Patents Examined by Logan Kraft
  • Patent number: 10087843
    Abstract: An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first component, a second component, and a first mount. The first mount includes an annular body that is connected to the first component and a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs extending from the body. The tabs are connected to the second component and are deflectable to allow the second component to move relative to the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Budnick
  • Patent number: 10088164
    Abstract: A hot gas path component for an engine may generally include a substrate extending between an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The outer surface may be configured to be exposed to a hot gas path of the engine. In addition, the substrate may be formed from a non-metallic composite material. The hot gas path component may also include a thermal coating disposed on the inner surface of the substrate. The thermal coating may be applied to the inner surface so as to have a non-uniform distribution along at least a portion of the inner surface, wherein the non-uniform distribution provides for change in a thermal gradient experienced across the hot gas path component between the outer and inner surfaces of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert Charles Groves, II, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 10087940
    Abstract: An assembly can include a turbine wheel; a turbine housing that includes a lower turbine housing surface that extends from an exhaust volute to a cylindrical surface that defines an upper portion of a turbine wheel space; a shroud component that includes a contoured surface disposed between an inner end of an upper shroud component surface and an inner end of a lower shroud component surface where the contoured surface defines a lower portion of a turbine wheel space; and a seal mechanism where the turbine housing and the shroud component form an axial gap between a lower axial position of the cylindrical surface and an upper axial position of the contoured surface where the axial gap is axially positioned between an axial position of an inducer portion of the turbine wheel and an axial position of an exducer portion of the turbine wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Arnaud Gerard, Shankar Pandurangasa Solanki, Vincent Eumont, Nicolas Morand, Francis Abel, Pierre Barthelet
  • Patent number: 10087911
    Abstract: Method of manufacturing an impregnated metal insert for a wind turbine blade root, the insert comprising an outer surface and an open end adapted to receive a fastening element for attachment to a wind turbine rotor hub, wherein the method comprises covering the insert outer surface with one or more resin pre impregnated fiber layers, and heating for curing such that a resin impregnated fiber layer adheres to the outer surface of the insert. The disclosure is further related to the method of manufacturing a portion of a wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies Wind B.V.
    Inventor: Luca Feigl
  • Patent number: 10087950
    Abstract: A centrifugal rotation machine includes a rotation shaft, a plurality of impellers rotating along with the rotation shaft, a casing defining a return flow channel configured to guide the fluid from the front-stage impeller to the rear-stage impeller, and a plurality of return vanes installed in the return flow channel, the return flow channel includes a return bend section guiding the fluid G, which has been sent from the front-stage impeller to the outside in the radial direction, to the inside in the radial direction, the return bend section includes a first curved portion and a second curved portion connected to the downstream side of the first curved portion, and the radius of curvature of an inside wall surface of the second curved portion in the radial direction is greater than the radius of curvature of an inside wall surface of the first curved portion in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakaniwa, Ryosuke Saito
  • Patent number: 10082129
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for mounting a rear edge ridge onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the rotor blade has a pressure and a suction side and an essentially straight trailing edge. A tongue section projecting to the rear is provided at the trailing edge to form a step each to the pressure side and to the suction side in the area of the tongue section. The rear edge ridge or part thereof is then fitted onto the tongue section, so that it is flush with the suction side or pressure side, respectively, in the area of the step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Andree Altmikus
  • Patent number: 10082147
    Abstract: A regulator assembly, comprising a vaned diffuser, a motor, a driving gear engaged with a driven gear, the driven gear having rectangle-shaped through holes thereon, the rectangle-shaped through holes disposed and extending along an axis of the driven gear, and a regulating mechanism including a regulator, a supporting member, wherein the regulator is sleeved on the supporting member, and wherein the vaned diffuser is fixed on the supporting member, and regulator sliding members fixed to the regulator through the rectangle-shaped through holes of the driven gear, whereby the motor is configured to drive the driving gear to rotate, the driving gear is configured to drive the driven gear to rotate, the driven gear is configured to push the regulator sliding members to move, and the regulator sliding members are configured to drive the regulator to rotate relative to the vaned diffuser, thus driving the regulator to move along its axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI
