Hollow Patents (Class 416/232)
  • Patent number: 12338797
    Abstract: A lightning protection system for the joint of a modular blade. The joint comprises a number of coated metal elements by Xpacer equipotentially bonded with a number of stacks disposed at the sides of the upper cap and the lower cap and with the lightning down-drop. The preforms of the joint include two stacks at the leading edge and another two stacks at the trailing edge. The stacks are formed by layers of carbon fibre and layers of glass fibre, replaced by copper mesh as from the equipotentiation line. The stack incorporates at the side thereof a metal strip joined to the metal strip that links the tip cap and the root cap, and is coated with a layer of glass fibre.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: NABRAWIND TECHNOLOGIES, SL
    Inventors: Eneko Sanz Pascual, Javier Callen Escartín, Javier Monreal Lesmes, Arantxa Esparza Zabalza, Ion Arocena De La Rúa
  • Patent number: 12331657
    Abstract: A composite airfoil with an airfoil core and a wall surrounding the airfoil core. The wall including a first set of stacked plies including a first type of ply having directional fibers extending in a first direction, and defining at least a portion of an exterior surface, the exterior surface extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chordwise direction and between a root and a tip to define a spanwise direction. At least one stiffener located between the airfoil core and the wall, the at least one stiffener having a second set of stacked plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Elzbieta Kryj-Kos
  • Patent number: 12311627
    Abstract: A modular wind turbine blade includes a blade root, an intermediate portion and a blade tip. The intermediate portion includes a plurality of modular blades, two adjacent modular blades being provided at edge thereof with a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that cooperate with each other, and wherein the plurality of modular blades includes a trailing edge shell, a leading edge shell and a main beam, respectively, the first connecting portion at the edge of the trailing edge shell and the leading edge shell being fixedly connected to the second connecting portion at the edge of the main beam. The wind turbine blade according to the present invention adopts segmented modular structural design, which effectively reduces the mold occupancy time of the blade, shortening the production cycle and improving the molding efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: NEWTECH GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunlun Tan, Lei Cao, Gaoyu Bai, Yelin Liu, Qiuping Du, Zhicheng Zhang, Yubin Zhu, Xiaotian Zheng
  • Patent number: 12297752
    Abstract: Vane assemblies for gas turbine engines are described. The vane assemblies include a platform having an interior platform surface, a forward rail, and an aft rail, wherein the interior platform surface, the forward rail, and the aft rail define a plenum, an airfoil extending radially inward from the platform on a side opposite the forward and aft rails, the airfoil having a leading edge cavity and a baffle installed within the leading edge cavity, and platform feed structure arranged on the platform in the plenum and defining a fluid path through the forward rail and into the baffle of the leading edge cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel P. Preuss, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr., Kristopher K. Anderson, Nicholas J. Madonna
  • Patent number: 12264383
    Abstract: Nickel alloys, methods of making nickel alloys, articles including the nickel alloys, uses of the alloys, and methods of treating nickel alloys are described. The inventive heat resistant structural materials are suitable for applications requiring high yield stress at room temperature and good creep strength at high temperatures, such as in gas turbines, steam turbines, fossil energy boilers, aero engines, power generation systems using fluids such as supercritical carbon dioxide (e.g., advanced ultra-supercritical power plants), concentrated solar power plants, nuclear power plants, molten salt reactors: turbine blades, casings, valves, heat exchangers and recuperators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Martin Detrois, Paul D. Jablonski, Jeffrey A. Hawk
  • Patent number: 12091985
    Abstract: An engine component for a turbine engine, the engine component comprising a wall bounding an interior; a panel portion defining a portion of the wall, the panel portion comprising: an outer wall; an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to define a wall gap; and a structural segment formed within the wall gap comprising at least one structural element. The apparatus formed from a method including calculating a factor and adjusting a variable until the factor is between a given range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Terrence Garay, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Douglas Gerard Konitzer
  • Patent number: 12049701
