Patents Examined by Justin D Seabe
  • Patent number: 11852020
    Abstract: The present application provides an adjustable inlet guide vane angle monitoring device for monitoring an angular position of an inlet guide vane mounted about a compressor of a gas turbine engine. The adjustable inlet guide vane angle monitoring device may include a position sensor attached to the inlet guide vane, a sensor plate attached to the position sensor, and a limit switch positioned about the sensor plate. The position sensor determines the angular position of the inlet guide vane and the limit switch prevents movement of the inlet guide vane upon detection of the sensor plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel Carter, Raymond K. Fong, Jörg Pfistner, Mihaela Krizanic-Biscan
  • Patent number: 11852122
    Abstract: A wind turbine (10) is disclosed having a hub (14) with electrical power therein and at least one blade (20) attached to the hub. The blade (20) has a blade root (21), a blade tip (26) and a down-wire (30) for the conduction of lightning current to the ground. The wind turbine (10) further has a blade electrical system (99) that takes electrical power from the hub (14) and transmits electrical power into the blade (20) to at least one area located between the blade root (21) and the blade tip (26). The blade electrical system (99) if formed by a power-transfer unit (100) having a power-driver unit (110), a power-conditioner unit (130) and a dielectric (120) separating the power-driver unit (110) and the power-conditioner unit (130). The power-driver unit (110) receives electrical power from the hub (14) and transmit the electrical power through the dielectric (120) to the power-conditioner unit (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SSB WIND SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Fabio Bertolotti
  • Patent number: 11846266
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to fastener assemblies (400) for a wind turbine blade (22) to rotor hub (20) connection, wherein the fastener assembly (400) comprises a fastener (401) and one or more sleeves (410) configured to absorb the ingress of liquid into a blade root insert (220). The present disclosure also relates to wind turbine hub assemblies (1000) and associated methods (700).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: LM WIND POWER A/S, LM WIND POWER (SPAIN) S.A.
    Inventors: Michael Wenani Nielsen, Diego Vidal Rebollal
  • Patent number: 11840999
    Abstract: A rotor including soft rotor structures fixed to the rotor shaft, which rotor structures are of a soft material such as canvas or the like. The rotor structure is a loop arranged to form an asymmetrical cone when an air or water current flows through the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventor: Marten Bondestam
  • Patent number: 11841003
    Abstract: A wind turbine comprising a tower (2) with a tower wall and having at least one nacelle (3) mounted thereon, and a yaw system (1) interconnecting the tower (2) and at least one nacelle (3) is disclosed. The yaw system (1) comprises a yaw claw (4) comprising an upper radially extending part (5), a lower radially extending part (6) and an axially extending part (7) interconnecting the upper radially extending part (5) and the lower radially extending part (6), thereby defining a space. A sliding bearing connection with at least two axial sliding surfaces (9, 10) and at least one radial sliding surface (11) is arranged between the yaw claw (4) and a flange (8) arranged in the space defined by the yaw claw (4). At least one yaw drive (13) comprising a toothed gear (14) is arranged in meshing connection with a toothed yaw ring (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Jesper Lykkegaard Neubauer, Peter Bøttcher
  • Patent number: 11834958
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the rotor assembly comprising a first rotor stage having a first disc portion with a peripheral first rim portion and a second rotor stage, the second rotor stage having a second disc portion with a peripheral second rim portion. The second rotor stage is axially adjacent and downstream of the first rotor stage and the second rim portion has an axial extension extending towards the first rim portion such that the axial extension of the second rim portion defines a rotor drum cavity between the first and second disc portions. The second rotor stage further comprises a drive arm extending within the drum cavity to the first disc portion, the drive arm being connected to the first disc portion by at least one connector. The drive arm divides the drum cavity into radially outer rim cavity portion and a radially inner main cavity portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: Crispin D Bolgar
  • Patent number: 11835062
