Patents Examined by Gerald Sung
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Patent number: 8544256Abstract: One embodiment of a heat exchange system is disclosed having a heat exchange compressor and multiple evaporators capable of operating at different heat transfer requirements. The heat exchange compressor may be a single-stage or multi-stage compressor. In one form the evaporators return working fluid in separate streams to the heat exchange compressor. The heat exchange compressor may be integrated with a gas turbine engine and includes a number of inlets that correspond to a number of separate evaporators. Each inlet can be configured to receive working fluid at different locations within a pressure and velocity flow field created in the compressor. The heat exchange compressor may be driven by a shaft of the gas turbine engine and may be positioned at a variety of locations.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2008Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Rolls-Royce CorporationInventor: Larry Allen Junod
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Patent number: 8528336Abstract: The present application provides a fuel nozzle spring support system. The fuel nozzle spring support system may include a fuel nozzle, a cap assembly, and a spring support positioned between the fuel nozzle and the cap assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2009Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David Cihlar, Christopher Paul Keener
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Patent number: 8528344Abstract: A bleed structure for a bleed passage in a gas turbine engine includes a first wall portion defining a first side of an opening for the passage, and a second wall portion defining a second side, opposite the first side of the opening. The first and second wall portions end at different positions in an extension direction of the opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Volvo Aero CorporationInventors: Hans Mårtensson, Martin Nilsson
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Patent number: 8511090Abstract: Nozzle exit configurations and associated systems and methods are disclosed. An aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment includes a jet engine exhaust nozzle having an internal flow surface and an exit aperture, with the exit aperture having a perimeter that includes multiple projections extending in an aft direction. Aft portions of individual neighboring projections are spaced apart from each other by a gap, and a geometric feature of the multiple can change in a monotonic manner along at least a portion of the perimeter.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2011Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: Vinod G. Mengle
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Patent number: 8490400Abstract: A combustor assembly in a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor assembly may comprise a combustor device coupled to a main casing, a transition duct and a flow conditioner. The combustor device may comprise a liner having inlet and outlet portions and a burner assembly positioned adjacent to the liner inlet. The transition duct may comprise a conduit having inlet and outlet sections. The inlet section may be associated with the liner outlet portion. The flow conditioner may be associated with the main casing and the transition duct conduit for supporting the conduit inlet section.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2008Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.Inventors: Michael H. Koenig, William R. Ryan
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Patent number: 8484981Abstract: A gas turbine engine that includes a compressor, a combustion stage, a turbine assembly, a fuel gas feed system for supplying fuel gas to a combustion stage of the gas turbine, an integrated fuel gas characterization system, and a buffer tank is disclosed. The integrated fuel gas characterization system may determine the heating value of the fuel and adjust either the airflow to the compressor or the fuel gas flow to the combustor to maintain a design fuel-to-air ratio.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2008Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.Inventor: Pratyush Nag
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Patent number: 8484982Abstract: A bleed structure for a bleed passage in a gas turbine engine includes a first wall portion defining a first side of an opening for the passage, and a second wall portion defining a second side, opposite the first side of the opening. The first and second wall portions end at different positions in an extension direction of the opening.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Volvo Aero CorporationInventors: Hans Mårtensson, Martin Nilsson
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Patent number: 8484975Abstract: A power plant is provided which includes a gas turbine having a compressor for producing compressed air and a combustor for combusting the compressed air with a combustible fuel to produce a heated combustion gas. The power plant also includes a heat recovery steam generator for generating a flow of steam from an exhaust of the gas turbine and a steam turbine for expanding the flow of steam from the heat recovery steam generator. The steam turbine has a rotor having a rotor bore disposed axially therein. The power plant also includes a conduit for directing at least a portion of the compressed air or at least a portion of the heated combustion gas from the gas turbine to the rotor bore of the steam turbine, wherein the compressed air or the heated combustion gas may warm the rotor bore of the steam turbine.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2008Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James West, Sam Draper
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Patent number: 8479490Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided, and includes an inner liner; an outer liner circumscribing the inner liner and forming a combustion chamber with the inner liner; a fuel igniter comprising a tip portion configured to ignite an air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber; and an igniter tube positioning the fuel igniter relative to the combustion chamber, the igniter tube having a plurality of channels configured to direct cooling air toward the tip portion of the fuel igniter.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Frank J. Zupanc, Paul R. Yankowich
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Patent number: 8474270Abstract: A method of assembling an ejector is provided, wherein the method includes providing a motive nozzle tip having a centerline axis and including a nozzle tip edge having at least one protrusion extending through a plane substantially normal to the centerline axis. The method also includes coupling the motive nozzle tip to the ejector.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2012Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Carl Gerard Schott, Kevin W. Kinzie, John Joseph Lynch, David W. Ball, Gunnar Leif Siden, Kenneth Neil Whaling
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Patent number: 8474241Abstract: A gas turbine engine system includes a gas turbine engine using vaporized liquefied gas as fuel. The gas turbine engine is configured to ingest intake air from an intake port and direct exhaust gases to an exhaust port. The gas turbine engine system also includes a heat exchanger with a heat transfer fluid therein. The heat exchanger is configured to create at least a part of the fuel by heating the liquefied gas. The gas turbine engine system also includes an intake air temperature control circuit. The intake air temperature control circuit includes conduits configured to direct the heat transfer fluid to the intake port and the exhaust port. The gas turbine engine system also includes a control system configured to selectively direct the heat transfer fluid to one of the intake port and the exhaust port.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.Inventors: Peter John Baron, David Anthony Pocengal, Rainer Kurz
