Plural And Arcuately Or Circularly Arranged In Radial Plane Around Runner Axis Patents (Class 415/208.2)
  • 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: 6464459
    Abstract: A lifting platform is disclosed that utilizes means for energy recovery in order to maximize efficiency. Prior lifting platforms described by the inventor have utilized partial toroidal vortices in order to create a high pressure region below the platform. The present invention, however, improves on the prior lifting platforms by utilizing a complete toroidal vortex. Thus, a great deal of the energy expended is recovered by the recirculation of the fluid. The vortex fan must only supply the energy needed to overcome friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Avionic Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Lewis Illingworth
  • Patent number: 6457953
    Abstract: An axial flow fan for cooling electronic components comprising a plurality of blades for cooling electronic components wherein the blades comprise a plurality of specially designed airfoil sections, each section having along substantially the entire length thereof, a cross-sectional shape characterized by a maximum thickness located substantially constantly between about 16% chord to about 23% chord and a maximum camber located substantially constantly between about 40% chord to about 51% chord. The circuitry, housing, and blades are designed so that the axial width of the axial fan is decreased while maintaining performance parameters and design constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: NMB (USA) Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip James Bradbury, Phep Xuan Nguyen, Chalmers R. Jenkins, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20020136634
    Abstract: This invention is characterized by a very compact blower assembly architecture designed to operate at low Reynolds numbers. The assembly includes an impeller with forward-curved blades and a hub that is shaped to minimize the overall package volume of the assembly. The impeller is driven by a low-power, brushed, direct-current motor. A shroud part includes a generally cylindrical inlet that directs the air into the impeller, and a surface that forces the air leaving the impeller to turn from a generally radial and tangential direction to a generally axial and tangential direction. The shroud part directs the air into a single stage of stator blades that reduces the tangential component of the air velocity and produces a static pressure rise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas Chapman
  • 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: 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.
  • 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: 20020094271
    Abstract: The present invention provides an axial flow fan structure having an optimal airflow rate and pressure head. The axial flow fan structure includes a rotor provided with a plurality of fan blades which are overlapped with each other. In such a manner, variations of the chord angle, the air inlet angle, and the air outlet angle of the fan blade together with adjustment of the span of the fan blades co-operate with rotation of the fan blade to produce an optimal airflow rate and pressure head. In addition, the fan blades of the rotor may co-operate with a set of stator guide vanes, thereby further increase the pressure head of the airflow, while the airflow having a high flow rate and high pressurization is guided to a predetermined direction more efficiently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Jian J. Yeuan, William C. Liao
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20020085912
    Abstract: An axial-flow fan (1) is arranged on a viscous coupling (4). Fin-like stabilizers (5) are provided in the region of the blade roots, that is to say in the hub region, and these fin-like stabilizers (5) segregate the hub flow and the blade flow. In addition, a radial blade element (6) can be provided and are assigned in each case to these stabilizers and can be integrated with the surface of the stabilizer (5) to form a common surface. These special flow-conducting elements can favorably influence the fan flow in its hub region in such a way as to improve the fan output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Uwe Blass, Christoph Kurdzel
  • 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: 6409465
    Abstract: A method for reducing blade vibration in turbo-machinery is described. The method involves inserting flow obstructions and/or gas injections upstream of vibrating blades in such a manner that power flow into the blades is reduced by means of cancellation within a modal power integral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Hood Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas von Flotow, George Zipfel
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20020057966
    Abstract: A blade row arrangement for turbo-engines has an axial construction with two guide blade rows fixedly positioned relative to one another and having a different number of blades while the blade pitch is constant in each case, and having a moving blade row arranged between the two guide blade rows. The blades of the first guide blade row, in a first partial area of the row, successively have an identical axial offset; the axial offset being selected as a function of the blade number ratio of the two guide blade rows such that it increases the effective flow-off cross-section when the first guide blade row has more guide blades than the second guide blade row and reduces the effective flow-off cross-section when the first guide blade row has less guide blades than the second guide blade row. The blades of the first guide blade row, in a second partial area of the row, successively have an axial offset which is opposite in relation to the blades in the first partial area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Andreas Fiala, Adam Heisler
