With Addition Of Steam And/or Water Patents (Class 60/39.53)
  • Patent number: 8414288
    Abstract: A combustion system comprising a combustion chamber fed by fuel and oxidant delivery lines. The oxidant line has an oxidant tank pressurized by a compressor. The fuel delivery line has a fuel source and a fuel feed mechanism. An ignition device ignites the oxidant and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. The coolant line is adapted to inject cooling fluid directly into the combustion chamber. An energy production device is disposed downstream a combustion chamber exhaust valve for converting energy from both exhausted combustion gases and coolant gases exhausted from the combustion chamber. In some embodiments the coolant is the oxidant, while in other embodiments the coolant is another fluid introduced from a separate coolant delivery line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Inventor: Ilan Tzriker
  • Patent number: 8402735
    Abstract: The amount of water to be injected in an intercooler is controlled to cool the compressed gas to the saturation temperature. It is difficult to adjust the amount of the water to be injected, however, since the temperature of the compressed gas at an intercooler outlet is actually higher than the saturation temperature. An intercooling system is configured so as to cool a gas to the saturation temperature without controlling the amount of water injection and thereby maintain the reliability of the compressor while improving the cooling efficiency. The intercooling system is located between a plurality of compression stages of a gas compressor to cool the gas that has been in the compressor. A desired amount of liquid is sprinkled to cool the compressed gas while restraining inflow of the liquid into the compression stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidefumi Araki, Takanori Shibata, Shigeo Hatamiya, Moriaki Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 8402755
    Abstract: Systems for reducing nitrogen oxides in combustion exhaust gas include a selective catalytic reactor (SCR) assembly having a catalyst bed for receiving a flow of exhaust gas, an exhaust gas conduit for introducing exhaust gas to the SCR assembly, at least one nozzle for introducing cooling water into the exhaust gas before the exhaust gas exits the SCR assembly, and at least one reductant conduit for introducing at least one reductant into the exhaust gas to form a reductant/exhaust mixture before the exhaust gas exits the SCR assembly. Methods for reducing nitrogen oxides in combustion exhaust gas include introducing an exhaust gas into a SCR assembly, and introducing cooling water into the exhaust gas, reducing the temperature of the exhaust gas, and introducing at least one reductant into the exhaust gas to form a reductant/exhaust mixture before the exhaust gas exits the SCR assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajit Singh Sengar, Saravanan Venkataraman Nattanmai
  • Publication number: 20130067922
    Abstract: The present application provides an inlet air cooling system for cooling a flow air in a gas turbine engine. The inlet air cooling system may include an inlet filter house, a transition piece, an inlet duct, and an inlet ultrasonic water atomization system positioned about the inlet filter house, the transition piece, or the inlet duct to cool the flow of air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianmin Zhang, Brad Kippel, James Tomey, Matthew Johnson
  • Patent number: 8397509
    Abstract: A catalytic engine comprises a catalytic reformer and a turbine, and it employs the process steps of introducing a reactant mixture of fuel, air, water and recycled exhaust gas into a reaction zone, reacting said fuel mixture over oxidation catalysts in the reaction zone by adjusting the CO2/C, H2O/C, O2/C ratios and the % fuel of the reactant mixture to maintain the reactor at a temperature between 150-1100° C. and a pressure between 1 to 100 atmosphere, and feeding said refromate stream from said reaction zone to drive a downstream turbine, a turbocharger or any kind of gas turbine. This catalytic engine can be connected to an electrical generator to become a stationary or mobile power station, which can be used in transportation, industrial, utility and household applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Inventor: Herng Shinn Hwang
  • Patent number: 8387358
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine steam injector includes an annular steam injection manifold aftwardly bounded by an aft manifold wall having steam injection holes disposed therethrough and located axially aft and radially inwardly of a diffuser outlet. An outer baffle wall around manifold has a curved convex surface which may generally conform to a streamline emanating from outlet. Holes may be circumferentially evenly distributed and non-uniformly sized around the aft manifold wall. Hollow struts extend between radially outer and inner bands of a diffuser and a steam supply header in steam supply communication with a fluid passage of at least one of the struts having a passage outlet open to steam cavity within cavity casing located inwardly of inner band. Openings are disposed in an aft cavity wall between cavity and the injector. Passages may be in only a non-uniformly distributed portion of the struts adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allen Michael Danis, Steven Marakovits, Edward Joseph Stiftar
  • Patent number: 8381529
    Abstract: A system includes a water injection system configured to supply water from a pressure regulating valve to a water manifold of a turbine engine. The system also includes a drain valve configured to drain at least a portion of the water from the pressure regulating valve during a start-up period of the water injection system at least until a stable water pressure is achieved downstream of the pressure regulating valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger Doyle, Steven Backman, William Seely, Leslie Tong, Carlos Hein, Steven Rose
