Patents by Inventor Gilbert Otto Kraemer

Gilbert Otto Kraemer 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).

  • Patent number: 9239013
    Abstract: A method for assembling a rotary machine includes providing at least one combustor assembly that includes at least one fuel nozzle. The method also includes coupling at least one fuel source to the at least one combustor assembly. The method further includes coupling at least one solvent-based purge system in flow communication with the at least one combustor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Douglas S. Byrd
  • Patent number: 9151502
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors, and each combustor includes a fuel nozzle and a combustion chamber downstream from the fuel nozzle. Each fuel nozzle includes an axially extending center body, a shroud that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the axially extending center body, a plurality of vanes that extend radially between the center body and the shroud, a first fuel port through at least one of the plurality of vanes at a first axial distance from the combustion chamber, the plurality of vanes being located at a second axial distance from the combustion chamber. A second fuel port is provided through the center body at a third axial distance from the combustion chamber. The system further includes structure for producing a combustion instability frequency in the first combustor that is different from the combustion instability frequency in the second combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9080513
    Abstract: A method for operating a combustor is provided. The method includes supplying a predetermined amount of a first gaseous fuel to the combustor, wherein the first gaseous fuel has a first Modified Wobbe Index (MWI) and a first fuel reactivity, and supplying a predetermined amount of a second gaseous fuel to the combustor, wherein the second gaseous fuel has a second MWI that is lower than the first MWI and a second fuel reactivity that is higher than the first fuel reactivity. The method also includes mixing the first and second gaseous fuels together to form a blended gaseous fuel, and injecting the blended gaseous fuel into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Willy Steve Ziminsky, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Ertan Yilmaz
  • Publication number: 20150184859
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors, and each combustor includes a fuel nozzle and a combustion chamber downstream from the fuel nozzle. Each fuel nozzle includes an axially extending center body, a shroud that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the axially extending center body, a plurality of vanes that extend radially between the center body and the shroud, a first fuel port through at least one of the plurality of vanes at a first axial distance from the combustion chamber, a second fuel port through the center body at a second axial distance from the combustion chamber, and the plurality of vanes are at a third axial distance from the combustion chamber. The system further includes structure for producing a combustion instability frequency in the first combustor that is different from the combustion instability frequency in the second combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9062569
    Abstract: A steam generator coupled in flow communication downstream from a combustion device that produces a flow of exhaust gases includes a heating device configured to heat the exhaust gases that include oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and an oxidation catalyst coupled downstream from the heating device. The oxidation catalyst facilitates reducing an amount of NOx in the exhaust gases channeled into the oxidation catalyst at a first temperature that is less than a thermal regeneration temperature for a catalytic material and at a second temperature that is approximately equal to at least the thermal regeneration temperature such that the catalytic material is simultaneously regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9056274
    Abstract: A system includes a gas production source configured to produce a gas stream comprising nitrogen oxides (NOx) and a hydrocarbon injector disposed downstream of the gas production source and configured to inject a hydrocarbon into the gas stream. The hydrocarbon is configured to oxidize molecules of the NOx in the gas stream to produce a higher order compound of nitrogen and oxygen (NyOz). The system also includes a removal device disposed downstream of the hydrocarbon injector. The removal device is configured to remove the NyOz from the gas stream via absorption or reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Harish Radhakrishna Acharya, Robert Thomas Thatcher
  • Patent number: 9032703
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine that includes a compressor and a combustor, wherein the combustor includes a primary fuel injector within a fuel nozzle and a secondary fuel injector that is upstream of the fuel nozzle and configured to inject fuel into a flow annulus of the combustor, a method for detecting a flame holding condition about a fuel injector. The method may include the steps of: detecting an upstream pressure upstream of the secondary fuel injector; detecting a downstream pressure downstream of the secondary fuel injector; determining a measured pressure difference between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure; and comparing the measured pressure difference to an expected pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony Wayne Krull, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Garth Curtis Frederick, David Kaylor Toronto
  • Patent number: 9032704