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Patent number: 8468827Abstract: A heating medium supply system is provided which is capable of sufficiently suppressing a temperature fluctuation of a heating medium, by the time when a heat exchanging device recovers heat of the heating medium, by leveling the temperature fluctuation fluctuating inevitably with time. The heating medium supply system includes: a heat collecting unit configured to heat a liquid heating medium by sunlight; a heat exchanging device configured to heat water supplied thereto by means of the heating medium supplied thereto from the heat collecting unit; heating medium supply piping for supplying the heating medium from the heat collecting unit to the heat exchanging device; and a heating medium heater for heating the heating medium and a temperature measuring device configured to measure a temperature of the heating medium, which are provided on the heating medium supply piping.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2006Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hideaki Ota
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Patent number: 8459934Abstract: A guide blade for a gas turbine includes an inner and an outer platform, an airfoil extending in a radial direction between the inner and the outer platforms and having a height in the radial direction, and at least one cooling channel disposed in an interior of the airfoil and configured to receive a cooling medium flowing through the at least one cooling channel configured to cool the guide blade, wherein a cross-sectional area of a blade material of the airfoil varies over the height.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Alstom Technology LtdInventors: Willy Heinz Hofmann, Roland Dueckershoff, Brian Kenneth Wardle
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Patent number: 8459034Abstract: A fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine includes one or more subsets of combustors, and at least two fuel manifolds including a fuel manifold coupled to each combustor subset and configured to deliver fuel to only the subset of combustors during a predetermined gas turbine engine operating mode. A gas turbine engine assembly including a fuel delivery system and a method of operating a gas turbine engine is also described herein.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2007Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David August Snider, Willy Steve Ziminsky
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Patent number: 8459001Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes an emissions reduction system including a compressor in fluid communication with a catalyst mixing tank. The compressor is configured to output an air flow configured to deliver catalyst from the catalyst mixing tank to a catalyst injection grid. A temperature of the air flow is increased by the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2009Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Leslie Yung-Min Tong, Hua Zhang, Diego Rancruel
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Patent number: 8453454Abstract: A premixer is provided and includes a peripheral wall defining a mixing chamber therein through which a flow path for a fluid is defined, a nozzle including an annular splitter plate disposed in the flow path within the mixing chamber, the splitter plate including a trailing edge defined in relation to a predominant direction of fluid flow along the flow path and being formed to define a fuel line therein, which is receptive of oil fuel and an annular array of fuel injectors disposed at the trailing edge, which are each fluidly communicative with the fuel line and configured to inject at least the oil fuel into the flow path with the oil fuel being substantially atomized upon injection or substantially immediately after the injection by interaction with the fluid flowing along the flow path.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2010Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Thomas Edward Johnson, William David York, Baifang Zuo
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Patent number: 8453426Abstract: There is disclosed a field emission electric propulsion (FEEP) system including a FEEP thruster having at least one emitter and an extractor electrode, and a power supply. The power supply may provide an extractor voltage applied between the emitter and the extractor electrode. The power supply may be operable in a constant current mode in which the extractor voltage is controlled to set an ion current flowing from the emitter at a target current level.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: James D. Kueneman, Anton Vanderwyst
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Patent number: 8453462Abstract: At least one main air compressor makes a compressed ambient gas flow. The compressed ambient gas flow is delivered to a turbine combustor at a pressure that is greater than or substantially equal to an output pressure delivered to the turbine combustor from a turbine compressor as at least a first portion of a recirculated gas flow. A fuel stream is delivered to the turbine combustor, and a combustible mixture is formed and burned, forming the recirculated gas flow. A turbine power is produced that is substantially equal to at least a power required to rotate the turbine compressor. At least a portion of the recirculated gas flow is recirculated through a recirculation loop. An excess portion of the recirculated gas flow is vented or a portion of the recirculated gas flow bypasses the turbine combustor or both.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lisa Anne Wichmann, Daniel David Snook, Samuel David Draper, Noémie Dion Ouellet, Scott Allen Rittenhouse
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Patent number: 8453461Abstract: A main air compressor delivers a compressed ambient gas flow with a compressed ambient gas flow rate to a turbine combustor. A fuel stream with a flow rate is delivered to the turbine combustor and mixed with the compressed ambient gas flow and an exhaust gas flow and burned with substantially stoichiometric combustion to form the exhaust gas flow and drive a turbine, thus operating the power plant at a first load. A portion of the exhaust gas flow is recirculated from the turbine to the turbine compressor and a portion is delivered to an exhaust path. The fuel stream flow rate and the compressed ambient gas flow rate are reduced, and substantially stoichiometric combustion is maintained and the power plant is operated at a second load. The fuel stream flow rate is further reduced and lean combustion is achieved and the power plant is operated at a third load.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Samuel David Draper
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Patent number: 8453458Abstract: Variation in the available mixing plane areas in an exhaust arrangement of a gas turbine engine enables alteration and configuration for better thermal cycle performance of that engine. A shaped centre fairing is associated with an exit nozzle and a bypass duct such that channels between the fairing, nozzle exit and duct can be adjusted to change the available areas. Such variation is achieved by relative axial displacement, typically of the exit nozzle using an appropriate mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2007Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventors: John R Whurr, Richard G Stretton, David M Beaven, Nicholas Howarth