Patents Examined by Ryan Ellis
  • Patent number: 8287234
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal segment assembly for a turbine in which adjacent segments form a curved metering and diffusion cooling slot for the discharge of film cooling air onto an inner surface of the segments. The segments include a first diffusion cavity connected to the backside surfaces of the segments through metering holes. The curved slot is connected to the first diffusion cavity. spend cooling air for cooling of the backside surfaces of the segments is metered into the first diffusion cavity and then discharged as film cooling air from the curved slot in a direction of rotation of the rotor blades to provide both sealing and cooling for the mate face of the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8262364
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes an upper shell member and a lower shell member defining an internal cavity therebetween. The shell members are joined with a bond paste along bond lines at the leading edge and trailing edge of the blade. A seal member is disposed between the upper and lower shell members at a designed width of the bond line along at least one of the trailing or leading edges. The seal member comprises a dam on each of the lower and upper shell members that overlap in a mated configuration of the shell members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Robert Andrew Dixon
  • Patent number: 8262348
    Abstract: A turbine blade sealing system for reducing a gap between a tip of a turbine blade and a stationary shroud of a turbine engine. The sealing system includes a plurality of flexible seal strips extending from a pressure side of a turbine blade generally orthogonal to the turbine blade. During operation of the turbine engine, the flexible seal strips flex radially outward extending towards the stationary shroud of the turbine engine, thereby reducing the leakage of air past the turbine blades and increasing the efficiency of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Ihor S. Diakunchak
  • Patent number: 8257043
    Abstract: The multiblade impeller of the present invention comprises a main plate, a side plate having a suction port at a center thereof, and a large number of blades provided between the main plate and the side plate and extend in the radial direction in an arc form. The main plate and the side plate each have a large number of ridge portions, each extending in the radial direction in an arc form so as to coincide with the shape of the blade extending in the radial direction in an arc form. End portions of the blades are inserted in grooves formed inside the ridge portions of the main plate and the side plate and are fixed to the ridge portions by being bent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd., Koshin Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Kuroki, Tatsunori Nishihara, Kouji Wada, Hideharu Tanaka, Toshimasa Hiraoka, Tsuyoshi Morii
  • Patent number: 8257023
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of blades, particularly fan blades, intended for turbojets, particularly of the aeronautical type. Its objective is to provide a fan blade the features of which will enable the number of fan blades to be reduced while at the same time providing satisfactory performance. According to the invention, the fan blade comprises a plurality of aerodynamic parts which are superposed in a radial direction Z and the number of aerodynamic profiles varies from one aerodynamic part to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Belmonte, Amadou Lamine M'Bengue
  • Patent number: 8250761
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a rotor blade for a wind turbine and a rotor blade manufactured in accordance with such method are disclosed. The method generally comprises providing a blade blank formed at least partially from a filler material, shaping the blade blank to form a profile of the rotor blade and positioning a skin around an outer perimeter of the shaped blade blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James Robert Tobin
  • Patent number: 8251668
    Abstract: A method for assembling a rotating machine and a blade attachment mechanism are provided. A first dovetail slot having a first axial length and a second dovetail slot having a second axial length are each formed in the attachment mechanism such that the second dovetail slot is radially outboard of the first dovetail slot. First axial length is greater than the second axial length and each slot is substantially parallel to an axial centerline of the rotating machine. A first dovetail lobe having a third axial length that is shorter than the first axial length and a second dovetail lobe having a fourth axial length, shorter than the first axial length and longer than the third axial length, are each formed in the attachment mechanism and positioned to correspond with first and second dovetail slot, respectively, such that the second dovetail lobe is radially outward from the first dovetail lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Donald Joseph Kasperski
  • Patent number: 8235661
    Abstract: The present invention provides a turbine blade that is exposed to a high temperature atmosphere at relatively high temperatures and to a low temperature atmosphere at relatively low temperatures, including: a concave-curve-like pressure surface that is concaved along a flow direction of fluid; a convex-curve-like suction surface that is convexed along the flow direction of the fluid; and a concave and convex formation device which causes a concave and convex portion along the flow of the fluid to appear on the suction surface when the turbine blade is exposed to the low temperature atmosphere, and which turns the suction surface into a smooth surface along a convex curve surface of the suction surface when the turbine blade is exposed to the high temperature atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Mizuho Aotsuka, Hiroshi Hamazaki, Haruyuki Tanimitsu
  • Patent number: 8210825
    Abstract: A nose cone of a turbomachine, such as an aircraft engine, is heated to prevent ice formation. The nose cone is configured as a conical shell positioned concentrically over an inner shell with a space therebetween. Spiral spacers in the space provide distributed passages through which heated lubricating oil flows. A system for separating entrained air from the lubricating oil as part of this mechanism is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Jensen, James D. Bolla, Joseph T. Humphrey, Steve H. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8197188
    Abstract: A compressor for compressing a gas comprises an impeller wheel mounted within a housing (2) defining an inlet (8) and an outlet (6). The inlet (8) has a plurality of apertures (20) in the form of bores or grooves defined in its surface that serve as an integral silencer. The inlet (8) may comprise a map-width enhanced structure (4) with the bores provided on one to a number of surfaces. The design provides for a compact and efficient compressor with noise reduction such that higher pressure ratio designs may be adopted. The apertures (20) may be provided in the housing (2) that defines the inlet (8) or in a separate insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited
    Inventors: David Christopher Clay, Xioazhen Sheng
  • Patent number: 8197209