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors arranged about an axis, and each combustor includes a cap assembly that extends radially across at least a portion of the combustor and a combustion chamber downstream from the cap assembly. Each cap assembly includes a plurality of tubes that extend axially through the cap assembly to provide fluid communication through the cap assembly to the combustion chamber and a fuel injector that extends through each tube to provide fluid communication into each tube. Each cap assembly has an axial length, and the axial length of the cap assembly in the first combustor is different than the axial length of the cap assembly in the second combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 8991149
    Abstract: A power generation system capable of eliminating NOxcomponents in the exhaust gas by using a 3-way catalyst, comprising a gas compressor to increase the pressure of ambient air fed to the system; a combustor capable of oxidizing a mixture of fuel and compressed air to generate an expanded, high temperature exhaust gas; a turbine that uses the force of the high temperature gas; an exhaust gas recycle (EGR) stream back to the combustor; a 3-way catalytic reactor downstream of the gas turbine engine outlet which treats the exhaust gas stream to remove substantially all of the NOx components; a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG); an EGR compressor feeding gas to the combustor and turbine; and an electrical generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ashok Kumar Anand, James Anthony West, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Hasan Ui Karim, Sam David Draper, Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Patent number: 8966909
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors arranged about an axis, and each combustor includes a plurality of tubes that extend axially through at least a portion of the combustor and a combustion chamber downstream from the plurality of tubes. A fuel injector extends through each tube to provide fluid communication into each tube at a fourth axial distance from the combustion chamber. The fourth axial distance in the first combustor is different than the fourth axial distance in the second combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20150047360
    Abstract: A system for injecting a liquid fuel into a combustion gas flow field includes an annular liner that defines a combustion gas flow path. The annular liner includes an inner wall, an outer wall and a fuel injector opening that extends through the inner wall and the outer wall. The system further includes a gas fuel injector that is coaxially aligned with the fuel injector opening. The gas fuel injector includes an upstream end and a downstream end. The downstream end terminates substantially adjacent to the inner wall. A dilution air passage is at least partially defined by the gas fuel injector. A liquid fuel injector extends partially through the dilution air passage. The liquid fuel injector includes an injection end that terminates upstream from the inner wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abinash Baruah, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Predrag Popovic, William Francis Carnell, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150000693
    Abstract: An on-line wash system for a compressor including: a nozzle including a flow passage for wash liquid, wherein the flow passage is configured to be coupled to a source of a wash liquid and includes a discharge outlet arranged to project the wash liquid into a stream of working fluid for the turbomachine; an electrode proximate to the flow passage of the nozzle, wherein the electrode is configured to form an electrical field sufficient to charge the wash liquid flowing through the passage and the charge applied to the wash liquid is of a first polarity, and a surface of the compressor charged with the first polarity, wherein the surface is exposed to the stream of working fluid and downstream of the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Doug Scott BYRD, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Hua Zhang, Jianmin Zhang, Valery Ivanovich Ponyavin
  • Publication number: 20150000244
    Abstract: A system for reducing emissions includes a gas production source that produces nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen sulfide, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, formaldehyde, benzene, metal oxides, or volatile organic compound emissions. An exhaust plenum is downstream from the gas production source, and structure for dispersing a solvent is in the exhaust plenum. A collection tank is in fluid communication with the exhaust plenum to receive the solvent from the exhaust plenum, and a heat source is in the exhaust plenum downstream from the structure for dispersing the solvent. A method for reducing emissions from a gas production source includes flowing exhaust gases through an exhaust plenum, dispersing a solvent through a nozzle in the exhaust plenum, collecting the dispersed solvent in a collection tank, and heating the exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust plenum downstream from the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Thomas Thatcher, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell, Brett Matthew Thompson
  • Patent number: 8910485
