Vanes Patents (Class 415/191)
  • Patent number: 6511286
    Abstract: A centrifugal blower comprises an impeller; and a casing, having an intake port disposed at a region opposing the air inlet portion of impeller, for accommodating the impeller. The casing is provided with a port cover constituted by rod-shaped members which are arranged in a net structure, in order to cover the intake port of casing. A trailing edge portion of the rod-shaped members is formed with a slanted surface. Due to this slanted surface, the flow of air passing through the port cover so as to flow into the air inlet portion is smoothly deflected away from the axis of rotation of impeller. As a consequence, swirls are restrained from occurring, whereby a sound-insulating effect is exhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Maruyama Mfg. Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Junichi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20030012645
    Abstract: An blade row for use in a compressor is provided. The blade row has a plurality of inlet guide vanes. Each inlet guide vane has a meanline approximately equal to NACA standard A4K6 meanline, a thickness distribution approximately equal to NACA standard SR 63 thickness distribution, a stagger angle, and a lift coefficient between 0.0 and 0.8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Anthony Donnaruma, David Allen Eldredge, Joseph Anthony Cotroneo, Steven Mark Schirle
  • Publication number: 20030012646
    Abstract: An axial flow fan includes a first rotor having first blades and a second rotor having second blades. The first rotor is axially connected to the second rotor, and both of the first rotor and the second rotor are received in a first stator which has third blades extending from radially inward from an inner periphery thereof. A second stator is connected to the first stator and has fourth blades extending radially inward from an inner periphery thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: William C. Liao, Jian J. Yeuan
  • Publication number: 20030012647
    Abstract: The gas turbine stationary blade comprises a stationary blade section provided therein with a passage for cooling air, an inner shroud for supporting the stationary blade section on the side of a discharge port of the cooling air, and a plurality of segments each of which includes at least one stationary blade section and at least one inner shroud. A flow passage is pulled out from the discharge port of the cooling air, and the flow passage is introduced to a front edge corner section of the inner shroud and is extended rearward along a side edge of the inner shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Shiozaki, Masamitsu Kuwabara, Yasuoki Tomita
  • Patent number: 6503053
    Abstract: A blade with optimized vibration behavior for turbomachinery components in an axial-type construction having a solid, thin and elongated blade body, the blade, at a distance from both a radially inner blade body end and a radially outer blade body end, having at least one plate-like rib which is disposed in an upright position on the blade body surface and is oriented in a neutral manner with regard to the flow and is also integrally connected to the blade body on one of the suction and pressure sides of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: MTU Motoren-und Turbinen München GmbH
    Inventor: Norbert Huebner
  • Patent number: 6503054
    Abstract: The second-stage nozzles have vanes comprising airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in inches in Table I with the X, Y and Z values commencing at the radially innermost aerodynamic section of the airfoil and then made relative to that section for the Z coordinate values. The X, Y and Z values may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil section for the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Allen Bielek, Thanh Vo, Frederick James Brunner
  • Patent number: 6503051
    Abstract: A seal is provided between a pair of members by a flexible seal element fixed to one member and having a turned edge. The seal element overlies a contact surface of the other member to effect the seal, the seal element spanning a gap between the members and being pressed into the contact surface by a high pressure region on the same side of the gap as the sealing element. In other forms, a second sealing element is employed in conjunction with a spline seal forming a tortuous sealing path between the members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Daniel Ross Predmore
  • Publication number: 20030002979
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes ceramic outer and inner bands and an integral ceramic vane aft segment. A metal vane forward segment adjoins the aft segment in a hybrid assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventor: Angelo Von Koschier
  • Patent number: 6491493
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle comprises an array of nozzle blades (1) U disposed circumferentially in an annular passage (4) defined between inner and outer rings of a diaphragm and fixed to the inner and outer rings of the turbine diaphragm. The flow passage is defined between a pressure surface (F) and a suction surface (B) of adjacent ones of the nozzle blades, and a cross section of the flow passage includes predetermined ranges extending along a blade height (h) from the inner and outer diameter surfaces (hub and tip end walls) and defined by a curved line, and another range defined by a substantially straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: EBARA Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Watanabe, Hideomi Harada
