Vibration Damping Features Patents (Class 416/500)
  • Patent number: 8408876
    Abstract: Easy to attach and detach blades for overhead ceiling fans. A first version has a ceiling fan blade with keyhole slots that fit over flat topped fasteners on a mounting arm. Pulling the blade away from the arm locks the slots to the fasteners. A second version is similar to the first and has a decorative bottom cover having snappable tapered protrusions which attach through the keyholes and into mateable through-holes in the mounting arm connection. The third version has a protruding end portion of the blade that fits into a slot in the mounting arm where spring loaded pistons press into grooves in the protrusion end portion of the blade. Latching handles allow users to manually move the pistons. A fourth version has a slot in the blade which fits about a mateable housing in the mounting arm where opposing spring loaded pistons press into interior wall grooves in the slot of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Chien Luen Industries Co., Ltd., Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Bucher, John C. Bucher
  • Patent number: 8371816
    Abstract: A tip shroud that includes a plurality of damping fins, each damping fin including a substantially non-radially-aligned surface that is configured to make contact with a tip shroud of a neighboring rotor blade. At least one damping fin may include a leading edge damping fin and at least one damping fin may include a trailing edge damping fin. The leading edge damping fin may be configured to correspond to the trailing edge damping fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew R. Piersall, Brian D. Potter
  • Patent number: 8366391
    Abstract: Provided is a turbine blade structure that is capable of suppressing quality variations of cast products during the manufacturing of turbine blades. A turbine blade structure wherein the space inside an air foil is divided into a plurality of cavities, partitioned by rib members provided substantially perpendicular to the center line connecting a leading edge and a trailing edge, is provided with partition members that partition the inside of the cavities located in the central portion of the blade, excluding the blade leading-edge side and the blade trailing-edge side, into blade pressure side cavities and blade suction side cavities substantially along the center line, wherein blade leading-edge end portions and blade trailing-edge end portions of the partition members are inserted from one shroud surface side to the other shroud surface side along engagement grooves formed on the rib members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizo Tsukagoshi, Tomoko Hashimoto, Satoshi Hada
  • Patent number: 8360722
    Abstract: A method of validating a wind turbine including a rotor includes intentionally inducing a loading imbalance to the rotor. The method also includes measuring the loading imbalance induced to the rotor, transmitting a signal representative of the measured loading imbalance to a calibration module, and at least one of detecting an error and calibrating at least one component of the wind turbine based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Till Hoffmann, Gert Torbohm, Jignesh Gandhi, Robert Peter Slack
  • Patent number: 8356977
    Abstract: The rotary damper for controlling helicopter motions includes an outer canister with an inner paddle wheel receiving cavity which receives an inner paddle wheel with upper and lower elastomeric tubular intermediate members between the inner paddle wheel and the outer canister. The canister and inner paddle wheel form neighboring variable volume chambers in liquid communication through liquid damping conduits. A clockwise rotation of the inner paddle wheel about the center of rotation axis relative to the outer canister pumps damper liquid from a second variable volume chamber through a first liquid conduit towards a first variable volume chamber, and a counterclockwise rotation of the paddle wheel relative to the outer canister pumps the damper liquid from the first variable volume chamber through the first liquid conduit towards the second variable volume chamber with the elastomeric tubular intermediate members providing for the relative rotation and containing the damper liquid in the damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Lord Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Jones, Zachary Fuhrer
  • Patent number: 8353670
    Abstract: A balancing weight clip for balancing a rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine which includes a weight portion, and a first flange engaging portion and a second flange engaging portion extending from the weight portion. The weight portion and the first and second flange engaging portions define a flange receiving opening for receiving a flange of a disc of the rotor assembly. The first flange engaging portion is provided with a detent facing the second flange engaging portion and engageable with a mating groove provided on a face of the flange. At least one of the first and second flange engaging portions is elastically deformable so that the first and second flange engaging portions are elastically moveable away from one another to removably receive the flange in the flange receiving opening and engage the detent with the mating groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: David F. Glasspoole, Rene Paquet
  • Patent number: 8337157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blower wheel, especially a plastic blower wheel for a cylindrical rotor radial fan for the heating and air-conditioning systems of a motor vehicle. Said blower wheel comprises a plurality of blades (2), and the flow channel (3) between two blades (2) is embodied in such a way that it is convergent on the inflow side, divergent on the outflow side, and distinctively shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jörg Kilian, Peter Lucyga, Nikolaus Zipf
