Patents by Inventor Robert Michael Zirin

Robert Michael Zirin 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: 20120316027
    Abstract: A planetary gear system and a method. The planetary gear system includes a carrier body configured to receive planet gears, at least one pin received by the carrier body, and flex means positioned between the carrier body and the at least one pin. The method includes preparing the carrier, upon which a plurality of planet gears is mounted through planet pins, and providing flex means between the planet pins and the carrier, the flex means configured to enable movement of the planet pins in response to a force directed thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel Jason Erno, Fulton Jose Lopez, Darren Lee Hallman, Erik Karl Jacobson, Robert Michael Zirin, Munishwar Ahuja, Stephen Bertram Johnson
  • Patent number: 8319389
    Abstract: An electric machine and stator assembly includes a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes stator laminations, end plates arranged axially on opposing sides of the stator portion, and structural plates arranged interior to the end plates. Each of the support plates has a portion with notch-like structures that is embedded within the stator laminations. Stabilizing couple the end plates and the structural plates together. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, James Pellegrino Alexander, Jay Zhiqiang Cao, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Jeremy Daniel Van Dam, Robert Michael Zirin
  • Patent number: 8287423
    Abstract: A planetary gear system is disclosed. The planetary gear system includes a carrier, a planet gear defining a central planet axis, and a pin coupling the planet gear to the carrier. The planetary gear system additionally includes a bearing disposed between the planet gear and the pin. The bearing includes a plurality of rolling elements. Each of the rolling elements is in contact with an inner race and an outer race. The planetary gear system further includes a resilient member. The resilient member is disposed between one of the inner race and the pin or the outer race and the planet gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fulton Jose Lopez, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Robert Michael Zirin
  • Patent number: 8274192
    Abstract: An electric machine and a stator assembly include a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes end plates arranged axially on opposing sides of the stator portion, support plates arranged interior to the end plates, stator laminations arranged between the support plates, and stabilizing elements coupling the end plates and the support plates together. Each of the stabilizing elements has a dovetail portion coupled to the end plates and to the support plates. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions of the segmented stator together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, Robert Michael Zirin, Richard Nils Dawson, Mark John DeBlock, Randy Scott Longtin
  • Publication number: 20120133145
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to wind power generation systems having a segmented stator with a structural element and a plurality of coils. The wind power generation systems also include a rotor adapted to be rotated by wind to induce current in the plurality of coils and a lamination stack having a plurality of lamination plates disposed about the plurality of coils and a dovetail recess formed in the lamination stack. The wind power generation systems also include a dovetail bar adapted to be received by the dovetail recess and adjusted by a bolt to engage the lamination stack and the structural element of the segmented stator to form a torque transfer interface. Torque is adapted to be transferred from the lamination stack to the segmented stator via friction at the interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Randy Scott Longtin, Robert Michael Zirin, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran
  • Patent number: 8177455
    Abstract: A connector for a bracket including a male adapter and a female adapter is provided. The male adapter includes a first base structure and a neck structure protruding out of the base structure and is disposed on a surface to be clamped. The neck structure includes multiple first lobes extending radially outward from the neck structure. The first lobes include a first mating surface contour on a bottom surface. The female adapter includes a second base structure. The second base structure includes multiple second lobes made of a flexible material. The second base structure also includes a second mating surface contour on a top surface and is configured to fit into said first mating surface contour thereby deforming said multiple second lobes to induce a clamping force between a shoulder of said female adapter and a surface of a bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Michael Zirin, Philip Paul Beauchamp
  • Patent number: 8171633
    Abstract: A multi segment wind turbine blade comprises at least two blade segments. A first blade segment comprises an outer skin, a bulkhead, and first alignment brackets removably coupled to the outer skin of the first blade segment. A first portion of a flange of the bulkhead is bonded to the first blade segment and a second portion of the flange of the bulkhead projects out from the first blade segment. A second blade segment comprises an outer skin and second alignment brackets removably coupled to the outer skin of the first blade segment. The first and second alignment brackets are alignable upon the outer side of the second blade segment being inserted over the second portion of the flange of the bulkhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Michael Zirin, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Youdong Zhou, Shu Ching Quek, Grama Praveen, Bowden Kirkpatrick, Jamie Thomas Livingston, Peggy Lynne Baehmann