  • Publication number: 20020182057
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component including a nozzle outer band, a plurality of nozzle vanes extending inward from the outer band, and an inner band extending circumferentially around inner ends of the vanes. Further, the component has a shroud integral with the outer band adapted for surrounding a plurality of blades mounted in the engine for rotation about a centerline thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Gary Charles Liotta, Robert Francis Manning
  • Publication number: 20020172594
    Abstract: The pressure distribution curve of the blade suction-side surface excluding the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion drops in two stages in the area from the leading edge to the minimum pressure point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Segawa, Yoshio Shikano, Yoshiaki Yamazaki, Shigeki Senoo, Yoshiharu Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6481960
    Abstract: A variable gas turbine compressor vane structure includes a gas turbine compressor vane having a vane support at an end thereof, and a case structure having a bearing support disposed to engage the vane support of the gas turbine compressor vane. The bearing support is typically a bearing bushing or a bearing washer. The bearing support is made of a metal skeleton having open-cell porosity extending therethrough, and an infiltrant material such as an organic or a ceramic infiltrated into the porosity of the metal skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: Wayne Ray Bowen
  • Patent number: 6481959
    Abstract: A supplemental air cooling system for use in gas turbine engines to inhibit the ingestion of hot flow path gases into circumferential locations of turbine disk cavities is provided. The supplemental air cooling is provided through a simple set of cooling air holes located on each side of the turbine nozzle airfoil trailing edges, and proximately placed to be below the turbine nozzle structural element flow discouragers. Turbine disk cavity cooling purge air entering the disk cavity through the cooling air holes produces dynamic pressure cooling air jets which force the incoming hot ingestion air to turn circumferentially and go back out in the flow path before it enters the turbine disk cavity. The result is a decrease in hot gas ingestion, a reduction in disk rotor and static structural metal temperatures, a reduction in the amount of required cooling air flow, and enhanced performance of the gas turbine engine by virtue of improved specific fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark C. Morris, William J. Howe, Carl D. Wright, Douglas P. Freiberg, Nnawuihe A. Okpara
  • Publication number: 20020164248
    Abstract: A welded hollow partition formed from sheet metal and having a concave side and a convex side, includes end caps to close off the partition cavity. The end caps are recessed into the hollow partition to provide wall strengthening within the hollow partition. Epoxy or other water resistant material can be used adjacent to the end cap and within the partition. A gasket can also be fitted adjacent to the end cap and within the partition to provide a water resistant seal. The hollow partition can be filled with temperature resistant material to further seal the partition against moisture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: George Horner Kirby, Mark Arne Florin
  • Publication number: 20020164245
    Abstract: A pump, comprising: an impeller 1 having blades; and a casing 121 for storing the impeller therein, on an inner surface of which, confronting to the impeller, are formed plural numbers of shallow grooves 124 in a direction of pressure gradient of fluid, around a periphery thereof, wherein the fluid being increased up in pressure by the blades 122 flows within the grooves in a reverse direction, directing to an upstream side, so as to spout out at a place where re-circulations occur when the flow rate is low in amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: Tomoyoshi Okamura, Kouichi Irie, Taiji Hashimoto, Hitoharu Kimura
  • Patent number: 6474944
    Abstract: A welded hollow partition formed from sheet metal and having a concave side and a convex side, includes end caps to close off the partition cavity. The end caps are recessed into the hollow partition to provide wall strengthening within the hollow partition. Epoxy or other water resistant material can be used adjacent to the end cap and within the partition. A gasket can also be fitted adjacent to the end cap and within the partition to provide a water resistant seal. The hollow partition can be filled with temperature resistant material to further seal the partition against moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George Horner Kirby, III, Mark Arne Florin
  • Publication number: 20020159883