    Abstract: The present application provides a stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery turbine system. The stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery turbine system may include a main compressor for compressing a flow of ambient air, a turbine, and a stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery combustor. The stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery combustor may include a combustion liner, an extended flow sleeve in communication with the main compressor, and an extraction port in communication with the turbine. The extended flow sleeve receives the flow of ambient air from the main compressor so as to cool the combustion liner and then the flow of ambient air splits into an extraction flow to the turbine via the extraction port and a combustion flow within the combustion liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Sam David Draper, Kyle Wilson Moore
  • Publication number: 20140298814
    Abstract: A system for pre-heating a working fluid within a combustor includes a compressor for providing the working fluid to the combustor. An outer casing is disposed downstream from the compressor. The outer casing at least partially defines a high pressure plenum that at least partially surrounds the combustor. A combustion chamber is defined within the combustor downstream from the high pressure plenum. A catalytic combustor is disposed within the high pressure plenum upstream from the combustion chamber so as to provide thermal energy to the working fluid upstream from the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anthony Conchieri, Roy Marshall Washam, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20140287367
    Abstract: A system for operating a combustor includes a sensor that measures an operating parameter associated with the combustor and generates a signal reflective of the operating parameter. The operating parameter is reflective of an ash deposition rate or an accumulated ash buildup. A controller receives the signal, compares the signal to a predetermined limit, and generates a control signal. A method for operating a combustor includes operating the combustor at a first power level that produces a first temperature that is less than or equal to a first predetermined temperature and creating a layer of ash. The method further includes measuring an operating parameter reflective of an ash deposition rate or an accumulated ash buildup, comparing the operating parameter to a limit, and operating the combustor at a second power level that produces a second temperature that is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Thomas Thatcher, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell, Matthew M. Scheid
  • Publication number: 20140260302
    Abstract: The present application and the resultant patent provide a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle may include one or more gas fuel passages for one or more flows of gas fuel, a swirler surrounding the one or more gas fuel passages and positioned about a downstream face of the fuel nozzle, a number of swirler gas fuel ports defined in the swirler, and a number of downstream face gas fuel ports defined in the downstream face of the fuel nozzle. The swirler may include a number of swirl vanes and a number of air chambers defined between adjacent swirl vanes. The present application and the resultant patent further provide a method of operating a diffusion combustor fuel nozzle of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Arvind Venugopal Menon, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Predrag Popovic, Abinash Baruah
  • Publication number: 20140245738
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing combustion dynamics includes first and second combustors arranged about an axis, and each combustor includes a plurality of tubes that extend axially through at least a portion of the combustor and a combustion chamber downstream from the plurality of tubes. A fuel injector extends through each tube to provide fluid communication into each tube at a fourth axial distance from the combustion chamber. The fourth axial distance in the first combustor is different than the fourth axial distance in the second combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20140238024
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine includes a fuel nozzle having a central swirler that circumferentially surrounds a downstream end of the fuel nozzle. A primary combustion zone is defined within the central swirler. The combustor further includes an outer swirler that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the central swirler and a venturi that is disposed downstream from the primary combustion zone. The venturi includes an inner surface. The central swirler imparts angular swirl to a compressed working fluid so as to rapidly mix and react the fuel rich primary zone products with the working fluid. The outer swirler imparts angular swirl to a compressed working fluid so as to provide a cooling boundary layer along the inner surface of the venturi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Publication number: 20140230447
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbomachine includes an outer nozzle body including an inner surface defining a mixing zone, and an inner nozzle body arranged within the outer nozzle body. The inner nozzle body includes a fluid passage. At least one flow affector extends from the inner nozzle body to the outer nozzle body. The at least one flow affector includes an inner surface that defines an interior chamber having an inlet fluidly connected to the fluid passage and at least two openings fluidically linking the interior chamber and the mixing zone. One or more flow tuning elements are arranged at the interior chamber upstream of the at least two openings. The one or more flow affectors are configured and disposed to condition a fluid passing into the interior chamber to affect a substantially iso-kinetic distribution of the fluid within the interior chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Heena Vinodkumar Panchasara, Gilbert Otto Kraemer