Working Fluid Bypass Patents (Class 415/144)
  • Patent number: 9863307
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a compressor bypass passage. In one example, a method may include flowing bypassed charge air through an annular passage into an intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vanco Smiljanovski, Helmut Matthias Kindl, Joerg Kemmerling, Andreas Kuske, Franz Arnd Sommerhoff
  • Patent number: 9845726
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Frederick M. Schwarz, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Patent number: 9810157
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine compressor includes a rotor defining a central axis of rotation and a plurality of blades which project into an annular compressor gas flow passage, and a shroud circumferentially surrounding the rotor and having a radially inner surface adjacent to the blade tips. Bleed holes extend through the shroud adjacent the blade tips, each of the bleed holes having an inlet end disposed in the shroud radially inner surface and an outlet end disposed in a shroud radially outer surface. Bleed air removed from the annular gas flow passage flows through the bleed holes from the inlet to the outlet ends. The outlet end of each bleed hole is located circumferentially upstream of the inlet end relative to a direction of rotational flow in the annular gas flow passage driven by a direction of rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jason Nichols, Peter Townsend, Hien Duong, Vijay Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 9777742
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan impeller structure includes a hub having multiple blades. The blades extend from a circumference of the hub in a direction away from the hub. Each two adjacent blades define therebetween a flow way, an air outlet and an air inlet. The air outlet and the air inlet are respectively positioned at two ends of the flow way in communication with the flow way. The air outlets are arranged at unequal intervals so as to greatly reduce noise in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Yang, Sheng-Pei Lee
  • Patent number: 9777743
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan impeller structure includes a hub and a blade body set. The hub has an extension section. The blade body set has multiple blade bodies. The blade bodies outward extend from the extension section of the hub. Each two adjacent blade bodies define therebetween a flow way, an air outlet and an air inlet. The air outlet and the air inlet are respectively positioned at two ends of the flow way in communication with the flow way. The air outlets are arranged at unequal intervals so as to greatly reduce noise in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Yang, Sheng-Pei Lee
  • Patent number: 9777632
    Abstract: Splitter apparatus for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example splitter apparatus may include a splitter including an annular outer wall substantially defining a convex leading edge; an annular splitter support positioned radially within the outer and including a forward end disposed substantially against a splitter inner; and an annular first bulkhead spanning between the outer wall and the splitter support. The outer wall, the splitter support, and the first bulkhead may define a generally annular splitter plenum. The forward end of the splitter support may include spaced apart, radially oriented metering slots. The outer wall may include an inner portion disposed radially inward from the splitter inner surface extending aft and including spaced-apart exit slots. The splitter plenum, the metering slots, and the exit slots may conduct airflow from the plenum, through the metering slots against the splitter inner surface, and through the exit slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Randall Maurice Prather, Neil Fraser Cunningham, Junhaur Jih, Erich Alois Krammer, Sesha Subramanian
  • Patent number: 9726084
    Abstract: A compressor for a gas turbine engine having a bleed air recirculation system includes a plurality of bleed holes extending through the shroud at a first axial location thereon substantially adjacent the blade tips. The bleed holes have a closed outer perimeter along their complete length. An annular bleed cavity surrounds the shroud and is in communication with outlet openings of the bleed holes. The bleed holes provide communication between the main gas flow passage and the bleed cavity. The bleed cavity includes exit passages having outlets disposed in the shroud at a second axial location which is upstream of both the first axial location and the leading edge of the blades of the rotor. Bleed air is passively bled from the main gas flow passage via the bleed holes, recirculated through the bleed cavity and re-injected back into the main gas flow passage at the second axial location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Hien Duong, Jason Nichols, Peter Townsend, Vijay Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 9683574
    Abstract: A rotating assembly adapted for use in turbines and pumps is provided. The rotating assembly includes a shroud that rotates around a central axis and a disk seated in a recess in the shroud so that the disk rotates with the shroud, the disk being oriented perpendicular to the central axis. The rotating assembly also includes a stationary element in which at least one surface of the disk contacts a fluid so that when the fluid flows under pressure, the surface of the disk resists the generation of drag between the surface and the stationary element of the rotating assembly. A shroud is provided that includes a circular recess with a cavity on an outer perimeter extending away from the fixed assembly. A method of manufacturing a rotating assembly is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: ENERGY RECOVERY, INC.