  • Patent number: 8365530
    Abstract: A system for conditioning an airstream entering an air-breathing machine includes an air conditioning system (ACS) configured for adjusting a physical property of the airstream, wherein the ACS comprises a module. The module includes a non-media conditioning system configured for adjusting a physical property of the airstream if an ambient condition is within a range, wherein the non-media conditioning system comprises nozzles adapted for spraying a fluid onto the airstream. The module also includes a media conditioning system configured for adjusting a physical property of the airstream to provide additional output of the air-breathing machine, wherein the media conditioning system comprises a direct exchange medium and a fluid distribution manifold. The ACS operates in a direct evaporative mode if the fluid is approximately greater than a dew point temperature and operates in a direct chilling mode if the fluid is approximately less than a dew point temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jianmin Zhang, Douglas S. Byrd, James P. Tomey
  • Patent number: 8356466
    Abstract: A heating and cooling system for inlet air of a gas turbine engine in a combined cycle power plant having a steam turbine. The heating and cooling system may include a fluid coil positioned about the gas turbine engine, a heat exchanger in communication with the fluid coil, and a condenser in communication with the steam turbine and the heat exchanger such that waste heat from the steam turbine is forwarded to the fluid coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abbas Motakef, Peter Feher
  • Publication number: 20130008173
    Abstract: A method of starting a gas turbine cycle including a gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator, the method including: heating water in a steam cycle with a base load heat source; powering one or more steam turbines with steam from said steam cycle; and diverting a portion of the steam from the steam cycle to the gas turbine cycle. Also disclosed is a power generation assembly connectable to a base load heat source arranged to heat water in a steam cycle and power a steam turbine, the power generation assembly including: a gas turbine cycle including a gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator; and diverting apparatus configured to selectively divert a portion of steam from the steam cycle to the gas turbine cycle on start up of the gas turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Paul Fletcher, Andrew C Graham, Daniel Robertson, Anthony J Donaldson
  • Patent number: 8346394
    Abstract: Power plant characteristics are operated in a flexible manner by controlling the power consumption of a CO2 capture and compression system. The impact of CO2 capture and compression on the capacity of a power plant can be minimized to maximize the electric power the plant can deliver to the power grid and the impact of CO2 capture and compression on the average plant efficiency can be reduced, by an operating method and a power plant, in which the power consumption of the CO2 capture system is used to control the net output of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Charles Soothill, Christian Steinbach, Allen Michael Pfeffer, Philippe Jean-Michel Paelinck, Jurgen Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 8321056
    Abstract: A power plant frequency response characteristic is implemented by controlling the power consumption of a CO2 capture and compression system. A power reserve is provided for under-frequency events without deloading the plant to part load, by an operating method, in which the power consumption of the CO2 capture system is used to control the net output of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Blatter, Olivier Drenik, Holger Nagel
  • Patent number: 8291714
    Abstract: A turbine power plant employs a radial staging of a liquid injection system to provide a uniform fluid distribution, for use in wet compression. The liquid injection system includes a hub to be coupled to an air intake case of a turbine power plant. An annular ring assembly is spaced radially outwardly from the hub. Spray bars are spoked about the hub and the annular ring. The spray bars each include a body portion having an inner end coupled to the hub and an outer end coupled to the ring assembly. The spray bars each have at least two nozzle assemblies along the body portion. The spray bars each define at least two liquid supply manifolds each having an inlet at the annular ring assembly and an outlet at an associated nozzle assembly. The liquid supply manifolds each supply liquid to one or more associated nozzle assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Power Endgineering PLC
    Inventors: Walter Kasimierz Omielan, Gabriel Taraboulsi, Chris Pin Harry
  • Patent number: 8266884
    Abstract: A device and method that converts the high temperature produced by combustion into a fluid volume of high pressure gas without requiring a boiler or heat exchanger. By injecting a fluid directly into a combustion system, heat energy that may otherwise be wasted is converted directly into high pressure gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Inventor: Mark Baker
  • Publication number: 20120210726
    Abstract: A device capable of collecting a condensate from a working fluid is disclosed. The condensate can take the form of a liquid and can be injected into a flow path of an engine. In one form the engine is a gas turbine engine and the liquid is injected upstream of a combustor. The liquid can be produced using a component that cools the working fluid to condense a vapor within it. In one non-limiting form the component is part of a refrigeration system. In addition to producing condensate, the refrigeration system can cool the working fluid to be used as cooled cooling air to a turbine of a gas turbine engine. In another non-limiting embodiment a liquid derived from a blackwater containing waste from an organism can be delivered in whole or in part to a flow path of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventor: Robert T. Duge
