Patents Examined by Justin D Seabe
  • Patent number: 11686293
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to devices (300) for wind turbine blades (22) and methods (400) for reducing vibrations in wind turbines (10). More particularly, the present disclosure relates to devices (300) for mitigating vortex induced vibrations and stall induced vibrations, wind turbine blades (22) comprising such devices (300), and methods (400) for reducing wind turbine vibrations when the wind turbine (10) is parked, especially during wind turbine installation and/or maintenance. A device (300) is configured to be arranged around a wind turbine blade (22) and comprises three or more air flow modifying elements (305) comprising a concave outer surface (323) configured to face away from a wind turbine blade (22). The device further comprises a supporting structure (310) configured to support the plurality of air flow modifying elements (305). An angular distance (307) between adjacent air flow modifying elements (305) in cross-section is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Darren John Danielsen, Marc Canal Vila
  • Patent number: 11668279
    Abstract: Provided is a wind park, a wind park controller, and a method for controlling a first wind turbine of a plurality of wind turbines of a wind park, wherein a second wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines can be affected by a wake region caused by the first wind turbine which is positioned upstream of the second wind turbine. A current yaw state is determined and is selected from at least one of: a) an actual rotor yaw misalignment angle of the first wind turbine, wherein the actual rotor yaw misalignment angle is an angle between a rotating axis of a rotor of the first wind turbine and a current wind direction at the rotating axis upstream of the first wind turbine, b) an identifier representing whether the actual rotor yaw misalignment angle is either in a range of positive yaw misalignment angles or of negative yaw misalignment angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Per Egedal, Pieter M. O. Gebraad
  • Patent number: 11668276
    Abstract: Provided is an electrical connection system for a wind turbine blade that allows sharing the current between all conductors, in order to avoid voltage differences between them, avoiding internal sparks between pultruded plates, in a spar cap of the wind turbine blade. A second aspect is a wind turbine which in turn includes the wind turbine blade including the electrical bonding system. A third aspect is a method for electrically connecting conductive caps in a wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventors: Fernando García Ayerra, Olimpio Guerrero Buitrago, Joan Pau Guilera de Gispert, Victor March Nomen
  • Patent number: 11655825
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of a compressor includes an inlet defining an intake passage, a plurality of inlet guide vanes, an impeller, and a plurality of swirl nozzles. Fluid flow through the plurality of inlet guide vanes into the intake passage is selectively adjustable to control fluid flow through at least the portion of the intake passage downstream of the swirl nozzles. The impeller includes a plurality of blades and directs fluid from the intake passage toward an outlet. The swirl nozzles have outlets positioned downstream of the plurality of inlet guide vanes and upstream of the impeller. The swirl nozzles are configured to introduce fluid into the intake passage to cause swirl of fluid in the intake passage between the plurality of inlet guide vanes and the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chaitanya Vishwajit Halbe, Vishnu M. Sishtla
  • Patent number: 11643933
    Abstract: A stator vane includes an airfoil having an airfoil shape. The airfoil shape has a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z set forth in one of TABLE I or TABLE II. The Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z are defined relative to a point data origin at a base of the airfoil. The Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z are non-dimensional values that are convertible to dimensional distances expressed in a unit of distance by multiplying the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z by a scaling factor of the airfoil in the unit of distance. The X and Y values are connected by smooth continuing arcs to define airfoil profile sections at each Z value. The airfoil profile sections at Z values are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew John McKeever, Kevin Michael Barnett, Michael James Healy
  • Patent number: 11644005
    Abstract: This invention relates to a root end structure, a wind turbine blade comprising such a root end structure and a method of manufacturing such a wind turbine blade. The root end structure comprises a plurality of fastening members distributed along a root end of a blade part, wherein a first plurality of pultruded elements are arranged in between the fastening members and a second pultruded element is further arranged at the blade joint ends adjacent to an outermost fastening member. Each first pultruded element has opposite facing second sides each facing a first side of an adjacent fastening member. The second pultruded element has one second side facing the outermost fastening member and another second side facing the blade joint interface. The second pultruded element comprises a transition portion forming a smooth transition for the inner layers extending further along the mould edge surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: LM WIND POWER INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY II APS
    Inventors: Jalmer Bernu, Chad Pavlish, Jacob Samuelson, Henrik Barslev, Danny Kedochim