  • Patent number: 8336687
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a vibration control apparatus that can be installed in a small pace and can be produced at low cost, as well as a wind turbine generator equipped with the vibration control apparatus and a vibration control method. The vibration control apparatus 7 includes a first vibration system 10 of inverted-pendulum type, second vibration systems 20 of inverted-pendulum type which are provided on both sides of the first vibration system 10, a restraining unit 30 which restrains a first weight 11 of the first vibration system 10 and a second weight 21 of the second vibration system 20 and a damper which damps vibration of the first weight 11 and the second weight 21. The vibration control apparatus 7 is installed on an upper floor 8a of a plurality of floors 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Kawabata, Keisuke Sasajima, Atsushi Kubo, Hideaki Harada
  • Patent number: 8333553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compressor, particularly a high pressure compressor, of a gas turbine, particularly of a gas turbine aircraft engine, having at least one rotating blade ring on the rotor side, and having at least one guide blade ring on the stator side, wherein the, or each, guide blade ring is formed of a plurality of guide blade segments, and wherein each guide blade segment is formed of a plurality of individual blades. According to the invention, adjacent individual blades (11, 12; 12, 13; 13, 14) are permanently connected to each other within each guide blade segment (10) of at least one guide blade ring on opposing surfaces positioned radially outward, whereas the same are not connected to each other on opposing surfaces positioned radially inward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Liebl, Hans-Georg Lottprein
  • Patent number: 8322990
    Abstract: A vibration damper (28) is disclosed for use in a turbomachine, the turbomachine comprising at least one turbine rotor (19) having a plurality of radially extending blades (16, 17). Each blade has an aerofoil (22), a platform (21) and a stem (20). The vibration damper (28) has a seal-region (29) which comprises a pair of sealing surfaces (24, 25) configured for engagement with respective contact surfaces (24, 25) provided on adjacent blade platforms (21). The vibration damper (28) also has a mass-region (30) which is configured to extend radially inwardly from the seal-region (29) and to terminate at a position located between adjacent blade stems (20) (FIG. 4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: David J. Hunt, Wesley J. Pearce, Robert Elliott
  • Patent number: 8322975
    Abstract: A vibration control apparatus of a wind turbine generator that can be installed in a small space inside a tower, without a weight increase of the tower, and that can change the natural frequency thereof is provided. Included is a swinging rod extending in the vertical direction and suspended from beams provided on an upper part of the tower via a first universal joint; a flange part extending outward from the upper end outer surface of the swinging rod in the radial direction along the circumferential direction; a pendulum including a bob attached to the swinging rod and capable of moving up and down in the vertical direction; and a plurality of attenuation devices each of whose upper end is attached to the beams with a second universal joint and whose lower end is attached to the flange part with a third universal joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Kawabata, Atsushi Kubo
  • Patent number: 8313296
    Abstract: Helicopter rotating hub mounted vibration control system for a rotary wing hub having periodic vibrations while rotating at an operational rotation frequency. The vibration control system includes a housing attachable to the rotary wing hub and rotating with the hub at the operational frequency. The housing is centered about the rotary wing hub axis of rotation and has an electronics housing cavity subsystem and an adjacent rotor housing cavity subsystem. The rotor housing cavity contains a first coaxial ring motor with a first rotor and imbalance mass and a second coaxial ring motor with a second rotor and imbalance mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Lord Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Jolly, Stephen Hildebrand, Russell Altieri, Matthew Ferguson, Douglas Ivers
  • Patent number: 8297925
    Abstract: A turbine blade comprising a pressure wall and a suction wall joined together at leading and trailing edges and having a root portion and a blade tip region, the walls further define a hollow chamber and through which cooling air is directed in use from the root portion to the blade tip region only, characterized in that at least one of the walls defines at least one cooling rib that extends outwardly from the wall into the chamber and at least a portion of the rib tapers between the root portion and a blade tip region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: David W. Barrett
  • Patent number: 8297931
