Patents Examined by Ninh H. Nguyen
  • Ram air turbine shaft whirl damper
    Patent number: 11022099
    Abstract: A ram air turbine (RAT) can include a housing and a turbine shaft configured to connect to one or more turbine blades and be turned by the one or more blades. The turbine shaft can be disposed in the housing to rotate relative to the housing along a rotational axis. The RAT can include a first bearing and a second bearing mounted between the turbine shaft and the housing to allow the turbine shaft to rotate relative to the housing. The RAT can include a whirl reduction system configured to dampen or eliminate whirl around the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Bortoli, Daniel Kuehn
  • Vane core assemblies and methods
    Patent number: 11021966
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section rotatable about an axis, a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section, and a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a vane assembly including a radially outer platform with respect to the axis. A first airfoil extend from the radially outer platform to a radially inner platform. A rail extends radially inward from the inner platform, and a connected passage includes an airfoil passage within the first airfoil. A platform passage is located within the inner platform, and a rail passage is located within the rail. The airfoil passage, the platform passage, and the rail passage are fluidly connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Madonna, Daniel P. Preuss, Kristopher K. Anderson
  • Turbulent air reducer for a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11021962
    Abstract: A turbulent air reducer assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a windage cover attached to a first standoff and a second standoff, the windage cover tuned to a particular vibration response. A method of managing air within a turbine of a gas turbine engine includes reducing turbulence from a multiple of recesses within a tangential on-board injector with a turbulent air reducer assembly within each of the multiple of recesses, the turbulent air reducer assembly tuned to a particular vibration response from a turbine rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Neil L. Tatman, Nathan K. Galle, Richard K. Hayford
  • Shape memory alloy sleeve support assembly for a bearing
    Patent number: 11021998
    Abstract: A support assembly for a bearing of a gas turbine engine includes a shaft extending along an axial direction. The support assembly includes an outer race positioned radially exterior to the bearing such that the outer race supports the bearing. Additionally, the support assembly includes a shape memory alloy damper positioned radially exterior to the outer race and at least partially supporting the outer race. Moreover, the shape memory alloy damper includes a plurality of sleeves. One or more sleeves of the plurality of sleeves include a shape memory alloy material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Praveen Sharma, Bhujabal Prashant Mahadeo, Shivam Mittal
  • Oil pump of vehicle having inner ring
    Patent number: 11022134
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an oil pump including a housing in which a space is formed, a rotor installed to be rotatable in an eccentric position in the housing and having vanes mounted along a circumference direction to be protruded and retracted in a radial direction of the housing, and an inner ring fitted to an inner surface of the housing and rotated along with the rotor when the rotor rotates. The housing is formed of a material harder than the material of the inner ring, and oil for lubrication is provided between the housing and the inner ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, MYUNG HWA IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-Kyun Doo, Kyung-Hwan Oh, Hyun-Eu Jung
  • Axial fan
    Patent number: 11022128
    Abstract: An axial fan includes an upper impeller disposed in an axially upper portion of a housing, and an upper circuit board disposed axially below the upper impeller. An upper impeller cup of the upper impeller includes an upper cylindrical portion and an upper lid. The axial fan includes a lower impeller disposed in an axially lower portion of the housing, and a lower circuit board disposed axially above the lower impeller. A lower impeller cup of the lower impeller includes a lower cylindrical portion and a lower lid. An axial upper end outer diameter of the upper cylindrical portion is smaller than an axial lower end outer diameter of the upper cylindrical portion. An axial lower end outer diameter of the lower cylindrical portion is smaller than an axial upper end outer diameter of the lower cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Inouchi, Junya Matsuyama
  • Seal assembly for gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11021986
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a seal that has a sealing portion that extends circumferentially between first and second mate faces and an engagement portion along the first mate face. A support has an interface portion that extends from a mounting portion. The interface portion abuts the engagement portion to limit relative movement, and the mounting portion defines an aperture that receives a fastener to mechanically attach the mounting portion to an engine static structure. A portion of the fastener is circumferentially aligned with the first mate face. The fastener defines a first cooling passage that delivers cooling flow at a location adjacent to the first mate face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Winston Gregory Smiddy, Paul M. Lutjen
  • Bowed rotor prevention system for turbomachinery
    Patent number: 11015659