    Abstract: Systems and methods involving variable throat area vanes are provided. In this regard, a representative gas turbine engine includes: a vane extending into a gas flow path and having: an interior operative to receive pressurized air; a pressure surface portion; and a first port communicating between the interior and pressure surface portion, the first port being operative to receive the pressurized air from the interior and emit the pressurized air, wherein the emitted pressurized air displaces the gas flow path such that a throat area defined, at least in part, by the vane is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Joel H. Wagner
  • Patent number: 8197189
    Abstract: A retaining ring is mounted in frictional engagement with a static gas turbine engine part, such as a compressor shroud, in order to provide frictional damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Philippe Bonniere, Andreas Eleftheriou, Ignatius Theratil, Aldo Abate
  • Patent number: 8192164
    Abstract: Due to increasing environmental requirements, oil must be prevented from leaking from a turbine rotor disk and reaching the medium circulating around the turbine. In Kaplan turbines comprising a hydraulic mechanism (6) for actuating the rotor disk blades (3), hydraulic liquid leaks from the servomotor (5) and is collected in the inner chamber of the rotor disk hub (2). The invention relates to a rotor disk (1) by which means said leakage liquid can be reliably and easily collected and guided out of the rotor disk (1). A collecting basin (8) is arranged-around the free end of the piston rod (7). The actuating movement of the servomotor (5) reduces and enlarges the pump volume (17), and hydraulic liquid is thus guided from the collecting basin (8) into the delivery pipe (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: VA Tech Hydro GmbH
    Inventor: Carsten D. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8182208
    Abstract: Systems involving feather seals are provided. A representative vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a first mounting platform having a first slot; a first airfoil extending from the first mounting platform; and a feather seal having opposing faces, a first side extending between the faces, and a first tab, the first tab extending outwardly beyond the first side; the first slot being sized and shaped to receive the feather seal including the first tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Bridges, Jr., Tracy A Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 8177479
    Abstract: An energy recovery apparatus and method for recovering and harvesting energy from passing air is disclosed. Energy recovery and harvesting from passing air is accomplished by creating a pressure differential using high and low pressure ports. The energy represented by the pressure differential is extracted using a mass airfoil device which, in turn, is used to create alternative forms of energy which, in turn, is used to support auxiliary and main systems aboard any moving object or form of transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Pineview Group. LLC
    Inventor: Ralph C. Watts
  • Patent number: 8177481
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a vertical axis wind turbine. In one embodiment, the vertical axis wind turbine comprises a rotor comprising a vertical oriented shaft, and a plurality of vertical oriented blades angle-equally and radially secured to the vertical aligned shaft. Each of the plurality of vertical oriented blades has a face side, a back side, at least one window and at least one pane pivotally mounted onto the at least one window on the face side such that the at least one pane is rotatable between a closed position and an opening position around a pivotal axis responsive to a wind condition thereof. The pivotal axis is substantially perpendicular to the vertical oriented shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Ray-Hung Liang
  • Patent number: 8172537
    Abstract: The present invention broadly comprises a stator blade assembly for a torque converter stator including an inner ring having first openings; an outer ring having second openings; and extruded blades with first and second ends. The first end is disposed in a respective first opening and arranged to radially fix each blade with respect to the inner ring and the second end is disposed in a respective second opening and arranged to radially fix each blade with respect to the outer ring. In some aspects, the inner ring includes an inner circumferential surface and a portion of the first end extends radially inward past the inner surface and is in contact with the inner surface. In some aspects, the outer ring includes an outer circumferential surface and a portion of the second end extends radially outward past the outer surface and is in contact with the outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: William Brees, Christopher Shamie
  • Patent number: 8172503
    Abstract: A turbomachine has a shaft mounted in a shaft housing, and a rotor in a rotor housing at one end of the shaft, for compression, expansion, or transport of a working gas. The shaft is mounted by hydrostatic, gas-lubricated bearings that have a connector to a compressed gas line that is connected with a pressure region of the turbomachine. A portion of the gas that is passed from the pressure region is applied to the bearing. The shaft is mounted so that the bearing effect is at least extensively independent of the rotational speed of the shaft, thereby guaranteeing support of the shaft during startup of the turbomachine, and good rigidity and low sensitivity to pressure surge stresses. The pressure in the connector to the compressed gas line is at least 5 bar greater than the pressure in the region of the ventilation connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Atlas Copco Energas GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Sandstede, Werner Bosen
  • Patent number: 8172542
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a laminated structure having an outer shell (1) having a shape of the blade, an upwind-side reinforcing section (4a) which reinforces a upwind-side part of the blade in the outer shell 1 and a downwind-side reinforcing section 4b which reinforces a downwind-side part of the blade in the outer shell 1. The outer shell 1 includes a first multidirectional material, a first unidirectional reinforcing material 12 and another multidirectional material 11 which are layered. The upwind-side reinforcing section 4a includes another unidirectional reinforcing material 12 provided between the first unidirectional reinforcing material 12 and another multidirectional material 11. The downwind-side reinforcing section 4b includes yet another unidirectional reinforcing material provided between the unidirectional reinforcing material 12 and the multidirectional material 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hirano, Kouji Esaki, Takao Kuroiwa
  • Patent number: 8167554
    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 opening in at least one of the pressure and suction sides. The rotor blade may also include a base and at least two surface features spaced apart along the outer perimeter of the base. The base may generally be movable relative to the opening between a recessed position and an actuated position. Additionally, the base may be rotatable within the shell in order to adjust which of the surface features is received within the opening when the base is moved to the actuated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jing Wang, Edward Lee McGrath, Thomas Joseph Fischetti