    Abstract: An annulus filler (101) is provided for mounting to a rotor disc (102) of a gas turbine engine and for bridging the gap between two adjacent blades attached to the rotor disc (102). The annulus filler (101) has an outer part (106) which defines an airflow surface for air being drawn through the engine, and a separate, support part (105) which is connectable to the outer part (106) and to the rotor disc (102) to support the outer part (106) on the rotor disc (102). The outer (106) and support parts (105) are configured to allow a procedure for mounting the annulus filler (101) to the rotor disc (102). In a first step the support part (105) is connected to the rotor disc (102) without the outer part (106), and in a subsequent second step the outer part (106) is connected to the support part (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Simon Read, Ewan F Thompson, Christopher S Brown
  • Patent number: 8297928
    Abstract: A blade (10) extending longitudinally from a root (11) of the blade (10) to a free end (12) of the blade (10), the blade (10) having a resonator (13) incorporated therein to reduce the drag movements (F1, F2) of the blade (10), the resonator (13) being provided with a solid and movable heavy element (30) and with resilient retaining element (20) secured to the heavy element (30) and to the blade (10). Furthermore, the resonator (13) includes guide element (40) in which the heavy element (30) is capable of oscillating (F1?, F2?) longitudinally, the guide element (40) being arranged in a longitudinal direction (D1) of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Thomas Manfredotti, Paul Cranga, Julien Guitton
  • Patent number: 8292583
    Abstract: A turbine blade is provided for a gas turbine comprising: a support structure comprising a base defining a root of the blade and a framework extending radially outwardly from the base, and an outer skin coupled to the support structure framework. The skin has a generally constant thickness along substantially the entire radial extent thereof. The framework and the skin define an airfoil of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Marra
  • Patent number: 8286348
    Abstract: A method of forming integrally bladed rotors for gas turbines is described. The method includes drilling in a workpiece material recesses defining flow passages and rotor blades, performing a coarse milling step to refine surfaces of the rotor blades, and filling the recesses between the rotor blades with a damping material, thus encasing the rotor blades in the damping material. The method further includes performing a finishing milling step to remove the damping material and the workpiece material on surfaces of the rotor blades, while maximizing a damping effect of the damping material on the rotor blades. To maximize the damping effect, the finishing milling tool moves along a path that preferentially mills one surface of a blade while the other surface is in contact with the damping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Marjan Rozic, Dariusz Nowak, Derek Waszczuk
  • Patent number: 8277185
    Abstract: A wind turbine having at least one rotor blade attached to a rotor hub is provided, wherein the wind turbine further includes at least one sensor disposed at or near the rotor blade, the sensor being adapted to detect an aerodynamic condition of the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Detlef Menke
  • Patent number: 8267662
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a turbine damper by a metal injection molding process is disclosed. The damper includes a base section and a wire section, and is formed of a nickel-base or cobalt base superalloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: D. Keith Patrick, Randall Charles Bauer, Thomas Joseph Kelly
  • Patent number: 8267652
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft including a vehicle vibration control system. The vehicle vibration control system includes a rotating hub mounted vibration control system, the rotating hub mounted vibration control system mounted to the rotating rotary wing hub with the rotating hub mounted vibration control system rotating with the rotating rotary wing hub driven to rotate about a rotating hub center Z axis by a gear box transmission. The vehicle vibration control system includes a rotary wing aircraft member sensor for outputting rotary wing aircraft member data correlating to the relative rotation of the rotating rotary wing hub member rotating about the rotating hub center Z axis relative to the nonrotating body, a first nonrotating body vibration sensor outputting first nonrotating body vibration sensor data correlating to vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Lord Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Jolly, Paul Black
  • Patent number: 8262353
    Abstract: A rotor decoupler system for a gas turbine engine is disclosed, comprising a load reduction system disposed between a bearing system and the bearing support. The load reduction system comprises a fuse and a damper such that the damper transfers at least a part of the radial load from the rotor to the bearing support when a fuse fails. In one exemplary embodiment the damper comprises a wire mesh, disposed around the outer race of the bearing. In another exemplary embodiment the damper comprises a rope damper assembly. In yet another exemplary embodiment, a load reduction system is disposed between a support structure and a frame, comprising an extensional fuse and a damper disposed between the support structure and the frame such that the damper transfers at least a part of the unbalance load to the frame when an extensional fuse fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Albert Frank Storace
  • Patent number: 8262363
    Abstract: A blade for a wind turbine includes a body adapted for movement in response to wind flow past the blade body. The body has an inner surface defining an interior chamber and an opposite outer surface. At least one damping element extends from the inner surface of the body. The at least one damping element is configured to facilitate reducing an amount of noise generated by and propagating through the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Gerber, Nicholas K. Althoff, Benoit Petitjean