    Abstract: Implementations are provided for fabricating a finished workpiece having a shaped portion. One implementation includes: a superplastic formation diffusion bonding (SPFDB) component; a cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) component; and a mold having a concavity. Various configurations can operate on a workpiece with the SPFDB and CSAM components in different orders. An implementation is configured to cold spray (with the CSAM component) an additive material onto the workpiece; and perform superplastic forming (with the SPFDB component) on the workpiece with the mold, thereby rendering the workpiece into the finished workpiece having the shaped portion. The shaped portion conforms to a shape defined by the concavity. Cold spraying results in an increased thickness of the finished workpiece in a target region, which can provide structural reinforcement, and which can have a tapered edge. The workpiece can be a metal substrate made of titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, or another material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bruno Zamorano Senderos, Dennis Lynn Coad, Daniel G. Sanders
  • Patent number: 12043368
    Abstract: A rotating airfoil including a body and a vibration absorber located within the body. The body has a root end and a tip. The rotating airfoil has a natural frequency, and the vibration absorber has a natural frequency. The natural frequency of the vibration absorber is different than the natural frequency of the rotating airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Suryarghya Chakrabarti, Drew M. Capps, Nicholas M. Daggett, Gary W. Bryant
  • Patent number: 12044147
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein include a fan blade of a gas turbine engine. The disclosed fan blade includes a main body having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The fan blade includes a leading edge guard covering the leading edge and a leading section of the main body adjacent to the leading edge. The leading edge guard includes a plurality of leading edge guard segments consecutively arranged in a spanwise direction along the leading edge of the fan blade. Each of the plurality of leading edge guard segments are oriented at an angle relative to a root of the fan blade. Each of the plurality of leading edge guard segments includes a nose portion coupled to the leading edge and a wing portion coupled to opposing sides of the leading section of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abhijeet Jayshingrao Yadav, Nitesh Jain, Nicholas J. Kray, Nuthi Srinivas
  • Patent number: 12037940
    Abstract: A supersonic air intake of an aircraft propulsion assembly comprises: •? pipe with a longitudinal axis configured to guide the flow of air into the turbine engine, •? a speed reducer fixedly mounted inside the pipe along the longitudinal axis, •? at least one support arm linking the speed reducer to the pipe and having an upstream outer wall and a downstream outer wall together defining a cavity, and •? at least one de-icing device having an inner wall mounted in the cavity opposite the upstream outer wall in order to together define a calibrated de-icing space, as well as a member for supplying and a member for discharging a de-icing air flow in the de-icing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN NACELLES
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Joret, Hazem Kioua, Emmanuel Lesteven
  • Patent number: 11976568
    Abstract: Disclosed is a ceramic matrix component having a fibrous core and a ceramic matrix composite shell surrounding at least a portion of the fibrous core. The ceramic matrix composite shell comprises a fibrous preform. The fibrous core has a greater porosity than the fibrous preform. A method of making the ceramic matrix component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael G. McCaffrey, Bryan P. Dube
  • Patent number: 11939950
    Abstract: A modular blade connection structure includes a first module, a second module and a structural adhesive module. The first module is provided on an end face thereof with a bonding flange extending into the second module; a gap between the butting surfaces of the first module and the second module is injected with a structural adhesive, which is extruded and cured to form a structural adhesive module; and the thickness of the first module at the starting end of the bonding flange extends towards the inner surface to form a first reinforcement, and the structural adhesive module extends inside the second module in a direction away from the bonding flange to form a second reinforcement. The present disclosure facilitates the control the bonding quality of the double-sided overlapping of the modular blade by means of the bonding flange and the improvement of the fatigue resistance at the assembling position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: NEWTECH GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunlun Tan, Yelin Liu, Lei Cao, Jian Zhang, Gaoyu Bai, Shuang Lin
  • Patent number: 11808166
