Patents Examined by Kayla McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 11536153
    Abstract: The turboshaft engine for a rotorcraft includes a low pressure spool having a low pressure compressor and a low pressure turbine section, and a high pressure spool having a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine section. The spools are independently rotatable relative to one another. The low pressure compressor section includes a mixed flow rotor. A set of variable guide vanes (VGVs) are discposed upstream of each of the low pressure and high pressure compressors, the VGVs being configured to be independently operable relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Keith Morgan, Eric Durocher
  • Patent number: 11512603
    Abstract: The present invention describes a ring fastener (10) comprising a discontinuous band (11) having a first end (14) and a second end (16). The first end (14) comprises a pair of spaced-apart elongate finger members (15a,15b) (having a first finger member (15a) and a second finger member (15b)), and the second end (16) comprises an elongate tongue member (17). The finger members (15a,15b) and the tongue member (17) are interlockable, such that when interlocked, the band (11) comprises a continuous circumference. The ring fastener (10) further comprises a closed configuration wherein the finger members (15a,15b) and the tongue member (17) are substantially aligned with a circumferential surface (13) of the band (11); and an open configuration wherein the first finger member (15a) is radially and/or axially deflected from its substantially aligned position, so that it is angled with respect to the circumferential surface (13) of the band (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CROSS MANUFACTURING COMPANY (1938) LIMITED
    Inventor: Edward Henry Cross
  • Patent number: 11512736
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bearing unit for a turbocharger rotor. The bearing unit comprises a bearing housing and a bearing bush which is arranged in a central bore for radially mounting a turbocharger rotor in the bearing housing. In the region of a first axial end, the bearing bush has a radially outwardly extending projection. The projection is designed to interact with the bearing housing as an anti-rotation safeguard for the bearing bush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Lothar Koenig, Oliver Schumnig
  • Patent number: 11506061
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade includes an airfoil, root, and platform that is between the root and a proximate end portion of the airfoil. The blade defines a passage having a first leg, second leg, and arcuate portion. The arcuate portion is at least partially within the platform and connects the first and second legs. The first leg extends between a distal end portion of the airfoil and an inlet of the arcuate portion. The second leg extends from an outlet of the arcuate portion to the distal end portion of the airfoil. The platform includes a first feed passage and branch passages. The first feed passage is open through an extrados of the arcuate portion and is in fluid communication with the branch passages. The inlet of each branch passage is connected with the first feed passage while the outlet is open to an exterior of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis LLC
    Inventors: Leissner Ferdinand Poth, III, Sanjay Surat Hingorani
  • Patent number: 11486349
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a blade structure includes providing the blade structure comprising an outer surface having an aerodynamic profile. The method also includes applying one or more shape memory alloys to the outer surface of the blade structure so as to form an outer protection layer on at least a portion of the blade structure. Moreover, the method includes securing the one or more shape memory alloys to the blade structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vidyashankar Ramasastry Buravalla, Paul Mathew, Sriram Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 11472565
    Abstract: A nacelle for a turbomachine is provided and includes an inner wall that is annular about a longitudinal axis of the nacelle, the annular inner wall being designed to surround part of the turbomachine. The nacelle further includes an annular outer wall surrounding the annular inner wall. The annular outer wall includes a first acoustically porous part, and the annular inner wall including a second acoustically porous part. The first and second porous parts are arranged facing one another so as to allow soundwaves, emitted by the turbomachine housed in the nacelle, to pass through the annular inner wall and then the annular outer wall so as to escape from the nacelle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Norman Bruno André Jodet, Jérémy Paul Francisco Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 11454280
    Abstract: A bearing system includes an inboard bearing assembly and an outboard bearing assembly. The inboard bearing assembly includes an inboard fitting and an inboard race. The inboard fitting includes a plate with a convex mating surface and a first aperture formed through the plate for receiving a blade root of a rotor blade. The inboard race comprising a concave mating surface configured to receive the convex mating surface a second aperture formed the inboard race. The outboard bearing assembly includes an outboard bearing assembly comprising an outboard fitting having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving the blade root of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: George Matthew Thompson, Joseph Richard Carpenter, Jr., Paul Sherrill, Jonathan Andrew Knoll
  • Patent number: 11441487
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include turbomachines designed and configured for high temperature and pressure operation and increased power level output that minimize pressure vessel design requirements, and increase dry gas seal reliability. In some examples, a first radial bearing is located in a high temperature and/or pressure region of the turbomachine between a rotor of the machine and a dry gas seal while other bearings are located outside of the high pressure region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Concepts NREC, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin D. Fairman
  • Patent number: 11441535
    Abstract: Provided is a rotor blade for a wind turbine, with a trailing edge including a trailing edge core having several core elements arranged side by side, and with an inner and an outer laminate, wherein one core element is split into two element parts separated by a slit, whereby, seen in the direction from a blade root to a blade tip, the inner laminate runs into and through the slit and becomes the outer laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventors: Tina Grooss, Ashish Pawar
  • Patent number: 11434000
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising at least one rotor and a nacelle fairing extending around the at least one rotor with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotor, the nacelle fairing comprising: an upstream section forming an inlet section of the nacelle fairing; a downstream section, a downstream end of which forms an outlet section of the nacelle fairing; and an intermediate section connecting the upstream and downstream sections, wherein the downstream section comprises a radially inner wall and a radially outer wall made of a deformable shape memory material, and wherein the downstream end forming the outlet section has a pneumatic or hydraulic annular actuator extending around the axis of rotation and configured to deform radially under a predetermined control pressure so as to vary an outer diameter of the outlet section between a minimum diameter and a maximum diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Robert Guy Besse, Ye-Bonne Karina Maldonado
  • Patent number: 11434781
