Wire, Fiber, Strand Or Fabric Patents (Class 416/230)
  • Patent number: 8511996
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blade for wind-power generators. The inventive blade is divided transversely into two or more independent sections, each section comprising aerodynamic skins or walls (3) and an inner longitudinal reinforcing structure (4). In addition, the ends of the aforementioned sections are equipped with connection means comprising metal inserts (10) which are housed and fixed axially inside the walls of the inner longitudinal resistant structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Gamesa Innovation & Technology, S.L.
    Inventors: Jose Ignacio Llorente Gonzalez, Sergio Velez Oria
  • Patent number: 8506250
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade assembly includes a rotor blade having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge extending in a generally span-wise direction between a tip and a root. An edge extension is attached along the trailing edge and includes a first strip member having a span-wise attachment section attached to pressure side, and a second strip member having a span-wise attachment section attached to the suction side. Each of the first and second strip members has an outboard edge and an extension section that projects chord-wise beyond the trailing edge. The extension sections are adhesively attached to each other outboard of the trailing edge along a span-wise length of the first and second strip members and define an adhesively bonded closure edge of the edge extension. A method is also provided for forming an edge extension on a wind turbine rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bharat Bagepalli, Stefan Herr
  • Patent number: 8506254
    Abstract: An impeller is provided that may be used in compressors or turbines. In another aspect of the present invention, a fiber or a bundle of fibers is woven to form at least two blades of an impeller. Yet another aspect of the present invention employs a peripheral component woven around impeller blades. An additional conductive fiber or bundle of fibers is woven into the impeller in a further aspect of the present invention. Moreover, an aspect of the present invention provides a chilling system that includes at least one compressor, at least one wave rotor, and a refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventor: Norbert Müller
  • Patent number: 8499450
    Abstract: A composite blade has a root and a tip in a spanwise direction and a leading edge and a trailing edge in a chordwise direction. The composite blade includes a three-dimensional woven preform having weft yarns and warp yarns. The weft yarns extend in the spanwise direction of the composite blade. The warp yarns interweave the weft yarns and extend in the chordwise direction of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Rajiv A. Naik
  • Publication number: 20130177435
    Abstract: Wind turbine rotor blades with a reduced radar cross sections include a shell having a leading edge opposite a trailing edge, a structural support member that supports the shell and is disposed internal the wind turbine rotor blade between the leading edge and the trailing edge and extends for at least a portion of a rotor blade span length, wherein the structural support member comprises fiberglass, one or more cavities internal the wind turbine rotor blade, and a lightweight broadband radar absorbing filler material disposed in at least one of the one or more cavities to provide the reduced radar cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Russell Craig Baucke, John Matthew Prescott, Lesly Sue Walters
  • Patent number: 8475135
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade is provided with an outer skin layer formed of fiber-reinforced plastic, and a plurality of main structural members formed of fiber-reinforced plastic integrally with the outer skin layer to extend in a blade length direction. The main structural members include a plurality of main dorsal structural members positioned on a dorsal side of the wind turbine blade, and a plurality of main ventral structural members positioned on a ventral side of the wind turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Kuroiwa, Toshiyuki Hirano, Nobuyasu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8475134
    Abstract: The method consists in depositing, by alumina spraying, an electrically insulating sublayer on the substrate, then in placing the sensor on the electrically insulating sublayer and finally in depositing, by alumina spraying, a cover layer on the sensor and the electrically insulating sublayer. It further includes, before the cover layer is deposited, a step in which an impermeable and thermally insulating cement is applied locally on wires of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Charly Buleon, Frederic Leman, Etienne Tulie
  • Publication number: 20130164144
    Abstract: A bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (10) to be arranged on a rotor blade connection of a rotor blade (14), especially on a rotor hub (9). The bulkhead (22) has a core body (30). A layer (31, 32) of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (31, 32) is arranged on the core body (30) on both sides respectively and a metal layer body (33) is arranged on one side of the layer of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (31). A method for producing a bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (9), which is arranged on a rotor blade connection of a rotor blade (14) and a use of a bulkhead (22) of a wind turbine (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS SE