  • Patent number: 8240122
    Abstract: The amount of water to be injected in an intercooler is controlled to cool the compressed gas to the saturation temperature. It is difficult to adjust the amount of the water to be injected, however, since the temperature of the compressed gas at an intercooler outlet is actually higher than the saturation temperature. An intercooling system is configured so as to cool a gas to the saturation temperature without controlling the amount of water injection and thereby maintain the reliability of the compressor while improving the cooling efficiency. The intercooling system is located between a plurality of compression stages of a gas compressor to cool the gas that has been in the compressor. A desired amount of liquid is sprinkled to cool the compressed gas while restraining inflow of the liquid into the compression stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidefumi Araki, Takanori Shibata, Shigeo Hatamiya, Moriaki Tsukamoto
  • Publication number: 20120167545
    Abstract: A purge system and liquid fuel atomizing system, a system including a purge system and liquid fuel atomizing system, and a method of purging and atomizing are disclosed. The purging involves a first nozzle, a second nozzle, a third nozzle, and a staged compression system having a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is configured to selectively direct a first pressurized fluid stream to the first nozzle and the second nozzle. The second stage is configured to selectively direct a second pressurized fluid stream to the third nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Venugopala Durwasula RAJU, Anil Kumar SHARMA, Indrajit MAZUMDER, Bhaskar PEMMI, Rajarshi SAHA
  • Patent number: 8204631
    Abstract: Discussed is a method and device for increasing the operational flexibility of a current-generating system with a turboset, comprising a turbine coupled to an electrical generator, a power set point value being predefined, and a future target time at which the turboset is supposed to be at the power set point value, so that a power curve is determined via the power set point value and the target time, the turboset being operated starting from a actual power value at an actual time along the power curve such that the predefined power set point value is reached at the predefined target time. Also discussed is a gas turbine and to a steam turbine in accordance with the above description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Günther Ebner, Tobias Herzog
  • Patent number: 8201411
    Abstract: A deep chilled air washer for a gas turbine compressor. The deep chilled air washer may include one or more spray arrays for chilling an inlet air stream and one or more drift eliminators positioned downstream of the spray arrays. The drift eliminators may include a heating element therein so as to reheat the inlet air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Peter Feher
  • Patent number: 8192688
    Abstract: A thermally diluted exothermic reactor system is comprised of numerous orifices distributed within a combustor by distributed perforated contactor tubes or ducts. The perforated contactors deliver and mix diluent fluid and one or more reactant fluids with an oxidant fluid. Numerous micro-jets about the perforated tubes deliver, mix and control the composition of reactant fluid, oxidant fluid and diluent fluid. The reactor controls one or more of composition profiles, composition ratio profiles and temperature profiles in one or more of the axial direction and one or two transverse directions, reduces temperature gradients and improves power, efficiency and emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Vast Power Portfolio LLC
    Inventors: David L. Hagen, Gary Ginter, Bill Goheen, L. Allan McGuire, Janet Rankin
  • Patent number: 8176724
    Abstract: This invention provides a method of converting heat energy to a more usable form using an externally-heated Brayton cycle. Atmospheric air is used with water injection in a thermodynamic cycle that includes compression (1), evaporative cooling (34), recuperative heating (8), evaporative cooling (36), external heating (9) and expansion through a turbine (2). Power capacity and overall efficiency are maximized by decreasing the temperature of working fluid entering recuperator (8) and heater (9) while increasing the mass flow through turbine (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Douglas W. P. Smith
  • Patent number: 8151549
    Abstract: A high humidity gas turbine equipment includes a turbine; a compressor; a humidifier, which brings the air compressed by the compressor into contact with feed water to humidify the air; a regenerative heat exchanger, which causes the air humidified by the humidifier to be heated by exhaust gas from the turbine; a combustor, which burns the air heated by the regenerative heat exchanger and fuel to generate the combustion gas; a deaerating equipment including a deaerating section, a water storage tank, and a steam generating section, which causes feed water and makeup water in the water storage tank to be heated by exhaust gas from the turbine to evaporate and supplies the steam to the deaerating section; and a feed water supply pipe, through which the feed water and the makeup water in the water storage tank are supplied to the humidifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Sasaki, Yoshiki Noguchi, Kenji Sakka, Hirotsugu Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 8141369
