Patents by Inventor Michael Cade Foster

Michael Cade Foster 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).

  • Methods and systems for removing and/or installing wind turbine rotor blades
    Patent number: 10113530
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for installing a blade sock onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine may generally include positioning the blade sock adjacent to a blade tip of the rotor blade, wherein the blade sock comprises a sock strap forming a closed-shape. In addition, the method may include moving the blade sock relative to the rotor blade such that the blade tip is received within the closed-shape formed by the sock strap and moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards a blade root of the rotor blade until the blade sock is positioned at an intermediate location defined between the blade root and the blade tip, wherein the sock strap is configured to fit tightly around an outer perimeter of the rotor blade at the intermediate location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Stephanie Willman, Michael Cade Foster
  • METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REMOVING AND/OR INSTALLING WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADES
    Publication number: 20150233341
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for installing a blade sock onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine may generally include positioning the blade sock adjacent to a blade tip of the rotor blade, wherein the blade sock comprises a sock strap forming a closed-shape. In addition, the method may include moving the blade sock relative to the rotor blade such that the blade tip is received within the closed-shape formed by the sock strap and moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards a blade root of the rotor blade until the blade sock is positioned at an intermediate location defined between the blade root and the blade tip, wherein the sock strap is configured to fit tightly around an outer perimeter of the rotor blade at the intermediate location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Ulrich Werner Neumann, Brent Hamilton Holloway, Stephanie Willman, Michael Cade Foster