    Inventor: Urs Bendel
  • Publication number: 20130136614
    Abstract: A propeller blade includes a foam core, an adhesive layer formed on the core and a structural layer that covers at least a portion of the adhesive layer and that surrounds at least a portion of the foam core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: David P. Nagle, Ludovic Prunet, Patrice Brion
  • Publication number: 20130136616
    Abstract: A propeller blade includes a honeycomb core and a structural layer that surrounds at least a portion of the honeycomb core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventor: Ludovic Prunet
  • Publication number: 20130136615
    Abstract: A propeller blade includes a foam core and a structural layer that surrounds at least a portion of the foam core and includes a face side and a camber side is disclosed. The propeller blade also includes an insert disposed in the foam core in operable contact with the face side and the camber side of the structural layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: David P. Nagle, Paul Carvalho, Bruno Seminal, Stephane Grimal
  • Patent number: 8449259
    Abstract: Lightning protection for wind turbine blades, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes an external skin having a hub region and a tip region, at least one electrically exposed, electrically conductive element positioned at the external skin, and an electrically conductive cable positioned inwardly from the external skin and conductively coupled to the at least one electrically exposed, electrically conductive element. A covering is positioned around the cable and has a first dielectric value at a first portion of the cable positioned toward the hub region and a second dielectric value higher than the first dielectric value at a second portion of the cable positioned toward the tip region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Modular Wind Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Kaser
  • Patent number: 8449258
    Abstract: An impeller is provided that may be used in compressors or turbines. In another aspect of the present invention, a fiber or a bundle of fibers is woven to form at least two blades of an impeller. Yet another aspect of the present invention employs a peripheral component woven around impeller blades. An additional conductive fiber or bundle of fibers is woven into the impeller in a further aspect of the present invention. Moreover, an aspect of the present invention provides a chilling system that includes at least one compressor, at least one wave rotor, and a refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventor: Norbert Müller
  • Patent number: 8444377
    Abstract: A method for attaching a connector to deposited material includes the steps of depositing material on a substrate using a thin- or thick-film deposition process and attaching at least one connector to the deposited material using a high energy beam welding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Glen Alan Aussiker, Canan Uslu Hardwicke, Kurt Kramer Schleif
  • Patent number: 8439859
    Abstract: The catheter device comprises a drive shaft connected to a motor, and a rotor mounted on the drive shaft at the distal end section. The rotor has a frame structure which is formed by a screw-like boundary frame and rotor struts extending radially inwards from the boundary frame. The rotor struts are fastened to the drive shaft by their ends opposite the boundary frame. Between the boundary frame and the drive shaft extends an elastic covering. The frame structure is made of an elastic material such that, after forced compression, the rotor unfolds automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: AIS GmbH Aachen Innovative Solutions
    Inventors: Joachim Georg Pfeffer, Thomas Schmitz-Rode, Rolf W. Günther
  • Publication number: 20130115094
    Abstract: Provided is a vacuum pump in which no finish processing has to be carried out after shaping of a cylindrical rotor even in use of a cylindrical rotor obtained by shaping a fiber-reinforced plastic material into a cylindrical shape. The vacuum pump has a turbo-molecular pump section and a thread groove pump section. The upper end section of a cylindrical rotor, which is obtained by shaping a fiber-reinforced plastic material into a cylindrical shape, of the thread groove pump section, is joined to the lower end section of a rotor of the turbo-molecular pump section. A joining portion of the rotor of the turbo-molecular pump section and the cylindrical rotor of the thread groove pump section is disposed upstream of an exhaust passage. As a result, finish processing does not have to be carried out after shaping of the cylindrical rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventor: Takashi Kabasawa
  • Publication number: 20130111908
    Abstract: A fan rotor blade includes a blade body constructed of a composite material, a blade root constructed of the composite material, and a sheath attached to a leading edge of the blade body. The sheath includes a sheath main body and a pair of joint flanges, and is segmented into a sheath base segment and a sheath top segment. The sheath top segment has a longer length than a length of the sheath base segment along a span direction. A sheath length of the sheath main body at an assumed impact position with an obstacle is not shorter than 10% chord and not longer than 60% chord. A sheath length of the sheath along an end edge of the fan rotor blade is not shorter than 40% chord. The fan rotor blade possesses sufficient impact resistance and can be simplified and light-weighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Murooka, Hiroshi Kuroki, Rintaro Kajiwara, Kenro Obuchi