  • Patent number: 11639708
    Abstract: A rotor hub of a wind turbine comprising a hub housing, which has a plurality of connecting flanges, which are each adapted for connection of a rotor blade, wherein each of the rotor blades is coupled to a pitch drive for rotating the rotor blade, wherein the pitch drive is connected to an arrangement of electrical control devices, which are adapted to control the pitch drive. The arrangement of the control devices is provided in a module as a structural unit, the module being connected as a whole to the hub housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Jonas Schmid, Frank Gerdes, Aike Janßen
  • Patent number: 11629729
    Abstract: A pump, in particular for a fluid circuit in a vehicle, for example a coolant pump with a multi-part housing that has a pump chamber, wherein an impeller is arranged in the pump chamber, wherein the pump chamber is bounded by a pump housing and a further housing part of the multi-part housing, wherein the pump housing and the further housing part each have a flange surface that rest against one another, and wherein one of the two flange surfaces has at least one annular groove and the other of the two flange surfaces has at least one circumferential web which engages in the annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Theodor Hueser, Ciprian Ionel Ivanut, Thorsten Wille-Riess
  • Patent number: 11624298
    Abstract: A turbine exhaust drain system has a sump where liquid collects and a suction pipe having an inlet end fluidly connected to the sump and an outlet end fluidly connected to a core gas path of a turbine exhaust case. In use, the combustion gases flowing through the exhaust case creates a venturi effect to draw the liquid from the sump into the core gas path where the liquid and the combustions gases combine into a mixed flow before being discharged through an outlet end of the exhaust case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Guy Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 11624352
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a rotor of a wind power installation, to a rotor for a wind power installation, to a wind power installation having a rotor blade and/or having a rotor, and to a method for connection of a rotor blade at a hub of a rotor of a wind power installation. The rotor blade comprises a hub-side end for fastening the rotor blade to a movable part of a blade bearing, wherein a bearing cover is arranged on an outer circumferential surface of the hub-side end of the rotor blade, wherein a portion of the bearing cover that is close to the bearing is further away from the outer circumferential surface of the hub-side end of the rotor blade than a portion of the bearing cover that is remote from the bearing by a multiple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Wilko Gudewer, Jonas Schmid, Thorsten Fleßner, Nico Gloystein
  • Patent number: 11619143
    Abstract: A gas expander includes a scroll casing, an impeller accommodated in the scroll casing and rotationally driven to a first side in a circumferential direction around a central axis by the gas flowing while expanding from an outside to an inside in a radial direction, a diffuser disposed on a first side in an axial direction with respect to the scroll casing and forming a flow path of the gas discharged from the impeller to the first side in the axial direction and swirling to the first side in the circumferential direction, and a vortex preventer provided in the diffuser, in which the vortex preventer includes a profile rectifying blade portion, which is curved or inclined to a second side in the circumferential direction from the first side toward a second side in the axial direction, at least in a portion of the second side in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fumihiko Iwata
  • Patent number: 11614069
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine includes first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. Each of the first and second blade segments includes at least one shell member defining an airfoil surface and an internal support structure. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending lengthwise, whereas the internal support structure of the second blade segment includes a receiving section that receives the beam structure of the first blade segment. Further, the rotor blade includes at least one chord-wise extending pin positioned through the beam structure and the receiving section at the chord-wise joint so as to secure the first and second blade segments together. The rotor blade includes at least one additional support member that receives a portion of the chord-wise extending pin so as to reduce a chord-wise bending deflection of the chord-wise extending pin at the chord-wise joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Mitchell Rodwell, Thomas Merzhaeuser
  • Patent number: 11614077
    Abstract: Provided is a wind turbine blade for a wind turbine, the wind turbine blade including: a first element containing carbon fibers, the first element being enclosed by a first metallic cover so as to form a Faraday cage around the same; a second element containing carbon fibers, the second element being enclosed by a second metallic cover so as to form a Faraday cage around the same; and an electrical bond connecting the first metallic cover and the second metallic cover. Elements containing carbon fibers are protected against lightning strikes allowing that such elements are placed further towards the tip, thereby making the whole blade lighter and allowing to better tailor the shape of the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Inventors: Donato Girolamo, Sri Markandeya Rajesh Ponnada
  • Patent number: 11608752
