General Electric Company

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Ian David Wilson

Gene David Palmer

Kenneth Damon Black

Henry Grady Ballard, Jr

Robert Randolph Berry

Stephen Christopher Chieco

Christopher Paul Cox

Martin C Hemsworth

Bradley James Miller

Martel Alexander McCallum

Josef Scott Cummins

Philip Michael Caruso

Ronald Richard Wesorick

Christopher Charles Glynn

Daniel Jason Erno

Fulton Jose Lopez

Gary Charles Liotta

Samir Armando Salamah

Brian Denver Potter

Andres Jose Garcia-Crespo

Kevin Wayne Kinzie

Robert Michael Zirin

Peggy Lynn Baehmann

Bradley Taylor Boyer

John Wesley Harris, Jr

James Henry Madge

Thomas Raymond Farrell

Edward Lee McGrath

Kevin Joseph Barb

Sacheverel Quentin Eldrid

Albert Myers

George Frederick Frey

Jay F Leonard

John R Hess

Eric David Roush

Raed Zuhair Hasan

Diether E Carreno

Alan Richard DeMania

Susan Marie Hyde

Michael Colan Moscinski

Mark W Flanagan

Ming Cheng Li

Thomas Charles Mashey

Dmytro Floriyovych Opaits

Andrew Ray Kneeland

Boobalan Ayyasamy

Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, Jr

Zaeem Ashraf Khan

Raymond Henry Goetze

Noel Jacob Bylina

Robert Craig Akin

Christopher Sean Bowes

Eric Scicchitano

Thomas Daniel DeStefano

Bradley Scott Carter

Azad A Ladhani

Lisa Shirley Rathbun

Kenneth David Black

Jason Daniel Erno

Edward Lee Mcgrath

Dmytro Floriyovych Opatis

A modular gearbox assembly for a wind turbine having improved up-tower serviceability includes a low-speed gear stage module, a separate, intermediate-speed gear stage module adjacent to the low-speed gear stage module, and a separate high-speed gear stage module adjacent to the intermediate-speed gear stage module. The gearbox assembly also includes a first flange removably connecting the intermediate and high-speed gear stage modules and a second flange removably connecting the intermediate and low-speed gear stage modules. Thus, the low-speed gear stage module converts a low-speed, high torque input from a rotor shaft of the wind turbine to a high-speed, low torque output for a generator of the wind turbine via the intermediate and high-speed gear stage modules. In addition, the first and second flanges allow for easy disassembly of the gear stage modules such that the various stages can be easily repaired, replaced, and/or inspected.

Modular gearbox for wind turbine

A drivetrain assembly for a wind turbine includes a main shaft, a bearing operatively coupled to an end of the main shaft, a bearing housing surrounding the bearing, and a gearbox having, at least, a ring gear. The ring gear is positioned adjacent to the bearing housing and includes an outer circumferential surface. The drivetrain assembly also includes at least one flexible member arranged at an interface between the bearing housing and the ring gear. As such, the flexible member(s) is configured to reduce vibrations generated by the gearbox.

Drivetrain assembly for a wind turbine

A drive train of a wind turbine is disclosed as having a rotatable hub, a gearbox, a rotatable rotor shaft extending between the rotatable hub and the gearbox, and a main bearing assembly supporting the rotatable rotor shaft, the main bearing assembly having a main bearing housing enclosing one or more compound bearings, each of the one or more compound bearings having at least two axial thrust bearings and a radial bearing.

Compound main bearing arrangement for a wind turbine

The present disclosure is directed to a drivetrain assembly for a wind turbine. The drivetrain assembly includes a gearbox having a ring gear, an annular torque support, and at least one flexible component configured therebetween. More specifically, the ring gear includes opposing inner and outer circumferential surfaces separated by side circumferential edges. The side circumferential edges include a rotor-side edge and a generator-side edge. The rotor-side edge has a first set of circumferentially-spaced teeth. The torque support has a generator-side surface having a second set of circumferentially-spaced teeth. Thus, the first set of teeth of the ring gear are configured to engage the second set of teeth of the torque support so as to couple the ring gear to the torque support. In addition, the flexible component is configured between the first and second sets of teeth so as to control vibrations in the wind turbine, e.g. transmission of gearbox-generated vibrations. Thus, location of the flexible components allows for improved bedplate stiffness of the wind turbine.

An aerodynamic hub assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The hub assembly may include a hub extension, a rotor blade having a blade root and a blade tip, and a hub airfoil section mounted at least partially over the hub extension. The hub airfoil section may be fixed relative to the rotor blade or may be configured to rotate about a common pitch axis with the rotor blade. The hub extension may be connected to and extend radially from a center of the hub assembly. Further, the hub assembly may include a pitch bearing having an inner race and an outer race, wherein the pitch bearing may be coupled between the hub extension and the blade root. Additionally, the hub assembly may also include an aerodynamically-shaped spinner, wherein the spinner may house at least a portion of a root structure extending radially from the center of the hub assembly.

