Patents by Inventor John Benjamin Drohan

John Benjamin Drohan 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: 9149776
    Abstract: A system includes a model-based control unit configured to receive a lower heating value for a liquid fuel having a composition. The processor is configured to determine a specific gravity, a hydrocarbon ratio, or both, for the liquid fuel based, at least in part, on the lower heating value of the liquid fuel. The processor is configured to compare the hydrocarbon ratio, the specific gravity, and/or the lower heating value of the liquid fuel to a collection of hydrocarbon ratios, specific gravities, and/or lower heating values for a plurality of mixtures of methane and ethylene. The processor is configured to identify a mixture of methane and ethylene from the collection that best matches the hydrocarbon ratio, the specific gravity, and/or the lower heating value of the liquid fuel and configured to use the identified mixture of methane and ethylene as a model for the composition of the liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John Benjamin Drohan
  • Publication number: 20140018973
    Abstract: A system includes a model-based control unit configured to receive a lower heating value for a liquid fuel having a composition. The processor is configured to determine a specific gravity, a hydrocarbon ratio, or both, for the liquid fuel based, at least in part, on the lower heating value of the liquid fuel. The processor is configured to compare the hydrocarbon ratio, the specific gravity, and/or the lower heating value of the liquid fuel to a collection of hydrocarbon ratios, specific gravities, and/or lower heating values for a plurality of mixtures of methane and ethylene. The processor is configured to identify a mixture of methane and ethylene from the collection that best matches the hydrocarbon ratio, the specific gravity, and/or the lower heating value of the liquid fuel and configured to use the identified mixture of methane and ethylene as a model for the composition of the liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John Benjamin Drohan
  • Patent number: 8452515
    Abstract: A method for simulating a compressor of a gas turbine may generally include determining a predicted pressure ratio and a predicted mass flow of the compressor based on a model of the gas turbine, monitoring an actual pressure ratio and an actual mass flow of the compressor, determining difference values between at least one of the predicted pressure ratio and the actual pressure ratio and the predicted mass flow and the actual mass flow, modifying the difference values using an error correction system to generate a compressor flow modifier and using the compressor flow modifier to adjust the predicted pressure ratio and the predicted mass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Benjamin Drohan, Randy Scott Rosson
  • Publication number: 20130073170
    Abstract: A method for simulating a compressor of a gas turbine is disclosed. The method may generally include determining a predicted pressure ratio and a predicted mass flow of the compressor based on a model of the gas turbine, monitoring an actual pressure ratio and an actual mass flow of the compressor, determining difference values between at least one of the predicted pressure ratio and the actual pressure ratio and the predicted mass flow and the actual mass flow, modifying the difference values using an error correction system to generate a compressor flow modifier and using the compressor flow modifier to adjust the predicted pressure ratio and the predicted mass flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Benjamin Drohan, Randy Scott Rosson