    Abstract: A combination airflow straightener and finger guard straightens airflow and minimize the chance of fingers or other objects coming into contact with rotating blades of a fan, and includes a plurality of vanes that extend radially outward from a hub to an outer frame of the combination airflow straightener and finger guard. Each vane can be considered as having three portions. The first portion is closest to the fan and is parallel to the airflow leaving the fan. The second portion is farthest from the fan and is aligned with the axis of rotation of the fan (or some other desired exhaust vector). The third portion is curved to link the first portion to the second portion to straighten the airflow to the desired exhaust vector, with the space between each pair of vanes forming a plenum that straightens the airflow by removing the rotational components from the airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Glenn C. Simon, Douglas L. Davies, Philip D. Langley
  • Publication number: 20020150471
    Abstract: A variable inlet guide vane includes opposite pressure and suction sides extending along a chord between leading and trailing edges and in span from root to tip. The vane has a maximum thickness greater than about eight percent chord length and located less than about thirty-five percent chord length from the leading edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Hsin-Tuan Liu, Brent Franklin Beacher, Robert Bruce Dickman
  • Patent number: 6464456
    Abstract: At least one airfoil shaped vane made of a low ductility material, for example a ceramic base material such as a ceramic matrix composite or an intermetallic material such as NiAl material, is releasably carried in a turbine vane assembly including inner and outer vane supports by at least one high temperature resistant compliant seal. The seal isolates the vane from at least one of the vane supports and allows independent thermal expansion and contraction of the vane in respect to the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramgopal Darolia, James Anthony Ketzer
  • Patent number: 6461110
    Abstract: The first-stage buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table I wherein Z is a perpendicular distance from a plane normal to a radius of the turbine centerline and containing the X and Y values with the Z value commencing at zero in the X, Y plane at the radially innermost aerodynamic section of the airfoil and X and Y are coordinates defining the airfoil profile at each distance Z. The X, Y and Z values may be scaled as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled-up or scaled-down airfoil section for the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Romany By, Tommy Dee Hayes, Paul Francis Norton, Jon Conrad Schaeffer, Ariel Caesar-Prepena Jacala
  • Patent number: 6450766
    Abstract: STATOR VANE BLANK AND METHOD OF FORMING THE VANE BLANK A forged vane blank for forming a stator vane for a rotary machine is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which facilitate forging and machining of the vane blank into its final form as a stator vane. In one detailed embodiment, the vane blank has a greater draft angle at the outer surface than the draft angle at the inner surface as a result of the forging operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Keith T. Honda
  • Patent number: 6447245
    Abstract: A rotodynamic pump comprising a centrifugal impeller (11) provided within a volute body (7) and an emulsifier (17) provided in the region of an inlet of the volute body and rotatable with the centrifugal impeller for emulsifying material to be pumped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Sweepax International Limited
    Inventors: Timothy Oakley, Geoffrey Howard Clements
  • Patent number: 6435825
    Abstract: A welded hollow nozzle partition formed from sheet metal and having a concave side and a convex side, includes an interior plate welded to an inner surface of the partition. The interior plate serves to strengthen the outer walls of the partition to withstand wall buckling and ballooning under certain operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George Horner Kirby, III, Mark Arne Florin
  • Patent number: 6431820
    Abstract: A turbine for a gas turbine engine including a turbine nozzle assembly that facilitates reducing an operating temperature of rotor blades in a cost-effective and reliable manner is described. Each rotor blade includes a tip that rotates in close proximity to a shroud that extends circumferentially around the rotor assembly. The turbine nozzle assembly includes a plurality of turbine vane segments that channel combustion gases to downstream rotor blades. Each turbine vane segment extends radially outward from an inner platform and includes a tip, a root, and a body that extends therebetween. The turbine vane segment tip is formed integrally with an outer band that mounts the vane segments within the gas turbine engine. The outer band is in flow communication with a cooling fluid source, and includes at least one opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert John Beacock, Omer Duane Erdmann, Robert Edward Athans, Harold Paul Rieck, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6431829
    Abstract: A turbine device includes a rotor having a plurality of turbine blades disposed between an inner-diameter surface and an outer-diameter surface. The turbine blades are of a front or intermediate loaded type near the inner-diameter surface and of a rear loaded type near the outer-diameter surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Watanabe, Hideomi Harada