    Inventors: Felix Winkler, Jeffrey Michael Calkins
  • Patent number: 9683697
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining lubrication flow dispensed to lubrication points. Lubricant delivery is determined based upon the difference between volume measurements detected as the lubricant is delivered to the lubrication points, and volume measurements detected as the lubricant is vented after delivery. A flow sensor in the lubricant supply line measures lubricant delivered and lubricant vented and a controller determines the amount dispensed based upon the difference between the delivered and vented measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Lincoln Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Paul G. Conley, Nathan David Donovan
  • Patent number: 9677454
    Abstract: A gasket is provided that can effectively alleviate stresses arising therein when at high temperatures. A substantially annular gasket 1 used in coupling an outlet 30 of a turbocharger 3; the gasket 1 includes a gasket face 10 that is an abutting face of the gasket 1 that abuts a flange 31 when the gasket is in a state fitted to the flange 31 of an outlet 30; and the gasket face 10 is an annular shape having the plurality of fastener holes 11A, 13A, 15A and 17A, and in an area between one fastener hole and another fastener hole, the width of a portion H that reaches the highest temperature by exhaust gas channeled by the W/G valve 5 impinging thereon is formed to be the narrowest, and the width gradually increases as approaching towards the one fastener hole or the other fastener hole from the portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Hashimoto, Takahiro Shinkai
  • Patent number: 9677472
    Abstract: A disclosed gas turbine engine includes a case for a case for a compressor section including a bleed air slot. The bleed air slot includes an inlet having a first area radially inward of an outlet having a second area with the second area being greater than the first area. The bleed air slot further includes a center portion disposed along a radial line extending from an axis of the engine and an elongated portion extending from the opening at an angle relative to a line normal to the radial line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brittany Travis, Crystal Monteiro, Sean Nolan, Rishon Saftler, John P. Virtue, Jr., Stephen A. Sarcich
  • Patent number: 9586807
    Abstract: Maintaining an operational temperature range of a fuel dispenser component may be accomplished by a variety of systems, devices, and techniques. In one aspect, a fuel dispenser temperature maintenance system includes a centrifugal fan and an airflow separator. The centrifugal fan is detachably mounted to a fuel dispenser and adapted to circulate an airflow from an exterior to an interior of the fuel dispenser; separate the airflow into a conditioning airflow and an ejected airflow; and direct the conditioning airflow directly to a fuel dispenser component. The ejected airflow includes a plurality of particulates. The airflow separator includes a separator inlet adapted to receive the ejected airflow. The airflow separator is adapted to guide the ejected airflow from the separator inlet directly to an exterior of the fuel dispenser through an outlet channel, where the outlet channel is disposed between the airflow separator and the exterior of the fuel dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Zuzek, Mark Justin Johnson
  • Patent number: 9581049
    Abstract: The invention relates to a warming arrangement having a warming system for warming a steam turbine. The warming system has a makeup line and recycle line fluidly connected to the steam turbine. A gas moving device and a heater are located in either of these two lines. The warming system further includes a pressure measurement device that is configured and arranged to determine a gauge pressure in the steam turbine as well as a controller. The controller is configured to control a flow rate of the warming gas through the steam turbine, based on the pressure measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Helbig, Christian Kuehne, Wolfgang Franz Dietrich Mohr
  • Patent number: 9556885
    Abstract: An inlet shroud assembly includes a hub and a shroud for a ram air fan. The hub includes a center bore, a first frustoconical section, a plurality of slotted cooling holes located on the first frustoconical section, a second frustoconical section, a plurality of circular cooling holes located on the second frustoconical section, a rim, a central cavity, and an annular cavity. The shroud includes a central disk with a center bore, a circular flange located on a radially outer edge of the central disk, and an outer disk with a web portion and a tip portion, the tip portion having a curved lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Craig M. Beers, Darryl A. Colson, Victoria S. Richardson
  • Patent number: 9447697