  • Patent number: 8172717
    Abstract: A planetary gear system and a method of fabricating same. The planetary gear system includes at least one planet gear, at least one planet pin receiving the at least one planet gear, and a carrier. The carrier itself includes at least one carrier opening for accommodating the at least planet gear, at least one planet pin opening for receiving the at least one planet pin, and at least one flex portion within a wall of the carrier for providing enhanced compliance to the carrier in response to force directed on the at least one planet gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fulton Jose Lopez, Daniel Jason Erno, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Robert Michael Zirin, Michael John Wittbrodt
  • Publication number: 20120037732
    Abstract: An annular injector is described. The injector includes a first bayonet assembly and a second bayonet assembly each including a terminal end and a tip end. The second bayonet assembly is configured to be concentrically coupled at least partially about the first bayonet assembly. An outer diameter of the first bayonet assembly and an inner diameter of the second bayonet assembly vary at the tip end to define a first substantially annular nozzle. The first bayonet assembly includes a maximum outer diameter that is greater than a minimum inner diameter of the second bayonet assembly and at least a portion of at least one of the first bayonet assembly and the second bayonet assembly extends from the tip end to the terminal end. The injector includes a third bayonet assembly configured to be concentrically coupled at least partially about the second bayonet assembly to define a second substantially annular nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Saunders Stevenson, Robert Michael Zirin, Raymond Douglas Steele, Constantin Bugescu, Roger Ma, David R. Matthews, Kenneth M. Sprouse
  • Publication number: 20120028756
    Abstract: A planetary gear system and a method of fabricating same. The planetary gear system includes at least one planet gear, at least one planet pin receiving the at least one planet gear, and a carrier. The carrier itself includes at least one carrier opening for accommodating the at least planet gear, at least one planet pin opening for receiving the at least one planet pin, and at least one flex portion within a wall of the carrier for providing enhanced compliance to the carrier in response to force directed on the at least one planet gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Fulton Jose Lopez, Daniel Jason Erno, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Robert Michael Zirin, Michael John Wittbrodt
  • Publication number: 20120027596
    Abstract: A planetary gear system is disclosed. The planetary gear system includes a carrier, a planet gear defining a central planet axis, and a pin coupling the planet gear to the carrier. The planetary gear system additionally includes a bearing disposed between the planet gear and the pin. The bearing includes a plurality of rolling elements. Each of the rolling elements is in contact with an inner race and an outer race. The planetary gear system further includes a resilient member. The resilient member is disposed between one of the inner race and the pin or the outer race and the planet gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Fulton Jose Lopez, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Robert Michael Zirin
  • Publication number: 20110266808
    Abstract: An electric machine and a stator assembly include a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes end plates arranged axially on opposing sides of the stator portion, support plates arranged interior to the end plates, stator laminations arranged between the support plates, and stabilizing elements coupling the end plates and the support plates together. Each of the stabilizing elements has a dovetail portion coupled to the end plates and to the support plates. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions of the segmented stator together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, Robert Michael Zirin, Richard Nils Dawson, Mark John DeBlock, Randy Scott Longtin
  • Publication number: 20110266807
    Abstract: An electric machine and stator assembly includes a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes stator laminations, end plates arranged axially on opposing sides of the stator portion, and structural plates arranged interior to the end plates. Each of the support plates has a portion with notch-like structures that is embedded within the stator laminations. Stabilizing couple the end plates and the structural plates together. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, James Pellegrino Alexander, Jay Zhiqiang Cao, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Jeremy Daniel Van Dam, Robert Michael Zirin
  • Publication number: 20110266913
    Abstract: A stator assembly includes a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes a support structure and dovetails, each coupled to the support structure by adjustable elements. The stator portion also includes stator laminations, where each of the laminations has openings to engage with the dovetails. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions of the segmented stator together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY GLOBAL RESEARCH
