Patents by Inventor Norman Roeloffs

Norman Roeloffs 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).

  • Publication number: 20070140848
    Abstract: A turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, has an airfoil portion, a plurality of cooling passages within the airfoil portion with each of the cooling passages having an inlet for a cooling fluid. Each inlet has a flared bellmouth inlet portion. The turbine engine component may further have a dirt funnel at the tip of the airfoil portion, a platform with at least one beveled edge, and an undercut trailing edge slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Charbonneau, James Downs, Shawn Gregg, Wesley Harris, Natalia Khandros, Jeffrey Levine, Paul Orndoff, Steve Palmer, Edward Pietraszkiewicz, Norman Roeloffs, Richard Stockton, Wanda Widmer, Dagny Williams
  • Publication number: 20060269410
    Abstract: A turbine blade cooling system for a gas turbine engine includes a turbine blade having a trailing edge, a concave side, and a convex side. The trailing edge defines at least one set of impingement holes each having a central longitudinal axis which is closer to a nearest portion of an edge of the blade at one of the concave and convex sides relative to a nearest portion of an edge of the blade at the other of the concave and convex sides. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing, the trailing edge can define at least one set of impingement holes each having a central longitudinal axis which is angled in a direction of a flow of cooling medium toward one of the concave and convex sides relative to the other of the concave and convex sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James Downs, Norman Roeloffs, Edward Pietraszkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20060269419
    Abstract: A turbine blade system for a gas turbine engine includes a turbine blade having a trailing edge region extending in a lateral direction and in a lengthwise direction from a pressure side surface to a trailing edge. The trailing edge region includes a plurality of riblets extending in the lengthwise direction from the pressure side surface toward the trailing edge. The trailing edge region defines a plurality of ejection slots each laterally disposed between two of the riblets. The plurality of riblets each define an upper surface having at least a portion in the lengthwise direction being curved relative to the pressure side surface so as to generally shield the upper surface from a high heat load propagating from the pressure side surface and to facilitate cooling air flowing from the ejection slots to flow over the upper surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James Downs, Norman Roeloffs, Edward Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 6634858
    Abstract: An airfoil includes internal cooling air passages arranged in a serpentine manner with one or more radially outward and radially inward extending passages. The passages are in fluid connection through turns of approximately 180°. The turns near the platform of the airfoil connecting a radially inward extending passage with a radially outward extending passage are realized by a root turn defined by the passage sidewalls, which extend radially inward to the radially inner end of the root section of the airfoil, and by an end plate attached to the radially inner ends of the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Norman Roeloffs, Samuel Miller
  • Patent number: 6527514
    Abstract: A blade for a gas turbine includes a tip cap and a tip squealer and passages for cooling fluid extending from a hollow space to the tip squealer. The tip squealer includes a cavity extending from the tip pocket into the tip squealer such that the cooling passage is divided into first and second portions with an exit hole in the cavity and an exit hole on the tip crown, respectively. In case of a blockage of the exit hole on the tip crown, cooling fluid can flow through the additional exit hole into the tip pocket and cool the squealer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventor: Norman Roeloffs
  • Publication number: 20020197159
    Abstract: A blade (1) for a gas turbine comprises a tip cap (4) and a tip squealer (6) and passages (15, 25) for cooling fluid extending from a hollow space (5) to the tip squealer (6). According to the invention the tip squealer (6) comprises a cavity (16) extending from the tip pocket (9) into the tip squealer (6) such that the cooling passage is divided into first and second portions (17, 18) with an exit hole (11′) in the cavity (16) and an exit hole (11) on the tip crown (8) respectively. In case of a blockage of the exit hole (11) on the tip crown (8) cooling fluid can flow through the additional exit hole (11′) into the tip pocket (9) and cool the squealer (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventor: Norman Roeloffs
  • Publication number: 20020197161
    Abstract: An airfoil (1) comprises internal cooling air passages (15a,b,c) arranged in a serpentine manner with one or more radially outward and radially inward extending passages (15a,b,c). The passages (15,b,c) are in fluid connection by turns (16, 20) of approximately 180°. According to the invention, the turns near the platform of the airfoil connecting a radially inward extending passage with a radially outward extending passage is realized by a root turn (20) defined by the passage sidewalls (15d,e), which extend radially inward to the radially inner end of the root section (2) of the airfoil, and by an end plate (21) attached to the radially inner ends of the walls (15d,e).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Norman Roeloffs, Samuel Miller
  • Patent number: 6413044
    Abstract: A gas turbine whose blades are cooled with cooling air has in its turbine part a device for the removal of dirt particles from the cooling air. The device consists of a first chamber in which the cooling air is collected, and a second chamber into which the cooling air from the first chamber is fed through conduit, and in which the dirt particles are removed from the cooling air. The conduit, above which a drop in pressure occurs, are oriented at an angle (&phgr;) in relation to the rotor axis so that the cooling air is accelerated in the tangential direction in relation to the rotor and moves in the circumferential direction of the rotor within the second chamber. Dirt particles are removed in the second chamber by centrifugal force from the cooling air in that they are driven outward and pass through the outlet openings into the gas stream of the turbine. The clean cooling air exits through radially further inward outlet openings into the cooling channels of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom Power N.V.
    Inventors: Norman Roeloffs, Wesley D. Brown