    Abstract: Embodiments of an additively fabricated turbine blade having an integral tuned mass absorber are disclosed herein. The tuned mass absorber has an elliptical cross-section that results in the suppression of blade vibrations in at least two orthogonal modes of vibration. The tuned mass absorber is formed simultaneously during the additive fabrication of the blade. In an embodiment, the tuned mass absorber extends spanwise. In another embodiment, the tuned mass absorber extends chordwise. The dynamic responses of these spanwise and chordwise tuned mass absorbers are analytically predictable such that the dynamic responses may be incorporated into the design process of the turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventor: Andrew Michael Brown
  • Patent number: 11808168
    Abstract: A bucket includes a pair of radially-inner part-span shrouds, and a pair of radially-outer part-span shrouds. The buckets also include a dovetail, an airfoil and a platform extending between the airfoil and the dovetail. The airfoil includes a pressure side and an opposite suction side. The radially-inner part-span shrouds extend outward from the airfoil such that each of the radially-inner part-span shroud is spaced a distance from the leading edge and a distance from the airfoil trailing edge. The radially-outer part-span shrouds extend outward from the airfoil such that each of the radially-outer part-span shrouds is spaced a distance from the airfoil leading edge and a distance from the airfoil trailing edge, and such that the radially-inner part-span shrouds are between the radially-outer part-span shrouds and the platform. At least one of the airfoil and the dovetail includes at least one aerodynamic feature that facilitates mode shape adjustment of the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Michael Wondrasek
  • Patent number: 11713683
    Abstract: A turbine blade including an airfoil portion having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a pressure surface and a suction surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The airfoil portion internally forming a cooling passage, which includes first and second cooling passages, and a plurality of outflow passages each having one end which opens to a merging portion formed by connecting an end portion of the first cooling passage on a side of the trailing edge and an end portion of the second cooling passage on the side of the trailing edge, and another end which opens to the trailing edge. The first cooling passage and the second cooling passage are divided by a partition member disposed in the airfoil portion. The cooling passage includes pressure side pin fins in the first cooling passage, and suction side pin fins in the second cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Mizukami, Masamitsu Kuwabara, Satoshi Hada, Saki Matsuo, Yoshitaka Uemura, Ryozo Tamura, Yasumasa Kunisada
  • Patent number: 11585236
    Abstract: A bearing support designed to be secured to a stationary turbojet element for supporting a journal, including a cone which widens from a central portion for supporting the journal to a portion for securing to the stationary element, a cylindrical body extending the portion for securing to the stationary element while surrounding the cone, an upstream skirt carried by the cone for defining an upstream enclosure for the central portion, and at least one downstream revolution element carried by the cone for defining a downstream enclosure for the central portion. The bearing support can be made as a single part produced by additive manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Dimitri Daniel Gabriel Marquie, Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre, Frédéric Patard, Pierre Jean-Baptiste Metge
  • Patent number: 11572862
    Abstract: A segmented blade, which includes a first blade segment having a first main beam, wherein the first main beam includes a first body portion disposed within the first blade segment and a first engaging portion extending from an end portion of the first body portion toward a direction which is away from the blade root; a second blade segment having a second main beam, wherein the second main beam includes a second body portion disposed within the second blade segment and a second engaging portion extending from an end portion of the second body portion toward a direction which approaches the blade root, and the second engaging portion being engaged in the first engaging portion; and an outer skin, which covers a gap between the first blade segment and the second blade segment. Also provided are a method for connecting segmented blades and a wind power generator set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: JIANGSU GOLDWIND SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xingbo Wang, Yu Zhu, Liufeng Hao
  • Patent number: 11566526