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of regulation of the temperature of a hot gas of a gas turbine, particularly of a stationary gas turbine used for generating electricity, which comprises injecting a liquid into an airflow, which can be drawn into a compressor and with the aid of which a fuel inside a combustion chamber, which is situated downstream, combusts while producing the hot gas that is subsequently expanded when flowing through the turbine part located downstream. A temperature measuring device is provided that measures the temperature of the airflow before the compressor, whereby the temperature of the hot gas is regulated by the quantity of fuel. The aim of the invention is to provide a regulation with which, during wet compression operation, the serviceable life of the components subjected to the action of hot gas is lengthened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim-Rene Nuding, Christoph Pels Leusden, Marco Tappen
  • Publication number: 20120038173
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are provided that provide water to a heat engine via a dammed water source. The water may be tapped for cooling of and/or injection into a heat engine. Further, steam from operation of the heat engine and/or directing exhaust gases of a heat engine into a water flow in an exit channel may be collected and harnessed for power generation in a steam-driven power generator, for industrial heating purposes and other industrial uses, and/or for cooling and subsequent use as potentially more pure water. Additionally, water mist may be sprayed into the exhaust gases for sound suppression purposes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventor: Rene Carlos
  • Patent number: 8069646
    Abstract: A pressure vessel bypass valve forms a bypass system for enabling a part of the air compressed by a compressor to directly flow into a combustor while preventing the part of the air from flowing through a humidification tower and a recuperator. A turbine bypass valve forms another bypass system for enabling a part of a humidified air to be discharged to an exhaust duct after a heat exchange between the humidified air and a turbine exhaust gas is performed in the recuperator while preventing the part of the humidified air from flowing through a turbine. A turbine control system controls the bypass valves to be opened and closed in accordance with increase and decrease of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakano, Yukinori Katagiri
  • Patent number: 8047000
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas turbine combustion chamber with a combustion chamber wall 1, with at least part of the combustion chamber wall 1 being provided with a liquid-cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Ralf Sebastian von der Bank
  • Patent number: 8033115
    Abstract: A water injection system positioned about a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The water injection system may include a water manifold and a pressure relief system in communication with the water manifold. The pressure relief system may include a relief vent positioned on a pressure relief line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Alexander, Kelvin R. Estrada, Rohan Sharad Pimplikar, Robert J. Iasillo
  • Patent number: 8033116
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor portion that generates a cooling airflow. The compressor portion includes a plurality of compressor stages. The turbomachine further includes a turbine portion operatively connected to the compressor portion. The turbine portion includes a plurality of turbine stages. A conduit fluidly connects at least one of the plurality of compressor stages with at least one of the plurality of turbine stages and delivers a portion of the cooling airflow from the compressor portion to the turbine portion. An injector port is connected to the conduit and a secondary fluid generation system. The secondary fluid generation system delivers an amount of dry secondary fluid into the cooling airflow passing from the compressor portion to the turbine portion. The amount of dry secondary fluid replaces a portion of the cooling airflow passing to the turbine portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajit Singh Sengar, Nattanmai Venkataraman Saravanan, Aslam Basha
  • Publication number: 20110239656
    Abstract: An improved method of augmenting a marine-based turbine engine with water by using a single or a plurality of valves to control the intake and/or the distribution of the water to specific areas of the turbine. The system most commonly incorporates a variable water intake which can be closed or partially closed at higher vessel speeds where the advantages of the system begin to outweigh the benefits. In certain embodiments, a water tank is also used, which can store water for use when the intake system is suspended above the water surface due to wave variations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Matthew Crume
  • Patent number: 8006499
    Abstract: The present invention provides a humid air turbine having a compressor, a humidificator for generating humid air by adding moisture to compressed air supplied from the compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a recuperator for effecting heat exchange between exhaust from the turbine and the humid air, an economizer for effecting heat exchange between exhaust from the recuperator and water, and a system for supplying the water heated by the economizer to the humidificator. The humid air turbine includes a temperature measurement device for measuring the temperature of gas discharged from the economizer, and a control device for adjusting the amount of moisture to be supplied to the humidificator in accordance with a temperature signal from the temperature measurement device. The present invention assures low NOx of combustor and flame stability before and after water addition to the humid air turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Koganezawa, Yukinori Katagiri, Keisuke Miura
  • Patent number: 7997510