    Abstract: A bowed-rotor prevention system for a turbomachine is disclosed. The system comprises a first turbomachine having a first shaft rotatably supported by a plurality of bearings, a second turbomachine having a second shaft rotatably coupled to the first rotatable shaft, and a pump having a third shaft rotatably coupled to the second shaft. The system further includes a gear box having a fourth shaft rotatably coupled to the third shaft by an clutch configured to operate in a freewheel condition when the first shaft is rotating faster than a first predetermined speed, and further configured to rotatably engage the fourth shaft to the third shaft when the first shaft is rotating slower than a second predetermined speed to thereby drive a rotation of the third shaft, wherein the first predetermined speed is faster than the second predetermined speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vineet Sethi, Randall Kleen
  • High pressure compressor flow path flanges with leak resistant plates for improved compressor efficiency and cyclic life
    Patent number: 11015483
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a compressor casing and a method of assembly. The compressor casing comprises a first and an adjacent, second annular casing segments each comprising an annular radially-extending flange with mounting holes; at least one annular recess disposed on at least one annular side mating face of the adjacent flanges of the adjacent segments; at least one set of stress-relief holes disposed through at least one flange of the adjacent segments; and at least one annular leak-resistant plate disposed within the at least one annular recess having at least a third set of mounting holes. All sets of mounting holes are substantially aligned with each other and receive a plurality of respective fasteners, and the at least one annular plate is clamped between the adjacent segments and seals the at least one set of stress-relief holes for preventing leakage therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Vishnu Das K, Carlos Ivan Flores, Atanu Saha, Vinaykumar Shrimantrao Patil
  • Blade body and a blade made of composite material having fiber reinforcement made up both of three-dimensional weaving and also of short fibers, and method of fabrication
    Patent number: 11015462
    Abstract: A blade body made of composite material includes fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix, the blade body extending in a longitudinal direction between a root or bottom portion and a tip or top portion, and in a transverse direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The fiber reinforcement of the blade body includes a first portion constituted by a plurality of yarn layers interlinked by three-dimensional or multilayer weaving, and a second portion forming all or part of at least one leading edge or at least one trailing edge of a blade. The second portion includes a plurality of short fibers oriented in random manner, the yarns of the plurality of yarn layers of the first portion and the short fibers of the second portion being embedded in the matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas Alain De Gaillard, Clément Pierre Postec, Charles-Henri Claude Jacky Sullet
  • Centrifugal impeller
    Patent number: 11015611
    Abstract: A centrifugal impeller includes a base plate, a wheel cover, and a plurality of twisted blades disposed between the base plate and the wheel cover. Every two adjacent twisted blades form an air duct; and each air duct includes an air outlet along an outer edge of the base plate. Each of the plurality of twisted blades includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge. The upper edge and the lower edge are disposed between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and are opposite to each other. Defining an axis of the device as L1, and a plane passing through the axis L1 of the device as a meridional plane, when the twisted blades rotate around the axis L1, the leading edge intersects with the meridional plane to produce a plurality of intersection points on the meridional plane which form a first curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN YIBISI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Haiming Xu
  • Reinforced axial diffuser
    Patent number: 11009038
    Abstract: The invention relates to a diffuser (5) of a radial or hybrid compressor (2) comprising an internal shroud (20), an external shroud (30) and a series of vanes (10), the trailing edge (12) of each vane (10) being curved in such a way that a distance (di) between the leading edge (11) and the trailing edge (12) of the vane (10) at the mid-height point (h/2) of the vane (10) is 5% to 15% shorter than a distance (d2) between the leading edge (11) and the trailing edge (12) of the vane (10) at the level of the internal shroud (20), the trailing edge (12) also having an evolving cross section comprising a first part forming a low wall (14) in the vicinity of the external shroud (20) and having a height (H) equal to at most 10% of the height (h) of the vane (10), a curved second part and a third part forming a low wall (14) substantially identical to the first part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Florent Combier, Jean-Claude Belouar, Pauline Anne Freche, Eric Jean-Paul Guinoiseau, Cedric Louis Joseph Laurent
  • Vacuum pump, and rotor blade and reflection mechanism mounted in vacuum pump
    Patent number: 11009029
