Patents by Inventor William Calder

William Calder 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 of maintaining turbine discs to avert critical bucket attachment dovetail cracks
    Patent number: 8240042
    Abstract: Methods of to maintaining turbine discs prone to cracks in bucket attachment dovetails are disclosed. In one embodiment, wherein a turbine disc comprises a plurality of bucket attachment dovetail regions, one or more of the bucket attachment dovetail regions comprises a cooling slot, and each cooling slot comprises edges and adjacent surfaces, a method comprises inspecting the one or more of the bucket attachment dovetail regions comprising a cooling slot to confirm that each bucket attachment dovetail region meets predetermined minimum standards. The method further comprises blending the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises polishing the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises peening the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises coating the edges and adjacent surfaces of at least one of the cooling slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Wood Group Heavy Industrial Turbines AG
    Inventors: Andrew D. Williams, William Calder, John Walsh
  • Methods of Maintaining Turbine Discs to Avert Critical Bucket Attachment Dovetail Cracks
    Publication number: 20090282678
    Abstract: Methods of to maintaining turbine discs prone to cracks in bucket attachment dovetails are disclosed. In one embodiment, wherein a turbine disc comprises a plurality of bucket attachment dovetail regions, one or more of the bucket attachment dovetail regions comprises a cooling slot, and each cooling slot comprises edges and adjacent surfaces, a method comprises inspecting the one or more of the bucket attachment dovetail regions comprising a cooling slot to confirm that each bucket attachment dovetail region meets predetermined minimum standards. The method further comprises blending the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises polishing the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises peening the edges of the at least one of the cooling slots. The method further comprises coating the edges and adjacent surfaces of at least one of the cooling slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Andrew D. Williams, William Calder, John Walsh
  • Flowmeter for explosion-hazard environments
    Patent number: 6044714
    Abstract: A pulse generator (48) in a flowmeter system (10) transmits an excitation pulse to a transducer assembly (12) by way of a signal-conduction medium (20) located in a region subject to an explosion hazard. The amplitude of the excitation pulse is great enough that it would ordinarily trigger an explosion in the hazardous region if one of its cables (22, 23) were to break. But a saturable-core transformer (T1) so limits the excitation pulse's duration as to prevent the explosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Accusonic Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Francis Lowell, Allen Griswold, William Calder