  • Patent number: 6431830
    Abstract: A worked nozzle ring for a gas turbine, in particular an aircraft engine, having at least one shroud and at least one blade sheet arranged thereon, whereby, in order to create a worked nozzle ring that is easy to manufacture, the blade sheet comprises, at the frontal side, at least one two-dimensionally profiled connecting space region that is placed in a profiled opening formed in the shroud by beam cutting and is connected therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: MTU Motoren-und Turbinen München GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Hermann Richter, Josef Reischl, Hans Juergen Schmuhl, Klaus Breitschwerdt, Ulrich Knott, Siegfried Boettcher, Karlheinz Manier, Werner Humhauser
  • Patent number: 6428288
    Abstract: An air pump assembly (10) is provided which has a through flow type air-driving device (12) supported on an apertured partition wall (18) with the air-driving device (12) at one side and the motor (50) at the opposite side. The wall (18) is sandwiched between opposed pump and motor housings (14and 16) providing complementary ducts (27and 28) which communicate with opposed end caps (25 and 26) mounted on the end walls (21 and 22) of the pump and motor housings (14 and 16). The pump housing end wall (21) is apertured for air flow into the air-driving device (12) from the end cap (25) and its side wall supports an air outlet connection (13). A circuitous inlet passage to the air-driving device (12) is formed through end cap (26), ducts (27 and 28) and end cap (25). A circuitous outlet passage is formed from the air-driving device (12) through the motor housing (16), apertured partition wall (18) and motor housing (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Inventor: Peter J. King
  • Publication number: 20020098082
    Abstract: The pressure ratio &Dgr;P4S of a final stage moving blade is reduced. As a result, the Mach number in the final stage moving blade can be suppressed, and in the gas turbine operating at a pressure ratio of 20 or more, therefore, decline of turbine efficiency due to shock wave loss can be prevented securely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eisaku Ito, Kazuo Uematsu
  • Publication number: 20020094270
    Abstract: In the blade structure in a gas turbine, front-edge including angles are made large. As a result, a curve of a relative relationship between incidence angles ic1 and is1 and pressure loss becomes mild. Entrance metal angles are made small. As a result, it becomes possible to make the incidence angles small. Chord length of a chip portion of a moving blade is made large. As a result, it becomes possible to make small the deceleration on a rear surface of the chip portion of the moving blade. Accordingly, it becomes possible to make the pressure loss small, and therefore, it becomes possible to improve the turbine efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Eisaku Ito, Eiji Akita
  • Patent number: 6419447
    Abstract: Turbine blade of gas turbine etc. and gas turbine equipment using the turbine blade suppress occurrence of thermal stress caused by temperature difference and provide high reliability. In gas turbine equipment comprising rotational portion of rotor (1) and moving blade (2), stationary portion of casing (3), stationary blade (4), various supporting members, etc. and combustor, thermal stress reducing portion is provided in any one or both of moving blade joint adjacent portion (14a) between moving blade trailing edge portion (14) and platform (15) and stationary blade joint adjacent portion (20a) between stationary blade trailing edge portion (20) and shroud (18, 19). By the thermal stress reducing portion, undesirable thermal stress occurring in the blade joint adjacent portions (14a, 20a) is reduced and reliability of the turbine blade and the gas turbine equipment is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Watanabe, Masaaki Matsuura, Kiyoshi Suenaga
  • Patent number: 6419446
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting radial transfer of core gas flow away from a center radial region and toward the inner and outer radial boundaries of a core gas flow path within a gas turbine engine is provided that includes the steps of: (1) providing a flow directing structure that includes an airfoil that abuts a wall surface, said airfoil having a leading edge, a pressure side, and a suction side; and (2) increasing the velocity of the core gas flow in the area where the leading edge of the airfoil abuts the wall. Increasing the velocity of the core gas flow in the area where the leading edge of the airfoil abuts the wall impedes the formation of a pressure gradient along the surface of the airfoil that forces core gas from the center region of the core gas toward the wall. The apparatus includes apparatus for diverting core gas flow away from the area where the airfoil abuts the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Kvasnak, Friedrich O. Soechting, Karen A. Thole, Gary A. Zess
  • Patent number: 6416278