    Abstract: A reflection mechanism is disposed above a rotor blade. A chamfered surface of the rotor blade is formed to gradually open wide by 0 to 10 degrees toward the downstream side in the rotational direction, from an imaginary line passing through a rotational direction-side tip end point of a horizontal surface and drawn parallel to a rotating shaft. In the reflection mechanism, inclined plates, inclined at a predetermined angle, are arranged radially in the radial direction from a central disc portion. A particle reflected on the chamfered surface of the rotor blade collides with each inclined plate of the reflection mechanism and is then re-reflected and falls in the downstream direction. Since the particle can securely be reflected toward the reflection mechanism, the particle can be prevented from exiting through an inlet port to flow back toward a chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Edwards Japan Limited
    Inventor: Takashi Kabasawa
  • Controlling bearing wear
    Patent number: 11002250
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine is described. The method comprises calculating a current wear rate for each of the main bearing of a turbine rotor and the blade bearings of rotor blades mounted on the turbine rotor, and calculating a blade pitch adjustment of the rotor blades to achieved a desired ratio between main bearing wear and blade bearing wear in dependence on the calculated current wear rates of the main bearing and the blade bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Jacob Deleuran Grunnet, Damien Castaignet, Keld Hammerum, Kasper Zinck
  • Motor-fan assembly with improved airflow and noise reduction properties
    Patent number: 11002282
    Abstract: A motor-fan assembly includes an assembly housing which supports a motor assembly and a working fan assembly having a working fan rotated by the motor assembly which draws in and exhausts working air. The motor-fan assembly also includes a cooling fan assembly which provides a cooling fan rotated by the motor assembly that draws in and exhausts cooling air. The assembly housing has at least one of an inlet insert and an outlet insert through which working air or cooling air passes. The inserts are removable from the assembly housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ametek, Inc.
    Inventor: Kris D. Diehl
  • Cooled polymer component
    Patent number: 11002139
    Abstract: A polymer airfoil assembly is disclosed and includes at least one cooling passage for circulating coolant to remove heat from the polymer airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Robert Pearson
  • Method of shedding ice and fan blade
    Patent number: 10995631
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine can have compressor or fan blades having elongated indentations formed in the radially-inner portion of the pressure face, each elongated indentation having a curved bottom extending transversally between sharp edges, the sharp edges delimiting a width of the elongated indentation from adjacent surfaces of the blade pressure face. During operation of the gas turbine engine, ice can accumulate on the blade, covering the elongated indentations, and the elongated indentations can cause crack appearance in the vicinity of its edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Alex Raykowski
  • Controlling a wet gas compression system
    Patent number: 10989212
    Abstract: The disclosure includes controlling a pressure ratio for a compressing system, comprising introducing a quantity of liquid into an input stream to create a multiphase input stream, compressing the multiphase input stream with a centrifugal compressor to create a discharge stream, measuring a parameter of the discharge stream, wherein the discharge parameter corresponds to a pressure ratio for the centrifugal compressor, when the parameter exceeds a first predetermined point, increasing a pressure ratio of the centrifugal compressor by increasing the quantity of liquid introduced, and when the parameter exceeds a second predetermined point, decreasing the pressure ratio by decreasing the quantity of liquid introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobile Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Matheidas, Stanley O. Uptigrove
  • Spline seal with cooling features for turbine engines
    Patent number: 10982559
    Abstract: A segmented flow path assembly and spline seals therefore are provided. A method for cooling a spline seal is also provided. In one exemplary aspect, a spline seal is provided that may be positioned at least in part in a groove defined by a first flowpath segment and at least in part in a oppositely facing groove defined by an adjacent flowpath segment. The spline seal may span the gap between the adjacent flowpath segments and provide sealing therefore. The spline seal includes features that allow a cooling flow to bypass the spline seal to cool the hot side of the seal as well as to meter the flow by the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sergio Filippi
  • Apparatus and system for ceramic matrix composite attachment
    Patent number: 10982564
    Abstract: An apparatus and system for mechanically connecting components are provided. The apparatus includes a mechanical connecting joint that includes a first joint member formed of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value, the first joint member comprising a first sidewall, a second opposite sidewall, and a body extending therebetween. The mechanical connecting joint further includes a second joint member formed of a material having a second CTE value, the second CTE being less than the first CTE. The second joint member includes a first leg facing the first sidewall, a second leg facing the second sidewall, and a connecting member extending between the first leg and the second leg. A first gap is formed between the first joint member and the first leg and a second gap is formed between the first joint member and the second leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew Mark Weaver, Michael Alan Hile, Kathleen Elizabeth Albers