  • Publication number: 20130101429
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade is made of composite material. The blade includes a first portion constituting at least an airfoil exhibiting two faces each connecting a leading edge to a trailing edge, the first portion forming a single part with at least one second portion present only on one of the faces of the airfoil. The second portion constitutes a portion of at least one of the following elements: a flowpath delimiting outer portion of an inner platform, an inner portion of an inner platform, a flowpath delimiting inner portion of an outer platform, and an outer portion of an outer platform. Portions of fiber reinforcements corresponding to the first and the second portions of the blade are at least partially mutually imbricated. Yarns of the first portion of the fiber reinforcement penetrate into the second portion of the fiber reinforcement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicants: HERAKLES, SNECMA
    Inventors: Clément Roussille, Julien Mateo, Antoine Jean-Philippe Beaujard, Elric Georges André Fremont
  • Publication number: 20130101430
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes at least one mandrel and a sock that covers the at least one mandrel. The sock includes a plurality of braided fibers within a matrix material. The fibers can be made of different materials. Also, stiffness of the sock can vary across the wind turbine blade. A method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventor: The Regents of the University of Michigan
  • Patent number: 8426326
    Abstract: A fiber reinforcing texture woven as a single part for fabricating a composite material part having an inner portion, or core, made by three-dimensional weaving with yarns made up from discontinuous fibers, and a portion adjacent to an outside surface, or skin, made by weaving with yarns made up from continuous filaments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Snecma Propulsion Solide
    Inventors: Eric Bouillon, François Charleux, Caroline Louchet-Pouillerie, Rémi Bouvier, Dominique Coupe
  • Patent number: 8419374
    Abstract: The disclosed composite airfoil includes a three-dimensional composite core extending longitudinally and having a chord-wise direction. The core has a core in-plane thickness extending between opposing sides in a through-plane direction generally perpendicular to the chord-wise and longitudinal directions. A composite skin covers the opposing sides and has an exterior surface providing an airfoil contour. The skin includes a total skin in-plane thickness corresponding to a sum of thicknesses through the skin in the through-plane direction from each of the opposing sides to their adjoining exterior surface. A sum of the core in-plane and total skin in-plane thicknesses at a central portion of the composite airfoil is a total in-plane thickness. The total skin in-plane thickness at the central portion is less than 50% of the total in-plane thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Huth, Phillip Alexander, Carl Brian Klinetob, Michael Parkin, Rajiv A. Naik
  • Publication number: 20130089429
    Abstract: A turbine engine blade made of composite material including fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix is fabricated by a method including: performing three-dimensional weaving to make a single-piece fiber blank; shaping the fiber blank to obtain a single-piece fiber preform having a first portion forming a preform for a blade root and an airfoil, at least one second portion forming a preform for a blade inner platform or for wipers of a blade outer platform, and at least one third portion forming a preform for reinforcing a blade inner platform or for overhangs of a blade outer platform; and densifying the fiber preform with a matrix to obtain a composite material blade having fiber reinforcement constituted by the preform and densified by the matrix, and forming a single piece with an inner and/or outer platform incorporated therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicants: HERAKLES, SNECMA
    Inventors: Romain Nunez, Stephane Blanchard, Guillaume Renon, Dominique Coupe, Clement Roussille
  • Publication number: 20130078105
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor blade for a wind turbine, comprising a root of the rotor blade and a rotor blade aerofoil. The object of providing a rotor blade which can be easily and inexpensively produced even when of great lengths and which, what is more, enables a system for protection against lightning to be incorporated in a simplified way is achieved, for a rotor blade of the generic kind, by having the rotor blade consist of at least partly a fibre-reinforced plastics composite having metal inserts embedded in the matrix of the fibre-reinforced plastics composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Stephan Drewes, Thomas Flöth, Mark Hirt, Lothar Patberg, Peter Seyfried
  • Publication number: 20130040151
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for joining and for improving interfacial strength of joints in objects of fibre-containing composite materials, such as epoxy/glass fibre composite materials of a wind turbine blade, as well as fibre reinforced composite materials, laminates and other interconnected objects prepared by this method. In particular wind turbine blades prepared by this method are described. The present invention further relates to robots and robotic tools for carrying out the described methods for joining objects of fibre-containing composite materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Premkumar Jeromerajan, Srikanth Narasimalu, Erwin Merijn Wouterson, Wojciech Stanislaw Gutowski, Sheng Li, Weidong Yang