  • Patent number: 8251661
    Abstract: The invention relates to a blower wheel, especially a plastic blower wheel for a cylindrical rotor radial fan for the heating and air-conditioning systems of a motor vehicle. Said blower wheel comprises a plurality of blades (2), and the flow channel (3) between two blades (2) is embodied in such a way that it is convergent on the inflow side, divergent on the outflow side, and distinctively shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jörg Kilian, Peter Lucyga, Nikolaus Zipf
  • Patent number: 8246292
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is utilized in combination with a gear reduction to reduce the speed of a fan relative to a low pressure turbine speed. The gas turbine engine is designed such that a blade count in the low pressure turbine multiplied by the speed of the low pressure turbine will result in operational noise that is above a sensitive range for human hearing. A method and turbine module are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignees: United Technologies Corporation, MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Bruce L. Morin, Detlef Korte
  • Patent number: 8246305
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for balancing a gas turbine engine rotor includes a plurality of balancing weights adapted to be selectively attached to at least one of inlets or outlets of a cooling passage of the rotor. The weights include cooling access which permits coolant to communicate with the cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Lecuyer, Bruno Chatelois, Franco Di Paola
  • Publication number: 20120198858
    Abstract: A ring element for a turbomachine, in particular for an aircraft gas turbine, is disclosed. The ring element has a ring element main body that has two adjacently arranged ring ends, the ring ends being connected to one another in a form-locking manner with respect to an axial plane. Also disclosed is a turbomachine having at least one such ring element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes RABE, Franz-Dieter SCHMIDT, Wilfried SCHUETTE
  • Patent number: 8231352
    Abstract: A vibration damper assembly for damping non-synchronous vibration between adjacent, spaced apart components comprises a vibration damper located in both of a pair of generally confronting passages in each of the components. The assembly comprises at least two spaced apart articulation surfaces for contact between damper and component, each of the articulation surfaces is arcuate in a first direction and is characterized by having a substantially linear portion in an orthogonal and second direction. Thereby the contact area is greatly enlarged and material loss minimized. The cross-sectional shape of the damper or passage is non-circular and there is a clearance between the damper and passage sufficiently small to prevent rotation of the damper in the passage during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: David J. Hunt, Wesley J. Pearce, Robert Elliott
  • Patent number: 8231333
    Abstract: A fan unit has a fan (10). Associated with the fan is an air-guiding tube (22) through which the fan (10) transports air, during operation. The air-guiding tube (22) is connected to at least one carrier tube (23) for suspension of the fan (10). The fan includes a carrier part (25). A damping member (30) is arranged between the carrier part (25) and the carrier tube (23) to reduce any structure-borne sound which occurs during operation of the fan (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: EBM-Papst St. Georgen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Peter Ragg
  • Patent number: 8225506
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component, the method including the steps of: providing a component having a first portion, which first portion defines a cavity, characterized by; identifying a first frequency response of the first portion and/or the entire component, and introducing material into the cavity to achieve an adjusted frequency response of the first portion and hence a desired frequency response of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Nigel J.D. Chivers, Keith C. Goldfinch
  • Patent number: 8206087
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement for use in a turbine engine having ceramic components. The sealing arrangement is retained in a seal gap formed between adjacent segments and is compliant to accommodate variations in the size of the seal gap as the adjacent segments move relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian X. Campbell, Gary B. Merrill
  • Patent number: 8192162
    Abstract: This invention provides convenient airframe vibration and tracking improvements of a helicopter rotor blade by use of an elastomer profile system that is attached through an adhesive system that allows convenient removal and relocation for use by the helicopter manufacturer or by the helicopter operator in a field environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Inventors: Robert T. Loftus, Michael J. McNulty
  • Patent number: 8172510
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a radial compressor having first and second blades. The first blade has a tuned leading edge that prevents either blade from exciting at a natural frequency at speeds within an expected operating speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Loc Q. Duong, Shiv C. Gupta, Xiaolan Hu
  • Patent number: 8172511