    Abstract: A method for repairing a turbine nozzle segment having at least one vane disposed between outer and inner bands includes separating the inner band from the nozzle segment, and joining the inner band to a newly manufactured replacement casting having an outer band and at least one vane. The replacement casting includes a mounting platform formed on one end of the vane and a boss formed on the mounting platform. A collar is joined to the inner band and has a slot formed therein. The boss is then inserted into the slot, and the mounting platform is received in a recess formed in the inner band. Joining is completed by joining the boss to the collar and the mounting platform to the inner band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Walter Caddell, Jr., James Michael Caldwell, Kenneth Morand Lieland, Glenn Herbert Nichols
  • Patent number: 6413040
    Abstract: A gas turbine nozzle segment has outer and inner band portions. Each band portion includes a nozzle wall, a cover and an impingement plate between the cover and nozzle wall defining two cavities on opposite sides of the impingement plate. Cooling steam is supplied to one cavity for flow through the apertures of the impingement plate to cool the nozzle wall. Structural pedestals interconnect the cover and nozzle wall and pass through holes in the impingement plate to reduce localized stress otherwise resulting from a difference in pressure within the chamber of the nozzle segment and the hot gas path and the fixed turbine casing surrounding the nozzle stage. The pedestals may be cast or welded to the cover and nozzle wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yufeng Phillip Yu, Gary Michael Itzel, Waylon Willard Webbon, Radhakrishna Bagepalli, Steven Sebastian Burdgick, Iain Robertson Kellock
  • Patent number: 6409473
    Abstract: An assembly comprising a ceramic vane with a metal housing cast around the ends of the vane. The ceramic vane has dovetailed shaped grooves along its edges that extend from the vane's leading edge to its trailing edge. The housing is comprised of two spaced apart walls each having dovetailed protrusions for mating with the dovetail grooves in the vanes's edges. Upon the casting of the walls to the vane at least one surface of each dovetail groove comes in contact with at least one surface of the dovetail protrusion. A crushable coating is disposed between the vane's edges and the dovetail protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: E-June Chen, Bjoern Schenk, Ramesh Bapat, I. Gene Fowkes, Brian Gracias, Shen-Yeh Chen, Taison Ku, Josef Paluch, II
  • Patent number: 6402463
    Abstract: A method of increasing low cycle fatigue life of a turbine nozzle comprising a plurality of stationary airfoils extending between radially inner and outer ring segments comprising a) providing at least one radial passage in each of the plurality of airfoils; b) installing a rod in the radial passage extending between the radially inner and outer ring segments and fixing one end of the rod to one of the inner and outer rings; and c) pre-loading the rod to compress the airfoil between the inner and outer ring segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hoyle Jang, Gary Michael Itzel, Yufeng Phillip Yu
  • Patent number: 6398489
    Abstract: A first-stage nozzle vane includes an airfoil having a profile according to Table I. The annulus profile of the hot gas path is defined in conjunction with the airfoil profile and the profile of the inner and outer walls by the Cartesian coordinate values given in Tables I and II, respectively. The airfoil is a three-dimensional bowed design, both in the airfoil body and in the trailing edge. The airfoil is steam and air-cooled by flowing cooling mediums through cavities extending in the vane between inner and outer walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Sebastian Burdgick, Joseph Francis Patik, Gary Michael Itzel
  • Patent number: 6398487
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor assembly includes a plurality of aerodynamic devices to direct airflow radially inward. The gas turbine engine rotor assembly includes a rotor shaft that includes a plurality of openings. The aerodynamic devices include a pair of vane segments and a pair of sidewalls. A contoured outer surface includes an opening and permits the aerodynamic device to be positioned against an inner surface of the rotor shaft, and a flange ring defines a pocket. The aerodynamic device fits within the pocket to concentrically align the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Tracy Wallace, Christopher Charles Glynn, Monty Lee Shelton, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Dean Thomas Lenahan, Barry John Kalb
  • Patent number: 6398492
    Abstract: An airflow guide stator vane for an axial flow fan and a shrouded axial flow fan assembly having such stator vanes are disclosed. The airflow guide stator vane has a leading edge line, a trailing edge line, and an airflow guide surface extending from the leading edge line to the trailing edge line. The stator vane is radially positioned in an axial flow fan and is curved so that its leading edge line is perpendicular to oblique velocity components of an airflow each of which is a sum vector of a rotation-directional velocity component and a radius-directional component of an air particle of the airflow. The axial flow fan assembly comprises an axial flow fan and a shroud. The axial flow fan consists of a circular central hub connected with a driving shaft of a motor and a plurality of blades radially arranged along the circumference of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corp.