    Abstract: Wastegate assemblies and turbocharger assemblies including the wastegate assemblies are described. The wastegate assemblies include a housing enclosing both an actuator and a valve. The valve is operatively coupled to the actuator and the housing terminates with a crush seal. The housing also includes a mounting member connectable to a turbocharger to place the crush seal in sealing engagement with a wastegate opening in the turbocharger. The turbocharger assemblies include a housing enclosing a turbine and a compressor wheel that are operatively coupled together on a common shaft that defines an axis of rotation, and have a wastegate assembly removably mounted to an outlet end of the housing proximate the turbine and extending therefrom in a direction away from the turbine and the compressor wheel. Here, the wastegate assembly has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: DAYCO IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Markyvech, James Miller, David Fletcher, Brian Graichen
  • Patent number: 9416793
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes a housing and a fan body. The housing includes an upper cover and a lower cover. The fan body is disposed in the housing and includes a hub and at least a blade. The hub is pivotally connected to the lower cover. The blade includes an air intake portion and an air exhaust portion. The air intake portion is connected to the peripheral edge of the hub. The air exhaust portion is connected to the air intake portion and is disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover. The width of the air exhaust portion is gradually reduced along a direction away from the air intake portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
    Inventor: Ing-Jer Chiou
  • Patent number: 9291099
    Abstract: Provided is a structure of a gas turbine engine for extracting a part of compressed air generated by a compressor. The structure comprises a cylindrical housing having an annular portion extending around the compressing chamber to define an annular chamber, an annular partition dividing the annular chamber into first and second plenum chambers. The cylindrical housing has first apertures to communicate between the compressing chamber and the first plenum chamber. The partition has second apertures to communicate between the first and second plenum chambers. The first and second apertures are configured so that that the first apertures have a first total cross-sectional area and the second apertures have a second total cross-sectional area which is smaller than the first total cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Sakai, Takuya Ikeguchi, Koji Terauchi
  • Patent number: 9194259
    Abstract: Solid particle erosion in a steam turbine is minimized by diverting through angled slots formed in appendages of outer rings of the diaphragms, a portion of the steam from the steam flow path thereby bypassing downstream rotating components. The slot through the first stage appendage lies in communication with a passage through a downstream outer ring of a following stage such that the diverted solid particle containing steam may be extracted from the steam flow path and passed to the feed water heater of the turbine. The slot in the second stage appendage diverts steam from between the first and second stages and about the second stage. Solid particle erosion in various regions, i.e., the trailing edge of the stator vanes, along the surfaces of the buckets and in the regions of the cover and its connection with the buckets as well as the sealing devices is thereby minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Douglas Robert Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9151293
    Abstract: Herein described is a system for injecting and extracting gas for a fluid rotating machine of the type comprising at least one stator case, one first stage which receives the gas flowing into the machine, one final stage, downstream of which the gas is discharged from the machine, and one or more intermediate stages arranged between the first stage and the final stage. Each stage is made up of a single centrifugal rotor and a fixed ducting, associated to such centrifugal rotor and made on the single stator case. The system comprises at least one first worm screw for extracting gas from the machine and at least one second worm screw for injecting gas into the machine. Both worm screws for extracting gas and for injecting gas are operatively connected to at least one stage of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventor: Gabriele Mariotti
  • Patent number: 9103281
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a compressor section with rotational compressor components rotatable with respect to static compressor components. A compressed air bleed arrangement is provided to cool one or more other rotational components of the gas turbine engine. The compressed air bleed arrangement takes a flow of compressed air from the compressor section along an off-take passage. The off-take passage opens in the compressor section at an off-take port. The off-take passage is rotatable, in use, with the rotational compressor components. The compressed air bleed arrangement is operable to provide the air in the off-take passage with higher static pressure than the air in the compressor section at the off-take port, by diffusing the air in the off-take passage. The off-take passage further includes off-take vanes, operable to increase the tangential velocity of the air in the off-take passage compared with the air at the off-take port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Jonathan M King, Crispin D Bolgar, Guy D Snowsill