    Inventors: Robert Michael Zirin, Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, Richard Nils Dawson, Mark John DeBlock
  • Publication number: 20110140552
    Abstract: A stator assembly includes a segmented stator having stator portions. Each stator portion includes stator laminations having stator windings, spacer plates having a portion embedded within the stator laminations, and structural plates having a portion embedded within the stator laminations. The portion of each of the spacer plates and each of the structural plates has notch-like structures that create openings to allow a cooling medium to flow between the notch-like structures to provide radial cooling of the stator windings. Connectors are provided to connect the stator portions of the segmented stator together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Jay Zhiqiang Cao, William Dwight Gerstler, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam Haran, Robert Michael Zirin, Xiaochum Shen
  • Patent number: 7891947
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes at least two blade segments. Each blade segment includes first and second shells joined together, a base region, at least one joint region including a mating face. Each of the first and second shells includes an outer skin, a base spar cap attached to an inner surface of the outer skin in the base region, a joint spar cap attached to the inner surface of the outer skin in the joint region and adjacent to at least a portion of the base spar cap. The joint spar cap includes holes in the mating face of the joint region. The turbine blade further includes fasteners within the holes for securing the at least two blade segments together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xianglei Chen, Peggy Lynn Baehmann, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Youdong Zhou, Shu Ching Quek, Grama Narasimhaprasad Praveen, Bowden Kirkpatrick, Robert Michael Zirin, Gang Qian
  • Patent number: 7824100
    Abstract: A temperature measurement device includes a first thermocouple mounted on a tubular body that is shielded from the effects of radiation by a radiation shield, and a second, unshielded thermocouple. A difference in the measured temperatures from the first and second thermocouples is compared with calculated temperatures using an iterative process to determine a corrected temperature of the gas stream that estimates and compensates for incident radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mohamed Sakami, Fulton Jose Lopez, Hongmei Zhang, Shobhana Mani, Robert Michael Zirin, James Michael Storey, Aaton John Avagliano, David Howard Syck
  • Patent number: 7740453
    Abstract: A multi-segment wind turbine blade comprises at least two blade segments. A first spar cap segment is attached to a first blade segment and a second spar cap segment is attached to a second blade segment. The first and second spar cap segments are configured to form a scarf joint. First and second spar cap brackets are attached in locations of the first and second spar cap segments, respectively, selected to facilitate alignment of the first and second spar cap segments at the scarf joint. At a field site, the first and second spar cap segments are bonded after fastening the first and second spar cap brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Michael Zirin, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Youdong Zhou, Shu Ching Quek, Grama Praveen, Bowden Kirkpatrick, Jamie Thomas Livingston, Peggy Lynne Baehmann
  • Publication number: 20100143148
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes at least two blade segments. Each blade segment includes first and second shells joined together, a base region, at least one joint region including a mating face. Each of the first and second shells includes an outer skin, a base spar cap attached to an inner surface of the outer skin in the base region, a joint spar cap attached to the inner surface of the outer skin in the joint region and adjacent to at least a portion of the base spar cap. The joint spar cap includes holes in the mating face of the joint region. The turbine blade further includes fasteners within the holes for securing the at least two blade segments together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Xianglei Chen, Peggy Lynn Baehmann, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Youdong Zhou, Shu Ching Quek, Grama Narasimhaprasad Praveen, Bowden Kirkpatrick, Robert Michael Zirin, Gang Qian
  • Publication number: 20090162206
    Abstract: A multi segment wind turbine blade comprises at least two blade segments. A first blade segment comprises an outer skin, a bulkhead, and first alignment brackets removably coupled to the outer skin of the first blade segment. A first portion of a flange of the bulkhead is bonded to the first blade segment and a second portion of the flange of the bulkhead projects out from the first blade segment. A second blade segment comprises an outer skin and second alignment brackets removably coupled to the outer skin of the first blade segment. The first and second alignment brackets are alignable upon the outer side of the second blade segment being inserted over the second portion of the flange of the bulkhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Michael Zirin, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin, Youdong Zhou, Shu Ching Quek, Grama Praveen, Bowden Kirkpatrick, Jamie Thomas Livingston