    Inventors: Caiyun Jiang, Zhiping Zhang, Ruixing Zhong, Nan Jiang, Rong Xie, Xiubing Yan, Hongxing Wang
  • Patent number: 10081423
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention disclose a rotor driving system, wherein at least three first actuators can drive a nonrotating lower-rotor swashplate to tilt towards a specific direction by cooperating with each other such that a rotating lower-rotor swashplate, lower tilted-arm pull rods and blade-clamp tilted arms of the lower rotor are all in motion, thereby driving first blade clamping bodies to be twisted relative to a lower rotor hub; at least three second actuators can drive a nonrotating upper-rotor swashplate towards a specific direction by cooperating with each other such that a rotating upper-rotor swashplate, upper-rotor steering rod—L arms, lower upper-rotor steering rods, pull rods, upper upper-rotor steering rods, upper tilted-arm pull rods, blade-clamp tilted arms 42 of the upper rotor are all in motion, thereby driving a second blade clamping body to be twisted relative to an upper rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Shenzhen United Aircraft Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gangyin Tian
  • Patent number: 10077679
    Abstract: Provided is a turbine housing that comprises: a scroll unit; a flat annular cover (6) that is disposed in a state where one end face abuts a flanged portion (20a) of the scroll unit and that is welded to the flanged portion (20a); an annular seal portion (4) that extends from a basal end (4a) welded to the inner circumferential side of the other end face of the annular cover (6) to the distal end (4b) disposed further to the exterior than the basal end (4a) in the radial direction and that comprises a member that can be elastically deformed; and a plurality of threaded bushings (16) that are each welded in a plurality of locations on the outer circumferential side of the other end face of the annular cover (6) and that have fastening holes (16a) for fastening bolts (40) inserted along the direction of the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Daigo Watanabe, Nariaki Seike
  • Patent number: 10076873
    Abstract: A post-molding station is described which is used in the manufacturing of a wind turbine blade. A blade shell forming part of a wind turbine blade is initially molded in a blade mold, the blade shell subsequently transferred to a post-molding station which allows for various post-molding operations to be carried out on the blade shell away from the mold, thereby increasing the productivity of the blade mold in the manufacturing process. The post-molding station may be operable to perform the closing of first and second blade shells to form a wind turbine blade, and may be formed from an adjustable structure which can provide relatively easy access to the contained blade shell for working thereon. Accordingly, the manufacturing equipment may be of reduced cost, combined with an increase in the overall productivity of the manufacturing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventor: Bernard Willem De Waal Malefijt
  • Patent number: 10077758
    Abstract: A pre-cured laminate plate for use within a component of a wind turbine rotor blade may generally include a plate body extending in a thickness direction between a first side and a second side and in a widthwise direction between a first end and a second end. The plate body may define a plate thickness between the first and second sides. The pre-cured laminate plate may also include a plurality of channels formed in the plate body between the first and second ends. Each channel may extend in the thickness direction between a top end that is open along the first side of the plate body and a bottom end that terminates at a location between the first and second sides of the plate body such that the plate body defines a reduced thickness between the bottom end of each channel and the second side of the plate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron A. Yarbrough, Christopher Daniel Caruso, Donald Joseph Kasperski
  • Patent number: 10077785
    Abstract: An impeller assembly includes: a compressor impeller; a flange member in which a shaft is inserted, the flange member having an abutting portion to abut on an upstream-side end surface, in an axis line direction, of the hub, and an impeller-side flange portion provided on an upstream side, in the axis line direction, of the abutting portion and protruding outward in a radial direction; a nut screwed on a tip portion of the shaft so as to hold the flange member between the nut and the end surface of the hub; a rotor of an electric generator or an electric motor, the rotor having a rotor-side flange portion disposed on an opposite to the hub across the impeller-side flange portion; and a fastening member fastening the impeller-side flange portion and the rotor-side flange portion to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tsuji, Ichiro Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 10072518