  • Patent number: 9097259
    Abstract: A bleed air outlet provided in the bypass duct of a turbofan engine includes a bleed air tube protruding into the bypass duct and a cover having a plurality of air outlet openings provided in the top of the cover, with the cover being conceived as an elongate, essentially oval, shell-like aerodynamic fairing element (3) which, while extending in the longitudinal direction of the bypass duct, is provided with a longitudinally convexly curved and transversely essentially straight top (10) and sidewalls (11) arcuately extending from the latter to an inner bypass duct wall. Such a design of the bleed air outlet reduces pressure losses, acoustic emissions and vibrations in the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Carsten Clemen
  • Publication number: 20150132110
    Abstract: A turbine exhaust case has an outer housing to be secured within a gas turbine engine and a central hub. Struts extend between the outer housing and the central hub. The struts are formed at least in part of a first material. The central hub is formed at least in part of a second material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Daryl B. Mountz, Theodore W. Kapustka, Glenn Levasseur, Marcus Borg, Joakim Berglund, Anders Svahn, Johan Ockborn, Bengt Pettersson
  • Patent number: 9017016
    Abstract: A balancing device including a nut having an internal thread, and a countersunk collar is disclosed. The countersunk collar has a through-hole with a diameter greater than the diameter of the internal thread of the nut. The countersunk collar includes a balancing weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Belmonte, Lucie Galons
  • Patent number: 9010109
    Abstract: An assembly can include a turbine housing that includes a bore, a wastegate seat and a wastegate passage that extends to the wastegate seat; a bushing configured for receipt by the bore; a rotatable wastegate shaft configured for receipt by the bushing; a wastegate arm extending from the wastegate shaft; and a wastegate plug extending from the wastegate arm where the wastegate plug includes a profile, defined in part by a portion of a torus, for contacting the wastegate seat to cover the wastegate passage and, for example, defined in part by a portion of a modified sphere or a portion of a cone. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Manuel Marques, Manuel Gonzalez, Lionel Toussaint
  • Publication number: 20150104341
    Abstract: A bypass valve (1), in particular a compressor bypass valve, having a valve housing (2); a valve guide body (3), which is fixed in the valve housing (2); and a valve disk (4), which is guided between a closed position and an open position by the valve guide body (3) in the valve housing (2). The the valve guide body (3) and the valve disk (4) are in the form of plastic parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Matthias Ruh, Fred Maue
  • Publication number: 20150086338
    Abstract: The present application provides a control valve actuator cooling system for providing a flow of cooling air to a control valve actuator. The control valve actuator cooling system may include a pressurized air source with the flow of cooling air, an air timing valve system, and a cooling air discharge port positioned about the control valve actuator such that the air timing valve system provides the flow of cooling air to the control valve actuator on an intermittent basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jose Francisco Aguilar
  • Patent number: 8985942
    Abstract: An exhaust duct comprises a shroud body, a forward flange assembly, an aft flange assembly, an intermediate flange assembly, and a first plurality of bleed ports. The forward flange assembly extends radially inward from a forward shroud end for securing the forward shroud end downstream of a final turbine stage. The aft flange assembly extends circumferentially around and radially inward from an aft shroud end for securing the aft shroud end to an engine tail cone. The intermediate flange assembly is disposed forward of the aft flange assembly, and extends circumferentially around and radially inward from the shroud body for securing the shroud body to an engine bearing housing. The first plurality of bleed ports is disposed around the shroud body forward of a junction with the intermediate flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Daniels, John J. Korzendorfer, David A. Debyah, Scott A. Ladd
  • Patent number: 8979484
    Abstract: A casing for an aircraft turbofan bypass engine includes an outer ring, an inner hub and a plurality of struts radially extending therebetween. An annular portion of an engine core casing having an outer wall and an inner wall, is disposed between the outer ring and inner hub, forming an annular splitter supporting an upstream splitter tip structure. The annular splitter further includes an intermediate wall disposed in the annular splitter fixed to the outer wall and the struts, to distribute loads from the annular splitter box to the struts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, David Denis
  • Patent number: 8973372
