Patents by Inventor James George Ritchie

James George Ritchie 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).

  • Patent number: 7231713
    Abstract: A method of reconditioning a rotating blade (1) with a shroud (8) following the operation in a gas turbine, includes the application of a barrier (14) placed on the edge of the shroud (8) facing the edge of a shroud (8) of an adjacent blade having creep deformation. The barrier (14) prevents hot gas ingestion into a shroud cavity (10). It is pre-fabricated or built-up layer-by-layer by welding or laser cladding or other methods. Additionally, the mass of the shroud (8) is reduced in order to re-establish the initial mass of the shroud. A thermal barrier coating (15) is additionally applied to the surfaces of the shroud (8) that are exposed to the hot gas of the turbine. The method significantly increases the lifetime of the blade (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Andreas Boegli, James George Ritchie, Slawomir Slowik, Heinrich Stuessi