  • Publication number: 20130039769
    Abstract: A centrifugal impeller for a turbomachine is provided. The centrifugal impeller comprises a plurality of aerodynamic vanes, each of the aerodynamic vanes having internal walls on which is associated a fabric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Giannozzi, Iacopo Giovannetti, Andrea Massini, Bulent Aksel, Christophe Lanaud, Julian O'Flynn, Scott Finn
  • Publication number: 20130039774
    Abstract: A hybrid airfoil for a gas turbine engine is provided that includes a body and a panel. The body has a first side and a second side orientated opposite the first side. The first and second sides extend between a tip, a base, a leading edge and a trailing edge. The body includes a plurality of cavities disposed in the first side of the body, which cavities extend inwardly toward the second side. The cavities collectively form an opening. At least one rib is disposed between the cavities. A shelf is disposed around the opening. The panel is attached to the shelf first mounting surface and to the rib, and is sized to enclose the opening. The panel is a load bearing structure operable to transfer loads to the body and receive loads from the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel V. Viens, Vincent C. Nardone, Peter G. Smith, James R. Strife, Foster P. Lamm
  • Publication number: 20130034447
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade including an outer surface that serves as an aerodynamic surface when the blade is subjected for an air stream. A resin matrix made of a laminate of at least one ply includes the outer surface. The outer ply includes a nano structure embedded therein such that the filaments of the nano structure in the ply have essentially the same angular orientation relative a plane of the outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Saab AB
    Inventors: Pontus Nordin, Göte Strindberg
  • Publication number: 20130028744
    Abstract: An article including an outer surface that serves as an aerodynamic surface when the article is subjected for an air stream. A resin matrix made of a polymeric composite laminate of at least one ply includes the outer surface. The at least one ply includes a nano structure embedded therein such that nano filaments of the nano structure in the ply essentially have the same angular orientation relative the plane of the outer surface. The outer ply is a ply of a laminate including at least two plies. Each ply includes large fibers having an orientation different from or identical to the orientation of large fibers of an adjacent ply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Pontus Nordin, Göte Strindberg
  • Publication number: 20130022472
    Abstract: A blade for use in water, the blade comprising an outer shell of fibre reinforced plastic defining a cavity. A substantial portion of the cavity is filled with a resin which adheres to the inner wall of the shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: BLADE DYNAMICS LTD.
    Inventors: Paul Trevor Hayden, David Anthony Whiley, Derek Ness
  • Publication number: 20130017094
    Abstract: A turbine engine blade made of composite material including fiber reinforcement obtained by weaving a first plurality of yarns with a second plurality of yarns, the yarns of the first plurality of yarns being arranged in successive layers and extending in a longitudinal direction of the fiber blank corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the blade, the reinforcement being densified by a matrix. The blade includes one or more internal channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Dominique Coupe, Bruno Jacques Gerard Dambrine, Jean-Noel Mahieu
  • Publication number: 20130017093
    Abstract: An aircraft propeller blade including an airfoil-profile structure. The airfoil-profile structure includes at least one fiber reinforcement obtained by three-dimensional weaving of yarns and densified by a matrix, and a shaping part made of cellular rigid material of determined shape, the reinforcement including at least two halves linked together by continuous weaving in the leading edge of the propeller blade, the two halves fitting tightly around the shaping part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Dominique Coupe, Bruno Jacques Gerard Dambrine, Jean-Noel Mahieu
  • Patent number: 8353674
    Abstract: A method for preparing a wind turbine blade shell member comprising a plurality of elements of cured fiber-reinforced sheet material is provided. A plurality of elements of cured fiber-reinforced sheet material is provided in a mold, a resin is introduced between the elements of cured fiber-reinforced sheet material and the elements are bonded to adjacent elements by curing the resin. The method is particularly suitable for preparing wind turbine blade shell members due to the complex three-dimensional shape of the airfoils, which may be resembled by the relatively flexible cured fiber-reinforced sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Anton Bech
  • Publication number: 20130011271
    Abstract: A CMC component has an integral airfoil and root portion formed by a plurality of plies extending in a spanwise direction and an external feature formed by a plurality of bent plies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Shi, David C. Jarmon
  • Patent number: 8342805
