Patents by Inventor Ulrich Rathmann

Ulrich Rathmann 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: 8303257
    Abstract: An arrangement between blade elements in a blade row in a turbine is described. Each blade element has at least one shroud element and a blade airfoil which abuts on, and is connected to, the shroud element, and essentially extends radially with regard to a principal axis of the blade row. When installed, the shroud element sides, which extend circumferentially, abut on the respectively adjacent shroud element of the respectively adjacent blade element, each forming an essentially radial gap. At least one blade element has a projection which projects into the shroud element of the abutting blade element and extends in the circumferential direction, and at least one blade element has a recess which accommodates such a projection. In the region of the projection or recess there is a stepped region of the radial gap, and the guiding of the radial gap in this stepped region is a labyrinth seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Thomas Heinz-Schwarzmaier, Ulrich Rathmann, Carlos Simon-Delgado
  • Patent number: 8210797
    Abstract: A gas turbine with a stator blade is disclosed. The stator blade is fastened on a blade carrier and includes a blade airfoil which extends inwards in the radial direction from an outer platform into a hot gas passage. A cooling medium can flow through an interior of the blade airfoil, such as cooling air, which flows through an access in the blade carrier into a first plenum which is arranged above the outer platform, and from there, via an inlet which is provided in the outer platform, flows into the interior of the blade airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Roland Dueckershoff, Ulrich Steiger, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Publication number: 20110284669
    Abstract: A lance of a gas turbine burner includes an inner duct having inner nozzles; an annular outer duct encircling the inner duct and having outer nozzles; and a spacer disposed between a terminal portion of the inner duct and a terminal portion of the outer duct, the spacer being fixed to both the inner duct and the outer duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Ulrich Rathmann, Daniel Burri, Thorsten Motzkus
  • Publication number: 20110243714
    Abstract: A device on a shroud which is provided on a turbine rotor blade tip has a cutting structure designed like a line of ribs, locally projecting over the shroud radially to the rotational axis around which the turbine rotor blade is rotatably arranged. The sealing structure has a longitudinal extent (S) oriented in the direction of rotation (U) of the turbine rotor blade, tapers with increasing radial distance from the shroud, and terminates with a flat end face (St) which radially faces away from the turbine rotor blade, and can be divided into five interrelated surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Andre Saxer, Igor Tsypkaykine, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Publication number: 20110085894
    Abstract: A gas turbine with a stator blade is disclosed. The stator blade is fastened on a blade carrier and includes a blade airfoil which extends inwards in the radial direction from an outer platform into a hot gas passage. A cooling medium can flow through an interior of the blade airfoil, such as cooling air, which flows through an access in the blade carrier into a first plenum which is arranged above the outer platform, and from there, via an inlet which is provided in the outer platform, flows into the interior of the blade airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Roland DUECKERSHOFF, Ulrich STEIGER, Ulrich RATHMANN
  • Publication number: 20100187762
    Abstract: A strip seal and method of configuration thereof for sealing two adjacent non-rotating gas turbine hot gas components exposed to pressure pulsations. The strip seal has at least two clamping projections distributed along discrete points of the strip seal length that extend out from a pressure face of the strip seal. The location of the projections are defined by two ratios. The first ratio, of less than 25, is the strip seal length extending free of clamping projections from any one of the ends of the strip seal to a clamping projection to the ratio of strip seal thickness. The second ratio, of less than 200, is the ratio of the strip seal length extending free of clamping projections between any two projections to the thickness of the strip seal. This seal arrangement ameliorates detrimental effects of induced resonance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Thomas HEINZ-SCHWARZMAIER, Ulrich STEIGER, Ulrich RATHMANN
  • Publication number: 20100119371
    Abstract: An arrangement between blade elements in a blade row in a turbine is described. Each blade element has at least one shroud element and a blade airfoil which abuts on, and is connected to, the shroud element, and essentially extends radially with regard to a principal axis of the blade row. When installed, the shroud element sides, which extend circumferentially, abut on the respectively adjacent shroud element of the respectively adjacent blade element, each forming an essentially radial gap. At least one blade element has a projection which projects into the shroud element of the abutting blade element and extends in the circumferential direction, and at least one blade element has a recess which accommodates such a projection. In the region of the projection or recess there is a stepped region of the radial gap, and the guiding of the radial gap in this stepped region is a labyrinth seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Thomas Heinz-Schwarzmaier, Ulrich Rathmann, Carlos Simon-Delgado
  • Publication number: 20090155054
