Patents by Inventor Kevin Harding

Kevin Harding 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).

  • Publication number: 20220148747
    Abstract: Disclosed are a voltage drop measurement system and methods for measuring resistivity of a nuclear reactor cladding. The system includes a short cladding sample of a nuclear reactor cladding. Two electrically conductive plugs are attached to the short cladding. A power supply is electrically coupled to the each of the two electrically conductive plugs and is configured to apply an electrical current to the short cladding through the two electrically conductive plugs. Two needle like probes are electrically coupled to a surface of the short cladding between the two electrically conductive plugs. The needle like probes are spaced apart by a distance L. Resistivity and heat flux are determined in accordance with Equations (1)-(4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Guoqiang WANG, William A. BYERS, Stephen J. HARDING, Kevin A. HARDING
  • Patent number: 10724940
    Abstract: A corrosion maintenance scheduling and implementation system and method measure one or more characteristics of corrosion in equipment before and after implementation of a corrosion remediation action, determine one or more of a change in the one or more characteristics of the corrosion between before and after implementation of the corrosion remediation action, one or more historical operational characteristics of the equipment, or one or more forthcoming operational characteristics of the equipment, and modify a schedule of the corrosion remediation action for the equipment based on one or more of the one or more characteristics of corrosion that are measured, the change in the one or more characteristics of the corrosion, the one or more historical operational characteristics of the equipment, and/or the one or more forthcoming operational characteristics of the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Joseph Detor, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Monica Soare, Kevin Harding
  • Patent number: 10475542
    Abstract: A Gland Seal End Plug closure for a nuclear fuel rod cladding composed of silicon carbide or other materials that cannot be welded. The sealant is, preferably, made from one or more forms of pure graphite and the ram, seat and other components of the Gland Seal End Plug are formed from high temperature metallic or ceramic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: William A. Byers, Guoqiang Wang, Kevin A. Harding
  • Publication number: 20190003954
    Abstract: A corrosion maintenance scheduling and implementation system and method measure one or more characteristics of corrosion in equipment before and after implementation of a corrosion remediation action, determine one or more of a change in the one or more characteristics of the corrosion between before and after implementation of the corrosion remediation action, one or more historical operational characteristics of the equipment, or one or more forthcoming operational characteristics of the equipment, and modify a schedule of the corrosion remediation action for the equipment based on one or more of the one or more characteristics of corrosion that are measured, the change in the one or more characteristics of the corrosion, the one or more historical operational characteristics of the equipment, and/or the one or more forthcoming operational characteristics of the equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew Joseph Detor, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Monica Soare, Kevin Harding
  • Publication number: 20170372802
    Abstract: A Gland Seal End Plug closure for a nuclear fuel rod cladding composed of silicon carbide or other materials that cannot be welded. The sealant is, preferably, made from one or more forms of pure graphite and the ram, seat and other components of the Gland Seal End Plug are formed from high temperature metallic or ceramic materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: WILLIAM A. BYERS, Guoqiang Wang, Kevin A. Harding
  • Publication number: 20140373587
    Abstract: A portable rotary tubing straightener apparatus comprises a mobile console with spool mounting assembly. A motor is supported on the console and drives a shaft which mounts a drive roller. An adjustable tensioner assembly has a tension roller positionable opposite the drive roller. The drive and tension rollers are engageable at opposed locations of a continuous tubing. A rotary straightener assembly is disposed on the console. A motor carried by the console is activatable to rotate the rotary straightener assembly. A spool with metal tubing is mounted to the spool mounting assembly and passes tubing through the rotary assembly and between the rollers. Upon activating the motors, the tubing unwinds from the spool and exits in a continuous straightened condition from the drive and tension rollers. A rotary handle is employed for adjusting the tension in the tension roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Kevin Harding
  • Publication number: 20090080652
    Abstract: A mechanical device may have one or more user inputs and one or more password outputs to provide a plurality of secure passwords. A user may set and recover passwords by transposing one or more mechanical components of the device. A user may carry the device, but if the device is lost or stolen another individual may be unable to access any of the stored passwords.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventor: Kevin Harding
  • Publication number: 20070133009
    Abstract: A phase shifting imaging module in a handheld imager is provided. The phase shifting imaging module includes a first beam splitter configured to split an image radiation beam into first and second image radiation beams. It also includes a first prism configured to align the first and second image radiation beams, and a second beam splitter configured to split the first and second image radiation beams into four image radiation beams. A second prism aligns the four image radiation beams. A phase mask introduces phase retardation between the four image radiation beams, resulting in four phase shifted image radiation beams. A pixilated sensor generates image data based upon each of the four phase shifted image radiation beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Shu-Guo Tang, Kevin Harding, Robert Tait, Craig Cantello
  • Publication number: 20070124015
    Abstract: A method for extracting parameters of a cutting tool is provided. The method includes obtaining a measurement data set having a point cloud corresponding to a surface of the cutting tool and virtually slicing the point cloud at a pre-determined section to obtain a set of points on the pre-determined section. The method also includes generating a plurality of curves through the set of points and optimizing the plurality of curves to generate optimized fitting curves and extracting the parameters of the cutting tool from the optimized fitting curves. Furthermore, based on the presented rotary angle projection technique, a plurality of parameters can be extracted for the cutting tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Tian Chen, Kevin Harding, Zhongguo Li, Jianming Zheng, Steven Hayashi, Xiaoming Du
  • Publication number: 20070115482
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising capturing an image of a grating formed on a surface of a brightness enhancing display film; measuring a displacement ?d of a fringe from the image of the grating; and determining a slope of a deviation from flatness of the brightness enhancing display film from the displacement ?d by using the equation (I) ? ? ? ? d ? ( y , ? 2 ) = 2 ? y ? ? ? sin ? ( ? 1 + ? 3 - 2 ? ? 2 ) [ tan ? ( ? 1 + ? 3 - ? 2 - 90 ) tan ? ( 90 - ? 2 ) + tan ? ( ? 1 + ? 3 - ? 2 - 90 ) ] ( I ) wherein y represents a distance along the brightness enhancing display film that represents a location of the deviation from flatness; ?1 is a light box angle; ?2 is the slope of the deviation from flatness in the brightness enhancing display film; and ?3 is a camera angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Kevin Harding, Shu-Guo Tang
  • Publication number: 20070115464
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for inspection of light management films with a plurality of light refractive surface structures, including positioning at least one illumination source, and at least one imaging device are configured to be in a substantially bright field configuration and imaging at least portion of the light management film to provide an acquired image, wherein light from the at least one illumination source is refracted by the film to produce a dark field image at the at least one imaging device. A system for inspection of light management films is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Kevin Harding, Robert Tait, Mark Cheverton
  • Publication number: 20070109558
    Abstract: A projector (20) projects a structured light pattern (46) along a first optical axis (44) onto a surface (80). A viewer (50) attached to the projector (20) receives a reflection of the structured light pattern (46) from the surface (80) along a second optical axis (54), and digitizes a two-dimensional snapshot. The optical axes (44, 54) are non-parallel, and they meet within a common field of view of the projector (20) and the viewer (50). A computer (61) interfaced to the viewer (50) receives the digitized snapshot, and analyzes it to mathematically model the surface for display and inspection. The projector and attached viewer are designed as a hand-held unit with a hand grip (66) and a trigger button (68) to trigger a snapshot. A guide tip (70) on the unit extends beside the two optical axes (44, 54) to the common field of view to position the hand-held unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Kevin Harding, Shu-Guo Tang, Craig Cantello
  • Publication number: 20070112543
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program code are provided for characterizing an edge break, e.g., part features and/or geometric discontinuities that could give rise to edge sharpness, as may be encountered in a chamfer, bevel, fillet and other part features. The methodology enables to accurately and consistently determine in a manufacturing setting, for example, any applicable geometric parameter for characterizing the edge break.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Kevin Harding, Jianming Zheng, Yongqing Li, Ming Jia, Guiju Song, Joseph Ross, Ralph Isaacs
  • Publication number: 20070103685
    Abstract: A method for generating a mask for use with a light measurement system that includes a light source for projecting light onto a surface of an object, and an imaging system for receiving light reflected from the surface of the object. The method includes determining a profile of the object to be inspected, and generating a mask based on the determined profile, wherein the mask includes an opening extending therethrough that has a profile that substantially matches a profile of the object as viewed from the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Kevin Harding, Xiaoping Qian, Russell DeMuth
  • Publication number: 20070090308
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an object includes emitting light from a light source, projecting the light emitted from the light source onto a surface of the object, splitting light reflected from the object surface into a first image and a second image, receiving the first image and the second image with an imaging sensor, and analyzing the first and second images received by the imaging sensor to facilitate inspecting at least a portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventor: Kevin Harding
  • Publication number: 20070091321
    Abstract: A method for generating a mask for use with a light measurement system that includes a light source for projecting light onto an object, and an imaging sensor for receiving light reflected from the object. The method includes determining a profile of the object to be inspected, and generating an electronic mask based on the determined object profile. The electronic mask has an electronic opening having a profile defined to substantially match the determined object profile as viewed from one of the light source and the imaging sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Qingying Hu, Kevin Harding, Joseph Ross, Donald Hamilton
  • Publication number: 20070090280
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an object using a structured light measurement system that includes a light source and an imaging sensor. The method includes emitting light from the light source, polarizing each of a plurality of different wavelengths of the light emitted from the light source at different polarization angles, projecting light emitted from the light source onto a surface of an object, receiving light reflected from the object surface with the imaging sensor, and analyzing the light received by the imaging sensor to facilitate inspecting at least a portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventor: Kevin Harding
  • Publication number: 20070090310
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an object using a structured light measurement system that includes a light source and an imaging sensor includes illuminating each of a plurality of different areas of the object with different wavelengths of light using the light source, filtering light reflected from the object into a first wavelength of the different wavelengths, and receiving the first wavelength of light reflected from the object with the imaging sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Donald Hamilton, Qingying Hu, Kevin Harding, Joseph Ross
  • Publication number: 20070090309
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an object using a structured light measurement system that includes a light source for projecting light onto a surface of the object and an imaging sensor for receiving light reflected from the object. The method includes determining a position of at least one of the light source and the imaging sensor with respect to the object based on at least one of a three-dimensional model of the object and a three-dimensional model of the structured light measurement system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Qingying Hu, Kevin Harding, Joseph Ross, Xiaoping Qian
  • Publication number: 20070091320
    Abstract: A method for inspecting an object includes emitting light from at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, phase-shifting light emitted from at least one of the LCD device and the LCOS device, projecting the phase-shifted light onto a surface of an object, receiving light reflected from the object surface with an imaging sensor, and analyzing the light received by the imaging sensor to facilitate inspecting at least a portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Qingyang Hu, Donald Hamilton, Kevin Harding, Joseph Ross