    Abstract: A shell air recirculation system for use in a gas turbine engine includes one or more outlet ports located at a bottom wall section of an engine casing wall and one or more inlet ports located at a top wall section of the engine casing wall. The system further includes a piping system that provides fluid communication between the outlet port(s) and the inlet port(s), a blower for extracting air from a combustor shell through the outlet port(s) and for conveying the extracted air to the inlet port(s), and a valve system for selectively allowing and preventing air from passing through the piping system. The system operates during less than full load operation of the engine to circulate air within the combustor shell but is not operational during full load operation of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Evan C. Landrum, Jiping Zhang
  • Patent number: 8967954
    Abstract: A radial turbomachine includes a radial diffuser channel with a diaphragm, a deflecting channel connecting to the radial diffuser channel downstream thereof, and a return flow channel connecting to the deflecting channel downstream thereof. The main flow direction of the radial diffuser channel runs radially from inside to outside. The main flow direction of the deflecting channel is deflected from radially outward to radially inward. The main flow direction of the return channel runs radially from outside to inside. The diaphragm comprises first, second and third outer surface sections. The first outer surface section has a convex shape for delimiting the deflecting channel. At least one consumption-gas removal channel is provided in the diaphragm so that, if the main flow in the deflecting channel comprises solid or liquid particles, a consumption gas can be discharged therefrom through the consumption-gas removal channel as low-particulate gas of a main flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Jonen, Peter Robens
  • Patent number: 8950069
    Abstract: A low leakage, integral fixed vane system for a gas turbine engine compression system which can accommodate the latest 3-D aerodynamic airfoil geometries and provide endwall ovalization control. A unitized construction wherein the vanes are integral with the case wall in the compression system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Ress, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8943791
    Abstract: A separator device is provided for separating dirt particles from a flow of cooling air fed to airfoils of the turbine section of a gas turbine engine. In use the separator device extends across a conduit which bypasses the combustor of the engine to convey pressurized cooling air carrying dirt particles from the compressor section of the engine to openings which direct the air into the airfoils. The separator device is configured to direct a first portion of the impinging cooling air flow away from the openings and to allow a second portion of the impinging cooling air to continue to the openings. The first portion of cooling air has a higher concentration of the coarsest dirt particles carried by the cooling air than the second portion of cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Dougal Jackson
  • Publication number: 20150023777
    Abstract: A compressor is disclosed herein. The compressor may include a shroud cavity. The compressor also may include a flow directing device positioned within the shroud cavity. The flow directing device may be configured to direct a flow within the shroud cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Gerald Austin Rawcliffe
  • Publication number: 20150016952
    Abstract: Gas Pressure Reduction Generator (GPRG) systems and methods for implementing a GPRG system are provided, where the GPRG systems comprise a gas inlet configured to receive a pressurized gas flow, at least one expander in gas flow receiving communication with the gas inlet wherein the expander is operable to convert the pressurized gas flow into mechanical energy and a depressurized gas flow, and a generator configured to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Andrew Oxner
  • Publication number: 20150010382
    Abstract: Turbine airflow is modulated to improve performance during part load operation in a turbomachine. The turbomachine includes a compressor, a turbine with a plurality of stages, and a diffuser. Modulating the airflow includes extracting airflow from an upstream component of the turbomachine, admitting the extracted airflow into a rear stage of the plurality of stages. Admitting airflow into the rear stage serves to increase rear stage loading and alter an energy distribution in the rear stage during part load operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Moorthi Subramaniyan, Joshy John
  • Patent number: 8925330
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flow discharge device (30) for discharging a flow of gas (F) from a first gaseous fluid (A) into a second gaseous fluid (B) which is of a lower pressure than the first gaseous fluid. The discharge device comprises a valve (34) disposed between the first and second gaseous fluids and arranged to regulate the discharge flow (F) and a swirler means (50) disposed between the valve (34) and the second gaseous fluid. The swirler means (50) comprises a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes (61, 63, 65). In use the swirler means (50) swirls the discharge flow (F). This acts to reduce the energy, and therefore the pressure of the discharge flow. This results in quieter operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Kevin M. Britchford, Nicolas L. Balkota