    Abstract: A wall structure for restricting a hot-gas path in a gas turbine or in a combustion chamber including a first wall segment having a first face, and a second wall segment having a second face. Each wall segment disposed adjacent to each other so as to define an inside of the wall segments and an outside of the wall segments. The first and second faces being disposed so as to form a gap leading from the inside to the outside. Each of the faces having a receiving groove. The wall structure further including a sealing element having a thickness and disposed in the receiving grooves so as to bridge the gap. The first face having a recess and the second wall segment having a projection that extends from the second face and protrudes into the recess in the first face. The projection having a conical cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 7520724
    Abstract: A cooled blade for a gas turbine has a blade airfoil, which emerges from a blade root and a blade shank and has a leading edge and a trailing edge and, within the blade airfoil, a plurality of sequential coolant ducts, in terms of flow, extending in a radial direction. A first coolant duct along the leading edge, and a second coolant duct along the trailing edge, have a main flow of a coolant flowing through them from the blade root to the tip of the blade airfoil. An inlet of the first coolant duct is in connection with a main coolant inlet, and an outlet of the first coolant duct is in connection with the inlet to the second coolant duct via a first deflection region. A third coolant duct is arranged between the first and the second coolant duct and a second deflection region. An additional flow of cooler coolant provided from outside is added from the third coolant duct into the heated main flow of the coolant flowing into the second coolant duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Shailandra Naik, Sacha Parneix, Ulrich Rathmann, Helene Saxer-Felici, Stefan Schlechtriem, Beat Von Arx
  • Patent number: 7273347
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade (1) has a shroud (3) which is cooled by different cooling mechanisms in various regions (A, B, C) according to the different thermal load. In a first region (A), in a fin (8), bores are provided, by which a convective cooling of the fin and a film cooling of the hot gas side of the fin are implemented. A second region (B) is cooled by impingement cooling by a cooling air stream from a duct in the radially opposite stator housing. A third region (C) has a plurality of bores running parallel which run from a cooling duct of a cooling system for the blade leaf to the radially outer surface of the shroud. A cooling air stream flowing through these bores causes a convective cooling of this region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 7264445
    Abstract: A cooled blade or vane for a gas turbine has a main blade or vane part which starts from a blade or vane root and a blade or vane shank and has a leading edge and a trailing edge, as well as, inside the main blade or vane part, a plurality of cooling ducts, which extend in the radial direction, are connected in series in terms of flow and of which a first cooling duct has a main stream of a cooling medium flowing through it along the leading edge. A second cooling duct has a main stream of a cooling medium flowing through it along the trailing edge, from the blade or vane root to the tip of the main blade or vane part. The outlet of the first cooling duct is in communication, via a first diverting region, a third cooling duct arranged between the first and second cooling ducts, and a second diverting region, with the inlet of the second cooling duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Shailandra Naik, Sacha Parneix, Ulrich Rathmann, Helene Saxer-Felici, Stefan Schlechtriem, Beat Von Arx
  • Publication number: 20070071593
    Abstract: A gas turbine blade (1) has a shroud (3) which is cooled by different cooling mechanisms in various regions (A, B, C) according to the different thermal load. In a first region (A), in a fin (8), bores are provided, by which a convective cooling of the fin and a film cooling of the hot gas side of the fin are implemented. A second region (B) is cooled by impingement cooling by a cooling air stream from a duct in the radially opposite stator housing. A third region (C) has a plurality of bores running parallel which run from a cooling duct of a cooling system for the blade leaf to the radially outer surface of the shroud. A cooling air stream flowing through these bores causes a convective cooling of this region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventor: Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 7175387
    Abstract: A seal arrangement for reducing the seal gaps within a rotary flow machine, preferably an axial turbomachine, has rotor blades and guide vanes, which are respectively arranged in at least one rotor blade row and guide vane row and have respective blade/vane roots (2,3) which protrude into fastening contours within the rotor blade and guide vane rows. A sealing element (4) of plastically deformable material is provided between at least two adjacent blade/vane roots (2,3) along a rotor blade row or guide vane row or between a blade/vane root (2,3) of a rotor blade or guide vane and a rotary flow machine component directly adjoining the blade/vane root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Erhard Kreis, Markus Oehl, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Publication number: 20060292006
    Abstract: A cooled blade for a gas turbine has a blade airfoil, which emerges from a blade root and a blade shank and has a leading edge and a trailing edge and, within the blade airfoil, a plurality of sequential coolant ducts, in terms of flow, extending in a radial direction. A first coolant duct along the leading edge, and a second coolant duct along the trailing edge, have a main flow of a coolant flowing through them from the blade root to the tip of the blade airfoil. An inlet of the first coolant duct is in connection with a main coolant inlet, and an outlet of the first coolant duct is in connection with the inlet to the second coolant duct via a first deflection region. A third coolant duct is arranged between the first and the second coolant duct and a second deflection region. An additional flow of cooler coolant provided from outside is added from the third coolant duct into the heated main flow of the coolant flowing into the second coolant duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Shailandra Naik, Sacha Parneix, Ulrich Rathmann, Helene Saxer-Felici, Stefan Schlechtriem, Beat Von Arx
  • Patent number: 7104751
    Abstract: A hot gas path assembly, suitable for use in the hot gas path of a gas turbine, has as a hot gas duct wall an impact-cooled gas-impermeable element and a transpiration-cooled gas permeable element. The gas-permeable element is a run-on covering for the sealing tip, and the gas-impermeable element is a blade foot of a turbine blade. Coolant is led in series through an impact-cooling element to cool the gas-impermeable element, and through the gas-permeable element for transpiration cooling and, if appropriate, also cools the sealing tip. Coolant thus is utilized particularly efficiently. Subdividing walls are arranged for the lateral subdivision of the coolant path, particularly in the circumferential direction, into segments. Because of the subdivision, in the event of damage to the gas-permeable element in one segment, the other segments remain essentially uninfluenced. Redundant cooling orifices may ensure coolant flow even when flow resistance in a transpiration-cooled element rises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Shailendra Naik, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Publication number: 20060177310
    Abstract: A cooled blade or vane for a gas turbine has a main blade or vane part which starts from a blade or vane root and a blade or vane shank and has a leading edge and a trailing edge, as well as, inside the main blade or vane part, a plurality of cooling ducts, which extend in the radial direction, are connected in series in terms of flow and of which a first cooling duct has a main stream of a cooling medium flowing through it along the leading edge. A second cooling duct has a main stream of a cooling medium flowing through it along the trailing edge, from the blade or vane root to the tip of the main blade or vane part. The outlet of the first cooling duct is in communication, via a first diverting region, a third cooling duct arranged between the first and second cooling ducts, and a second diverting region, with the inlet of the second cooling duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Shailendra Naik, Sacha Parneix, Ulrich Rathmann, Helene Saxer-Felici, Stefan Schlechtriem, Beat Von Arx
  • Patent number: 7077622
    Abstract: In an emergency cooling system (17) for a component (1) which is subject to thermal load in operation, in, e.g., a turbine, the component (1) has a wall (3) which, in operation, is acted on by heat on a first wall side (14) and is acted on by a flow of cooling fluid (11) on a second wall side (15). The wall (3) has at least one emergency cooling opening (12) which is closed off by a plug (16) and through which cooling fluid flows from the second wall side (15) to the first wall side (14) when the plug (16) is absent. The plug (16) is designed so as to melt at a predetermined temperature. The plug (16) is a body which is produced separately from the component (1), the plug (16) being inserted into the emergency cooling opening (12), in which it is connected to the component (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Jan Ehrhard, Maxim Konter, Shailendra Naik, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Publication number: 20060137351
    Abstract: A wall structure for restricting a hot-gas path in a gas turbine or in a combustion chamber includes a first wall segment having a first face and a second wall segment having a second face and disposed adjacent to each other in a connection area. A first face is disposed at a distance across from the second face so as to form a gap leading from an inside of the wall segments facing the hot-gas path to an outside of the wall segments facing away from the hot-gas path, wherein each of the first and second faces has a receiving groove having an opening, a bottom portion and two opposing groove walls open towards the gap. A sealing element having a thickness is disposed in the receiving grooves so as to bridge the gap. A first ratio of a distance measured at the groove bottom of each of the receiving grooves between the two respective opposing groove walls to a thickness of the sealing element is equal to or greater than 1.1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 7052233
    Abstract: A base material (2) with a cooling air hole (1) is disclosed, means being present which prevent particles (5), which are located in the cooling air (4) which flows through the cooling air hole (1) during the operation of the cooling air hole (1), from closing the cooling air hole (1). In this arrangement, the means can consist in the edge of the cooling air hole (1) being uneven or having a ridge (3) or the cooling air hole (1) being star-shaped, ellipsoidal or linear or the cooling air hole (1) being circular and having lateral slots (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Switzerland LTD
    Inventors: Reinhard Fried, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 6916021
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sealing arrangement which is formed between a rotating assembly (4, 6) and a static assembly (3, 14, 15). In this sealing arrangement, the rotating assembly (4, 6, 16) has at least one cutting element (1) which engages in a counterpart surface on the static component. The present sealing arrangement is distinguished by the fact that the cutting element (1) is designed as a chipping device with a geometrically determined cutting edge with respect to the counterpart surface (2) or forms a chipping device of this type when the rotating assembly is rotating. The proposed sealing arrangement reduces the wear to the cutting element even in the event of adverse rotation or temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexander Beeck, Bruno Benedetti, Andreas Kieninger, Ulrich Rathmann