  • 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
  • Patent number: 6364607
    Abstract: At a vaned diffuser or a volute casing of a centrifugal fluid machine, pressure pulsation and vibrating forces acting upon the diffuser or the volute casing are mitigated or cancelled so as to abate the noise from the centrifugal fluid machine. The fluid machine having an impeller 3 rotating about a rotating shaft 2 within a casing 1 and having a vaned diffuser 4 or volute 12 fixed to the casing 1 is constructed such that radius of the vane trailing edge of the impeller 3 and radius of the vane leading edge of the diffuser 4 or radius of the volute tongue is varied in the direction of axis of rotation and inclinations, on a meridional plane, of the vane trailing edge of the impeller 3 and the vane leading edge of the diffuser 4 or the volute tongue are set in the same orientation, thereby reduction in head and efficiency or occurrence of an axial thrust may be restrained to the extent possible to optimally abate the noise and pressure pulsation of the centrifugal fluid machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nagaoka, Sadashi Tanaka, Yukiji Iwase, Michiaki Ida, Hirotoshi Ishimaru, Saburo Iwasaki, Yoshiharu Ueyama, Tetuya Yoshida
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20010048877
    Abstract: A vortex generating apparatus has the capability of attracting and removably adhering one or more solid objects. The apparatus comprises an impeller housed within a shell. The vortex attractor generates a vortical fluid flow generally in the form of a helical or spiral shaped flow. The fluid flow creates a low pressure region extending from the impeller end of the device. This low pressure region is contained by the walls of the fluid flow, thus directing the attractive forces toward a surface and minimizing effects of ambient fluid on the system. When the surface is part of a stationary object, wall, floor or ceiling, the vortex attractor may move toward and adhere to the surface. When the surface is part of a movable object, the vortex attractor may attract the object and maintain the attracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Inventors: Lewis Illingworth, David Reinfeld
  • Patent number: 6315031
    Abstract: A blower is provided for effectively cooling heat generating parts in a casing of a personal computer and so on, with a heat sink apparatus using the blower and an electronic equipment using the heat sink apparatus. The blower comprises a fan and an outer frame. The outer frame of the fan is made of a highly thermally conductive material such as aluminum. A radiation board is fixed to or formed integrally with a lower surface of the outer frame. Heat generated from a heat generating device is conveyed through the radiation board to the outer frame. The blower is provided with radiation fins so that the heat conveyed to the outer frame is transferred to the radiation fins as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Miyahara, Koji Mehara, Kenji Suga, Kazuya Shibasaki, Hiroshi Nakamura, Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 6309180
    Abstract: A molded through-flow motor assembly has a motor housing, including a cup portion and a flange portion. The flange portion includes a plurality of ramp surfaces extending outwardly therefrom. The cup portion has a field retaining wall and guide rib extending inwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the housing. A diffuser plate is provided having a plurality of scalloped ramp surfaces on a first side thereof adjacent to a plurality of air inlet apertures which open into air chambers on the second side thereof. The field and armature portions of a motor assembly are mounted in the motor housing and the diffuser plate is fitted to the flange portion of the housing such that the ramp surfaces abut one another to form a continuous ramp surface from each air inlet aperture into the air chambers. A rotating fan member is mounted to the armature shaft and is housed within a shroud cover fitted to the motor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Ametek, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Gilliland, Robert A. Ciccarelli, Michael Coles
  • Patent number: 6309178
    Abstract: A guiding device for use with a fan-radiator cooling system wherein the fan is upstream from the radiator. The guiding device comprises a series of guide vanes in combination with at least one guide ring. When placed between the fan and the radiator, the device improves the heat transfer capacity of the cooling system by directing air flow through the radiator center, a region that typically suffers from reduced flow due to the air flow pattern in and around the fan hub. Furthermore, the guide vanes align the air flow from the fan so that it is generally parallel with the axis of the fan. The guiding device permits greater heat removal with a given fan and radiator without increasing the speed of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Inventors: Young S. Kim, William F. Gevers, Constantine Xykis
  • Patent number: 6296459
    Abstract: An electric air pump having multiple impellers parallel mounted on the same motor shaft and typically employed for providing a source of low pressure, high volume air for charging inflatable devices. The multiple impellers provide improved motor efficiency in heat dissipation and air volume delivery when compared to a single impeller motor operating at the same RPM, and exhibits a near zero True Indicator Reading (TIR). In its most fundamental embodiment, the electric air pump having multiple impellers exhibits a construction including an outer housing having an air intake port and an air exhaust port. An electric motor is mounted within the outer housing and includes a rotating output shaft. A plurality of air impellers each parallel mounted on the rotating output shaft is employed for drawing a volume of air through the air intake port and across the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Intex Recreation Corp.
