Patents by Inventor Balachandar Varatharajan
Balachandar Varatharajan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8616002Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for premixing combustion fuel and air within gas turbines. In one embodiment, a combustor includes an upstream mixing panel configured to direct compressed air and combustion fuel through a premixing zone to form a fuel-air mixture. The combustor also includes a downstream mixing panel configured to mix additional combustion fuel with the fuel-air mixture to form a combustion mixture.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2009Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Andrei Tristan Evulet, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Publication number: 20130067926Abstract: The present application provides a premixer for a combustor. The premixer may include a fuel plenum with a number of fuel tubes and a burner tube with a number of air tubes. The fuel tubes extend about the air tubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jong Ho Uhm, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, Christian Stevenson, David Felling
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Patent number: 8327642Abstract: The present application provides a premixer for a combustor. The premixer may include a fuel plenum with a number of fuel tubes and a burner tube with a number of air tubes. The fuel tubes extend about the air tubes.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2008Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jong Ho Uhm, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, Christian Stevenson, David Felling
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Patent number: 8260523Abstract: A method for monitoring and controlling a gas turbine, comprises predicting frequencies of combustion dynamics in a combustor using operating conditions of a gas turbine, receiving a signal from a sensor that is indicative of combustion dynamics in the combustor, and detecting a flashback if a frequency of the received signal does not correspond to the predicted frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kapil Kumar Singh, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Patent number: 8240150Abstract: A nozzle for a gas turbine combustor includes a first radially outer tube defining a first passage having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet adapted to supply air to a reaction zone of the combustor. A center body is located within the first radially outer tube, the center body including a second radially intermediate tube for supplying fuel to the reaction zone and a third radially inner tube for supplying air to the reaction zone. The second intermediate tube has a first outlet end closed by a first end wall that is formed with a plurality of substantially parallel, axially-oriented air outlet passages for the additional air in the third radially inner tube, each air outlet passage having a respective plurality of associated fuel outlet passages in the first end wall for the fuel in the second radially intermediate tube.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy S. Ziminsky, John Lipinski, Gilbert O. Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy
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Patent number: 8186166Abstract: A hybrid fuel combustion nozzle for use with natural gas, syngas, or other types of fuels. The hybrid fuel combustion nozzle may include a natural gas system with a number of swozzle vanes and a syngas system with a number of co-annular fuel tubes.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2008Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, Baifang Zuo, William David York
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Patent number: 8176739Abstract: The low emission combustor includes a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber having a plurality of combustion zones. A liner sleeve is disposed in the combustion housing with a gap formed between the liner sleeve and the combustor housing. A secondary nozzle is disposed along a centerline of the combustion chamber and configured to inject a first fluid comprising air, at least one diluent, fuel, or combinations thereof to a downstream side of a first combustion zone among the plurality of combustion zones. A plurality of primary fuel nozzles is disposed proximate to an upstream side of the combustion chamber and located around the secondary nozzle and configured to inject a second fluid comprising air and fuel to an upstream side of the first combustion zone. The combustor also includes a plurality of tertiary coanda nozzles. Each tertiary coanda nozzle is coupled to a respective dilution hole.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa ElKady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Patent number: 8147121Abstract: A pre-mixing apparatus for a turbine engine includes a main body having an inlet portion, an outlet portion and an exterior wall that collectively establish at least one fluid delivery plenum, and a plurality of fluid delivery tubes extending through at least a portion of the at least one fluid delivery plenum. Each of the plurality of fluid delivery tubes includes at least one fluid delivery opening fluidly connected to the at least one fluid delivery plenum. With this arrangement, a first fluid is selectively delivered to the at least one fluid delivery plenum, passed through the at least one fluid delivery opening and mixed with a second fluid flowing through the plurality of fluid delivery tubes prior to being combusted in a combustion chamber of a turbine engine.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2008Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Patrick Benedict Melton, Baifang Zuo, Christian Xavier Stevenson, David Kenton Felling, Jong Ho Uhm
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Patent number: 8117845Abstract: A method for assembling a premixing injector is provided. The method includes providing a centerbody including a center axis and a radially outer surface, and providing an inlet flow conditioner. The inlet flow conditioner includes a radially outer wall, a radially inner wall, and an end wall coupled substantially perpendicularly between the outer wall and the inner wall. Each of the outer wall and the end wall include a plurality of openings defined therein. The outer wall, the inner wall, and the end wall define a first passage therebetween. The method also includes coupling the inlet flow conditioner to the centerbody such that the inlet flow conditioner substantially circumscribes the centerbody, such that the inner wall is substantially parallel to the centerbody outer surface, and such that a second passage is defined between the centerbody outer surface and the inner wall.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2007Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Ertan Yilmaz, Baifang Zuo
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Patent number: 8113002Abstract: The present application provides a burner for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The burner may include a center hub, a shroud, a pair of fuel vanes extending from the center hub to the shroud, and a vanelet extending from the center hub and/or the shroud and positioned between the pair of fuel vanes.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2008Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Baifang Zuo