    Inventors: Kyung Seok Cho, Ok Ryul Min
  • Patent number: 6398483
    Abstract: A protection device for protecting a control mechanism of inlet guide-vanes of a turbojet engine includes a narrowed section on a connecting rod. The connecting rod is for transmitting the movement of a spindle of a piston of the control mechanism or actuator to a control ring that directs all of the inlet guide-vanes. The narrowed section of the connecting rod is a frangible part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Eric Conete, François Marie Paul Marlin
  • Publication number: 20020064456
    Abstract: A part is used that constitutes a platform web and that has a shape close to the shape of the platform with an inside face and an outside face that are opposite each other. Fiber reinforcement plies are draped on a blade core and at least some of these plies extend beyond an end of the blade that is to be connected to the platform so to form ply extensions. The ply extensions are folded down against the inside and outside faces of the platform to form flaps securing the blade to the platform, and fiber reinforcement plies are draped around the platform web and over the flaps so as to form a platform box holding the flaps prisoner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Francois Marlin, Cyrille Mathias, Francois Ribassin
  • Patent number: 6386827
    Abstract: A nozzle vane or airfoil structure is provided in which the nozzle ribs are connected to the side walls of the vane or airfoil in such a way that the ribs provide the requisite mechanical support between the concave side and convex side of the airfoil but are not locked in the radial direction of the assembly, longitudinally of the airfoil. The ribs may be bi-cast onto a preformed airfoil side wall structure or fastened to the airfoil by an interlocking slide connection and/or welding. By attaching the nozzle ribs to the nozzle airfoil metal in such a way that allows play longitudinally of the airfoil, the temperature difference induced radial thermal stresses at the nozzle airfoil/rib joint area are reduced while maintaining proper mechanical support of the nozzle side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yufeng Phillip Yu, Gary Michael Itzel
  • Patent number: 6375419
    Abstract: A flow directing element, such as a vane for a turbine engine compressor, has a variable chord to improve compressor surge margin without compromising compressor efficiency. The vane has an airfoil section (70) with a leading edge (80), a trailing edge (82), a root (84) and a tip (88). The chord of the airfoil generally increases from a first value at the root to a second larger value at a part span location (110) intermediate the root and the tip so that when the airfoil is installed in a compressor, the location of the trailing edge becomes closer to the compressor discharge as the spanwise distance from the root increases. The chord is generally constant from the part span location to the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Charles R. LeJambre, Bruce P. Biederman, Aaron J. Gleixner, Chad J. Yetka
  • Publication number: 20020044868
    Abstract: In a guide vane element for a gas turbine with a vane blade extending between a platform that is located radially inward in relation to the main housing of the gas turbine and a radially outward platform, a flange is provided on at least one edge of the platforms adjoining an adjacent second guide vane element in the circumferential direction and on the side of the platform facing away from the vane blade. The second guide vane element can be attached, via a second flange provided on a second platform on the second guide vane element. The connection of the platforms forms a cover band, or a connection between the guide vane elements that is tight, flush, and stress-free at different temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Peter Marx, Kynan Eng, Andrew Whalley
  • Publication number: 20020037218
    Abstract: A method of prestressing a component (30) includes the use of an electrical discharge or current to produce a plasma (39) within a medium (32) located adjacent the component (30). The plasma generates a shock wave which impacts a surface of the component to produce a region of compressive residual stress within the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventor: John R. Webster
  • Patent number: 6354797
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes a plurality of airfoils and integral hubs brazed into corresponding seats of outer and inner bands. The hubs have brazeless fillets blending the bands to the airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Peter Heyward, Gregory Alan White, Richard Hartley Pugh