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a radial compressor with first and second blades. The first and second blades have tuned leading edges that prevent natural frequencies from exciting at speeds within an expected operating speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sunstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Loc Q. Duong, Shiv C. Gupta, Xiaolan Hu
  • Patent number: 8172541
    Abstract: An airfoil component and method for producing the component. The component has root and airfoil portions, the latter having an airfoil tip and oppositely-disposed concave and convex surfaces that converge at leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion. The airfoil portion has at least one stiffener between first and second walls thereof that define the concave and convex surfaces, respectively. The stiffener defines multiple internal cavities within the airfoil portion that extend in the span-wise direction of the airfoil portion. A polymeric material fills at least one of the internal cavities and is bonded to the airfoil portion only at an extremity of the internal cavity nearer the root portion, and not to the stiffener or to the first and second walls of the airfoil portion, to define an internal damping member that provides a vibratory damping effect to the airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Ralph Cairo
  • Patent number: 8167563
    Abstract: A blade arrangement, with a rotor and a plurality of blades which are arranged on the periphery of the rotor in a ring, and a plurality of damping elements are provided. Between two directly adjacent blades at least two damping elements are arranged in series in the circumferential direction of the rotor. As a result of a centrifugal force, which acts in the radial direction, during a rotation of the rotor around a rotor axis adjacent damping elements come into contact with each other, and one of the two damping elements comes into contact with one of the two blades and the other of the two damping elements comes into contact with the other of the two blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andreas Kayser
  • Patent number: 8167556
    Abstract: A method of damping tower oscillation in a wind turbine is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a rotor rotational speed of the wind turbine and controlling the rotor rotational speed such that a critical rotor speed is avoided, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: selecting at least one input parameter value; selecting, according to the input parameter value, an operation mode for controlling the rotor rotational speed, wherein the operation mode is selected from a set of modes comprising a mode of auto tune operation; on the condition of the selected operation mode comprising the mode of auto tune operation, performing the following steps: detecting the tower oscillation frequency; calculating the critical rotor speed based on the detected tower oscillation frequency and controlling the rotor rotational speed to avoid the calculated critical rotor speed. An apparatus and a computer program product are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Bjerge, Per Egedal
  • Patent number: 8167540
    Abstract: A system for reducing compressor noise includes a rotor having a plurality of blades. The blades have a nominal geometry characterized by a blade parameter. At least some of the blades are mistuned, such that they differ from the nominal geometry by greater than a manufacturing tolerance in the blade parameter. The blades produce shock waves at a blade passing frequency, and the mistuned blades shift acoustic energy away from the blade passing frequency to multiple lower amplitude tones at other frequencies. The system is configurable to be deployed with an inlet silencer that preferentially absorbs acoustic energy at some of the shifted frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Hans Schlinker, James C. Napier, David R. Polak, Ray-Sing Lin, Scott A. Liljenberg, Anthony C. Jones
  • Patent number: 8162606
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft including a vehicle vibration control system. The vehicle vibration control system includes a rotating hub mounted vibration control system, the rotating hub mounted vibration control system mounted to the rotating rotary wing hub with the rotating hub mounted vibration control system rotating with the rotating rotary wing hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Lord Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Jolly, Andrew D. Meyers, Daniel Mellinger, Douglas E. Ivers, Askari Badre-Alam, Douglas A. Swanson, Russell E. Altieri
  • Patent number: 8147197
    Abstract: A turbine blade assembly is provided. The turbine blade assembly comprises a turbine blade comprising a cavity, and a blade platform supporting the turbine blade, the cavity extending into the blade platform. The blade platform comprises an upper surface adjacent the turbine blade and a lower surface comprising a first rib, the cavity extending into the first rib, the first rib coupled to the lower surface, tapering as it extends away from the turbine blade, and comprising a first port extending from the cavity to the upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark C. Morris, Jason Smoke, Jeff Howe, Bob Mitlin
  • Patent number: 8141813
    Abstract: A helicopter having a rotor, a fuselage, and a transmission connected functionally to the rotor; the helicopter has a supporting body supporting at least the transmission, and connecting means having a first connecting member and at least one second connecting member connected to the supporting body and the fuselage respectively; and the connecting means have elastic means interposed between the first and second connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Agusta S.p.A.