    Abstract: A diagonal fan has an electric motor, a housing, and a diagonal impeller received in the housing. The diagonal fan is driven via the electric motor. The fan generates a diagonal flow during operation that is deflected in an axial flow direction by an inner wall of the housing. An outlet guide vane device is arranged adjacent to the diagonal impeller when viewed in the axial flow direction. The outlet guide vane device has a plurality of guide vanes that are distributed in a circumferential direction. The outlet guide vane device homogenizes an airflow generated by the diagonal impeller. The device has an air outlet with a specified outlet diameter B. The diagonal fan extends over a total axial length E. The ratio of the total axial length E to the outlet diameter B is configured such that 0.3?E/B?0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Heli, Daniel Gebert
  • Patent number: 11835061
    Abstract: A split volute for a centrifugal pump is disclosed that provides a manufacturing advantage by improving the yield of high-chrome iron casting, providing for full surface coating capability using line-of-sight spray coating systems. Performance improvements include improved pump efficiency, abrasion resistance, and volute lifetime. Additional operational cost savings are enabled through reduced time required for common volute maintenance procedures and an increased replacement interval for the volute. Taken together, these advantages reduce the total cost of ownership of the split volute pump system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL FLOW SOLUTIONS OPERATING, LLC
    Inventors: Ken Patton, Kiritkumar Patel
  • Patent number: 11828295
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pressure wall for a centrifugal pump for fluid having substantially the shape of a disc, the disc-shaped pressure wall having a central axis, the pressure wall comprising: a top surface; and a bottom surface opposing the top surface; wherein the top surface includes an inner surface section and an outer surface section, wherein the inner surface section extends radially from the central axis and is recessed to form a central recess; and wherein the outer surface section includes an inner circumferential edge portion and an outer circumferential edge portion, wherein the inner circumferential edge portion is located closer to the central axis than the outer circumferential edge portion, and wherein the outer circumferential edge portion is located higher than the inner circumferential edge portion with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and passing through the inner circumferential edge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Bleckmann GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Frederic Hackl, Hubert Unterberger, Mladen Gojkic, Michael Ullrich
  • Patent number: 11828264
    Abstract: A rotor blade includes a first blade segment and a second blade segment extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments has at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface. The first blade segment includes a beam structure having a receiving end with at least one span-wise extending pin extending therefrom. The second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the beam structure. The receiving section includes a chord-wise member having a pin joint slot defined therethrough. The pin joint slot receives the span-wise extending pin at the receiving end of the beam structure so as to secure the first and second blade segments together. Moreover, the chord-wise member, the pin joint slot, and/or the span-wise extending pin includes at least one compliant structure formed of a compliant material that allows a deformation thereof to follow a shear deformation of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Merzhaeuser, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell, Mohammad Salah Attia, Matthew Brian Dudon
  • Patent number: 11821402
    Abstract: A method of designing a wind turbine rotor blade. The method includes selecting a gravity load safety factor associated with wind turbine rotor blade fatigue loading due to gravity, that is selected to be less than a defined wind load safety factor associated with wind turbine rotor blade fatigue loading that is not due to gravity. The method includes determining a gravity-corrected design load for wind turbine rotor blade deflection, that is determined based on the selected gravity load safety factor and the defined wind load safety factor. The method includes designing a gravity-corrected wind turbine rotor blade in accordance with the determined gravity-corrected design load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Leo Thesbjerg, Søren Hove Sørensen, Gustavo Oliveira Violato
  • Patent number: 11821403
    Abstract: A method of assembling a wind turbine tower by stacking a plurality of annular sections made of concrete above each other. The main connections are performed between two adjacent annular sections, for withstanding loads induced by a rotor. The auxiliary connections are performed between two adjacent annular sections, for withstanding loads induced by an earthquake and loads induced by the wind on the wind turbine in absence of the rotor, but not necessarily loads induced by the rotor. The method is characterized in that the auxiliary connections between two adjacent annular sections are performed prior to stacking the following annular section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NORDEX ENERGY SPAIN S.A.U.