  • Publication number: 20140369804
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to shroud bleed in centrifugal compressors. An air-limiting component 130 may be located adjacent to a shroud 120. The shroud 120 may have a primary bleed slot 210, and the air-limiting component 130 may have a secondary bleed slot 310. The primary bleed slot 210 and the secondary bleed slot 310 may overlap at an effective bleed slot location. The air-limiting component 130 may rotate relative to the shroud 120, which may change a streamwise location of the effective bleed slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Benjamin E. Fishler
  • Patent number: 8904785
    Abstract: An assembly can include a turbine housing that includes a bore, a wastegate seat and a wastegate passage that extends to the wastegate seat; a bushing configured for receipt by the bore; a rotatable wastegate shaft configured for receipt by the bushing; a wastegate arm extending from the wastegate shaft; and a wastegate plug extending from the wastegate arm where the wastegate plug includes a profile, defined in part by a portion of a torus, for contacting the wastegate seat to cover the wastegate passage. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Manuel Marques, Jean-Jacques Laissus
  • Patent number: 8899917
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas flow separator dividing the flow into a primary and a secondary stream, especially for a dual rotor axial turbomachine. The separator comprises a splitter nose of the turbomachine and includes a generally wedge-shaped leading edge in the gas flow to be split. The flow separator also comprises a metal blade having a longitudinal section in the form of an “S” and located in the nose in contact with the back of the leading edge and extending from the leading edge to a rear end of the separator at some distance from the leading edge, so as to be in contact with a heat source, such as a heat exchanger, located at some distance from the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Techspace Aero S.A.
    Inventors: Denis Bajusz, Nicholas Raimarckers, Antoine Stephany, Georges Broers, Yves Culot, Marc Strengnart, Albert Cornet, David Depaepe
  • Patent number: 8894360
    Abstract: A turbomachine compressor rotor including at least two blade-carrying disks mounted on a common axis and connected together by a wall forming a substantially cylindrical surface of revolution, and a centripetal air bleed mechanism including air passages passing through the wall and radial fins for deflecting a stream of air leaving the passages in the wall, the fins being carried by one of the disks and being substantially in radial alignment with the passages through the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Benjamin Philippe Pierre Pegouet
  • Publication number: 20140341717
    Abstract: A seal segment of a shroud arrangement for bounding a hot gas flow path within a gas turbine engine is described. The seal segment is upstream of a second component of the gas turbine engine relative to the hot gas flow path. The seal segment comprises: a plate having: a downstream trailing edge; an inboard side which faces the hot gas flow path when in use; an outboard side; and a first part of a two part seal attached on the outboard side, wherein a second part of the two part seal is attached to the second component such that in an assembled gas turbine engine the two part seal provides an isolation chamber which is in fluid communication with the hot gas flow path via the trailing edge of the plate. A gas turbine having the seal segment is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Simon Lloyd JONES, Rupert John TAYLOR, Julian Glyn BALSDON
  • Patent number: 8870530
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an annular bypass duct defined between a fan nacelle and a core fairing through which fan air is discharged. One or more bifurcator members are positioned inside the exit of the bypass duct to bifurcate the air flow in the bypass duct around the bifurcator members prior to exiting the bypass duct. The bifurcator members modify the flow field of the air in the bypass duct radially and/or tangentially with respect to the axis of the annular bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Romuald Morvant, Kevin M. Britchford
  • Patent number: 8814498
    Abstract: A bleed valve for an air plenum includes a valve body which defines a valve seat. A poppet is movable relative to the valve seat between an open position and a closed position. A spring biases the poppet to the open position and toward the air plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Goodman, Michael M. Kuhns, James S. Elder
  • Publication number: 20140234080