    Inventors: Richard A. Saputo, Hua Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 6290459
    Abstract: Cooling is facilitated in stationary flowpath components, such as turbine nozzle segments and shrouds, by providing circumferential edges defining a non-linear curvature that matches the curvature of the flow line defined by the gas flow past the stationary flowpath component. A flexible seal member is provided to accommodate the non-linear edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Victor H. S. Correia
  • Patent number: 6290460
    Abstract: At a vaned diffuser or a volute casing of a centrifugal fluid machine, pressure pulsation and vibrating forces acting upon the diffuser or the volute casing are mitigated or cancelled so as to abate the noise from the centrifugal fluid machine. The fluid machine having an impeller 3 rotating about a rotating. shaft 2 within a casing 1 and having a vaned diffuser 4 or volute 12 fixed to the casing 1 is constructed such that radius of the vane trailing edge of the impeller 3 and radius of the vane leading edge of the diffuser 4 or radius of the volute tongue is varied in the direction of axis of rotation and inclinations, on a meridional plane, of the vane trailing edge of the impeller 3 and the vane leading edge of the diffuser 4 or the volute tongue are set in the same orientation, thereby reduction in head and efficiency or occurrence of an axial thrust may be restrained to the extent possible to optimally abate the noise and pressure pulsation of the centrifugal fluid machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nagaoka, Sadashi Tanaka, Yukiji Iwase, Michiaki Ida, Hirotoshi Ishimaru, Saburo Iwasaki, Yoshiharu Ueyama, Tetuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6273677
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump having an axial inlet and an inflow guide device mounted upstream of the impeller, which guide device is composed of several fixed guide vanes, which on the side facing the impeller each have an edge pointing in or opposite to the direction of rotation of the impeller. The edge pointing in or opposite to the direction of rotation may take the form of a swirl blade (8) which is formed on the guide vane (6) and located in the vicinity of the wall of the inlet (2), and which has a shorter radial length than the guide vane (6). This increases the efficiency of the pump and achieves an effect which increases the breadth of applicability of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: KSB Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Baogang Wang, Juergen Schill, Dieter Hellmann
  • Patent number: 6261058
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stationary blade of integrated segment construction, in which a thermal barrier coating can be applied to the whole blade surface and excessive stress can be avoided in a shroud. A plate seat connector is provided at each end face portion of an inside shroud and an outside shroud attached to outside and inside ends of gas turbine stationary blade. Several stationary blades are integrated by joining the plate seat connectors of the adjacent shrouds by means of bolts and nuts to provide a stationary blade of integrated segment construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Kataoka, Masao Terazaki, Yukihiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6254338
    Abstract: A water turbine or pump having a rotor (1) and a stator (2). The leading edges (13) and the trailing edges (14) at least of the rotor blades (6) form a bend (15) projecting in opposite relationship to the flow direction (12). That causes a flow force resulting in a self-cleaning effect being applied to impurities which are deposited at the leading edges (13). However the adjustment design providing for adjustability of the rotor blades remains substantially unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventor: Andreas Keller
  • Patent number: 6244818
    Abstract: A fan guard has a function of supercharging a fan in addition to supporting a rotor device is disclosed. The fan guard is to be mounted beside the rotor device for supporting the rotor device, and additionally, the fan guard interacts with an airflow generated by the revolution of the rotor blades to supercharge the fan. The fan guard essentially includes a main frame, and a set of guard blades radially arranged inside the main frame and fixed onto an inner surface of the main frame by each one end thereof. Each of the guard blades is preferred to have a shape similar to the shape of the rotor blades, and the set of guard blades can be arranged either upstream or downstream of the rotor blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shun-Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 6241470
    Abstract: A rotodynamic pump comprises 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: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Sweepax International Limited
    Inventors: Timothy Oakley, Geoffrey Howard Clements
  • Patent number: 6220816
