Patents Examined by Ned Landrum
  • Patent number: 8851857
    Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine blade that can reduce the thickness of a turbulent-flow boundary layer generated on the blade surface of a blade tip portion to prevent noise generated at a trailing edge portion effectively, as well as a wind power generator using the same. Provided is a wind turbine blade, which is a wind turbine blade having an airfoil shape in cross section, wherein an angle-of-attack decreasing portion that decreases an angle of attack during rotation at at least a predetermined rotational speed is provided over a predetermined range from a blade tip to a blade root side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd
    Inventors: Kentaro Hayashi, Hiroshi Nishino, Hiroyuki Hosoya, Atsushi Matsuo, Kai Karikomi
  • Patent number: 8851856
    Abstract: A rotor blade has a chord and a span length perpendicular to the chord. The rotor blade includes a first skin having an inner surface and a first plurality of elements extending from the inner surface. The first plurality of elements are distributed along at least a portion of the span length and inclined with respect to the chord of the rotor blade. A second skin is attached to the first skin so as to form an outer surface of the rotor blade. The second skin has a second plurality of elements extending towards the inner surface of the first skin and engaging with the first plurality of elements to form a plurality of ribs within the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventor: John Frederick Vertel
  • Patent number: 8845284
    Abstract: An apparatus for restricting fluid flow in a turbo-machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first inter-stage sealing member configured to be located between a first rotating airfoil stage and a second rotating airfoil stage attached to a rotor shaft, the first inter-stage sealing member including a segmented structure that includes a plurality of segments forming a circumferential surface, the first inter-stage sealing member including: a first base portion including a securing mechanism configured to at least substantially radially and tangentially secure the inter-stage sealing member to an inter-stage support structure; a first axial retention mechanism; and a first axially extending sealing portion configured to be outwardly radially loaded against at least one of the first rotating airfoil stage and the second rotating airfoil stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Raymond Farrell, Gary Charles Liotta, Ian David Wilson
  • Patent number: 8845297
    Abstract: An assembly for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub is disclosed. Such assembly includes a blade retaining arrangement to accommodate at least two blades and an interface to a lifting device for lifting the assembly to the hub. Furthermore, a system and a method for the same purpose are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Bo From
  • Patent number: 8845267
    Abstract: A propeller pod drive for a vessel has at least one driveshaft for driving a propeller, at least one radial bearing arrangement for receiving radial forces, at least one axial bearing arrangement for receiving axial forces of the driveshaft. A thrust collar is supported in axial direction on at least one side in axial direction at a guide device, and a supporting structure for arranging the at least one radial bearing arrangement and the axial bearing arrangement. The guide device has at least three, axial sliding segments arranged in a segment guide and each of which has a sliding surface in contact with the thrust collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: RENK Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dierk Welz, Uwe Wenzel, Rainer Mischak
  • Patent number: 8840368
    Abstract: An abnormal vibration detection unit which is capable of stopping a wind turbine generator when excessive vibration is detected. The vibration detection unit has first and second acceleration detectors, a calculation device, a filtering relay, and a safety system which performs an emergency stop of the wind turbine generator in accordance with an output terminal of the filtering relay. The filtering relay has a filter circuit to extract a frequency component from the second analog output signal. The calculation device generates a predicted value of the output signal of the filter circuit part, and detects a failure of the first and second acceleration detectors or the filter circuit part by comparing the predicted value of the output signal of the filter circuit part with a measured value of the output signal of the filter circuit part received from the filtering relay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taketo Mizoue, Mitsuya Baba
  • Patent number: 8840358
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a compressor and an apparatus therefor, the method, comprising at least the steps of: (a) providing a compressor feed stream (10); (b) passing the compressor feed stream (10) to an inlet (48) of the compressor (50) to provide a compressed stream (60) at an outlet (52) of the compressor (50); (c) calculating one or more controlled variables (CO1, CO2) that are invariant to compressor inlet conditions of the compressor feed stream (10), said inlet conditions comprising at least the ratio of specific heats (Cp/Cv) of the compressor feed stream (10), said one or more controlled variables comprising a surge controlled variable (CO1) representing the surge characteristics of the compressor (50); (d) providing one or more set points (SP1, SP2), that are invariant to the compressor inlet conditions of the compressor feed stream (10), said inlet conditions comprising at least the ratio of specific heats (Cp/Cv) of the compressor feed stream (10), said one or mor
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Hermanus Huis In Het Veld
  • Patent number: 8840362
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, at least one first outer ring has an annular outer ring cavity to which external cooling steam is supplied. A radial direction cooling hole connecting with the outer ring cavity is formed in the stator blades connected to the first outer ring. An annular inner ring cavity connecting with the radial direction cooling hole is formed in a first inner ring constituting one diaphragm together with the first outer ring. Cooling steam blowing holes connecting an annular wheel space and the inner ring cavity are formed. The annular wheel space is formed between the first inner ring and a rotor wheel adjacent to the first inner ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shoko Ito, Iwataro Sato, Kazutaka Ikeda, Asako Inomata
  • Patent number: 8834127
    Abstract: A rotor blade assembly for a wind turbine and a method for increasing a loading capability of a rotor blade within a maximum load limit for a wind turbine are disclosed. The rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending between a tip and a root. The rotor blade assembly further includes an extension connected to a surface of the rotor blade, the extension having at least one design characteristic configured for increasing a loading capability of the rotor blade within a maximum load limit for the wind turbine. The design characteristic is one of extension length, extension width, extension curvature, span-wise extension location, chord-wise extension location, or extension angle with respect to a chord line of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Philippe Giguere, Stefan Herr, Peter James Fritz, Scott Gabell Riddell, Jeffrey Eric Bergman