Aerodynamic hub assembly for a wind turbine

An aerodynamic dome structure that is placed in front of a wind turbine hub includes a plurality of arcuate panels. The arcuate panels are interconnected to form a dome-shaped structure. A plurality of arcuate radial spar supports may be employed to support the arcuate panels.

Wind turbine dome and method of assembly

An apparatus for restricting fluid flow in a turbo-machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first inter-stage sealing member configured to be located between a first rotating airfoil stage and a second rotating airfoil stage attached to a rotor shaft, the first inter-stage sealing member including a segmented structure that includes a plurality of segments forming a circumferential surface, the first inter-stage sealing member including: a first base portion including a securing mechanism configured to at least substantially radially and tangentially secure the inter-stage sealing member to an inter-stage support structure; a first axial retention mechanism; and a first axially extending sealing portion configured to be outwardly radially loaded against at least one of the first rotating airfoil stage and the second rotating airfoil stage.

Apparatus and system for sealing a turbine rotor

A casing includes an inner shell and an outer shell that surrounds the inner shell and comprises a plurality of inflection points. An annular flange is between the inner shell and the outer shell, and a plurality of joints attach the inner shell to the annular flange. A connector is between the annular flange and the outer shell at each of the plurality of inflection points. A method for assembling a casing includes joining a plurality of curved sections to one another to generally define an arcuate inner shell and surrounding the arcuate inner shell with an outer shell. The method further includes attaching the arcuate inner shell to an annular flange at first attachment points and connecting the annular flange to the outer shell at second attachment points spaced approximately equidistantly from the first attachment points.

Turbine casing

Apparatus and method for aligning a turbine casing

In accordance with one embodiment, a system includes a multi-stage turbine including a first turbine stage including a first wheel having multiple first slots spaced circumferentially about the first wheel, and multiple first blade segments each coupled to at least one of the multiple first slots. The multi-stage turbine also includes a second turbine stage including a second wheel having multiple second slots spaced circumferentially about the second wheel, and multiple second blade segments each coupled to at least one of the multiple second slots. The multi-stage turbine further includes a one-piece interstage seal extending axially between the first and second turbine stages, wherein the one-piece interstage seal comprises a first radial support coupled to the first wheel and a second radial support coupled to the second wheel, and the one-piece interstage seal extends circumferentially across at least two of the multiple first slots or at least two of the multiple second slots.

Turbine seal system

A gas turbine inner flow path cover piece for a gas turbine a first turbine wheel and a second turbine wheel is provided is provided. The gas turbine inner flow path cover piece can include a main body having an first surface and a second surface, side pieces disposed on the first surface of the main body and mating pairs disposed on the second surface of the main body.

Gas turbine inner flowpath coverpiece

A system is disclosed that includes a turbine engine having a first rotary component having a first annular coupling disposed about a rotational axis of the engine. The first annular coupling has an axially converging surface relative to the rotational axis. The system also includes a second rotary component having a second annular coupling disposed about the rotational axis of the turbine engine, wherein the second annular coupling comprises an axially diverging surface such that the axially converging surface of the first annular coupling mates with the axially diverging surface.

Coupling for rotary components

A retaining system is provided for circumferential entry rotor dovetails inserted into dovetail slot in a rotor. A plurality of rotor blade dovetails are circumferentially slidable into and along the dovetail slot, with each rotor blade dovetail having a neck and a pair of oppositely oriented lobes. A plurality of rail segments are circumferentially slid into channels in the dovetail slot between the dovetail lobes and the respective disk hoops. The rail segments define a first pressure face that engages against an outward pressure face of the dovetail lobes, and a second pressure face that engages against an inward pressure face of the respective disk hoop component.

Low stress circumferential dovetail attachment for rotor blades

In one embodiment, a catenary seal structure may be mechanically supported only by two adjacent rotor wheels to isolate a volume between the two adjacent rotor wheels. The catenary seal structure may be annularly disposed about the rotational axis of the adjacent rotor wheels.

Catenary turbine seal systems

A method for sealing a gas turbine engine includes coupling a turbine bucket to a rotor wheel and forming an interface region therebetween. A cooling air passage is defined in a portion of the rotor wheel and a cooling air manifold is defined in a portion of the turbine bucket. The method also includes inserting a seal tube within at least a portion of the cooling air passage. The method further includes coupling the cooling air passage, the seal tube, and the cooling air manifold in flow communication to at least partially define a turbine bucket cooling system. The method also includes operating the gas turbine engine such that the rotor wheel and the turbine bucket are rotated, thereby inducing a pressure on the seal tube to substantially decrease air flow discharged from the turbine bucket cooling system through the interface region.

Method and apparatus for turbine engines

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Ian David Wilson