    Abstract: A lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade or aircraft wing includes a glass-reinforced fiber or carbon-reinforced wind turbine blade or aircraft wing having a tip region, a suction side, a pressure side, a leading edge and a trailing edge. A substantially planar sheet of conductive or semi-conductive material is disposed internal to the blade tip region or wing tip region and between the suction side and pressure side. The sheet operates during a lightning discharge to form an electric field control mechanism causing the lightning discharge to attach to the tip region. The sheet is in electrical communication or galvanic connection with a conductive or semi-conductive path such that the electric field control mechanism and the path together operate to protect the wind turbine blade or aircraft wing from damage caused by the lightning strike in the tip region of the wind turbine blade or aircraft wing by controlling an electric field in the tip region caused by the lightning strike.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yaru Najem Mendez Hernandez, Robert Roesner
  • Patent number: 8333565
    Abstract: A composite blade (26) comprises a three-dimensional arrangement of reinforcing fibers (58) and a matrix material (60) infiltrated around the three-dimensional arrangement of woven reinforcing fibers (60). The three-dimensional arrangement of woven reinforcing fibers (58) defines a plurality of cavities (56) within the aerofoil (28). The composite blade (26) comprises an aerofoil portion (38) and a root portion (36). The aerofoil portion (38) comprises a leading edge (44), a trailing edge (46), a concave pressure surface wall (50), a convex suction surface wall (52) and a tip (48). The aerofoil portion (36) comprises a plurality of webs (54) extending between, and being secured to, the concave pressure surface wall (50) and the convex suction surface wall (52) to produce a Warren girder structure. The three-dimensional arrangement of woven reinforcing fibers (58) are arranged to produce the concave pressure surface wall (50), the convex suction surface wall (52) and the plurality of webs (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Alison J. McMillan
  • Publication number: 20120315148
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for wiring suctions ((i), (i+1)) of a blade (1) for a blade row of a turbomachine. According to said method, a first central component (formula (II)) of a second section ((i+1)) is selected according to at least one central component ((formula (IV)), xCG(i), rCG(i)) of a first section ((i)), especially according to a formula (I) where: (i) is a variable of the first section; (i+1) is a variable of the second section; (formula (III)) is a central component of a section in the peripheral direction, preferably in the angular or radian measure; xCG is a central component of a section in the axial direction; rCG is a central component of a section in the radial direction; ? is a graduated angle of a section; and (formula (V)) is a peripheral incline, preferably in the angular or radian measure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: MTU Aero Engines Gmbh
    Inventors: Sergio Elorza Gomez, Peter Eibelshaeuser
  • Publication number: 20120315147
    Abstract: A wind turbine component having a laminate of fibrous material and plastic and an electrical line embedded in the laminate, wherein a profile is arranged on a lateral surface of the electrical line, said profile counteracting the formation of a hollow space or plastic nest between the lateral surface and a fibrous material layer which covers an upper side of the electrical line during the manufacture of the laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Philipp Rindt, Dirk Austinat
  • Publication number: 20120301313
    Abstract: A Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes at least one CMC ply which defines a suction side, an outer platform, a pressure side and an inner platform with a continuous “I”-shaped fiber geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Ioannis Alvanos
  • Publication number: 20120301312
    Abstract: A Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) airfoil segment for a gas turbine engine includes a box-shape fiber geometry which defines a rectilinear pressure side bond line and a rectilinear suction side bond line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Douglas M. Berczik, Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry, Alvanos Ioannis, Christopher M. Dye
  • Publication number: 20120301314
    Abstract: A Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a CMC root section which extends to form a CMC airfoil section, the CMC root section defines a bore along a non-linear axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Ioannis Alvanos, Gabriel L. Suciu, Christopher M. Dye, Glenn Levasseur
  • Publication number: 20120301300
    Abstract: To effectively perform lightning protection in a blade for wind power generation and to prevent the blade from being damaged when arresting lightning. The lightning protection structure of the blade for wind power generation includes a conductive lightning receptor 1 attached to a part of the blade for wind power generation, and a ceramic member 10 interposed between at least surface-layer portions of the lightning receptor 1 and the blade 5. Therefore, an electric field is likely to concentrate at an interface between the ceramic member 10 having excellent heat resistance and the lightning receptor 1, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the blade 5 from being damaged due to a concentration of the electric field at the interface of the blade 5 attached with the lightning receptor 1 when arresting the lightning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: THE JAPAN STEEL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsutoshi Muto