    Abstract: A vibration damping device according to an embodiment is a vibration damping device for a blade of a rotating machine, which includes at least one housing configured to be containable in a cavity formed under a platform of the blade, and to be detachable from the blade, and an attenuation material disposed in a vibration damping space formed inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AERO ENGINES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Watanabe, Kentaro Akimoto
  • Patent number: 11555449
    Abstract: The disclosure is towards an inlet cowl for a turbine engine including a surface defining an inlet with a flow path and a method towards controlling the airflow in the flow path. The inlet cowl further includes an inlet lip and inner and outer barrels. The inlet lip confronts the inner barrel at a junction defining a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mustafa Dindar, Joseph Donofrio, Richard David Cedar, David William Crall
  • Patent number: 11499566
    Abstract: A method for forming a blade for a gas turbine engine may include forming a suction side sheath and a pressure side sheath, a first cavity and a second cavity established on opposed sides of a rib, forming a structural core configured for positioning in an interior section of the blade between the suction side sheath and the pressure side sheath, the structural core including a first core member, a second core member and a root interconnecting the first and second core members, assembling the suction side sheath and the pressure side sheath with the structural core such that the first core member is positioned in the first cavity and such that the second core member is positioned in the second cavity, and securing the suction side sheath to the pressure side sheath to form the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason Husband, James Glaspey
  • Patent number: 11396817
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade having a casted metal airfoil, the airfoil has a main wall defining at least one interior cavity, having a first side wall and a second side wall, which are coupled to each other at a leading edge and a trailing edge, extending in a radial direction from a blade root to a blade tip and defining a radial span from 0% at the blade root to 100% at the blade tip. The main airfoil has a radial span dependent chord length defined by a straight line connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge as well as a radial span dependent solidity ratio of metal area to total cross-sectional area. Solidity ratios in a machined zone of the airfoil from 80% to 85% of span are below 35%, in particular all solidity ratios in the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Daniel M. Eshak, Susanne Kamenzky, Andrew Lohaus, Daniel Vöhringer, Samuel R. Miller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11352889
    Abstract: An airfoil for a turbine engine includes an outer wall bounding an interior and defining a pressure side and a suction side, the outer wall extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a chord-wise direction, and also extending radially between a root and a tip to define a span-wise direction. At least one cooling conduit can be formed in the interior of the airfoil, and a tip rail can project from the tip in the span-wise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zachary Daniel Webster, Steven Robert Brassfield, Gregory Terrence Garay, Tingfan Pang
  • Patent number: 11313346
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing wind turbine rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade includes an inboard section and an outboard section, and wherein an inboard blade section including a root end and a transition region is manufactured using a first casting process; and an outboard blade section including an airfoil region is manufactured using a second casting process, which second casting process is different from the first casting process. The invention further describes a wind turbine rotor blade manufactured using such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Peder Bay Enevoldsen, Steffen Frydendal Poulsen
  • Patent number: 11255199
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a base, a tip, a suction side face, and a pressure side face. The pressure side face includes an outer surface, an inner surface located between the outer surface and the suction side face, and a transition surface that extends between and interconnects the outer surface and the inner surface so as to form a pocket in the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Dennes Kyle Burney, Jared J. Schneider, Matthew J. Kappes, Daniel Molnar, Justin McKendry, Daniel Stratton, Matthew Jordan
  • Patent number: 11181002
    Abstract: A turbine system including a sealing component is presented. The sealing component is positioned in a gap between adjacent turbine components of the turbine system. The sealing component includes a metallic shim including a high-temperature-resistant alloy in a single crystal form. A turbine shroud assembly including the sealing component is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neelesh Nandkumar Sarawate, Venkat Subramaniam Venkataramani, Anthony Christopher Marin, Stephen Francis Bancheri, Larry Steven Rosenzweig, Edip Sevincer
