Patents by Inventor Howard Lee Hansen, JR.

Howard Lee Hansen, JR. 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).

  • Method and system for servicing wind turbine rotor
    Patent number: 10890157
    Abstract: A system for enabling servicing of a rotor of a wind turbine has a rotor blade sling with at least one strap configured to be placed over the top of a rotor blade in a ten o'clock position or a two o'clock position. One or more rigid bars extend from the hub and out away from the hub, and the one or more rigid bars are coupled to the at least one strap. One or more support straps are coupled to the at least one strap, and the one or more support straps are configured to couple and support a rotor blade in a six o'clock position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer, Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Michael Royce Johnson, Kevin Thomas Costain, Forrest Christopher Hach, Howard Lee Hansen, Jr.
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SERVICING WIND TURBINE ROTOR
    Publication number: 20180209399
    Abstract: A system for enabling servicing of a rotor of a wind turbine has a rotor blade sling with at least one strap configured to be placed over the top of a rotor blade in a ten o'clock position or a two o'clock position. One or more rigid bars extend from the hub and out away from the hub, and the one or more rigid bars are coupled to the at least one strap. One or more support straps are coupled to the at least one strap, and the one or more support straps are configured to couple and support a rotor blade in a six o'clock position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer, Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Michael Royce Johnson, Kevin Thomas Costain, Forrest Christopher Hach, Howard Lee Hansen, JR.
  • Method and system for servicing wind turbine rotor
    Patent number: 9964095
    Abstract: A method for enabling servicing of a wind turbine rotor includes coupling a support cable to the blade root, the support cable extends from the blade root to a hub of the wind turbine. A lowering step lowers a rotor blade relative to the hub using the support cable so the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by an initial vertical distance. An installing step installs a rotor blade sling on the rotor, the rotor blade sling supports the rotor blade. Other steps are used for coupling the rotor blade to the rotor blade sling, lowering the rotor blade such that the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by a distance greater than the initial vertical distance, de-coupling the support cable from the blade root, and interposing a rotor servicing fixture between the rotor blade and hub. The rotor servicing fixture is configured to transport a rotor part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer, Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Michael Royce Johnson, Kevin Thomas Costain, Forrest Christopher Hach, Howard Lee Hansen, Jr.
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SERVICING WIND TURBINE ROTOR
    Publication number: 20150300175
    Abstract: A method for enabling servicing of a wind turbine rotor includes coupling a support cable to the blade root, the support cable extends from the blade root to a hub of the wind turbine. A lowering step lowers a rotor blade relative to the hub using the support cable so the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by an initial vertical distance. An installing step installs a rotor blade sling on the rotor, the rotor blade sling supports the rotor blade. Other steps are used for coupling the rotor blade to the rotor blade sling, lowering the rotor blade such that the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by a distance greater than the initial vertical distance, de-coupling the support cable from the blade root, and interposing a rotor servicing fixture between the rotor blade and hub. The rotor servicing fixture is configured to transport a rotor part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer, Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Michael Royce Johnson, Kevin Thomas Costain, Forrest Christopher Hach, Howard Lee Hansen, JR.