    Abstract: A device for bleeding compressor air in a turbofan engine includes a low-pressure compressor of a primary duct, a fan stator arranged in a secondary duct downstream of a fan, and an arrangement for discharging compressor air from the low-pressure compressor into the secondary duct. The arrangement includes air guiding devices to guide compressor air into the secondary duct upstream of the fan stator relative to the flow direction in the secondary duct, past the stator vanes of the fan stator in a separate duct in the axial direction and is only mixed with the air of the secondary duct downstream of the fan stator. The separate duct is formed by a plurality of hollow structures extending in the longitudinal direction each between two adjacent stator vanes of the fan stator, with the hollow structures having a closed circumference in cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Mats MOJEM, Andreas SCHOLZ
  • Patent number: 8784042
    Abstract: Fan downstream guide vane profiles have an optimized form of skeleton line angle distribution in an area situated between an upper and a lower limitation as well as a specific thickness distribution superimposed on the respective skeleton line angle distribution. Such guide vanes are characterized by lower pressure losses and a larger working range than the known downstream guide vanes, thereby reducing fuel consumption of the engine and increasing the operating stability thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Carsten Clemen
  • Patent number: 8764387
    Abstract: An aggregate vane assembly includes a core vane assembly encircling a central longitudinal axis and having a plurality of core vanes each extending radially between an inner hub and an outer band. The aggregate vane assembly also includes a bypass vane assembly disposed on a radially opposite side of the outer band relative to the plurality of core vanes. The aggregate vane assembly also includes a splitter ring positioned proximate to the first forward end. The aggregate vane assembly also includes at least one retention plate overlapping a forward end of the at least one bypass vane along the central longitudinal axis and also overlapping at least a portion of the splitter ring along the central longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Joseph Jordan, Eric W. Engebretsen, Benedict N. Hodgson
  • Patent number: 8764386
    Abstract: A submersible pump, and method of making the submersible pump, is disclosed. The pump comprises a housing, a plurality of impeller stages serially disposed in the housing from a bottom impeller stage to a top impeller stage, an impeller stage bypass hole extending through one of the diffusers and a housing bypass hole extending through the housing radially outwardly from one of the impeller stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Franklin Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Volk
  • Publication number: 20140169937
    Abstract: Example embodiments are directed to fluid turbines that include a turbine shroud, a rotor and an ejector shroud. The turbine shroud includes an inlet, an outlet, a leading edge and a trialing edge. The leading edge of the turbine shroud can be round and the trialing edge of the turbine shroud can include linear faceted segments. The rotor can be disposed within the turbine shroud and can define a rotor plane. The turbine shroud can provide a first portion of a fluid stream to the rotor plane via the inlet of the turbine shroud. The ejector shroud can provide a second portion of the fluid stream to the outlet of the turbine shroud via an open area. An example method of operating a fluid turbine is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: FLODESIGN WIND TURBINE CORP.
    Inventors: Daniel Gysling, Ercan Dumlupinar
  • Publication number: 20140169946
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) having a turbine (2) which is provided with a variable turbine geometry (18) and/or a wastegate; and having an actuator (11) which is connected to the variable turbine geometry (18) and/or the wastegate via a coupling rod (14). The coupling rod (14) is connected at its end regions (21, 22) at one side to a pin of the actuator (11) by means of a lock washer (25) and at the other side to a pin (33) of an adjusting shaft (5) of the variable turbine geometry (18) and/or of the wastegate by means of a lock washer (26). The lock washers (25, 26) are integrated in the coupling rod (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: BORGWARNER INC.
    Inventors: Michael Stilgenbauer, Nico Kanoffsky
  • Patent number: 8753074
    Abstract: A passive leakage device for an axial turbomachine, more particularly for a low-pressure compressor of an axial turbomachine, is adapted to reduce and/or eliminate the surging phenomenon within the machine. The passive leakage device includes an insert having a general cylindrical shape with a flange at one end and a bottom or membrane at the other end. The membrane comprises two cross-shaped notches, the notches being adapted to enable a deformation of the membrane under a pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold, so as to allow a leakage to go through the membrane. Several inserts are arranged through the wall of a compressor casing, distributed over one or several circumferences of the casing, facing one or several rows of rotor blades. In the case of a double-flow turbomachine, such as a jet engine, the beak for separating the primary and secondary flows is used to form a chamber for communication between the inserts and for compensation with the pressure present in the secondary flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Techspace Aero S.A.
    Inventor: Frederic Vallino