Patents by Inventor Bradley Leland
Bradley Leland has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9682517Abstract: A sandwich panel joint assembly for a nacelle of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes forming at least one groove into a core structure. A next step includes inserting at least one fastener element within the groove such that the fastener element is recessed within the core structure. The method also includes placing the core structure containing the fastener element into a mold. A next step includes inserting a resin material into the mold to at least partially surround the core structure, wherein a portion of the fastener element becomes embedded within the resin material. The resin material is then allowed to cure so as to form a plurality of panel members that surround the core structure. As such, the fastener element is recessed within the core structure and molded into one of the cured panel members.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20150258741Abstract: A sandwich panel joint assembly for a nacelle of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes forming at least one groove into a core structure. A next step includes inserting at least one fastener element within the groove such that the fastener element is recessed within the core structure. The method also includes placing the core structure containing the fastener element into a mold. A next step includes inserting a resin material into the mold to at least partially surround the core structure, wherein a portion of the fastener element becomes embedded within the resin material. The resin material is then allowed to cure so as to form a plurality of panel members that surround the core structure. As such, the fastener element is recessed within the core structure and molded into one of the cured panel members.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: September 17, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventor: Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20150152881Abstract: A nacelle for a wind turbine includes a cover defining an internal volume. The cover extends along a longitudinal direction, and the cover has a predefined length, a predefined width and a predefined height. The cover has multiple sections configured to be fastened together to form the cover. The multiple sections are configured to fasten to one or more longitudinal extension sections. The longitudinal extension sections are configured to fasten to the cover and extend a longitudinal length of the cover to a second length. The second length is greater than the predefined length.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2013Publication date: June 4, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Suresh Srinivasamurthy Tirumalai, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Patent number: 8449263Abstract: In one aspect, a rotor hub assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor hub assembly may generally comprise an inner hub including a plurality of hub segments assembled together and a hub enclosure including a plurality of enclosure segments assembled together. The hub enclosure may be configured to at least partially enclose the inner hub. In addition, the rotor hub assembly may include a plurality of support members extending between the inner hub and the hub enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20120134840Abstract: In one aspect, a rotor hub assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor hub assembly may generally comprise an inner hub including a plurality of hub segments assembled together and a hub enclosure including a plurality of enclosure segments assembled together. The hub enclosure may be configured to at least partially enclose the inner hub. In addition, the rotor hub assembly may include a plurality of support members extending between the inner hub and the hub enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2011Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventor: Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Patent number: 8016569Abstract: A nacelle for a wind turbine includes a cover defining an internal volume. The cover has longitudinal sides and opposite end walls. A bedplate is within the cover with the power generation and wind turbine control components mounted on the bedplate. The cover has a widest width dimension along the longitudinal sides intermediate of the end walls that exceeds a pre-defined maximum width for rail transport of the nacelle. Removable caps are configured on the longitudinal sides of the cover at the widest dimension, with the caps having a configuration such that upon removal of the caps, the widest width dimension is less than the predefined maximum width for rail transport.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2010Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ronald Eduard Stam, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20110142613Abstract: A nacelle for a wind turbine includes a cover defining an internal volume. The cover has longitudinal sides and opposite end walls. A bedplate is within the cover with the power generation and wind turbine control components mounted on the bedplate. The cover has a widest width dimension along the longitudinal sides intermediate of the end walls that exceeds a pre-defined maximum width for rail transport of the nacelle. Removable caps are configured on the longitudinal sides of the cover at the widest dimension, with the caps having a configuration such that upon removal of the caps, the widest width dimension is less than the predefined maximum width for rail transport.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2010Publication date: June 16, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Ronald Eduard Stam, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Patent number: 7775774Abstract: A method for installing an offshore wind turbine system includes driving a cylindrical annular monopile or a substructure into the soil. The monopile includes a flanged portion configured to support a wind turbine tower or a superstructure. The flanged portion extends radially from a peripheral surface of the monopile. The method further includes mounting a wind turbine tower directly on to the monopile, wherein the wind turbine is supported by the flanged portion of the monopile.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vasanth Srinivasa Kothnur, David Deloyd Anderson, Danian Zheng, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20080292408Abstract: A method for installing an offshore wind turbine system includes driving a cylindrical annular monopile or a substructure into the soil. The monopile includes a flanged portion configured to support a wind turbine tower or a superstructure. The flanged portion extends radially from a peripheral surface of the monopile. The method further includes mounting a wind turbine tower directly on to the monopile, wherein the wind turbine is supported by the flanged portion of the monopile.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vasanth Srinivas Kothnur, David Deloyd Anderson, Danian Zheng, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Patent number: 7367780Abstract: A method for installing an offshore wind turbine system includes driving a cylindrical annular monopile or a substructure into the soil. The monopile includes a flanged portion configured to support a wind turbine tower or a superstructure. The flanged portion extends radially from a peripheral surface of the monopile. The method further includes mounting a wind turbine tower directly on to the monopile, wherein the wind turbine is supported by the flanged portion of the monopile.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2005Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vasanth Srinivasa Kothnur, David Deloyd Anderson, Danian Zheng, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Kenneth Bradley Leland
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Publication number: 20070136032Abstract: A diverterless hypersonic inlet (DHI) for a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system reduces the ingested boundary layer flow, drag, and weight, and maintains a high capture area for hypersonic applications. The design enables high vehicle fineness ratios, low-observable features, and enhances ramjet operability limits. The DHI is optimized for a particular design flight Mach number. A forebody segment generates and focuses a system of multiple upstream shock waves at desired strengths and angles to facilitate required inlet and engine airflow conditions. The forebody contour diverts boundary layer flow to the inlet sides, effectively reducing the thickness of the boundary layer that is ingested by the inlet, while maintaining the capture area required by the hypersonic propulsion system. The cowl assembly is shaped to integrate with the forebody shock system and the thinned boundary layer region.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2005Publication date: June 14, 2007Inventors: Bradley Leland, John Klinge, Brian Lundy
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Publication number: 20060266412Abstract: An advanced aperture inlet (AAI) uses a three-dimensional, mixed compression inlet design derived from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by streamline tracing a supersonic section from an axisymmetric mixed compression inlet solution. The axisymmetric design is used to obtain a CFD solution with slip wall boundaries at the inlet design point and serves as a flow field generator for the AAI. The AAI geometry is obtained by projecting a desired aperture shape onto a surface model of the external oblique shock. Streamline seeds are located on the projected aperture segments and transferred into the CFD solution space. The streamlines generated by these seeds inside the CFD solution space are then used as a wireframe to define the supersonic diffuser back to the throat location. Traditional design techniques are then used to define the subsonic diffuser from the inlet throat to the engine face.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2005Publication date: November 30, 2006Inventors: Brian Lundy, John Klinge, Bradley Leland