  • Publication number: 20120301315
    Abstract: A Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a first multiple of CMC plies which define a suction side, a first airfoil portion of the first multiple of CMC plies at least partially parallel to an airfoil axis. A second multiple of CMC plies define a pressure side, a second airfoil portion of the second multiple of CMC plies at least partially parallel to the airfoil axis and bonded to the first airfoil portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Ioannis Alvanos, Gabriel L. Suciu, Douglas M. Berczik, John D. Riehl, Kevin L. Rugg
  • Patent number: 8313295
    Abstract: A lightning protection system is provided for protecting a device for exterior use, in particular a wind turbine, from damages based on a lightning stroke. The lightning protection system includes a choke element. The choke element is adapted for being mounted around a shaft of the device in such a manner that a current flow through the shaft causes a magnetic flux in the choke element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Kaj Olsen
  • Patent number: 8297934
    Abstract: The invention relates to a guide-vane arrangement (1) for deviating the flow present in the by-pass flow channel (2) of an engine (3), said arrangement comprising an outer ring (4) and an inner ring (5) and guide vanes (6) arranged therebetween in a substantially radial manner, wherein the outer ring (4) has elements (7) for connecting to an outer engine structure (8), and the inner ring (5) has elements (9) for connecting to an inner engine structure (10), with a plurality of segments (11) being provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Facc AG
    Inventors: Andreas Lutz, Thomas Wettemann
  • Publication number: 20120257983
    Abstract: A composite component such as a blade or vane of a gas turbine engine includes a body and an erosion-resistant layer. The body includes a fibre reinforcement in a resin matrix, and the erosion-resistant layer includes a 3-D woven fabric element which is also resin-impregnated. The woven fabric element is made from a thermoplastics material such as PEEK, and may be thicker at the leading edge of the component than at pressure and suction surfaces. The component may be manufactured in a laying-up process in which the woven fabric element of the erosion-resistant layer is placed in a mould with the resin-impregnated fibre reinforcement of the body so that the resin of the body migrates into the woven fabric element of the erosion-resistant layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: David A. WILLIAMS
  • Publication number: 20120244006
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of layer structures in the production of rotor blades for wind power plants, and to rotor blades for wind power plants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Passmann, Klaus Franken, Stefan Lindner
  • Patent number: 8263504
    Abstract: A fiber reinforcing texture (10) woven as a single part for fabricating a composite material part having an inner portion (12), or core, made by three-dimensional weaving with yarns made up from discontinuous fibers, and a portion (14, 16) adjacent to an outside surface, or skin, made by weaving with yarns made up from continuous filaments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Snecma Propulsion Solide
    Inventors: Eric Bouillon, François Charleux, Caroline Louchet-Pouillerie, Rémi Bouvier, Dominique Coupe
  • Patent number: 8251664
    Abstract: A fan blade for a gas-turbine engine which comprises a supporting structure (2) in fiber-composite material is enclosed by a sheet-metal enveloping structure (4) only in an area of the airfoil (3) such that the loads and stresses acting on the blade root (11), as well as the risk of delamination caused by the high bending load in the transition area between airfoil and blade root, are minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd Co KG
    Inventor: Karl Schreiber
  • Patent number: 8245400
    Abstract: A method for assembling a modular wind turbine rotor blade, includes aligning a first blade module and a second blade module such that a first receptacle of the first blade module and a second receptacle of the second blade module are co-axial; and forming a detachable mechanical connection between a first inlay of the first blade module and a second inlay of the second blade module using a threaded fastener that extends into the first receptacle and into the second receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronny Stam, Andreas Starke, Bart Veldkamp, Jendrik Meyer
  • Patent number: RE43692
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade root having fully bonded insert bushings with internal threads for mounting bolts for releasable attachment to a hub of a wind turbine is manufactured by arrangement of a plurality of the insert bushings on a first layer of fibre mat arranged on a holder having a plurality of spaced recesses for accommodation of the insert bushings such that the bushings extend largely in a longitudinal direction of the blade accommodated in the spaced recesses. Subsequently, a number of additional layers of fibre mat are arranged on top of the bushings, and the fibre mat layers are consolidated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: SSP Technology A/S
    Inventors: Rune Schytt-Nielsen, Flemming Sørensen