Patents Examined by Michael Sehn
  • Patent number: 9347322
    Abstract: A sealing band located in opposing seal band receiving slots of adjacent turbine disks to seal an annular gap therebetween. An anti-rotation body including a base portion is located between edges of the sealing band within the annular gap, and a pin portion extends axially from the base portion for engagement with a cut-out portion of at least one of the disks. A pair of spaced projections extend from the base portion and into through openings in the sealing band at a location within the annular gap. The projections define an attachment structure attaching the anti-rotation body to the sealing band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manish S. Gurao, Kevin M. Light, Paul A. Uhran, Matthew J. LaGrow
  • Patent number: 9334867
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to improving performance characteristics of a low profile fan. More specifically configurations having sloped fan blade edges are disclosed. By applying a gradual slope to each of the fan blades, performance of the fan can be increased without risking contact or rubbing between the fan blades and a fan housing. In some embodiments, the sloped fan blades can be configured to prevent contact when bearings of the fan include a certain amount of tilt play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Joseph Aiello, Jesse T. Dybenko, Richard A. Herms
  • Patent number: 9334050
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotary wing rotor comprising one or more blades. Each blade has a torsion frequency around its span being substantially equal to a rotation frequency (?) of the rotor; torsion means twist to the rotation frequency of the rotor, in synchronization with said rotation; and comprising a material configured to dampen the torsion resonance, so as to avoid the resonance divergence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ONERA (Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatliales)
    Inventors: Hugues Mercier Des Rochettes, Léon Buchaniek, Didier Joly, Jacques Dupas, Philippe Leconte
  • Patent number: 9303656
    Abstract: An axial compressor includes a plurality of stator vanes attached to an inner surface of a casing defining an annular flow path and a plurality of rotor blades attached to a rotating rotor defining the annular flow path. A flow path is defined between a pressure surface of a stator vane and a suction surface of a stator vane, the vanes being circumferentially adjacent to each other, or between a pressure surface of a rotor blade and a suction surface of a rotor blade, the blades being circumferentially adjacent to each other. The flow path is formed so that a throat portion at which a flow path width is minimized is provided on the upstream side of 50% of an axial chord length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Takahashi, Chihiro Myoren
  • Patent number: 9291171
    Abstract: An assembly including a diffuser and an airflow rectifier at an outlet of a centrifugal compressor of a turbine engine, the diffuser being substantially in a shape of a radially positioned double annular disc, and the rectifier being a double toroidal part, arranged as an extension of the double disc of the diffuser and curved such as to divert the airflow in the downstream direction of the engine. The rectifier is attached to the diffuser by a connection positioned immediately adjacent to the contact surface of the two parts and is removable using a standard tool, excluding any other supporting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jacques Marcel Arthur Bunel, Sandrine Gandelot, Guy Vieillefond
  • Patent number: 9267491
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade may generally include a shell having a pressure side and a suction side. The shell may define an outer surface along the pressure and suction sides over which an airflow travels. The rotor blade may also include a spoiler having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is connected to the outer surface so as to enable a hinge action, such as a living hinge. The free end includes a top flange and a bottom flange configured to engage opposite sides of the shell and is pivotal relative to the fixed end between a recessed position and an elevated position. The free end has a range of motion limited by contact of the top flange and the bottom flange with the shell. Further, the spoiler is configured to separate the airflow from the outer surface when the spoiler is in the elevated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alexander William Vossler, Aaron A. Yarbrough, Christopher Daniel Caruso
  • Patent number: 9267386
    Abstract: A fairing assembly includes an outer wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a saddle. The first side wall and the second side wall extend from opposing sides of the outer wall. Together the first side wall, the second side wall, and the outer wall form a cavity within the fairing assembly. The saddle is positioned within the cavity and extends between the first side wall and the second side wall. The saddle has a first rib adapted to connect to the first side wall and a second rib adapted to connect to the second side wall. The first rib and the second rib connect together at a central hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Turner, Charles W. Brown, Shari L. Bugaj, Christopher M. Quinn, David J. Hyland, Andrew G. Alarcon
  • Patent number: 9249671
    Abstract: A deflector for guiding a cooling fluid to a blade device of a turbine is provided. The deflector includes a first opening region with a first opening shape and a second opening region with a second opening shape. The deflector is connectable to a first blade device and to a second blade device in such a way that the cooling fluid is streamable through the first opening region into the first blade device and the cooling fluid is streamable through the second opening region into the second blade device. The first opening shape differs from the second opening shape for achieving a predetermined first mass flow of the cooling fluid into the first blade device and a predetermined second mass flow of the cooling fluid into the second blade device at predetermined installation locations of the first blade device and the second blade device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: David Butler
  • Patent number: 9249666
    Abstract: An airfoil and method of fabricating an airfoil including a first and a second side coupled at a leading and a trailing edge and extending there between. The airfoil includes a plurality of first chord sections having a first chord length and extending outward from one of the first side or second side at the leading edge and a plurality of second chord sections having a second chord length and extending outward from the one of the first side or the second side at the leading edge. The leading edge including spaced-apart wave-shaped projections defining a waveform. The configuration defining a three-dimensional crenulated airfoil configured to facilitate desensitization of an airfoil unsteady pressure response to at least one impinging upstream generated wake or vortex by decorrelating spatially and temporally and reducing in amplitude an unsteady pressure caused by interaction of the airfoil with the upstream generated wake or vortex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Umesh Paliath
  • Patent number: 9228495
