Patents Examined by Nathan Wiehe
  • Patent number: 7207775
    Abstract: A turbine bucket includes a cooling circuit through a dovetail section, a shank section and an airfoil section. The cooling circuit is configured to maximize cooling ability and maximize a useful life at base load operation at firing temperatures of up to 2084° F. while minimizing negative effects on performance. The cooling circuit includes a plurality of cooling holes having predetermined positions and sizes, resulting in increased cooling flow near a trailing edge of the airfoil section and effecting turbulation in the airfoil section to increase bulk and local creep margins throughout the airfoil section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kahwai Gachago Muriithi
  • Patent number: 7207767
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with an axial-flow or mixed-flow inducer (3) which is disposed upstream of a main impeller (2) for improving the suction capability of a pump such as a turbopump. In the inducer (3), a blade angle (?bt) from a tip (T1) to a hub (H1) at a blade leading edge (31) is substantially the same as an inlet flow angle (?1?t) at a designed flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Ashihara, Akira Goto
  • Patent number: 7204675
    Abstract: A cooled gas turbine vane includes a cast part and a longitudinal sleeve obtained by shaping metal sheet The cast part includes a longitudinal body provided with a longitudinal cavity having a first opening and a second opening at the ends The sleeve is mounted in the cavity by being firmly affixed to the wall of the first opening, and one end part of which being free to slide in the second opening forming a guide. The end part includes a part having constricted dimensions relative to the transverse dimensions of the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventor: Christophe Texier
  • Patent number: 7201559
    Abstract: A stationary ring assembly forming a rotor shroud for a gas turbine including a plurality of segments having adjacent side faces that are placed end to end with sealing means interposed therebetween. The sealing means include at least one axial sealing strip and at least one radial sealing strip respectively received in axial slots and in radial slots formed facing one another in the adjacent side faces of the segments. At least one end of each radial slot opens out into the corresponding axial slot, each axial slot of a segment presents a depth that is greater than the depth of the corresponding radial slot, and the axial sealing strip presents a width that is greater than the width of the radial strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Snecma
    Inventors: Alain Gendraud, Delphine Roussin-Moynier
  • Patent number: 7201562
    Abstract: A fan with central intake comprises a fan frame, a fan wheel and a fan motor. The fan frame provides a hub seat with an annular spacing for fluid flowing through and a joining part at the center of the hub seat for supporting the bearings. The fan wheel is received in the fan frame and provides a hub with an open side and a hollow side with a circular opening. The annular spacing associated with the circular opening constitutes a central flow route for admitting fluid to pass through such that heat from the central area of a radiator under the fan can be dissipated efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Asia Vital Component Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen-Hao Liu, Chu-Hsien Chou
  • Patent number: 7198456
    Abstract: A rotary jetting tool including a pressure-balanced rotor, which is achieved using a vented volume. Axial movement of the rotor relative to the housing caused by pressure imbalances acting on the rotor selectively uncovers or opens a vent that places the volume in fluid communication with an ambient volume, enabling the rotor to achieve a pressure balanced condition. A plurality of radial clearance seals between the rotor and the housing are used to provide hydrodynamic bearings to reduce friction between the rotor and housing. The diameters of the seals are manipulated to facilitate pressure balancing of the rotor. In one embodiment, the rotor includes a centrifugal brake configured to control a maximum rotational speed of the rotor. Pressurized fluid is introduced into the rotor in an axial direction, enabling a relatively large upstream settling chamber to be incorporated into the rotor, thereby reducing inlet turbulence and improving jet quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Tempress Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack J. Kollé, Mark H. Marvin
  • Patent number: 7198467
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a turbine rotor blade includes casting a turbine rotor blade including a dovetail, a platform having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a cast-in plenum defined between the outer surface and the inner surface, and an airfoil, and forming a plurality of openings between the platform inner surface and the platform outer surface to facilitate cooling an exterior surface of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sean Robert Keith, Michael Joseph Danowski, Leslie Eugene Leeke, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7198466
    Abstract: In order to couple coolant air flow presented through a coolant gallery 4, 24 through an opening 7, 27 into a passage 8, 28 a flow deflector 6, 26 is provided. The flow deflector 6, 26 progressively deflects the coolant air flow 5, 25 through the opening 7, 27 such that there is reduced loss in coolant flow 5, 25 pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Roderick M Townes
  • Patent number: 7198457
    Abstract: A single-shaft multistage pump is provided to make small-sized and space-saved possible. The single-shaft multistage pump includes a rotary shaft on which impellers are disposed at multiple stages, bearings and for supporting the rotary shaft, and a balance device adapted to apply, to the rotary shaft, a balance thrust force opposing an impeller thrust force. A water-lubricated bearing is used as each of the radial bearings, and the rotary shaft is supported by the water-lubricated bearings with a balance member of the balance device interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Chiba, Choichi Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Katsura, Daimon Abe
  • Patent number: 7198459
    Abstract: A casing assembly for a turbocharger of an internal combustion engine includes a rotor casing having an intake duct and an exhaust flow passage which is connected to an exhaust flange and constructed for attachment to the rotor casing such as to allow a relative movement between the exhaust flow passage and the rotor casing. In this way, a sliding fit is provided which prevents thermal stress in the system rotor casing and exhaust flow passage. An outer housing surrounds the exhaust flow passage, rotor casing and intake duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignees: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH, BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Elmar Grussmann, Christian Smatloch, Axel Hinder, Thomas Körner, Rainer Müller