  • Patent number: 10801516
    Abstract: A field of turbomachine rotor blades, and in particular a turbomachine rotor blade including a blade root and a blade tip spaced apart by a blade height, together with at least one intermediate segment presenting a negative tangential slope, and a distal segment situated between the intermediate segment and the blade tip and presenting a positive tangential slope, wherein the distal segment extends over at most 30% of said blade height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Roger Felipe Montes Parra, Prasaad Cojande
  • Patent number: 10760585
    Abstract: A field of turbomachine rotor blades, and in particular a turbomachine rotor blade including a blade root and a blade tip spaced apart by a blade height, together with at least one intermediate segment presenting a negative tangential slope, and a distal segment situated between the intermediate segment and the blade tip and presenting a positive tangential slope, wherein the distal segment extends over at most 30% of said blade height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Roger Felipe Montes Parra, Prasaad Cojande
  • Patent number: 10738628
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component including a subcomponent, such as a band flowpath, a load bearing wall and a wall support, each comprised of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) including reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix. The CMC component further including at least one mechanical joint joining the subcomponent, the load bearing wall and the wall support to form the CMC component. The reinforcing fibers of the load bearing wall are oriented substantially normal to the reinforcing fibers of the subcomponent and the wall support. Methods are also provided for joining the subcomponent, the load bearing wall and the wall support to form a mechanical joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sara Saxton Underwood, Douglas Glenn Decesare, Michael Ray Tuertscher, Daniel Gene Dunn, Douglas Melton Carper, Brian Gregg Feie
  • Patent number: 10697303
    Abstract: An airfoiled component comprises: a root section, an airfoil section, a damper pocket enclosed within a portion of the airfoil section, and a damper. The airfoil section includes a suction sidewall and a pressure sidewall each extending chordwise between a leading edge and a trailing edge, and extending spanwise between the root section and an airfoil tip. The damper includes a fixed end unified with a damper mounting surface, and a free end extending into the damper pocket from the damper mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ken F. Blaney, Richard K. Hayford
  • Patent number: 10654011
    Abstract: A hydrofoil impeller includes a central hub connected to a shaft, and being in the form of a flat plate and being perpendicular to the central axis. The central hub has first bolt holes arranged to form a pattern, the number of groups of first bolt holes corresponding to a number of blades attached to the central hub. At least three blades extend radially outwardly from the central hub, and have a group of second bolt holes arranged in a corresponding pattern to the first bolt holes so that the group of second bolt holes can be aligned with the group of first bolt holes and bolts can be placed through the first and second bolt holes to form bolted joints. The pattern in which the first holes and second holes are arranged in each of the respective groups of holes has a form of a closed curved shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Ville Strömmer, Markus Lehtonen
  • Patent number: 10590778
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as an airfoil can include an outer wall separating a cooling fluid flow from a hot flow. A cooling circuit can be provided in the engine component including a cooling passage having at least one pin within the cooling passage with a chevron shape and a non-uniform configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Emily Rosette Clark, Weston Nolan Dooley, Kirk D. Gallier
  • Patent number: 10502180
    Abstract: Wind turbine blade having at least one longitudinal hollow element that defines an aerodynamic outer surface and an inner cavity having an inner surface. The blade also comprises at least one spar (1), disposed in the inner cavity and bonded to the inner surface by at least two bonding surfaces (13) located on bonding surfaces (2) of the spar (1). The spar (1) comprises, on at least one bonding zone (2), at least three fibre fabric layers (3) and at least one central core (4) and at least one lateral core (5) disposed between the at least three fibre fabric layers (3). This makes it possible to increase the resistance to shear stresses in the adhesive bond of the spar (1) to the inner surface of the longitudinal hollow element and decrease the required amount of adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: ACCIONA WINDPOWER, S.A.
