Patents by Inventor Michel Couston

Michel Couston 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).

  • Francis-type hydraulic turbine wheel equipped with a tip-forming member, and method of reducing fluctuations using such a wheel
    Patent number: 8894366
    Abstract: This wheel comprises a plurality of vanes (2) arranged on a crown (3) and is equipped with a tip-forming member (10) attached to a central region (32) of the crown or hub of the wheel (1), radially inside the vanes (2), the crown defining a wet surface (31) for guiding a flow (E) passing between the vanes. The tip-forming member (10) is provided with at least one opening (121) for diverting a fraction (E1) of the flow towards the internal volume (V10) of this member. This member comprises a frustoconical annular skirt (11) and at least one fin (15) arranged in its internal volume (V10) and able to modify the path of the flow fraction (E1) entering this volume through the opening (121). This fin (15) extends as far as the edge (112) of the skirt (11) which defines an outlet opening (14) of the member (10) for the flow fraction (E1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Renewable Technologies
    Inventors: Farid Mazzouji, Danièle Bazin, Michel Couston, Claude Beral, Jacques Bremond
  • FRANCIS-TYPE HYDRAULIC TURBINE WHEEL EQUIPPED WITH A TIP-FORMING MEMBER, AND METHOD OF REDUCING FLUCTUATIONS USING SUCH A WHEEL
    Publication number: 20110103951
    Abstract: This wheel comprises a plurality of vanes (2) arranged on a crown (3) and is equipped with a tip-forming member (10) attached to a central region (32) of the crown or hub of the wheel (1), radially inside the vanes (2), the crown defining a wet surface (31) for guiding a flow (E) passing between the vanes. The tip-forming member (10) is provided with at least one opening (121) for diverting a fraction (E1) of the flow towards the internal volume (V10) of this member. This member comprises a frustoconical annular skirt (11) and at least one fin (15) arranged in its internal volume (V10) and able to modify the path of the flow fraction (E1) entering this volume through the opening (121). This fin (15) extends as far as the edge (112) of the skirt (11) which defines an outlet opening (14) of the member (10) for the flow fraction (E1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM HYDRO FRANCE
    Inventors: Farid Mazzouji, Daniele Bazin, Michel Couston, Claude Beral, Jacques Bremond