General Electric Patent Grants

Method to operate a windfarm

Granted: October 3, 2023
Patent Number: 11777316
A method of operating a windfarm connected to an electric grid via a point of injection for injecting power from the windfarm to the electric grid, the windfarm including at least two generating units and a windfarm controller, the method comprising: measuring 302 voltage and/or frequency characteristics of an electrical signal of the electric grid at the point of injection, communicating 304 to at least two generating units of the at least two generating units of the windfarm at least…

Generator stiffener ring

Granted: October 3, 2023
Patent Number: 11777371
The present disclosure relates to electrical machines comprising a rotor (13), a stator (12) and a radial air gap (39) between the rotor (13) and the stator (12), wherein one of the rotor and stator comprises an endplate driven on one side of the electrical machine, a central support (32) radially surrounding the other of the rotor (13) and stator (12), and a stiffener ring (33) on an opposite side of the electrical machine. The stiffener ring comprises an outer ring (34) connected to…

Fault tolerant AC-DC chain-link converter

Granted: October 3, 2023
Patent Number: 11777401
A converter including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal configured for connection to a first network, the second terminal configured for connection to a second network; at least one switching module arranged to interconnect the first terminal and the second terminal, the switching module including at least one module switching element and at least one energy storage device, the module switching element and the energy storage device arranged to be combinable to…

Interface for two-part wearable patient monitoring device

Granted: October 3, 2023
Patent Number: 11771319
A two part patient monitoring device includes an activator module and a sensor device. The activator module includes a non-galvanic data port that creates a communication path with a non-galvanic data port on the sensor device. The activator module includes power contact pads that are each at least partially surrounded by a bias ring. A bias voltage is applied to the bias rings and a processor or circuit in the activator module monitors the voltage on the bias ring to detect a leakage…

Object direction mechanism for turbofan engine

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767790
A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; a nacelle surrounding and at least partially enclosing the fan; an inlet pre-swirl feature located upstream of the plurality of fan blades, the inlet pre-swirl…

Frequency-based communication system and method

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11770816
A communication system includes multiple nodes of a time-sensitive network and a scheduler device. At least one of the nodes is configured to obtain a first signal that is represented in a frequency domain by multiple frequency components. The scheduler device generates a schedule for transmission of signals including the first signal within the time-sensitive network. The schedule defines multiple slots assigned to different discrete frequency sub-bands within a frequency band. The…

Fault handling

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11770005
This application relates to methods and apparatus for handling a fault associated with a voltage source converter (VSC) for exchanging electrical power between an AC system (101, 102) and a DC system (106-1, 106-2). The VSC (104) is connected to the AC system via an interface apparatus, comprising a transformer (107) with a set of primary windings (202) for coupling to a plurality of AC phases (A, B, C) of the AC system. In embodiments of the disclosure the set of primary windings having…

Cartridge tip for turbomachine combustor

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767978
A cartridge tip includes a main body having an outer annular wall and an inner core each extending between a respective upstream end and a respective downstream end. The inner core is radially spaced apart from the outer annular wall such that an annular air passage is defined at least partially between the outer annular wall and the inner core. A pilot fuel circuit extends between a pilot inlet defined in the upstream end of the inner core and a pilot outlet defined in a downstream end…

System and method for responding to a friction coefficient signal of a wind turbine

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767821
The present disclosure is directed to a method for responding to a friction coefficient signal of a pitch bearing of a pitch drive mechanism of a wind turbine and/or for controlling the pitch drive mechanism(s) and/or a bank of ultracapacitors. The method and system include: accessing high-frequency measurement data of the at least one pitch bearing; estimating, via a torque balance model implemented by a controller, a frictional torque of the at least one pitch bearing based, at least…

Spacer material, for reducing a bond gap between a beam structure and a blade shell of a segmented rotor blade

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767819
A rotor blade for a wind turbine including first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and internal support structures coupled to an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first and second blade segments. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end…