    Abstract: An airfoil defining a span extending between a root and a tip. The airfoil includes a frangible airfoil portion extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and extending between the tip and a fusion line along the span. The frangible airfoil portion includes a first material defining a first modulus of elasticity and further defines an internal cavity. The airfoil includes a residual airfoil portion coupled to the frangible airfoil portion extending from the fusion line to the root along the span and including a second material defining a second modulus of elasticity greater than the first modulus of elasticity. The residual airfoil portion meets the frangible airfoil portion at the fusion line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nitesh Jain, David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Daniel Edward Mollmann
  • Patent number: 11428234
    Abstract: A bleed system of a gas turbine engine includes a bleed duct having a duct inlet located at a flowpath of a gas turbine engine, and a bleed outlet located outside of the flowpath, and extending circumferentially around a central longitudinal axis. A plurality of bleed doors are located at the bleed outlet and are arrayed along a circumferential length on the bleed duct. Each bleed door includes a first circumferential end, and a second circumferential end. The bleed doors are arrayed such that when the bleed doors are in a closed position the first circumferential end is located at the second circumferential end of an adjacent bleed door of the bleed doors. Each bleed door includes a pivot, such that each bleed door rotates about the pivot from the closed position covering the duct outlet to an opened position allowing a bleed airflow to pass through the duct outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jonathan D. Little
  • Patent number: 11377964
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section that has an airfoil wall that defines an arced leading end, a trailing end, and first and second sides that join the arced leading end and the trailing end. The first and second sides span in a longitudinal direction between first and second ends. The airfoil wall circumscribes an internal core cavity. There is an arced rib in the internal core cavity. A cooling passage network is embedded in the airfoil wall between inner and outer portions of the airfoil wall. The cooling passage network has a trailing edge and an arced leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Allan N. Arisi, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 11365723
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for controlling a sub-system of a wind turbine. The apparatus comprises a cooling system comprising first and second heat exchangers, and a fluid circuit arranged to enable a coolant to flow between the first and second heat exchangers; and a processor. The processor is configured to: monitor one or more operational parameters of the cooling system; determine an icing risk based on the one or more operational parameters; and generate a control signal for output to the wind turbine sub-system in dependence on the determined icing risk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Claus Thybo, Johnny Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11359646
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling a hot portion of a gas turbine engine, such as a multi-stage compressor of a gas turbine engine, by reducing an operating air temperature in a space between a seal and a blade post of adjacent stages by routing cooling air through an inlet in the vane, passing the routed cooling air through the vane, and emitting the routed cooling air into the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sesha Subramanian, Monty Lee Shelton, Robert Proctor, Mohamed Musthafa Thoppil, Venkateswararao Gurram, Josiah Warren Joiner, Wojciech Sak
  • Patent number: 11353034
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining an indicator for a prediction of an instability in a compressor, which is designed as an axial or radial compressor, having the following steps: operating a compressor designed as an axial or radial compressor in operating states, which differ by different values of a characteristic parameter for a flow mass flux of the compressor, wherein the operating states are run through at decreasing flow mass fluxes; determining the values of the characteristic value for the flow mass flux for the operating states; detecting time-resolved pressure measurement values when running through the operating states by means of a pressure sensor, which is arranged in a housing of the compressor, upstream adjacent to an entrance plane of a rotor stage determining the skew for the operating states and determining an indicator for an instability of the compressor, if an algebraic sign change of the curve rise is determined for a curve profile of the skew over the characteristic par
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN
    Inventors: Mario Eck, Dieter Peitsch
  • Patent number: 11353006
    Abstract: A wind turbine is provided, including a container, a fluid which is arranged inside the container, and a damping body which is arranged inside the container, which is immersed in the fluid, and which is configured to move inside the container, wherein the fluid and the damping body are configured to damp oscillations of the wind turbine. A damper system is provided that on the one hand the fluid damps, e.g. by sloshing, and on the other hand the damping body damps by moving at least partially through the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventor: Thorkil Munk-Hansen
  • Patent number: 11346369
    Abstract: A blower assembly includes a fan including a front plate that defines a fan inlet. The blower assembly also includes an inlet plate positioned adjacent the fan such that the inlet plate and the front plate define a cavity therebetween that extends circumferentially about the fan inlet. A motor is coupled to the fan and to the inlet plate and configured to rotate about the rotational axis. The motor is positioned within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: REGAL BELOIT AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Logsdon, Jason Jon Kreidler, Wesley Kenneth Anderson
  • Patent number: 11333170
    Abstract: A cooling system for optimizing fan air flow performance without compromising acoustic performance is disclosed. At least three fan feature embodiments are disclosed: (1) sloped fan blades, (2) sloped impeller hubs, and (3) inlet flow guidance features. For the first embodiment, fan blades attached to an impeller disc and having leading edges that progressively curve toward a center of the impeller disc. For the second embodiment, the impeller disc is attached to and centered on an impeller hub that has a sloped hub surface that progressively curves toward the fan blades. For the third embodiment, an inlet flow guidance feature is positioned within a region surrounding a fan's inlet promoting smooth passage of air into the fan. In some embodiments, all three fan features are combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Joseph Aiello, Jesse T. Dybenko, Richard A. Herms
  • Patent number: 11300096
    Abstract: A method for determining an arrangement position of a vortex generator on a wind turbine blade includes: determining, for a first region of a mounting range of the vortex generator in a blade spanwise direction, an arrangement position of the vortex generator to be an angular position offset by a predetermined angle toward a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade with reference to an inflow angle of wind to the wind turbine blade; and determining, for a second region closer to a blade tip, the arrangement position of the vortex generator to be a position between a separation position of a flow on a surface of the wind turbine blade under a rated wind speed condition and a transition position of the flow on the surface of the wind turbine blade under a variable speed operation condition of a wind turbine including the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Motoshi Harada