Patents by Inventor Kevin M. Vandevoorde

Kevin M. Vandevoorde 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).

  • Additively manufactured journal bearing for a wind turbine gearbox
    Patent number: 11865621
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a gear assembly of a gearbox in a wind turbine includes providing a pin shaft of the gear assembly. The method also includes depositing material onto an exterior surface of the pin shaft of the gear assembly via an additive manufacturing process driven by a computer numerical control (CNC) device to form a bearing that circumferentially surrounds and adheres to the pin shaft. Further, the method includes providing a gear circumferentially around the bearing to form the gear assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hayden McgarityBashiri, Aaron Wertz, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Raed Zuhair Hasan, Priyangu C. Patel, John P. Davis, Ganesh Raut
  • ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED JOURNAL BEARING FOR A WIND TURBINE GEARBOX
    Publication number: 20210270358
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a gear assembly of a gearbox in a wind turbine includes providing a pin shaft of the gear assembly. The method also includes depositing material onto an exterior surface of the pin shaft of the gear assembly via an additive manufacturing process driven by a computer numerical control (CNC) device to form a bearing that circumferentially surrounds and adheres to the pin shaft. Further, the method includes providing a gear circumferentially around the bearing to form the gear assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Hayden McgarityBashiri, Aaron Wertz, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Raed Zuhair Hasan, Priyangu C. Patel, John P. Davis, Ganesh Raut
  • Integral ring gear and torque arm for a wind turbine gearbox
    Patent number: 10495210
    Abstract: An integral ring gear and torque arm for a wind turbine gearbox and method of manufacturing same includes forming the ring gear and the associated gear housing as a single part using the same material, e.g., using a casting process. Further, the ring gear defines an inner circumferential surface having a plurality of gear teeth. Thus, the method also includes applying a coating material to the gear teeth of the ring gear via an additive manufacturing process, such as cold spraying, so as to increase a hardness of gear teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Raed Zuhair Hasan, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, Jr., George Albert Goller, James Edward Cencula
  • Gear assembly for a wind turbine gearbox having a flexible pin shaft and carrier
    Patent number: 10330174
    Abstract: A carrier and at least one pin shaft of a gearbox of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same includes forming the carrier and the pin shaft(s) as a single part or separate components. Further, the method includes forming one or more voids in the pin shaft(s) and/or the carrier via additive manufacturing. As such, the void(s) is configured to increase flexibility of the pin shaft(s)/carrier so as to improve a load distribution thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Matteo Bellucci, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Raed Zuhair Hasan, John P. Davis, Aaron Joseph Wertz
  • INTEGRAL RING GEAR AND TORQUE ARM FOR A WIND TURBINE GEARBOX
    Publication number: 20190136962
    Abstract: An integral ring gear and torque arm for a wind turbine gearbox and method of manufacturing same includes forming the ring gear and the associated gear housing as a single part using the same material, e.g., using a casting process. Further, the ring gear defines an inner circumferential surface having a plurality of gear teeth. Thus, the method also includes applying a coating material to the gear teeth of the ring gear via an additive manufacturing process, such as cold spraying, so as to increase a hardness of gear teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Raed Zuhair Hasan, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, JR., George Albert Goller, James Edward Cencula
  • GEAR ASSEMBLY FOR A WIND TURBINE GEARBOX HAVING A FLEXIBLE PIN SHAFT AND CARRIER
    Publication number: 20190136945
    Abstract: A carrier and at least one pin shaft of a gearbox of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same includes forming the carrier and the pin shaft(s) as a single part or separate components. Further, the method includes forming one or more voids in the pin shaft(s) and/or the carrier via additive manufacturing. As such, the void(s) is configured to increase flexibility of the pin shaft(s)/carrier so as to improve a load distribution thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Jacob Johannes Nies, Matteo Bellucci, Kevin M. Vandevoorde, Raed Zuhair Hasan, John P. Davis, Aaron Joseph Wertz