    Inventors: Aitor Garduno Estebanez, Alexandre Cal Hernandez, Ivan Garcia Maestre, Asier Gomez Andueza, Vanessa Cerrillo Gomez, Ander Gaston Lujambio, Teresa Arlaban Gabeiras, Jose Miguel Garcia Sayes, Miguel Nunez Polo
  • Patent number: 11814984
    Abstract: A rotor has formed therein a groove with which a moving blade including a dovetail portion and a platform portion connecting the dovetail portion and a blade portion engages. The groove opens in a surface intersecting the axis of rotation of the rotor, and includes a contacting portion extending obliquely with respect to the axis of rotation and coming into contact with the dovetail portion, a bottom portion of an end portion on the radially inner side of the rotor, a joining portion between the contacting portion and the bottom portion, a platform facing portion facing the platform portion, and a chamfered portion formed on an end surface in the groove-extending direction. The chamfered dimension of the joining portion is greater on the side with an acute angle between the groove and the end surface than on the side with an obtuse angle between the groove and the end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Okui, Kondo Takahiro
  • Patent number: 11811108
    Abstract: A fuel cell centrifugal compressor includes: an impeller including a hub and blades; and a shroud. A smaller one of angles formed by each blade and a meridian surface is a blade angle. An absolute value of the blade angle on a hub-side of the blade is local minimum between hub-side front and rear edges of the blade. An absolute value of the blade angle on a shroud-side of the blade is local minimum between shroud-side front and rear edges of the blade. The hub-side of the blade is constantly less than or equal to the shroud-side of the blade in absolute value of the blade angle between the hub-side front and rear edges. The shroud-side rear edge is less than the shroud-side front edge in absolute value of the blade angle. The hub-side rear edge is greater than the hub-side front edge in absolute value of the blade angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Ryo Umeyama, Yoshiyuki Nakane, Takahito Kunieda
  • Patent number: 11808175
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine (GTE) airfoils, such as rotor and turbofan blades, having multimodal thickness distributions include an airfoil tip, and an airfoil root opposite the airfoil tip in a spanwise direction. The GTE airfoil has a first, second and third locally-thickened region, with the first locally-thickened region defined at the airfoil root. A maximum thickness of each chord between the airfoil root and the airfoil tip transitions toward the leading edge between the first locally-thickened region and the second locally-thickened region, and the third locally-thickened region extends in the spanwise direction. A chord line that extends through the third locally-thickened region contains a first local thickness maxima and a second local thickness maxima interspersed with at least two local thickness minima, and the first local thickness maxima is defined by the third locally-thickened region and is greater than the second local thickness maxima.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Constantinos Vogiatzis, Yoseph Gebre-Giorgis
  • Patent number: 11795839
    Abstract: The invention regards a structural assembly for a gas turbine engine which includes a bearing with a statically arranged outer ring and a rotatably arranged inner ring, the bearing outer ring including a radially outer surface. The assembly further includes a housing structure supporting the statically arranged outer ring. It is provided that the housing structure forms a housing ring against which the radially outer surface of the bearing outer ring lies and which supports the bearing outer ring radially outwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Stefan Mittelstaedt, Jiri Sacha
  • Patent number: 11788427
    Abstract: Lubricant pump systems and associated methods for aircraft engines are provided. The method includes receiving an input torque, dividing the input torque between a first load path receiving a first portion of the input torque, and a second load path receiving a second portion of the input torque. A first lubricant pump of the aircraft engine is driven via the first load path using the first portion of the input torque. A second lubricant pump of the aircraft engine is driven via the second load path using the second portion of the input torque. When a malfunction of the second lubricant pump occurs, the method includes ceasing to drive the first lubricant pump and the second lubricant pump using the input torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Hervé Turcotte
  • Patent number: 11788511
    Abstract: A first aspect of the invention provides a method of testing a yaw system (200) of a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor; the yaw system (200) comprising a yaw gear (202) coupled to the rotor so that rotation of the yaw gear (202) causes yaw rotation of the rotor, and first and second sub-systems (204a, 204b), the first sub-system (204a) comprising a first pinion gear (206a) and a first drive motor (208a) coupled to the yaw gear (202) by the first pinion gear (206a), the second sub-system (204b) comprising a second pinion gear (206b) and a second drive motor (208b) coupled to the yaw gear (202) by the second pinion gear (206b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Søren Dalsgaard, Peter Bøttcher, Jesper Lykkegaard Neubauer, Anders Yde Wollesen, Julio Xavier Vianna Netø, Torben Ladegaard Baun
  • Patent number: 11788532
    Abstract: Pumps and fluid-handling devices for modifying at least one property of a fluid and related method comprise a compensation assembly including at least one biasing element to enable a hydraulic insert to move within a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventors: Davide Balconi, Marc van Dongen
  • Patent number: 11788514
    Abstract: A wind power plant comprising a first structural element, a second structural element, a bearing assembly by means of which the first structural element is rotatably mounted on the second structural element, a first flange connection between the first structural element and the bearing assembly, a second flange connection between the second structural element and the bearing assembly, and at least one drive, held by a support structure for rotating the first structural element relative to the second structural element. The support structure is formed as a plate and is arranged at one of the flange connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Florian Sartorius