  • Patent number: 8834114
    Abstract: Systems for increasing the efficiency of a turbine and an overall power plant system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a turbine includes: an outer shell including a set of grooves configured to complement components of a wheel and diaphragm steam path section; a drum rotor disposed within the outer shell; a set of shell converts connected to the outer shell via the set of grooves, the set of shell converts configured to complement components of the drum rotor; and a working fluid passage substantially defined by the drum rotor and the set of shell converts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carol Ann Sterantino, Sarah Elizabeth DiDomizio, Sesha Kiran Gundavarapu, Jason Winfred Jewett
  • Patent number: 8834124
    Abstract: A locking device for enabling the circular locking of a set of blades provided with a hammer base on the rim of a turbine engine compressor hub is disclosed. The rim includes a peripheral groove on the outer surface thereof for receiving the bases of the blades of the set and two shoulders framing the groove with surfaces which form bearings for holding the blades; and a cut-out provided in at least one of the shoulders to enable the bases of the blades to be inserted in the groove. The locking device translatably immobilizes the blades in the groove and is positioned in the groove between two consecutive blades and in turn translatably held in the groove by an attachment device. A carrier is shaped so as to fit into the cut-out and to rest circumferentially on at least one engagement surface of the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Belmonte, Franck Emmanuel Bosco
  • Patent number: 8833234
    Abstract: A cylinder includes a piston moving in a cylinder housing fastened to a cylinder rod and rotatable about a cylinder longitudinal axis, and a position sensor comprising a sensor magnet and a sensor element, which interacts with the sensor magnet and which is configured to detect a cylinder rod position relative to the cylinder housing. The sensor magnet is fastened on the cylinder rod rotatably with respect to the cylinder rod and is guided non-rotatably with respect to the cylinder housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Jens-Thorsten Gronau, Mike Heurich, Christian Seestädt, Tino Wiggers
  • Patent number: 8834123
    Abstract: A turbomachinery blade for a gas turbine engine is provided and includes an airfoil extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. In one embodiment the turbomachinery blade is a compressor blade. The blade can include a platform attached to the airfoil on one side, the other side being attached to a stalk having a lower attachment portion useful for being received in a compressor disk. The blade includes an undercut beneath a portion of the airfoil, preferably beneath the leading edge and/or trailing edge of the airfoil. In one form the undercut is located in a corner of the platform and extends partially along two sides of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel K. Morrison
  • Patent number: 8834104
    Abstract: A vane for a turbine assembly of a turbocharger includes an airfoil that has a pair of flow surfaces disposed between a hub end and a shroud end and a leading edge and a trailing edge where the airfoil further includes a non-zero sweep angle, a non-zero lean angle, a non-zero twist angle or any two or more combinations thereof. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ashraf Mohamed, Scott MacKenzie, Shakeel Nasir, Mark Groskreutz
  • Patent number: 8834107
    Abstract: The present application provides a tip clearance control system for reducing an airflow through a turbo machine. The tip clearance control system may include a casing shroud and a tip shroud positioned within the casing shroud. The tip shroud may include a first step at a leading edge and a second step adjacent to the first step. The casing shroud and the tip shroud may define a first cavity therebetween downstream of the second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lakshmanan Valliappan, Moorthi Subramanivan
  • Patent number: 8834098
    Abstract: A vane assembly comprises circumferentially adjacent airfoils formed of composite materials. The airfoils have matching exterior geometries defined by pressure and suction surfaces extending axially from a leading edge to a trailing edge and radially from a root section to a tip section. An inner platform is attached to each of the circumferentially adjacent airfoils at the root section, and an outer platform is attached at the tip section. The composite materials are selected to define a vibration mode with different vibration frequencies in the circumferentially adjacent airfoils, where the different vibration frequencies are separated by more than a full width of the vibration mode at half maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James Glaspey
  • Patent number: 8827647
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a four-pass aft flowing serpentine flow cooling circuit with a first leg located along the leading edge and the fourth leg located along the trailing edge region, and with two exit slots connected to the fourth leg with one exit slot opening on the trailing edge just above the platform and the second exit slot opening just below the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8827638
    Abstract: In a connection assembly of a turbine housing to a bearing housing of an exhaust gas turbocharger and to an exhaust gas turbocharger, wherein the turbine housing and the bearing housing are centered relative to each other and connected to each other in the region of a connection joint including a sealing assembly with a heat shield disposed between the turbine housing and the bearing housing, at least one cutout is provided in the heat shield for accommodating a centering means by way of which the turbine housing and the bearing housing are directly centered relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: iHi Charging Systems International GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim Delitz
  • Patent number: 8827655
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a pre-form comprising at least two layers of fiber tows, these layers being at least partly fixed by a resin. The method comprising steps of providing a work surface, and alternating distribution of layers of resin and layers of fiber tows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Anton Bech
  • Patent number: 8827648
    Abstract: A service crane for a wind turbine having a nacelle and a hub. One or more wing blades is attached to the hub via a wing pitch bearing, and the service crane includes an attachment foundation for connection to the hub. The service crane is adapted to be mounted on the wind turbine during operation and to be dismounted when not being used. The attachment foundation of the service crane is mounted on the hub of the wind turbine via the wing pitch bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Gunnar K. Storgaard Pedersen