Patents by Inventor Laurence J. Heidelberg

Laurence J. Heidelberg 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: 7334998
    Abstract: Low-noise fan exit guide vanes are disclosed. According to the present invention a fan exit guide vane has an outer shell substantially shaped as an airfoil and defining an interior cavity. A porous portion of the outer shell allows communication between the fluctuations in the air passing over the guide vane and the interior cavity. At least one acoustically resonant chamber is located within the interior cavity. The resonant chamber is in communication with the porous portion of the outer perimeter. The resonant chamber is configured to reduce the noise generated at a predetermined frequency. In various preferred embodiments, there is a plurality of acoustically resonant chambers located within the interior cavity. The resonant chambers can be separated by one or more partitions within the interior cavity. In these embodiments, the resonant chambers can be configured to reduce the noise generated over a range of predetermined frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael G. Jones, Tony L. Parrott, Laurence J. Heidelberg, Edmane Envia