Patents Examined by Woody A Lee, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11525434
    Abstract: Disclosed is wind turbine blade and a spar beam for structurally connecting a first blade section and a second blade section of a wind turbine blade. The spar beam comprises a first fibre reinforced element extending parallel to a spar beam axis. The spar beam comprising a conductive beam sheath circumscribing at least a beam sheath angular distance of the spar beam about the spar beam axis and longitudinally extending from a fourth beam axis position to a fifth beam axis position. The first fibre reinforced element is positioned between the conductive beam sheath and the spar beam axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: LM WIND POWER A/S
    Inventors: Mathilde Aubrion, Boas Eiriksson
  • Patent number: 11519271
    Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a plurality of wheels and a tie bolt that extends through the plurality of wheels and applies a compressive force to the plurality of wheels. The tie bolt includes a first segment with a first stiffness and a second segment with a second stiffness to allow for thermal growth of the plurality of wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Hartnagel, Brandon Snyder, Michael Whitten
  • Patent number: 11519391
    Abstract: A wind turbine having a support structure and a method for operating a wind turbine. The support structure includes a structural component and a reinforcing element. The structural component has fastening holes provided for fastening an operating means. The wind turbine can be operated in at least two states. In an operating state, the reinforcing element is screwed to the fastening portion of the structural component by screw connections which are preloaded in a defined manner using the fastening holes. In a maintenance state, the screw connections are released and the reinforcing element is removed from the structural component of the support structure. A maintenance device can be connected to the fastening portion of the structural component using the fastening holes provided for fastening a maintenance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Schade
  • Patent number: 11519387
    Abstract: A vertical wind turbine that includes a plurality of vertical vanes which can be rotated independently of one another about a respective vane rotational axis by a motor and which are mounted on a common circular path in a rotatable manner about a vertical rotor rotational axis. A method for operating a vertical wind turbine. Angular positions are specified for vertical wind turbine vanes which are mounted in a rotatable manner about a respective vertical rotor rotational axis and which can be rotated about a respective vane rotational axis by a motor. The vertical wind turbine is operated in a particularly efficient and material-preserving manner in that the angular positions of the vanes are specified by at least one respective pitch motor which at least partly supports the respective vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Hans Hug, Christian Oram
  • Patent number: 11517969
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine component having a recessed portion with a recessed surface in a hard-to-weld (HTW) material. The system includes a plate disposed over the recessed portion. The plate has an easy-to-weld (ETW) material. The plate has an outer surface and an inner surface, and the inner surface faces the recessed portion. The system includes a braze material disposed within the recessed portion between the recessed surface and the inner surface of the plate. The braze material is configured to bond the recessed surface of the recessed portion with the inner surface of the plate when the braze material is heated to a brazing temperature. The system includes a filler material disposed on the outer surface of the plate disposed over the recessed portion. Application of the filler material to the outer surface of the plate is configured to heat the braze material to the brazing temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yan Cui, Michael Arnett, Matthew Laylock, Brian Lee Tollison
  • Patent number: 11519383
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wind turbine blade (10) comprising a shell body with at least one pressure side shell member (36) and at least one suction side shell member (38), and a plurality of shear webs (70) arranged within the shell body. The plurality of shear webs (70) is successively arranged spanwise within the shell body such that adjacent shear webs overlap along part of their spanwise extent (L), wherein a gap (88) in the chordwise direction is provided between adjacent shear webs (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: BLADE DYNAMICS LIMITED
    Inventor: Andrea Avaldi
  • Patent number: 11519286
    Abstract: A sealing assembly includes a plurality of sealing members configured to be located circumferentially adjacent one another between adjacent rotating blade stages in a turbine. The sealing members include axially extending sealing portions having spline seal slots defined in opposing slash faces thereof. The slots are structured to allow insertion of a spline seal into facing slots on adjacent sealing members when the sealing members are in an axially offset position, and to retain the spline seal in the facing slots when the sealing members are moved to an operative axial position. The slots may include spline seal-retaining seats therein to properly position and retain the spline seal. The sealing members allow easy assembly of the sealing assembly with proper positioning of the spline seal, and without damaging the spline seal or adjacent structure. A method assembling the sealing assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mariusz Robert Pulanecki
  • Patent number: 11519284
    Abstract: A turbine engine having an engine core, a first seal structure, a plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes, a plurality of struts, and a second seal structure. The engine core can define a rotor and a stator having a casing. The first seal structure can include a finger seal projecting from the rotor. The plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes can include an uppers band mounted to the casing, and a lower band located radially above the finger seal. At least some of the struts of the plurality of struts can extend through the plurality of circumferentially arranged vanes. The second seal structure can form a seat with the lower band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Krumanaker, Thomas Joseph Lipinski
  • Patent number: 11512593
    Abstract: A propeller. The blades of the propeller are characterized by a blade center axis which corresponds to a generator line of a cone to which the blade, or blade thrust surface, conforms. The propeller hub is fixed to the blade at the root, in line with the blade center axis, such that the hub axis and blade center axis lie in the same plane, and the leading edge of the blade is positioned forward (referring to the upstream direction of movement caused by the propeller) of the trailing edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Conic Propulsion, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas A. Russell
  • Patent number: 11512711
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan frame body structure includes a lower case body and a cover body. The lower case body has a bottom section and an outer wall section. The outer wall section is formed with a wind outlet. The cover body and the lower case body are correspondingly mated with each other to form a space. In the space, the lower case body and the cover body define therebetween a first height. The lower case body and the cover body define therebetween a second height at the wind outlet. The second height is larger than the first height. The height of the wind outlet is enlarged, whereby the wind outlet will not be blocked by the cooperative heat dissipation component (module) so that the flow field efficiency is enhanced and the noise is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Wei Sun, Ming-Che Lee