    Abstract: An abradable liner suitable for a gas turbine engine fan stage, comprising a plurality of abradable layers that are bonded together, wherein at least one visual indicator is embedded in the plurality of abradable layers, the visual indicators can be coloured strips of material and may be at a given depth, and may be in an independent element or layer located in between other layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: William Playford, James O'Toole
  • Patent number: 10072631
    Abstract: A spiral turbine blade having at least one concave compartment that is rotatable by a moving fluid for the generation of electricity is provided. A spiral turbine blade is aligned so that the axis of rotation is generally parallel to the mean direction of a moving fluid. Attached to the intake-facing side of the at least one spiral turbine blade are concave compartments comprised of an intake void, interior space, and exit void. The concave compartments are oriented to capture an additional range of velocity imaginary vectors; specifically those aligned via vortex inducing elements, such as spiral depressions on a conical intake shroud, thereby augmenting the torque induced the spiral turbine blade, and thus improving the conversion efficiency and electrical energy output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Inventor: Michael John Van Asten, II
  • Patent number: 10072732
    Abstract: A gear comprises gear teeth. An annular web has the gear teeth on an external surface thereof and rotatable about a rotational axis of the gear. The web comprises a wall having at least a first axial surface and a second axial surface on the opposite side of the wall. The web defined by a first web section in which the first axial surface, in an inward direction, inclines away from a radial plane to which the rotational axis is normal, a second web section radially inward of the first web section, and in which the first axial surface, in the inward direction, inclines toward said radial plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Alain Carrieres
  • Patent number: 10072632
    Abstract: A spar cap for a rotor blade of a wind turbine may generally include an assembly of pre-cured laminate plates stacked on one top of the other, with the assembly including an outermost pre-cured plate, an innermost pre-cured plate positioned opposite the outermost pre-cured plate and a plurality of intermediate pre-cured plates stacked directly between the outermost and innermost pre-cured plates. The outermost pre-cured plate may be configured to be positioned adjacent to an inner surface of a body shell of the rotor blade. In addition, the outermost pre-cured plate may define a plate thickness that differs from a plate thickness defined by the innermost pre-cured plate by at least 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron A. Yarbrough, Christopher Daniel Caruso
  • Patent number: 10066491
    Abstract: A composite fiber component for a rotor blade of a wind power plant including a first sandwich core and a second sandwich core arranged next to each other, each having an inside facing a rotor blade interior and an outside facing a rotor blade exterior. A first fiber-containing laminate layer is arranged on the inside of the first sandwich core and on the outside of the second sandwich core. A second fiber-containing laminate layer is arranged on the outside of the first sandwich core and on the outside of the second sandwich core. And, a third fiber-containing laminate layer is arranged on the inside of the first sandwich core and on the inside of the second sandwich core. Also disclosed is a rotor blade for a wind power plant having a composite fiber component as disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Senvion SE
    Inventors: Enno Eyb, Urs Bendel, Hendrik Mester
  • Patent number: 10066502
    Abstract: A rotor disk includes a ring shaped rotor body defining a radially inward opening, rims protrude radially outward from the rotor body, and outwardly facing rotor blade retention slots are defined between circumferentially adjacent rims. Each slot is operable to receive and retain a corresponding rotor blade, and each rim of the rims includes an anti-vibratory feature. The anti-vibratory feature includes a structure defining an isogrid pattern intruding into a surface of the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Carney R. Anderson
  • Patent number: 10066550
    Abstract: An improved system, apparatus and method for intercooling a turbo fan engine, and more specifically, a system for intercooling a turbo fan engine employing a secondary bypass duct that minimizes pressure losses. The secondary bypass duct is radially inwardly disposed from a fan bypass duct and receives fan bypass air through an inlet. The portion of fan bypass air flows through one or more microchannel or minichannel heat exchangers. The secondary bypass duct has an outlet in communication with the bypass air stream downstream of the throat of a fan bypass nozzle. The secondary bypass air is accelerated at the exit to create thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradford J. Riehle, James C. Loebig
  • 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