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a vortex reducer (100) for a bleed flow (104) in an axial turbomachine comprising a rotor disc (113). The vortex reducer may comprise one or more guide channels (122) arrangeable adjacent to a first side (113a) of the rotor disc to at least partially de-swirl the bleed flow. The vortex reducer may further comprise a passage (130) connecting the first side of the rotor disc to a high pressure flow source capable of providing flow (134) to the first side of the rotor disc to mix with the bleed flow on the first side of the rotor disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Timothy J. Scanlon
  • Patent number: 9228591
    Abstract: An outdoor unit of an air conditioner is disclosed. The outdoor unit includes: a casing, including a portion defining an outlet through which air is discharged from the outdoor unit; an axial flow fan disposed in the casing for blowing air through the outlet, wherein the axial flow fan comprises: a hub; a plurality of main wings extending from the hub; and a rim connecting the main wings to one other and rotating integrally with the main wings; and one or more air entry blockers disposed at a clearance space between the rim and the portion of the casing defining the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seok Ho Choi, Dongsoo Moon
  • Patent number: 9222362
    Abstract: A leading edge for use as a leading edge reinforcement on a blade or airfoil part. The leading edge has a main body that includes two leg sections. A metal deposition layer is applied to the main body to form the outer end portion of the leading edge. The main body can be formed of one or more pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Barnes Group Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffery L. Ford, Benjamin Adams, Michael Schroder, Eric Cutiongco
  • Patent number: 9212668
    Abstract: A fan device includes a board defining an opening and a fan assembly pivotably received in the opening. The fan assembly includes a fan and a frame receiving the fan. The frame includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and two sidewalls. A front plate extends down and diagonally forward from a front side of the bottom wall. A resilient limiting member is formed on one of the sidewalls. When a bottom of the fan assembly is pivoted rearward to make the fan assembly slanting relative to the board, the front plate is abutted a front side of the board, and the limiting member is abutted a rear side of the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: ShenZhen Treasure City Technology Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Ping-Chuan Deng, An-Gang Liang, Zheng-Heng Sun
  • Patent number: 9212700
    Abstract: A product for use with a turbocharger is disclosed. According to a number of variations, the product may include a bearing housing with a bearing assembly positioned in the bearing housing. A shaft may extend through the bearing assembly for rotation. A turbine wheel may be exposed to high temperature exhaust gases and may be connected to the shaft. The product may include a number of features to manage heat transfer and protect the bearing assembly from excessive temperatures that may otherwise result from exposure to the exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Bucking, Raj Chandramohanan
  • Patent number: 9200516
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a rotor having a dovetail slot with a bulbous fillet region, and in some cases, recessed inclined bearing surfaces. Various embodiments include methods of forming such a slot in a turbomachine rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mahesh Gopalakrishnan, Michael Ericson Friedman, Mark Alan Newton, Roberto Anthony Nunez, Yong Soon Phua, Premkumar Rajamohan
  • Patent number: 9194256
    Abstract: A rotating machine comprising such as an axial power turbine or a turbocharger has a housing with a bearing cavity and a chamber separated by a first wall. A shaft is rotatable about an axis in the bearing cavity, extends through an opening in the first wall and is mounted for rotation on a bearing assembly provided in the bearing cavity. An oil sealing arrangement including an oil diffuser device is arranged on the shaft for displacing oil away from the shaft as it rotates. This restricts the flow of oil to the opening. The oil diffuser device defines a diffuser passage between the bearing assembly and the first wall, the passage extending outwardly of the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: CUMMINS TURBO TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventor: Matthew J Purdey
  • Patent number: 9194236
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turbine blade capable of being cooled by a coolant gas supplied to a hollow region, wherein a plurality of meandering flow paths that guide the coolant gas between the suction wall surface and the pressure wall surface while causing the coolant gas to repeatedly meander are continuously arranged from the hub side toward the tip side of the turbine blade, and the meandering flow paths adjacent to each other cause the coolant gas to meander in different repetitive patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chiyuki Nakamata, Shu Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9188103
    Abstract: Systems and methods to generate power using wind and controlled air movement and related structures to more cost effectively produce energy and protect system components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: AeroDynEnergy, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark H. Krietzman, Peter J. Gluck, William A. Farone, Yung Chow
  • Patent number: 9145777
    Abstract: An article of manufacture has a first component configured for use with a turbomachine. The first component is configured for attachment to a second component, and reduces the possibility of attachment with an undesired third component by modification of a characteristic of the first component. This modification is matched by a complementary characteristic of the second component. The first component has a nominal airfoil profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in a scalable table selected from the group consisting of TABLES 1-11. Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z are non-dimensional values convertible to dimensional distances by multiplying by a number. X and Y are coordinates which, when connected by continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each Z height. The airfoil profile sections at each Z height being joined with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael James Dutka, John Duong, Ya-Tien Chiu, Alexander David Shrum, Kelvin Rono Aaron, Christopher Edward LaMaster, San-Dar Gau, Franco Monteleone, Paul Griffin Delvernois, Matthew John McKeever, Govindarajan Rengarajan, Jeremy Peter Latimer, Marc Edward Blohm, Eric Richard Bonini, Venkata Siva Prasad Chaluvadi, Jamie Dean Lumpkin, Thomas Robbins Tipton
  • Patent number: 9140270
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a centrifugal fan assembly and a HVAC-system, comprising a housing, a blower wheel comprising a plurality of fan blades, the blower wheel being rotatably mounted in the housing and constructed to generate an airflow flowing axially into the blower wheel and radially out from the blower wheel, a guiding vane device including a plurality of guiding vanes, the guiding vane device being coupled to the blower wheel and configured to guide the airflow into the blower wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Würzburg
    Inventor: Tao Hong