  • Patent number: 11506171
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade mould extending longitudinally in a spanwise direction and transversely in a chordwise direction is provided and a spar cap (134, 136) is laid the mould. The spar cap comprises a plurality of strips (138) extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction and arranged side-by-side in the chordwise direction, said strips comprising one or more intermediate strips (158) arranged between peripheral strips (160, 162) which are inclined relative to the intermediate strips. A shear web (126) comprising a flange (130a) extending longitudinally in the spanwise direction is provided, the flange comprising a base (144) defining a primary bonding surface (164). A chordwise width of the primary bonding surface corresponds substantially to a chordwise width of the intermediate strips of the spar cap. The primary bonding surface of the flange is bonded to the one or more intermediate strips of the spar cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Jonathan Smith, John Rimmer
  • Patent number: 11505305
    Abstract: A composite airfoil is disclosed. In various embodiments, a composite airfoil as disclosed herein includes an outer skin comprising one or more layers of carbon fiber composite material, the outer skin defining an aerodynamic surface having a leading edge; and a reinforcement material comprising a roll of fiberglass reinforced fabric positioned behind the outer skin along at least a portion of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC
    Inventors: Cody Patrick Leuck, Bernard F. Ahyow
  • Patent number: 11499525
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for computational fluid dynamics and apparatuses making enable an efficient implementation and use of an enhanced jet-effect, either the Coanda-jet-effect, the hydrophobic jet-effect, or the waving-jet-effect, triggered by specifically shaped corpuses and tunnels. The method is based on the approaches of the kinetic theory of matter, thermodynamics, and continuum mechanics, providing generalized equations of fluid motion. The method is applicable for slow-flowing as well as fast-flowing real compressible-extendable fluids and enables optimal design of convergent-divergent nozzles, providing for the most efficient jet-thrust. The method can be applied to airfoil shape optimization for bodies flying separately and in a multi-stage cascaded sequence. The method enables apparatuses for electricity harvesting from the fluid heat-energy, providing a positive net-efficiency. The method enables efficient water-harvesting from air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Yuri Abramov
  • Patent number: 11499443
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a ceramic wall for bounding an engine core gas path. The ceramic wall has a ceramic wall first side that faces the engine core gas path and a ceramic wall second side that faces away from the engine core gas path. There is a metallic wall adjacent the ceramic wall second side. The metallic wall has a metallic wall first side that faces the ceramic wall and a metallic wall second side that faces away from the ceramic wall. The metallic wall and the ceramic wall are spaced apart such that there is a channel there between. There is a seal on the ceramic wall second side, and the metallic wall has at least one cooling hole adjacent the seal for emitting cooling air to cool the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: San Quach, Robert A. White, III, Tyler G. Vincent
  • Patent number: 11493019
    Abstract: A wind power installation rotary connection, in particular a blade bearing or azimuth rotary connection, wherein the rotary connection is in the form of a plain bearing assembly, comprising an inner ring having a number of first plain bearing surfaces, an outer ring having a number of second plain bearing surfaces which are respectively associated with one of the first plain bearing surfaces as a plain bearing surface partner, and wherein the plain bearing assembly is in the form of a dry-running plain bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Samer Mtauweg
  • Patent number: 11493021
    Abstract: A windmill blade includes a leading edge protector at a leading edge portion of a blade main body including a skin surrounding a hollow space. The leading edge protector is fixed to the skin from the hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Fujita, Kentaro Shindo, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Toshiyuki Hirano, Atsushi Yuge
  • Patent number: 11497138
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a liquid storage device configured for storing a working liquid and including a casing and a liquid driving device. The casing includes a reservoir and an accommodation part detachably disposed on the reservoir. The reservoir has a reservoir chamber. The liquid driving device is disposed in the accommodation part and forms a liquid chamber. The liquid driving device includes an impeller located in the liquid chamber and configured to force the working liquid to flow towards the liquid chamber from the reservoir chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: COOLER MASTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shui-Fa Tsai, Tsung-Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 11486253
    Abstract: A boundary layer ingestion fan system for location aft of the fuselage of an aircraft is shown. It comprises a nacelle defining a duct, and a fan located within the duct. The fan comprises a hub arranged to rotate around a rotational axis and a plurality of blades attached to the hub, each of which has a span from a root at the hub defining a 0 percent span position (rhub) to a tip defining a 100 percent span position (rtip) and a plurality of span positions therebetween (r?[rhub, rtip]). The hub has a negative hade angle (?) with respect to the rotational axis at an axial position coincident with the leading edge of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventor: Martin N. Goodhand
  • Patent number: 11486254
    Abstract: A boundary layer ingestion fan system for location aft of the fuselage of an aircraft is shown. It comprises a nacelle defining a duct, and a fan located within the duct. The fan comprises a hub arranged to rotate around a rotational axis and a plurality of blades attached to the hub, each of which has a span from a root at the hub defining a 0 percent span position (rhub) to a tip defining a 100 percent span position (rtip) and a plurality of span positions therebetween (r?[rhub, rtip]). A plurality of outlet guide vanes are positioned aft of the fan. An afterbody is located aft of the plurality of outlet guide vanes and which tapers to an apex having an apex angle with respect to the rotational axis of between 35 and 45 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventor: Martin N. Goodhand
  • Patent number: 11486261
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a compressor including a rotor defining a circumferential direction, wherein the rotor includes a slot, the slot including a first neck portion, a first blade and a second blade disposed circumferentially apart in the slot, and a block disposed in the slot circumferentially between the first blade and the second blade, the block including second neck portion, the first neck portion to at least partially interface the second neck portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Arvind N