Patents Examined by Kayla McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 10745122
    Abstract: An aircraft tail rotor system includes a rotating pitch change shaft, a translating element, and a pitch change bearing assembly including a first bearing and a second bearing. The pitch change bearing assembly is operable to transmit movement of the translating element to the rotating pitch change shaft via the first bearing or the second bearing. A failure section is formed at an interface between the first bearing and the translating element. When the failure section decouples the first bearing from the translating element such that the first bearing does not transmit movement of the translating element to the rotating pitch change shaft, the second bearing transmits movement of the translating element to the rotating pitch change shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael F. Mullen, William Wolcott, Kyle Winters
  • Patent number: 10738755
    Abstract: Hydrostatic pressure turbine runners according to the present disclosure are designed for maximally exploiting the hydrostatic pressure of a flowing fluid, rather than maximizing extraction of kinetic energy from the flow. The design converts less kinetic energy of the flow into hydropower as compared with current run-of-river turbine runner technologies. However, hydrostatic pressure turbine runners according to the present disclosure convert substantially more potential energy into hydropower. As a result, the total amount of energy converted into hydropower is significantly higher than the hydropower available from conventional run-of-river turbine runner designs, and, without promising any particular utility, may be capable of surpassing the upper limit of converted energy as defined by Betz' law. In a run-of-river context, the total amount of converted energy—mainly converted potential energy—may surpass the amount of kinetic energy of the flow engaged by the turbine runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Inventor: On Hoter-Ishay
  • Patent number: 10731626
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade is described, as well as a trailing edge plate for a wind turbine blade. A flexible flow modulation device, e.g. an acoustic flap or a plurality of serrations, is arranged at the trailing edge of a wind turbine blade, wherein the flexible device is coupled to at least one aerodynamic device, preferably vortex generators. As the flexible device is bent by action of flow over the wind turbine blade, the at least one aerodynamic device is deployed to provide for attached flow over the bent flexible device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: Carlos Arce, Martin Dahl, Jesper Madsen
  • Patent number: 10731483
    Abstract: A thermal management article is disclosed including a substrate and a first coating disposed on the substrate. The first coating includes a first coating surface and at least one passageway disposed between the substrate and the first coating surface. The at least one passageway defines at least one fluid pathway. A method for forming a thermal management article is disclosed including attaching at least one passageway to a substrate. The at least one passageway includes a passageway wall having a wall thickness and defines at least one fluid pathway. A first coating is applied to the substrate and the passageway wall, forming a first coating surface. The at least one passageway is disposed between the substrate and the first coating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Jon Conrad Schaeffer, Brian Lee Tollison, Yan Cui, David Edward Schick
  • Patent number: 10731663
    Abstract: An axial compressor comprises a plurality of compressor stages positioned axially adjacent each other within a casing. Each of the plurality of compressor stages includes a rotor segment and a banded stator segment. An annulus is formed between the casing and an outer flowpath ring of the banded stator segment. A pathway may be provided that establishes an air flowpath between the annulus and another annulus formed by an adjacent stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Edward C. Rice, Ryan C. Humes
  • Patent number: 10731511
    Abstract: A blade containment system includes a plurality of circumferentially-arranged rotatable blades. Each blade has a blade compliance. An annular containment structure is arranged around the rotatable blades. The containment structure includes a liner that has a liner compliance. The blade compliance and the liner compliance are configured such that a strain induced on a respective one of the blades upon impact with the liner is less than a threshold critical strain beyond which the rotatable blades fracture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Robertson, Jr., Sreenivasa R. Voleti, Mark W. Costa, Steven Clarkson
  • Patent number: 10718347
    Abstract: A turbomachinery gasket comprising at least a first curved elongated element having a coupling part configured to cooperate with a tubular assembly in order to keep the gasket in position on the tubular assembly, and an outer surface configured to seal against an outer casing provided to house the tubular assembly, the first curved elongated element comprising a first and a second free end, the first free end providing a first protruding lip and the second free end providing a second protruding lip, the first protruding lip being configured to overlap with the second protruding lip of the first curved elongated element or with a second protruding lip of a second elongated element functionally identical to the first one, so that, when the gasket is in use, a seal in that part of the gasket having said protruding lips is granted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone SRL
    Inventors: Franco Sarri, Andrea Bernocchi, Franco Smorti
  • Patent number: 10710317
    Abstract: A composite rotatable assembly for an axial flow compressor comprises a spool having a plurality of blade assemblies arranged in stages on the spool and attached thereto by a wound band. Each blade assembly comprises a blade and a base, with the base having a forward tang extending axially forward of a leading edge of the blade and an aft tang extending axially aft of a trailing edge of the blade. The band is wound over at least a portion of the forward and aft tangs of the plurality of blade assemblies to hold the blade assemblies to the spool under centrifugal loading. An abradable layer may be added over the wound band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Edward C. Rice
  • Patent number: 10710731
    Abstract: In an aeroengine comprising a gas turbine engine driving a propeller via a reduction gearbox, the propeller comprising a plurality of blades, each provided with one or more electrical deicer elements and being set into rotation by a propeller-carrying shaft passing through the gearbox, the propeller-carrying shaft having a fastener flange for fastening to the propeller, provision is made, in order to deliver the electrical power needed for powering said electrical deicer elements, for the aeroengine to include a rotary three-phase transformer set into rotation by the propeller-carrying shaft and comprising firstly a rotor mounted inside the propeller-carrying shaft and angularly secured thereto, and secondly a stator secured to a stationary portion of the aeroengine, the rotary three-phase transformer being arranged behind the propeller fastener flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignees: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, SAFRAN TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS, SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER
    Inventors: Mathieu Jean Jacques Santin, Guillaume Julien Beck, Aldric Renaud Gabriel Marie Moreau De Lizoreux, Boris Pierre Marcel Morelli, Jean-Michel Bernard Paul Chastagnier, Thomas Turchi
  • Patent number: 10711794
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil body that has a geometrically segmented coating section. The geometrically segmented coating section includes a wall that has an outer side. The outer side includes an array of cells and there is a coating disposed in the array of cells. The cells include respective secondary mechanical bonding features that secure the coating to the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 10689986
    Abstract: A film cooled component is provided that includes a body having a cavity defined therein, wherein a coolant is supplied to the cavity cooling apertures having at least one channel defined on an inside surface. The coolant exits the cavity through the plurality of cooling apertures thereby providing a cooling effect to the body and the channel creates an air flow such that the air coolant moves towards the body upon exiting the plurality of cooling apertures. The film cooled component may include cooling apertures configured to reverse blow coolant air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ali A. Ameri, Vikram Shyam
  • Patent number: 10683866
    Abstract: An axial compressor comprises a plurality of compressor stages positioned axially adjacent within a casing. Each of the plurality of compressor stages comprise a rotor segment and a banded stator segment positioned axially adjacent the rotor segment. An annulus is formed between the casing and an outer flowpath ring of the stator segment. A pathway is provided that establishes an air flowpath between an entry pathway in a first stage and an exit pathway in a second stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Edward C. Rice, Ryan C. Humes
  • Patent number: 10683772
    Abstract: An axial compressor comprises a plurality of compressor stages positioned axially adjacent one another within a casing. Each of the plurality of compressor stages comprise a rotor segment and a banded stator segment positioned axially adjacent the rotor segment. An annulus is formed between the casing and an outer flowpath ring of the stator segment. A vane of each stator segment comprises a member extending into the annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Edward C. Rice, Ryan C. Humes
  • Patent number: 10662960
    Abstract: An aircraft turboprop engine has at least one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body. The low-pressure body drives a thrust propeller using a gearbox. The turboprop engine further includes a means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin. The supply means includes a load compressor and a rotor that is coupled to the low-pressure body by the gearbox. The supply means further includes a means for controlling the rotation speed of the rotor of the compressor, which means comprise an electric motor, and a mechanical differential for coupling a first output shaft of said electric motor to a second output shaft of said gearbox and to said compressor rotor, such that the rotation speed of said rotor depends on the respective rotation speeds of said first and second output shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Julien Alexis Louis Ricordeau, Marc Missout
  • Patent number: 10648353
    Abstract: An airfoil stage of a turbine engine includes an upstream airfoil assembly, a downstream airfoil assembly in rotational relationship to the upstream airfoil assembly and a rim seal assembly integrated therebetween. The rim seal assembly may include a sloped downstream portion of a platform of the upstream airfoil assembly, an upstream segment of a platform of the downstream airfoil assembly and a nub that projects radially outward from the upstream segment. The downstream portion and the upstream segment are spaced from one-another defining a cooling cavity therebetween for the flow of cooling air. The portion and segment overlap axially such that the nub is axially aligned to the downstream portion for improved cooling effectiveness and a reduction of core airflow into the cooling cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew S. Aggarwala, Russell J. Bergman, Mark A. Boeke, Kyle C. Lana, Daniel A. Snyder
  • Patent number: 10626733
    Abstract: Airfoil bodies having a first core cavity and a second core cavity adjacent each other, with the second core cavity defined by a first cavity wall, a second cavity wall, a first exterior wall, and a second exterior wall. The first cavity wall is located between the second core cavity and the first core cavity and the first and second exterior walls are exterior walls of the airfoil body. The first cavity wall includes a first surface angled toward the first exterior wall and a second surface angled toward the second exterior wall. At least one first cavity impingement hole is formed within the first surface with a first impingement flow flowing from the first core cavity through the at least one first cavity impingement hole to impinge upon the first exterior wall and forms a first high momentum jet of impingement air thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carey Clum, Timothy J. Jennings, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 10619513
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to an inner casing component configured to form part of a steam flow path of a last stage of an axial flow steam turbine, the steam turbine inner casing component having a base made of nodular cast iron and a coating, on the base, in a region exposed to the steam flow path, consisting of manganese austenitic steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Kornelia Weidemann
  • Patent number: 10612389
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as a turbine engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior of the airfoil can include a porous section having a porosity permitting a volume of fluid, such as air, to pass through the porous section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10590790
    Abstract: The invention concerns a conical hula seal wherein an inner part of the conical hula seal is closer to a conical hula seal longitudinal axis than an outer part of the conical hula seal, and wherein the conical hula seal extends in a circumferential direction relative to the conical hula seal longitudinal axis. A gas turbine which includes the conical hula seal is also disclosed, along with a method of operating a gas turbine which includes a conical hula seal that seals a gap between a first vane and a picture frame, the method including purging the gap with a cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Hans-Christian Mathews, Urs Benz, Frank Graf
  • Patent number: 10584598
    Abstract: A cantilevered airfoil includes, among other things, an airfoil having a body section and a tip, the body section extending in a first direction that is angled relative to a radial direction, the tip of the airfoil angled radially in a second direction relative to the body section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew E. Bintz, Peter T. Schutte, Brian J. Schuler, Anthony R. Bifulco