the leading edge wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony B. Swift, Paul M. Lutjen, Neil L. Tatman, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr., Matthew A. Devore, Ken F. Blaney
  • Patent number: 10087906
    Abstract: A hydraulic turbine according to an embodiment includes a turbine body, a running water surface provided in the turbine body, the running water surface defining a channel for water, and a coating layer provided on the running water surface, the coating layer being formed by water-repellent paint or hydrophilic paint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Nakamura, Toshimasa Mukai, Satoru Kuboya, Hajime Koyama, Takuya Tomioka, Takanori Nakamura, Naritoshi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10066607
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lightning current transfer system (100) adapted for usage in a wind turbine (W) having a hub (20) that is rotatably supported relative to a generator in a nacelle (30) and a plurality of blades (10) that are pivotably connected with the hub, wherein the hub (20) is covered by a spinner (20A). The lightning current transfer system (100) comprises a blade band (10A) mountable to the root of the blade (10); a lightning ring (80) mountable to the spinner (20A) facing the nacelle (30); a first contact device (70) mountable to the spinner (20A) adapted for providing lightning current transfer from the blade band (10A); a connecting device (75) for connecting the first contact device (70) with the lightning ring (80); and a second contact device (30B) mountable to the nacelle (30) and adapted for providing lightning current transfer from the lightning ring (80) to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Morten Bagger Søgaard, Anders Niels Hansen, Claus Gron Lyngby, Niels Martin Henriksen, Benjamin Haastrup, Carsten Christensen, Jesper Lykkegaard Christensen, Martin Ahlmann
  • Patent number: 10024234
    Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine with a fan disk on which are fastened fan blades spread over the circumference and forming an intermediate space with one another, with a sealing disk arranged at the rear of the fan disk and with an inlet cone mounted at the front of the fan disk, as well as with filler elements arranged in the intermediate spaces, where the sealing disk has an annular groove and where the filler elements are at the rear inserted into the annular groove and at the front held underneath a rim area of the inlet cone, characterized in that the filler elements are designed as bending beams and that on the radially inner side of the filler element at least one rib-like reinforcing area is provided, extending in the axial direction and longitudinally to the filler element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Pierangelo Duó, Karl Schreiber
  • Patent number: 10018048
    Abstract: Anti-rotation tabs for the platforms in the fan section of a gas turbine engine are provided. The anti-rotation tabs interface with the trailing edge of the spinner, thereby preventing the platform from rotating and twisting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew G. Alarcon, Christopher M. Quinn, James Glaspey, Matthew A. Turner
  • Patent number: 10006372
    Abstract: A ventilation inlet including a conduit (104) arranged to convey flow from a first flow zone to a second flow zone. The conduit has a mouth region (106) presenting to the first flow zone an entrance aperture to receive the flow therefrom. The conduit has a baffle (114) spanning a portion of the conduit to define a throat region (116), the throat region being narrower than the entrance aperture. The throat region (116) is movable along the conduit (104) to control the flow through the ventilation inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Zahid M Hussain, Nityabh Mishra, Peter T Ireland
  • Patent number: 10001064
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an assembly of an inner fixed structure of a turbojet engine nacelle and of a thermal protection, said structure including an inner face, on which the thermal protection is added, and an outer face constituting a portion of the inner surface of a cold flow path, the assembly including at least one channel put in fluid communication the inner face and the outer face of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN NACELLES
    Inventors: François Bellet, Cédric Renault
  • Patent number: 10001132
    Abstract: An axially split pump for conveying a fluid has an axially split housing that includes a bottom part and a cover. The bottom part has a first sealing surface and the cover has a second sealing surface, the bottom part and the cover being fastened so that the two sealing surfaces have direct contact. A first sealing groove for the reception of a first string-like sealing element is in the sealing surfaces, and a second sealing groove is provided for the reception of a second string-like element, the second sealing groove being connected to the first sealing groove via an opening. A connection element is in the opening that has two lateral cut-outs respectively for the reception of a one of the string-like sealing elements. The cut-outs are arranged and configured so that the two string-like sealing elements run substantially in parallel in the region of the connection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SULZER MANAGEMENT AG
    Inventors: Thomas Welschinger, Heike Tischler, Berthold Vogel
  • Patent number: 9995146