  • Patent number: 7198453
    Abstract: A pile based braced caisson structural support device includes a number of legs in is used to support a wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a base, a turbine generator and a blade mechanism. The legs are configured in a teepee type configuration such that the footprint of the base is larger than the footprint of the opposing end. This structural support can be used as a base for an offshore platform in that the support reduces the lateral forces on the support caused by wave action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Keystone Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudolph A. Hall
  • Patent number: 7195450
    Abstract: A multiblade fan includes a case having an air intake port and an air exhaust port, an impeller disposed in said case and having a plurality of blades rotatable about the center of said air intake port, and a noise silencer fin extending substantially parallel to the opening plane of said air intake port, the noise silencer fin being disposed near the tongue of said case. The noise silencer fin suppresses excessive pressure variations and flow speed fluctuations in the vicinity of the air intake port, thereby suppressing the generation of noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 7195453
    Abstract: A stator blade segment for a compressor includes an inner ring segment and an outer ring segment and a plurality of stator blades extending radially between the inner and outer ring segments, the stator blade secured to the outer ring at a shank portion of the blade and loosely held in a slot in the inner ring segment at a tip portion of the blade, the slot formed to substantially match a cross-sectional profile of the tip portion of the blade but sized to create a clearance between the tip portion and the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Francis Martin, John David Memmer, Ronald Stuart Denmark
  • Patent number: 7192245
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine, the rotor assembly comprises a plurality of cooling air deflectors mounted on the rotor assembly to redirect air to a manifold at a bottom side of a corresponding blade retention slot on the periphery of the rotor disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Toufik Djeridane, Michael Leslie Clyde Papple, Sri Sreekanth, Alan Juneau, Dominique Michel Nadeau
  • Patent number: 7192254
    Abstract: The present invention is a radial fan having an axial fan blade configuration. The present invention comprises a hub; a first set of blades around the hub; and a second set of blades on the extending part. Therein, the hub comprises a hollow at the center, an axle, a guiding part and an extending part. The gaps are each between every two adjacent blades of the second blade set, having the same distance between every two adjacent gaps. The second set of blades comprises a plurality of blades around outside of the first set of blade and a ring connected with the blades. Accordingly, the structure of the blades may increase the wind pressure, reduce the energy loss by the blade rotation and raise the work efficiency of the blades while the noise is lessened and the working current is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Datech Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nien-Lun Li, Chih-Wen Tang, Yun-Yeu Yeh, Fu-Yin Wang
  • Patent number: 7189060
    Abstract: A turbine blade for a turbine engine having a cooling system formed from one or more cooling channels having a plurality of mini channels. The cooling system may include first ribs forming a first passageway of mini channels in which the cross-sectional area of the cooling channel is reduced, thereby increasing the velocity of the cooling fluids and the internal heat transfer coefficient. The cooling system may also include second ribs forming a second passageway downstream from the first passageway a distance sufficient to prevent the formation of a fully developed boundary layer and allow the cooling fluids to fully expand after exiting the first passageway. The cooling channel may also include a plurality of protrusions extending from surfaces forming the cooling channel to create turbulence and prevent formation of a fully developed boundary layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 7189059
    Abstract: A compressor includes an enhanced vaned shroud and is configured such that the flow area ratio is equivalent to that of a conventional, non-vaned shroud. The vaned shroud includes a plurality of airfoils that vary in thickness to obtain desired vibrational mode shapes and natural frequencies. A stiffening ring of limited axial extent is coupled to, and between, the airfoils, and the shroud is manufactured with a section of constant radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Barton, Donald L. Palmer, Mahmoud L. Mansour, Don F. Durschmidt, John A. Gunaraj, Mark D. Matwey, John A. Slovisky, Nick A. Nolcheff
  • Patent number: 7189063
    Abstract: A method for assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a first rotor blade that includes an airfoil, a platform, a shank, and a dovetail. The airfoil extends radially outward from the platform, the shank extends radially inward from the platform, and the dovetail extends from the shank, forming a recess within a portion of the shank. The method also includes coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft using the dovetail, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that a shank cavity is defined between the first and second rotor blade shanks. During operation, cooling air may enter and pressurize the shank cavity through the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mark Steven Honkomp
  • Patent number: 7189061
    Abstract: A cooling fan having a circumferential ring. In ordinary fans of this type, deformation of fan blades causes the ring to buckle inward at locations between the blades. In one form of the invention, mass is added to the ring between the blades to counteract the buckling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Hong, John R Savage
  • Patent number: 7186089
    Abstract: A turbine blade for a turbine engine having a platform cooling system formed from one or more platform cooling channels extending from an inner cooling cavity in a root of a turbine blade to an outer surface of a platform on the turbine blade. The platform cooling channels may be positioned in ribs protruding from a bottom surface of the platform. The ribs act as fins during operation of a turbine engine in which the turbine blade is installed by increasing surface area of the platform and thereby increasing convection on the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang