Patents by Inventor Nishith Vora

Nishith Vora 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: 8647509
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated desalination and salt plant for the production of a salt or slurry product of high purity. The reject stream from the desalination plant is used as the feed stream for the salt plant. The salt plant feed stream is filtered to effectively remove sulfate, which prevents scale formation in the salt plant equipment. The filtering may also reduce the level of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, or other components of the feed which may also prevent scale formation in the salt plant equipment. The salt plant produces a high purity salt product without the use of chemical purification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nishith Vora, Irving Elyanow, Giuseppe Chiappa, Giovanni Radice, Luca Mor
  • Patent number: 8545681
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for improving the efficiency of a combined-cycle power generation plant and desalination unit. The process includes supplying exhaust gases from a gas turbine set used to generate electrical power to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and then directing the steam from the HRSG to a steam turbine set. Salinous water is supplied into an effect of the desalination unit. Steam exhausted from the steam turbine set is utilized in the effect of the desalination unit to produce a distillate vapor and brine from the effect by heat exchange. Additionally, steam is introduced steam from at least one additional heat source from the combined-cycle power generation plant to the effect to increase the mass flow rate of steam into the effect. In one embodiment, the additional heat source is an intercooler heat exchanger. Heated water from the intercooler heat exchanger is provided to a reduced atmosphere flash tank, and the steam flashed in the flash tank is provided to the effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Philip Shapiro, Nishith Vora, Ching-Jen Tang, AliciA Jillian Jackson Hardy, Douglas Westerkamp
  • Publication number: 20120160753
    Abstract: A desalination plant for treating a sea water or brackish water feed is provided. The desalination plant includes a first treatment section to effectively remove scaling species, the first treatment section including nanofiltration section, the nanofiltration section including at least two stages and at least two passes; and a reverse osmosis section that operates at high recovery to produce a purified permeate stream and a selectively NaCl salt-enriched reject stream as a saline output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Nishith Vora, Irving David Elyanow, Robert Lee Solomon, John Herbert, Lanny D. Weimer
  • Publication number: 20110303607
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated desalination and salt plant for the production of a salt or slurry product of high purity. The reject stream from the desalination plant is used as the feed stream for the salt plant. The salt plant feed stream is filtered to effectively remove sulfate, which prevents scale formation in the salt plant equipment. The filtering may also reduce the level of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, or other components of the feed which may also prevent scale formation in the salt plant equipment. The salt plant produces a high purity salt product without the use of chemical purification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nishith Vora, Irving Elyanow, Giuseppe Chiappa, Giovanni Radice, Luca Mor
  • Publication number: 20110147195
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for improving the efficiency of a combined-cycle power generation plant and desalination unit. The process includes supplying exhaust gases from a gas turbine set used to generate electrical power to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and then directing the steam from the HRSG to a steam turbine set. Salinous water is supplied into an effect of the desalination unit. Steam exhausted from the steam turbine set is utilized in the effect of the desalination unit to produce a distillate vapor and brine from the effect by heat exchange. Additionally, steam is introduced steam from at least one additional heat source from the combined-cycle power generation plant to the effect to increase the mass flow rate of steam into the effect. In one embodiment, the additional heat source is an intercooler heat exchanger. Heated water from the intercooler heat exchanger is provided to a reduced atmosphere flash tank, and the steam flashed in the flash tank is provided to the effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Philip Shapiro, Nishith Vora, Ching-Jen Tang, AliciA Jillian Jackson Hardy, Douglas Westerkamp
  • Publication number: 20100163471
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a desalination plant that operates with a sea water or brackish water feed and produces a concentrated and selectively improved salt reject stream and a pure water permeate stream from a first treatment section that is arranged to produce primarily water at high recovery using membrane desalination processes. The reject stream from the first treatment line has a component distribution that is substantially reduced in native di- and polyvalent scaling ions, essentially depleted of sulfate, has substantially higher total dissolved solids than a traditional sea water reverse osmosis reject, yet is suitable for thermal treatment processes. The system may be enhanced by monovalent salt components. The unit may be integrated with a second treatment section, in which the first reject stream is further concentrated, purified, and processed to produce a high purity salt product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Irving Elyanow, John Herbert, Robert Lee Solomon, Nishith Vora, Lanny D. Weimer
  • Publication number: 20080015816
    Abstract: A system includes an analysis module and/or a prediction module. The analysis module receives data from a heat transfer device, and can compute a performance indicator indicative of an incipient anomaly condition of the heat transfer device based upon the received data, and/or can compute a normalized efficiency of the heat transfer device. The normalized efficiency represents a corrected efficiency that isolates effects of a process parameter on performance of the heat transfer device. The data represents a measurable process parameter or a change in a measurable process parameter in the heat transfer device. The prediction module receives the data and computes a performance indicator to predict performance degradation of the heat transfer device over time based upon the received data. Associated methods are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vinay Jammu, Nishith Vora, Ravi Babu, Rama Mahajanam
  • Publication number: 20060074591
    Abstract: A system for isolating effects of one or more process parameters on performance of a heat transfer device is provided. The system includes an efficiency correction unit that is adapted to receive data from the heat transfer device. The data is representative of one or more measurable process parameters or a change in the one or more measurable process parameters of the heat transfer device. The efficiency correction unit is also configured to compute a normalized efficiency of the heat transfer device. The normalized efficiency represents a corrected efficiency that isolates effects of one or more process parameters on performance of the heat transfer device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Vinay Jammu, Nishith Vora, Ravi Babu, Rama Mahajanam
  • Publication number: 20050133211
    Abstract: A technique is disclosed for evaluating and monitoring performance of a heat exchanger system. Operating parameters of the system are monitored and fouling factors for heat transfer surfaces of the exchanger are determined. Trending of fouling may be performed over time based upon the fouling factors, and a model of fouling may be selected from known sets of models, or a model may be developed or refined. Fluid treatment, such as water treatment regimes may be taken into account in evaluation of fouling. An automated knowledge based analysis algorithm may diagnose possible caused of fouling based upon sensed and observed parameters and conditions. Corrective actions may be suggested and the system controlled to reduce, avoid or correct for detected fouling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Inventors: Mark Osborn, Vijaysai Prasad, Lijie Yu, Venkatarao Ryali, Sunil Shah, Ivy Man Chong, Shirley Au, Nishith Vora