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. Also included is a cooling channel extending in a radial direction and tapering inwardly toward the trailing edge, the cooling channel at least partially defined by a pressure side face and a suction side face. Further included is a first plurality of turbulators protruding from one of the pressure side face and the suction side face to define a first height, the first plurality of turbulators extending toward the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil and spaced radially from each other. Yet further included is a second plurality of turbulators protruding from one of the pressure side face and the suction side face to define a second height that is less than the first height, the second plurality of turbulators extending toward the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil and spaced radially from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg, Gary Michael Itzel, Mitchell Allan Merrill, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Patent number: 9988936
    Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud, hanger, and a hanger support mounted adjacent to a plurality of blades. The hanger can have an interior chamber defining a cooling circuit with a particle separator located within the interior chamber. The particle separator can have an inlet for accepting a flow of cooling fluid, such that a the flow of cooling fluid separates into a major flow and a minor flow carrying particles or particulate matter along the minor flow into a particle collector comprising at least a portion of the particle separator. Particles become constrained to the minor flow and pass into the particle collector, while the major flow is separated into the remaining area of the interior chamber to remove the particles from the flow of cooling fluid passing into the interior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hojjat Nasr, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Curtis Walton Stover, William Collins Vining
  • Patent number: 9988934
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes an engine casing structure and a part retained relative to the engine casing structure by a channel-cooled hook. The channel-cooled hook includes at least a portion of a hook cooling channel. A vane assembly for the gas turbine engine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Brandon W. Spangler
  • Patent number: 9988913
    Abstract: A method for forming a gas turbine engine component comprises the steps of forming a block of a high temperature alloy material. An external surface of the block is machined to form an external surface of a gas turbine engine component. At least one cooling passage within the component that is open to at least one end of the component is machined. At least one insert with a heat transfer feature is formed. The insert is installed within the at least one cooling passage. A component for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon W. Spangler
  • Patent number: 9976420
    Abstract: An aspirating seal assembly for use in a turbine engine is provided. The aspirating seal assembly includes a face seal and a rotary component. The face seal includes a first annular seal surface, and the rotary component includes a second annular seal surface positioned adjacent the first annular seal surface and defining a seal interface therebetween. The face seal is configured to discharge a flow of air towards the seal interface. The seal assembly also includes a first seal member extending between the first and second annular seal surfaces such that the flow of air induces a back pressure across the seal interface, and a second seal member positioned radially inward from the first seal member and extending between the first and second annular seal surfaces. A length of the second seal member is selected to increase the back pressure induced across the seal interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Quang Tue Nguyen Tran, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Christopher Jon Potokar
  • Patent number: 9976427
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems for preventing improper installation of a damper seal. In various embodiments, an airfoil assembly may comprise a platform, an airfoil extending from the platform, and a platform tab. The airfoil may comprise a gaspath face and a non-gaspath face. The non-gaspath face may at least partially define a cavity. The airfoil may comprise a pressure side and a suction side. The platform tab may be located adjacent to the suction side of the airfoil. The platform tab may extend from the platform in the opposite direction as the airfoil and may be configured to prevent a damper seal tab from being inserted radially inwards of the platform tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Daniel Winn, David A. Niezelski
  • Patent number: 9938835
    Abstract: A system for providing cooling of a turbine rotor wheel includes a rotor wheel including a plurality of dovetail slots spaced circumferentially about a peripheral surface of the rotor wheel. Each of the dovetail slots includes a pair of opposite upper slot tangs and a pair of opposite lower slot tangs. The system also includes at least one turbine blade. The turbine blade includes an airfoil, a platform, and a dovetail. The dovetail includes a pair of opposite upper dovetail tangs and a pair of opposite lower dovetail tangs. The dovetail further includes at least one inlet aperture extending longitudinally therethrough. The pair of upper dovetail tangs include a first cooling hole extending therethrough and coupled in flow communication with the at least one inlet aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Paul Giametta, David Richard Johns