    Inventors: Santino Pancotti, Dante Ballerio, Attilio Colombo
  • Patent number: 8142137
    Abstract: A gas turbine vane to improve vane performance by addressing known failure mechanisms. A cooling circuit to the trailing edge of a vane airfoil is fed from the outer diameter platform, which prevents failure due to an oxidized and eroded airfoil trailing edge. The gas turbine includes an outer diameter platform, a hollow airfoil and an inner diameter platform with a plurality of cooling tubes extending radially through the airfoil. The cooling tubes are open at the outer diameter end and closed with covers at the inner diameter end. The inner diameter platform is also cooled and includes a meterplate for a portion of the cooling passageway and includes an undercut to improve thermal deflections of the inner diameter platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Chris Johnston, Gary Bash, Tim teRiele, David Parker, James Page Strohl
  • Patent number: 8142155
    Abstract: Provided are a wind turbine generator and a method for constructing a wind turbine generator that allow for alleviation of construction costs, particularly for large wind turbine generators, and alleviation of limitations on construction due to weather. Provided are a rotor head that has a plurality of wind turbine rotor blades and that is rotated by wind power received by the plurality of wind turbine rotor blades, a front segment disposed on top of a tower and constituting a nacelle to which the rotor head is attached, a rear segment attached to the front segment and constituting the nacelle, a front frame disposed in the front segment and positioned between the rotor head and the tower so as to support a load on the rotor head, a rear frame disposed in the rear segment and attached to the front frame, a front cover covering the periphery of the front segment, and a rear cover covering the periphery of the rear segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Numajiri, Hisao Miyake, Masaaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 8137071
    Abstract: A turbomachine vane damper constructed so as to be housed between the lower face of the platforms of two adjacent turbomachine vanes and the rim of the rotor disk on which the vanes are mounted is disclosed. The damper includes a weight, a bearing plate and a spring. The spring connects the weight to the bearing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Mathieu Caucheteux, Goran Durdevic, Eric Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 8137072
    Abstract: A turbine blade is disclosed. The turbine blade may have an airfoil extending from a first surface of a turbine platform. The turbine blade may further have a first side pocket of the turbine platform that is configured to substantially entirely house a first moveable seal between a forward wall of the first side pocket and an aft wall of the first side pocket. The first side pocket may have a convex surface, extending between the forward wall and the aft wall, and a concave surface. The turbine blade may also have a second side pocket of the turbine platform configured to receive a portion of a second moveable seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: Hyun Dong Kim, Marius Dumitrascu, Michael Eugene Greenspan, Yungmo Kang, Yong Weon Kim
  • Patent number: 8133008
    Abstract: An axial flow fluid apparatus axially provided with a plurality of blade rows having a plurality of blades arranged around a shaft is provided. A fluid passage for jetting a fluid to a downstream velocity defect region resulting from a blade is formed in at least one of blades constituting a blade row installed on the upstream side of the plurality of blade rows so as to lead from a positive pressure surface to a negative pressure surface or a trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8128373
    Abstract: A turbine rotor with a rotor disc, a plurality of slots arranged on the rotor disc, a plurality of blades having blade roots and arranged in the slots, and a plurality of locking plates fitted in a position between the rotor disc and the blades are provided. The first gaps on radially outside edges and second gaps on radially inside edges, relative to an axis of rotation of the rotor disc, are formed between neighboring locking plates. At least one of the first gaps is smaller than the corresponding second gap, wherein at least one first gap and corresponding second gaps are intentionally introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rene James Webb
  • Patent number: 8123478
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a condition of a rotor blade of a wind turbine is provided. The method includes transmitting, from a sensor to a controller, at least one monitoring signal indicative of a vibration of the rotor blade. The condition of the rotor blade is calculated by the controller based on the monitoring signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Udo Ahmann
  • Patent number: 8123483
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement to rotorcraft rotors (1) fitted with inter-blade drag dampers (15) such that for each blade (4), the two joints (16) connecting said blade (4) to two inter-blade drag dampers (15) are disposed on either side of the pitch variation axis (101) of said blade, at least one of the two joints (16) being offset to above the plane P containing the pitch variation axis (101) and the vertical flapping axis (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Frédéric Beroul
  • Patent number: 8118540
    Abstract: A split ring for mounting with elastic prestress in an annular groove of a rotary part of a turbomachine and having, in the free state, a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the groove, is remarkable in that, in the free state and without stress, the end portions of the ring are circular arcs having a radius of curvature that is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Yvon Cloarec
  • Patent number: 8105039
    Abstract: A turbine disk includes a rotor and a plurality of turbine blades, each comprising a root at a proximal end secured to the rotor and a tip having a shroud at a distal end. The shroud includes a inner diameter surface, an outer diameter surface and a segmented sidewall surface separating the inner and outer diameter surfaces. The shrouds of adjacent turbine blades are separated by a tip shroud damper, and which includes a retention rail that cooperates with the outer diameter surface to maintain a positional relationship of the damper, a inner flange that engages the segmented sidewall surface, and a web that separates the retention rail and the inner flange. The tip shroud damper reduces the vibratory responses of modes involving axial and radial shroud motion to prevent high cycle fatigue (HCT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Yehia M. El-Aini, Stuart K. Montgomery