  • Patent number: 6345955
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes outer and inner bands between which extend a plurality of vanes for channeling combustion gases. Each of the vanes includes leading and trailing edges, and pressure and suction sides extending therebetween, and also a bow along the trailing edge to increase pressure in the gases adjacent the inner band. The vanes also include a thermal barrier coating (TBC) selectively disposed solely along the suction side between the leading and trailing edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Todd S. Heffron, John P. Heyward, John H. Starkweather, Scott M. Carson
  • Patent number: 6343912
    Abstract: A stator vane frame assembly including an outer structure ring, an inner structure ring, a set of discrete vanes each connecting the outer structure ring and the inner structure ring forming an inner and outer platforms with neighboring vanes defining a set of flow paths, a set of sealing members contoured to a set of gaps between the set of vanes disposed to sealing the gap. A method for applying a sealing member to the gaps between a platform formed resulting from the coupling between vanes including affixing a set of stator vanes on an inner frame and an outer frame, and sealing a set of sealing members on the backside surface of a stator vane frame. The discrete nature of individual vane blade sealed by the sealing members renders the stator vane frame assembly to add a damping effect which increases the fatigue life of the vane, and permits the use of lower strength, lighter, and less expensive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John A. Manteiga, Jeffrey H. Nussbaum, John L. Noon
  • Patent number: 6336790
    Abstract: An axial flow power tool turbine motor for operation with an elastic fluid, like pressured air, includes a housing (12), a rotor (11) rotatively journalled in the housing (12) and formed in one piece with drive blades (24) arranged in axially spaced circumferential rows (C, A, C, E, G, I, K), and a stator (10) in the form of a tubular body (22) which is immovably supported in the housing (12) and which carries internal guide vanes (23) arranged in circumferential rows (B, D, F, H, J), wherein the tubular stator body (22) is divided into three longitudinal sections (22a, 22b, 22c) with which the guide vanes (23) are integrally formed, and a retainer (27, 29) for fixing and mounting the longitudinal sections (22a, 22b, 22c) in accurately defined relative positions to form the tubular stator body (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Atlas Copco Tools A.B.
    Inventor: Rolf Alexis Jacobsson
  • Patent number: 6332754
    Abstract: A steam turbine comprises, in combination, at least two of a high pressure turbine section, an intermediate pressure turbine section and a low pressure turbine section in a single turbine casing and the steam turbine generally satisfies such design requirements as: a main steam pressure of 100 kg/cm2 or more; a main steam temperature of 500° C. or more; a rated output (power) of 100 MW or more; and a unit rotated at a rotation speed of 3,000 rpm equipped with a last-stage movable blade of the turbine having an effective blade length of 36 inches or more, or a unit rotated at a rotation speed of 3,600 rpm equipped with a last-stage movable blade of the turbine having an effective blade length of 33.5 inches or more. In such steam turbine, a turbine exhaust chamber of the low pressure turbine section has a structure extending towards both sides of a transverse direction of the turbine casing, towards the upper side thereof or in the axial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuda, Masataka Kikuchi, Nobuo Okita, Kouichi Kitaguchi
  • Patent number: 6322322
    Abstract: A high temperature repairable airfoil having a plurality of flow path cover tiles coupled to a single crystal spar member. In one embodiment, the plurality of flow path cover tiles include an attachment portion that is received within a groove formed in the outer surface of the spar. The attachment portion slides into a retaining feature within the groove so as to limit movement of the plurality of flow path cover tiles. Upon rotation of the airfoil, the plurality of flow path cover tiles become centrifugally loaded with a portion of the spar member. In one embodiment, the plurality of flow path cover tiles are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of ceramics, intermetallic, and thermal barrier coated single crystal alloy material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Allison Advanced Development Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Jon D. Harvey