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Patent number: 8042339Abstract: The present invention is directed to a lean direct injection (LDI) combustion system for a gas turbine using a shell and tube heat exchanger concept to construct a shell and tube lean direct injector (“LDI”) for the combustion system. One side of the LDI injector, either the shell side or the tube side, carries an oxidizer, such as air, to the combustor, while the other side of the LDI injector carries fuel to the combustor. Straight or angled holes drilled in an end plate of the combustor allow the fuel to enter the combustor and mix with air being injected into the combustor.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2008Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert O. Kraemer, Gregory Allen Boardman, Ertan Yilmaz, Patrick Melton
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Patent number: 7886545Abstract: A method for assembling a gas turbine combustor system is provided. The method includes providing a combustion liner including a center axis, an outer wall, a first end, and a second end. The outer wall is orientated substantially parallel to the center axis. The method also includes coupling a transition piece to the liner second end. The transition piece includes an outer wall. The method further includes coupling a plurality of lean-direct injectors along at least one of the liner outer wall and the transition piece outer wall such that the injectors are spaced axially apart along the wall.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2007Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Ertan Yilmaz, John Joseph Lipinski, Willy Steve Ziminsky
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Publication number: 20110016871Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for premixing combustion fuel and air within gas turbines. In one embodiment, a combustor includes an upstream mixing panel configured to direct compressed air and combustion fuel through a premixing zone to form a fuel-air mixture. The combustor also includes a downstream mixing panel configured to mix additional combustion fuel with the fuel-air mixture to form a combustion mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2009Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Andrei Tristan Evulct, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Patent number: 7874157Abstract: A low emission combustor includes a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber. A secondary nozzle is disposed along a centerline of the combustion chamber and configured to inject air or a first mixture of air and fuel on a downstream side of the combustion chamber. The secondary nozzle includes an air inlet configured to introduce a first fluid including air, a diluent, or combinations thereof into the secondary nozzle. At least one fuel plenum is configured to introduce a second fluid including a fuel, another diluent, or combinations thereof into the secondary nozzle and over a predetermined profile proximate to the fuel plenum. The predetermined profile is configured to facilitate attachment of the second fluid to the profile to form a fluid boundary layer and to entrain incoming first fluid through the fluid boundary layer to promote mixing of the first fluid and the second fluid and fuel to produce the first fluid.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa ElKady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Publication number: 20100281876Abstract: A premixer for a gas turbine combustor includes a first passage configured to inject a highly reactive fuel; and a second passage configured to inject an inert gas or a less reactive fuel or a mixture of both. The second passage is configured to form a layer of the inert gas or less reactive fuel or the mixture of both that blankets a layer of the highly reactive fuel. Another premixer includes a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle including a pair of concentric tubes, the pair of concentric tubes including a first tube configured to inject a highly reactive fuel and a second tube surrounding the first tube and configured to dispense an inert gas or a less reactive fuel or a mixture of both that blankets the highly reactive fuel.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2009Publication date: November 11, 2010Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, William David York
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Publication number: 20100280732Abstract: A method for monitoring and controlling a gas turbine, comprises predicting frequencies of combustion dynamics in a combustor using operating conditions of a gas turbine, receiving a signal from a sensor that is indicative of combustion dynamics in the combustor, and detecting a flashback if a frequency of the received signal does not correspond to the predicted frequencies.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2009Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kapil Kumar Singh, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
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Patent number: 7802434Abstract: A system for reducing NOx emissions, includes a reformer configured to receive a fuel and produce a hydrogen-enriched stream, a combustion system configured to burn the hydrogen enriched-stream and produce electricity and an exhaust stream, and a recuperator configured to recover heat from the exhaust stream, wherein the recovered heat is recycled back to the reformer.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2006Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Andrei Tristan Evulet, Ravi Kumar Vipperla
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Publication number: 20100095675Abstract: The present application provides a burner for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The burner may include a center hub, a shroud, a pair of fuel vanes extending from the center hub to the shroud, and a vanelet extending from the center hub and/or the shroud and positioned between the pair of fuel vanes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2008Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Benjamin Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Baifang Zuo
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Publication number: 20100095649Abstract: Systems and methods for staged combustion are provided. One staged combustion system includes a first fuel source for supplying a first fuel having a first chemical composition, a first injector for injecting the first fuel, a second fuel source for supplying a second fuel having a second chemical composition such that a relative reactive concentration of one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, a hydrocarbon, or a combination of two or more hydrocarbons, in the first chemical composition is different from that of the second chemical composition, and a second injector situated for injecting the second fuel downstream of the first injector.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2008Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: John Dewey Blouch, Ertan Yilmaz, Balachandar Varatharajan
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Publication number: 20100095676Abstract: The present application provides a premixer for a combustor. The premixer may include a fuel plenum with a number of fuel tubes and a burner tube with a number of air tubes. The fuel tubes extend about the air tubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2008Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Jong Ho Uhm, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, Christian Stevenson, David Felling