    Inventors: Alvaro Gorostidi Martinez de Lecea, Carlos Donazar Moriones, Javier Sanz Corretge, Teresa Arlaban Gabeiras, Jose Miguel Garcia Sayes, Miguel Nunez Polo
  • Patent number: 10421120
    Abstract: A cast work piece includes a cast metal component section and a sprue section connected to the cast metal component section. The cast metal component section and a portion of the sprue section have a first grain orientation and another portion of the sprue section has a second grain orientation such that there is a microstructural discontinuity where the first grain orientation meets the second grain orientation in the sprue section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lea Dynnette Castle, Steven J. Bullied, Maria Arceo Herring
  • Patent number: 10330112
    Abstract: A lightweight fan blade for use in turbofan gas turbine engines is disclosed. The fan blade includes a metallic airfoil connected to a root. The airfoil has a pressure side and a suction side. The suction side of the airfoil includes one or more cavities for weight reduction purposes. A cover is attached to the suction side of the body to cover or enclose the one or more cavities. In addition to the one or more cavities, through holes are formed from the inner face of the root into one or more of the cavities for further weight reduction. The through holes may be covered by a spacer and one or more through holes may be extended from the inner face of the root into each of the cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Charles H. Roche
  • Patent number: 10315241
    Abstract: A method comprises: providing a spiral metallic workpiece having a cast structure associated with such spiral; and at least partially flattening the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dilip M. Shah, Alan D. Cetel, John J. Marcin, Jr., Steven J. Bullied, Carl R. Verner
  • Patent number: 10294958
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a cover for a fan blade. The cover encloses a hollowed portion formed in the fan blade and includes at least one extending portion that wraps around at least one of a trailing edge, a leading edge, and a root of the fan blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwan Hui, Michael A. Weisse
  • Patent number: 10220461
    Abstract: A method includes applying a force to elastically deform at least a portion of a superalloy turbine blade from a relaxed, initial position to an elastically deformed position. The at least a portion of the superalloy turbine blade has a curvature in the elastically deformed position not present in the relaxed, initial position. A hole is drilled generally span-wise through the at least a portion of the superalloy turbine blade in the elastically deformed position, and when the force is released, the superalloy turbine blade returns to the relaxed, initial position and the hole takes on a hole curvature within the at least a portion of the superalloy turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Frank Hoskin, Robert Aldo Del Freo, Joseph William Janssen, Joseph Leonard Moroso, Eric Alan Overholt, Matthew Ian Van Biervliet, Joseph Anthony Weber
  • Patent number: 10180074
    Abstract: A system and method for remotely monitoring the operation of a turbine includes a remote device having a power module connected to a sensor and a transmitter. The remote device is powered by the power module and connected to a system such that the remote device is self-powered. The remote device wirelessly transmits information acquired by the sensor out of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Inventors: Mehmet Arik, Kurtis Gifford McKenney, Scott Gayton Liter, Samhita Dasgupta
  • Patent number: 10161253
    Abstract: A rotating blade for use in a turbomachine is disclosed. In an embodiment, the rotating blade includes an airfoil portion having a plurality of radial cooling passages extending longitudinally therein, a root section affixed to a first end of the airfoil portion, and a tip section affixed to a second end of the airfoil portion, the second end being opposite the first end. A part span shroud is affixed to the airfoil portion between the tip section and the root section, wherein the part span shroud further comprises at least one hollow passage fluidly connected to at least one radial cooling passage of the plurality of radial cooling passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Rohit Chouhan
  • Patent number: 10047609
    Abstract: An airfoil array includes a plurality of airfoils that differ in geometry over a plurality of geometry classes. An airfoil can include an airfoil body that has a first distinct piece and a second distinct piece that seats together with the first distinct piece. The first distinct piece and the second distinct piece include a mistake-proof feature configured such that the second distinct piece fully seats with the first distinct piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas B. Hyatt, Carl Brian Klinetob
  • Patent number: 9957824
    Abstract: A stationary guide vane includes a top platform, a bottom platform, and a vane body located between the top platform and the bottom platform. The vane body includes one or more cavities formed on a side wall of the vane body. One or more of the cavities are filled with vibration damping material and a vane cover is bonded to the vane body over the one or more containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Carl Brian Klinetob, Stephen J. Lindahl, Myron L. Klein, Andrew Pope, William Richard Ganoe, Jr., Thomas D. Kasprow, Douglas J. Morgan
  • Patent number: 9938837
    Abstract: An airfoil has a body that includes leading and trailing edges that adjoin pressure and suction sides to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A cooling passage extends in a radial direction from a root to a tip. A trailing edge cooling passage interconnects the cooling passage to the trailing edge. The trailing edge cooling passage includes first and second pedestals of different sizes that are arranged in a repeating pattern with respect to pedestals of the same size and with respect to pedestals of different sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Levine, Jeffrey S. Beattie, Malcolm C. Staddon