Fuel heater and energy conversion system

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767793
A system for energy conversion that includes a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device, a turbine, and a load device. The fuel circuit is in fluid communication with a fuel tank and a fuel flow control device that separates a flow of fuel into a first portion and a second portion. The combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer and the second portion of fuel to generate combustion gases. The turbine receives the combustion gases from the combustion device via a fluid…

Turbomachine airfoil having impingement cooling passages

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767766
An airfoil includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip. The airfoil further includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall that extend between the leading edge, the trailing edge, the base, and the tip. The airfoil further includes a plurality of passages that are defined within the airfoil and extend from an inlet at one of the base or the tip. Each passage of the plurality of passages is defined at least partially by a primary impingement wall and a solid side…

Glass viscous damper

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767765
Rotor blades, vibrational dampening elements, and methods are provided. A rotor blade includes a platform, a shank extending radially inward from the platform, and an airfoil extending radially outward from the platform. One or more fluid chambers are defined within the rotor blade. Glass is disposed within each fluid chamber of the one or more fluid chambers. A mass is disposed within each fluid chamber of the one or more fluid chambers. The mass is movable within the glass relative to…

Concentric metal and cementitious wind turbine tower structure and method of manufacturing same

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767681
A tower structure of a wind turbine includes a plurality of tower sections stacked atop each other in an end-to-end configuration along a vertical axis to form the tower structure of the wind turbine at a wind turbine site. Each of the tower sections is formed of at least one first tubular portion and at least one second tubular portion. Further, the first and second tubular portions of each of the plurality of tower sections are concentric with each other. Moreover, the first tubular…

Method of depositing a metal layer on a component

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767607
A method for depositing a metal layer on a component is provided. The method includes applying an electrically conductive coating composition including a resin and metal particles on a coating region of the component; at least partially curing the resin forming an electrically conductive coating; and depositing, via an electrodeposition process, a metal layer on the electrically conductive coating.

Protective mask by two material additive manufacturing, and related method

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11767570
A protective mask for a part, the part including a plurality of openings in a surface thereof, is provided. The protective mask includes a mounting member at least partially within each of at least two of the plurality of openings. Each mounting member includes a water soluble material. A masking member couples the at least two mounting members. The masking member includes a non-water soluble material. Each mounting member includes a first plurality of integral layers of the water…

Method for the hybrid construction of multi-piece parts

Granted: September 26, 2023
Patent Number: 11766722
A multi-piece part includes multiple pieces fabricated via different types of fabrication processes, wherein the multiple parts are configured to be coupled to one another to form the assembly. At least one of the multiple parts is fabricated via an additive manufacturing method. The multi-piece part also includes a holder assembly that couples and holds together the multiple pieces of the multi-piece part, wherein the holder assembly comprises a reversible, mechanical-type coupling.

Turbulence intensity estimation

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11761425
A method to operate a wind turbine is provided, the method including determining a correction model associated with the wind turbine, determining a corrected turbulence intensity parameter associated with the wind turbine based on the correction model, and operating the wind turbine based on the corrected turbulence intensity parameter.

Contactless power transfer system and method for controlling the same

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11764609
A contactless power transfer system is provided. The contactless power transfer system includes a first power exchanger coil configured to exchange power. The contactless power transfer system also includes a first power converter operatively coupled to the first power exchanger coil and configured to convert a direct current power to an alternating current power at a system frequency. The contactless power transfer system further includes a controller configured to control an operating…

Superconducting generator driven by a wind turbine

Granted: September 19, 2023
Patent Number: 11764644
A superconducting generator includes an annular armature connectable to rotate with a rotating component of a wind turbine. A stationary annular field winding is coaxial to the armature and separated by a gap from the armature. The field winding includes superconducting coils, and there is a non-rotating support for the field winding. The non-rotating support is a torque tube. The torque tube is a member formed of a composite material, or a member formed of a plurality of segmented…