Patents by Inventor Mario Hamel

Mario Hamel 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).

  • Split francis turbine runner
    Patent number: 7470112
    Abstract: A split runner for a Francis turbine has runner segments that are adapted to be joined together along confronting surface portions thereof to form a composite runner having a crown, a band and a plurality of blades extending between the crown and the band. The confronting surface portions of the runner segments are located only along portions of the crown and portions of the band, and the confronting surface portions of the runner segments are located in between and spaced from adjacent blades of the composite runner. Since the confronting surface portions are located only along portions of the crown and portions of the band, none of the blades are split eliminating the need to weld together blades during formation of the composite runner. Accordingly, the composite runner does not have weld joints formed in the blades which are highly stressed operating parts of the runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Canada
    Inventors: Paul Huber, Andre Coutu, Eric Theroux, Julien Morin, Mario Hamel
  • Split Francis Turbine Runner
    Publication number: 20070134098
    Abstract: A split runner for a Francis turbine has runner segments that are adapted to be joined together along confronting surface portions thereof to form a composite runner having a crown, a band and a plurality of blades extending between the crown and the band. The confronting surface portions of the runner segments are located only along portions of the crown and portions of the band, and the confronting surface portions of the runner segments are located in between and spaced from adjacent blades of the composite runner. Since the confronting surface portions are located only along portions of the crown and portions of the band, none of the blades are split eliminating the need to weld together blades during formation of the composite runner. Accordingly, the composite runner does not have weld joints formed in the blades which are highly stressed operating parts of the runner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Paul Huber, Andre Coutu, Eric Theroux, Julien Morin, Mario Hamel