  • Patent number: 9879697
    Abstract: A hydrofoil impeller wherein the tip edge is straight and has a right angle with a radius extending from the central axis to the tip edge. In the central hub and in each of the blades the number of holes in each group of first and second holes is at least five. The pattern in which the holes are arranged in each of the respective groups of holes is elliptical having a center and a major axis which is substantially parallel to the radius and placed at a distance therefrom. The leading edge is, in the direction of rotation, behind an imaginary radial line intersecting the central axis of the shaft and the center of the ellipse, the leading edge being at an angle of 50°±2° in relation to the radial line. The area of the blade is divided into four planar portions by three straight bends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Ville Strömmer, Markus Lehtonen, Tuomas Hirsi, Marko Latva-Kokko
  • Patent number: 9821406
    Abstract: A jointed body that has been solid-phase jointed at normal temperature and that has a non-conventional structure is presented. The jointed body is formed by solid-phase joining a first jointed member to a second jointed member, and has a junction interface between the first member and the second member. This jointed body includes an average crystal grain size in a near interface structure that constitutes a near interface area having a total width of 20 micrometers and extending at both sides of the junction interface as a center is 75-100% of an average crystal grain size in an around interface structure that constitutes around interface areas located at both outer sides of the near interface area. In the jointed body, the near interface structure after the joining is almost the same as the structure before the joining, allowing the jointed body to exert similar characteristics to the jointed members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
    Inventors: Tadashi Oshima, Hisaaki Takao, Hirofumi Ito
  • Patent number: 9731350
    Abstract: A foundry method of casting monocrystalline metal parts, the method including at least casting a molten alloy into a cavity of a mold through at least one casting channel in the mold, subjecting the alloy to heat treatment, and removing the mold, and wherein the heat treatment is performed before an end of mold removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Celine Yanxi Chan, Benoit Georges Jocelyn Marie, David Locatelli
  • Patent number: 9546554
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade for a turbine section of an engine is provided. The rotor blade includes a platform and an airfoil extending from the platform into a mainstream gas path of the turbine section. The airfoil includes a pressure side wall, a suction side wall joined to the pressure side wall at a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a tip cap extending between the suction side wall and the pressure side wall. The rotor blade further includes an internal cooling circuit having a tip cap passage configured to deliver cooling air to the tip cap and a flow accelerator positioned within the tip cap passage of the internal cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Cregg Crites, Steve Halfmann, Mark C. Morris, Ardeshir Riahi
  • Patent number: 9498823
    Abstract: A metal casting apparatus includes a feeder for providing a molten metallic material. A mold includes a sprue and a component cavity. The sprue is arranged to receive the molten metallic material from the feeder and the component cavity is arranged to receive the molten metallic material from the sprue. A starter is arranged adjacent the component cavity and is operable to induce a first grain orientation upon solidification of the molten metallic material. The sprue includes an aborter that is arranged to induce a second grain orientation upon solidification of the molten metallic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Lea Kennard Castle, Steven J. Bullied, Maria Arceo Herring
  • Patent number: 9429024
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignees: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION, RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventors: David P. Nagle, Paul Carvalho, Bruno Seminal, Stephane Grimal
  • Patent number: 9388699
    Abstract: A cooling circuit for a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion includes a trailing edge cooling circuit portion provided with a first radially outwardly directed inlet passage intermediate leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion of the bucket, extending from a platform portion of the bucket to a location adjacent a radially outer tip of the bucket, and connecting to a second radially inwardly directed passage extending from a location adjacent the radially outer tip to a location adjacent the platform portion. The second radially inwardly directed passage connects to a third trailing edge region passage, and a plurality of crossover passages connect a radially outer half of the second radially inwardly directed passage to a radially outer half of the third trailing edge region passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zhirui Dong, Xiuhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo
  • Patent number: 9133818
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising an elongate spar (6). A first plurality of skin panels (1) are attached in an upper high pressure row to the spar to form a substantial proportion of the external profile of one surface of the blade. A second plurality of skin panels (1) are attached in a lower low pressure row to the spar to form a substantial proportion of the external profile of the opposite lower surface of the blade. A plurality of the skin panels in each row are each integrally provided with a bulkhead (2) which supports the skin panel on the spar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Blade Dynamics Limited
    Inventors: Paul Trevor Hayden, Peter Anthony Broome