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).

  • Publication number: 20100031661
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy S. Ziminsky, John Lipinski, Gilbert O. Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy
  • Publication number: 20100024426
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Lacy, Baifang Zuo, William David York
  • Patent number: 7650744
    Abstract: A gas turbine systems of reducing NOX emissions and enhancing operability comprises a compressor; a combustor disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the compressor; a turbine assembly disposed down stream of and in fluid communication with the combustor; an oxygen-enriched gas source disposed in selective fluid communication with the compressor, the combustor, or a combination of the foregoing, wherein the oxygen-enriched gas source is a pressure swing absorption system, an electrolyzer, or a membrane reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Michael John Bowman
  • Publication number: 20100011771
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa Elkady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Publication number: 20100008179
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: 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
  • Publication number: 20090320484
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Ertan Yilmaz, Baifang Zuo
  • Publication number: 20090314000
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrei Tristan Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ahmed Mostafa ElKady, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 7595124
    Abstract: A hybrid power generation system for generating electrical power comprises a compressor for producing a compressed oxidant and a recuperator in flow communication with the compressor. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells in flow communication with the recuperator to provide the compressed oxidant for the fuel cell assembly. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a tail gas burner in flow communication with the fuel cell assembly. A control system is used for controlling the amount of cathode exhaust stream introduced in the tail gas burner for stable combustion and reduction of fuel and carbon monoxide emission. The hot compressed gas from the tail gas burner is introduced to a turbine, where the hot compressed gas is expanded, thereby producing electrical power and an expanded gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Debashis Dey
  • Publication number: 20090229269
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert O. Kraemer, Gregory Allen Boardman, Ertan Yilmaz, Patrick Melton
  • Patent number: 7578130
    Abstract: Methods and systems for combustion dynamics reduction are provided. A combustion chamber may include a first premixer and a second premixer. Each premixer may include at least one fuel injector, at least one air inlet duct, and at least one vane pack for at least partially mixing the air from the air inlet duct or ducts and fuel from the fuel injector or injectors. Each vane pack may include a plurality of fuel orifices through which at least a portion of the fuel and at least a portion of the air may pass. The vane pack or packs of the first premixer may be positioned at a first axial position and the vane pack or packs of the second premixer may be positioned at a second axial position axially staggered with respect to the first axial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Shiva Srinivasan, John Joseph Lynch, Ertan Yilmaz, Kwanwoo Kim, Benjamin Lacy, Sarah Crothers, Kapil Kumar Singh
  • Publication number: 20090139236
    Abstract: A premixing device is provided. The premixing device includes a fuel inlet configured to introduce a fuel within the premixing device and an air inlet configured to introduce air within the premixing device. The premixing device also includes a plurality of swirler vanes configured to provide a swirl movement to the fuel and/or air to facilitate mixing of the fuel and air to form a gaseous pre-mix, wherein a shape of each of the plurality of swirler vanes is selected to control an axial velocity profile of the fuel and/or air within the premixing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ertan Yilmaz, Balachandar Varatharajan, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Baifang Zuo
  • Publication number: 20080267783
    Abstract: A method to facilitate controlling flame-holding margins in a turbine engine is provided. The method includes coupling at least one turbine nozzle segment within the turbine engine, wherein the at least one turbine nozzle segment includes at least one vane extending between an inner band and an outer band. The method also includes positioning at least one fuel injection orifice in a surface of the at least one vane, channeling a fuel through the at least one fuel injection orifice into a compressed fluid flow to establish a jet penetration height, and defining an operating window by adjusting an operating parameter of the fuel to reduce the jet penetration height and to facilitate reducing the flame-holding margins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Balachandar Varatharajan, Ertan Yilmaz
  • Publication number: 20080264033
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Ertan Yilmaz, John Joseph Lipinski, Willy Steve Ziminsky
  • Publication number: 20080141643
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Andrei Tristan Evulet, Ravi Kumar Vipperla
  • Publication number: 20080083224
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprises a housing, and a swirler assembly disposed in physical communication with the housing. The swirler assembly comprises a first stage comprising a plurality of first vanes, a second stage comprising a plurality of second vanes, and a third stage comprising a plurality of third vanes. The second stage is disposed downstream of, in fluid communication with, and in physical communication with the first stage. The third stage is disposed downstream of, in fluid communication with, and in physical communication with the second stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Jassin Fritz, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Publication number: 20070220896
    Abstract: A gas turbine systems of reducing NOx emissions and enhancing operability comprises a compressor; a combustor disposed downstream of and in fluid communication with the compressor; a turbine assembly disposed down stream of and in fluid communication with the combustor; an oxygen-enriched gas source disposed in selective fluid communication with the compressor, the combustor, or a combination of the foregoing, wherein the oxygen-enriched gas source is a pressure swing absorption system, an electrolyzer, or a membrane reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Michael Bowman
  • Publication number: 20070130830
    Abstract: A multi-stage combustion fuel reformer (20) wherein heat energy from a leaner-burning stage (22) is used to accelerate the fuel reforming kinetics of a richer-burning stage (28). The two stages may be axially arranged (36) or radially arranged (50) with respect to each other. Both stages (64, 66) may utilize gas-phase combustion; or both stages (78, 82) may utilized catalytic combustion; or both gas-phase ((90) and catalytic combustion (92) may be used together. The multi-stage reformer (112) may form part of a gas-to-liquid fuel reforming system (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Venkat Tangirala, Joel Haynes, Anthony Dean
  • Publication number: 20070107437
    Abstract: A combustor is provided. The combustor includes a combustor liner and a swirl premixer disposed on a head end of the combustor liner and configured to provide a fuel-air mixture to the combustor. The combustor also includes a plurality of tangentially staged injectors disposed downstream of the swirl premixer on the combustor liner, wherein each of the plurality of injectors is configured to introduce the fuel-air mixture in a transverse direction to a longitudinal axis of the combustor and to sequentially ignite the fuel-air mixtures from adjacent tangential injectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Andrei Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Jassin Fritz
  • Publication number: 20050144961
    Abstract: A system for the cogeneration of electricity and hydrogen comprising at least one primary combustion system for burning a fuel rich mixture and producing partially oxidized combustion products rich in hydrogen. The system further comprises at least one injection system for injecting fuel and steam into the partially oxidized combustion products producing a mixed product stream. The mixed product stream is reformed in a reformer to produce a hydrogen enriched stream. At least a portion of the hydrogen enriched stream is burned in a secondary combustion system to produce electricity, and at least a second portion of the hydrogen enriched stream is sent to a hydrogen processing system to produce hydrogen therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Andrei Colibaba-Evulet, Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan
  • Publication number: 20050079395
    Abstract: A hybrid power generation system for generating electrical power comprises a compressor for producing a compressed oxidant and a recuperator in flow communication with the compressor. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cells in flow communication with the recuperator to provide the compressed oxidant for the fuel cell assembly. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a cathode inlet for receiving the compressed oxidant, an anode inlet for receiving a fuel stream, an anode outlet in flow communication with an anode exhaust stream and a cathode outlet in flow communication with a cathode exhaust stream, wherein at least a portion of the fuel reacts with the oxidant to produce electrical power. The hybrid power generation system further comprises a tail gas burner in flow communication with the anode outlet and the cathode outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Balachandar Varatharajan, Chellappa Balan, Debashis Dey