    Abstract: A sealing apparatus for an axial flow turbomachine is disclosed. An example axial flow turbomachine includes band segments bordering a flow path, a first spline seal disposed at a first angle within a first slot of the band segments, a second spline seal disposed at second angle within a second slot of the band segments, a Z-seal disposed across a gap between the first slot and the second, the Z-seal positioned at least partially within the first slot and the second slot. The Z-seal includes a first segment disposed at the first angle at least partially within the first slot, the first segment to contact the first spline seal, a second segment disposed at the second angle at least partially within the second slot, a portion of the second segment in connection with a portion of the first segment, the second segment to contact the second spline seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathon Farmer, Ricardo Caraballo
  • Patent number: 11608833
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a centrifugal compressor and air conditioning equipment. The centrifugal compressor includes: a main shaft; a diffuser, provided with a first thrust bearing at one end away from a diffusion surface; a supporting assembly, provided with a second thrust bearing at one end facing towards the diffuser; and a thrust disk, configured to rotate together with the main shaft, located between the diffuser and the supporting assembly along an axial direction and provided with a thrust portion, a clearance between one side of the thrust portion and the first thrust bearing and a clearance between the other side of the thrust portion and the second thrust bearing being limited through mutual abutting of the diffuser and the supporting assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai
    Inventors: Hua Liu, Zhiping Zhang, Hongbo Li, Ruixing Zhong, Yuhui Chen, Wenteng Ye, Jingli Qi, Sheng Liu
  • Patent number: 11608743
    Abstract: A blade for an open rotor includes a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure side and the suction side intersecting at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein for at least 30% of a span of the blade, the meanline of the airfoil section is shaped such that a relative curvature parameter is greater than 1.75 in a first region, less than 0.75 in a second region, and greater than 1.2 in a third region, wherein the relative curvature parameter of a region is defined by ??n/??tot/?(x/c)n wherein ? corresponds to the inverse tangent of the slope of a meanline curve, subscript n indicates the region, and x/c is a chordwise location normalized by the chord, and wherein the first region comprises at least x/c=0.0 to 0.10 and the third region comprises at least x/c=0.85 to 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Patent number: 11608786
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a propulsor section including a propulsor, a compressor section including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, a geared architecture, a turbine section including a low pressure turbine and a high pressure turbine, and a power density of greater than or equal to 4.75 and less than or equal to 5.5 lbf/in3, wherein the power density is a ratio of a thrust provided by the engine to a volume of the turbine section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Patent number: 11608834
    Abstract: A centrifugal blower includes an outer rotor, and a turbo fan. The turbo fan includes blades, an other end plate, and a cylinder portion. The cylinder portion is located inside the other end plate, and is fixed to the outer rotor. A surface of the outer rotor configures a rotor guide surface that guides an air flow toward a channel provided between adjacent blades. Each blade has a leading edge side portion located radially inside the cylinder portion. An outer end portion of the rotor guide surface in the radial direction is located at the same position in the axial direction as a one side cylinder end portion of the cylinder portion in the axial direction, in a state where a rotor contact portion of the outer rotor and a blade contact portion of the leading edge side portion are in contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Fumiya Ishii, Shuzo Oda, Masanori Yasuda
  • Patent number: 11598309
    Abstract: Provided herein is a spar cap having a profile for guiding and receiving a shear web for wind turbine blade. Particularly, the present disclosure provides a pultruded spar cap having a bond gap feature to maintain a uniform space for distribution of bonding paste between the spar cap and shear web. Also, the spar cap is formed with locating features which guide and receive placement of the shear web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TPI Composites, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne G. Monie, Nicholas Warchol, Michael Villar
  • Patent number: 11592001
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade and a wind turbine blade thereof. A central core element and a plurality of side core elements are sandwiched between first layers and second layers of a first fibre material. The central core element is spaced apart from the side core elements to form a first and a second recess. This sandwich structure is then impregnated with a first resin and cured in a first step. Layers of a second fibre material of a first and a second main laminate are laid up in the first and second recesses. The first and second main laminates are then impregnated with a second resin and cured in a second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: LM WINDPOWER INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY II APS
    Inventors: Michael Lund-Laverick, Lars Nielsen