    Abstract: The fluid transfer device comprises a stator assembly incorporating a plurality of return channels which pick up the high speed fluid flow leaving a centrifugal impeller of one stage of the turbomachine for the purpose of rectifying, slowing down, and conveying said flow to the inlet of another centrifugal impeller of an adjacent stage of the turbomachine. Each return channel is constituted by a continuous shaped individual tubular element. A first continuous return channel is defined by a set of varying sections defined by parameters and extending normally to a mean line situated in a predefined plane (P1P2P3) containing the axis of the machine. The mean line has a rectilinear first portion, a curved second portion forming a circular arc of radius Rco2, and a rectilinear third portion. The various return channels are identical and can be derived one from another by rotation about the axis of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction Moteurs d'Aviation-S.N.E.C.M.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Nguyen Duc, Philippe Geai, Jean-Marie Duchemin
  • Patent number: 6217281
    Abstract: A low-noise fan-filter unit for providing filtered airflow is disclosed. The fan-filter unit includes a housing having at least an air inlet and a coaxial air outlet; a centrifugal fan installed in the housing for drawing air into the housing and propelling it out of the air outlet; a filter installed between the fan and the air outlet for removing impurities from the air; and a noise reduction arrangement installed between the fan and the filter for reducing noise. The noise reduction arrangements includes three parting plates incorporating with the housing to form a tortuous air passageway which U-turns the airflow at least two times. The tortuous and extended air passageway, and some sound-absorbing materials furnished along the air passageway increase the contact area between the airflow and the sound-absorbing materials, and enhance the effect of noise absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ming-Shan Jeng, Ya-Wen Chou, Fang-Hei Tasu, Lai-Fu Chen, Pen-Chang Tseng
  • Patent number: 6200092
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes ceramic outer and inner bands, with a ceramic vane forward segment integrally joined thereto. A ceramic vane aft segment has opposite ends trapped in complementary sockets in the bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Angelo V. Koschier
  • Patent number: 6200094
    Abstract: A wave augmented diffuser for a centrifugal compressor surrounds the outlet of an impeller that rotates on a drive shaft having an axis of rotation. The impeller brings flow in in an axial direction and imparts kinetic energy to the flow discharging it in radial and tangential directions. The flow is discharged into a plurality of circumferentially disposed wave chambers. The wave chambers are periodically opened and closed by a rotary valve such that the flow through the diffuser is unsteady. The valve includes a plurality of valve openings that are periodically brought into and out of fluid communication with the wave chambers. When the wave chambers are closed, a reflected compression wave moves upstream towards the diffuser bringing the flow into the wave chamber to rest. This action recovers the kinetic energy from the flow and limits any boundary layer growth. The flow is then discharged in an axial direction through an opening in the valve plate when the valve plate is rotated to an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Gary J. Skoch, Daniel E. Paxson
  • Patent number: 6196793
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for directing a flow of fluid to a turbine via a nozzle box mountable to encircle a shaft. The nozzle box includes a housing having an inner wall spaced from an outer wall and joined therewith so as to form a chamber therein. The housing also includes at least one inlet and at least one outlet in which each is in fluid flow communication with the chamber. A plurality of radially projecting nozzles are positioned between the inner and outer walls and located upstream of the outlet for directing the flow of fluid through the outlet. A flow distributor is positioned between the inner and outer walls and located upstream of the nozzles for directing the flow of fluid through the chamber and to the nozzles. The flow distributor is configured to obtain a substantially uniform flow of fluid to the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mark Edward Braaten
  • Patent number: 6196794
    Abstract: The gas turbine stator vane structure comprising a plurality of vanes 13, an outer platform 11 and an inner platform 12 is formed by integrally connecting a plurality of units 2 in a circle with fiber-reinforced prepreg tapes 10, 10′ each wound around and fused to an outside surface of the outer platform 11 and an inside surface of the inner platform 12. Each of the units 2 is constituted by (a) a core 3 composed of a laminate of fiber-reinforced prepregs and integrally having a web 31 for constituting a vane 13, and flanges 32, 33 integrally connected to both ends of the web 31 for constituting outer and inner platform pieces 21, 22; and (b) a skin layer 4 integrally molded around the core 3. The core 3 is at least partially exposed through windows of the skin layer 4 on both of an outside surface of the outer platform piece 21 and an inside surface of the inner platform piece 22, and fused to the fiber-reinforced prepreg tapes 10, 10′.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keizo Matsumoto