    Abstract: In some embodiments a propulsion system includes a thrust chamber having an inside wall, an expansion nozzle mounted to the thrust chamber and having an interior and having an exterior, a main propellant injector mounted to the thrust chamber to inject a fluid in the interior of the thrust chamber, the fluid comprising oxidizer, fuel and internal film coolant, the internal film coolant ranging from about 1% to about 5% of the fluid, limited coolant tubing circumscribing the exterior of the expansion nozzle to circulate an external coolant, and an injector mounted to the expansion nozzle to inject the external coolant in the interior of the expansion nozzle, the external convective coolant about 2.5% of the fluid. The system operates at lower temperatures while having conventional amounts of thrust, in which the thrust chamber can be made of thin walls of lower cost conventional metals with simple coolant tube construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Clayton Pavia, James Robert Grote
  • Publication number: 20110126548
    Abstract: Electric fields control an electric combustion. Plasmas are created by a dielectrically impeded discharge. At least one part of the fuel is mixed with water vapor in the supply line and is subjected to a plasma discharge in a compact reactor that is in close contact with the burner in terms of reaction kinetics. In the associated device, a plasma reactor for creating a reactive plasma gas with at least one supply line for the fuel gas-water vapor mixture and an electric energy supply is integrated into the burner. The device provides suitable flow guidance of the fuel gas-air mixture, of the fuel gas-water vapor mixture, and of the reactive plasma gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Hammer, Dieter Most
  • Patent number: 7950240
    Abstract: In a method for operating a gas turbine plant (10) with a compressor (11) for the compression of combustion air sucked in from the surroundings, with a combustion chamber (15) for generating hot gas by the combustion of a fuel with compressed combustion air, and with a turbine (12), in which the hot gas from the combustion chamber (15) is expanded so as to perform work, temperatures and pressures are measured at various points in the gas turbine plant (10), and a combustion chamber exit temperature is derived from the measured temperatures and pressures and used for controlling the gas turbine plant (10). Improved temperature determination is achieved in that the composition of the gas, in particular the water content in the exhaust gas of the turbine (12), is determined, and in that the specific water content in the exhaust gas of the turbine (12) is taken into account in deriving the combustion chamber exit temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Anton Nemet, Jürgen Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20110048026
    Abstract: A system (10) for reducing harmful substances in engine exhaust gases comprises a fuel cell (12), which is adapted to generate electrical energy and a steam-containing fuel cell exhaust gas during operation. A fuel tank (38) serves to store fuel which is to be supplied to an engine (44) during operation. A condensing device (32) is connected to an exhaust gas outlet (16) of the fuel cell (12) so that steam-containing fuel cell exhaust gas is supplyable to the condensing device (32). The condensing device (32) is adapted to convert the steam contained in the fuel cell exhaust gas into the liquid state of aggregation by means of condensation and to introduce the water obtained as a result of the condensing process into the fuel in order to form a water/fuel mixture. A water/fuel mixture line (96) is connected to the engine (44) so that a water/fuel mixture is supplyable to the engine (44).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Claus Hoffjann, Hansgeorg Schuldzig, Ralf-Henning Stolte
  • Patent number: 7866160
    Abstract: A process and an installation produces electric power or cogenerates electric and thermal power. A hydrocarbon fuel is enriched through an endothermic reforming reaction on a mixture of the fuel with steam or water. The heat for the reforming reaction is supplied by the combustion of a material, preferably biomass, different from the hydrocarbon fuel. The process integrates this reforming reaction in a gas turbine installation, wherein up to 12% of the exhaust gases of the gas turbine are used as comburant air for the combustion of the material. The process is shown to have little or even no impact on the gas turbine cycle performance when no reforming is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
    Inventors: Jacques De Ruyck, Svend Bram, Frank Delattin
  • Publication number: 20100326083
    Abstract: The present invention is spray system such as a nozzle array, for more effectively and efficiently delivering liquid spray to air before its intake into an engine, a power augmentation system for an engine comprising the spray system and a method for more effectively humidifying air. The system is comprised of a plurality of independently-operable nozzle stages, which divide the flow path into a plurality of subsections. A group of nozzle stages comprise a unit of the system, which is comprised of a plurality of repeating units. The units are spaced to allow air flow through. The nozzle array is configured to substantially equally humidify the air through each subsection. The design of the nozzle array achieves more uniform mixing of air and water close to the point of injection of the air and water across the entire water injection range. As such, it maximizes the time available for evaporation by the drops in air that is not oversaturated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventor: Robert Bland
  • Patent number: 7854125
    Abstract: An aerofoil assembly including an aerofoil and a spray element that supplies fluid to a gas turbine engine. The aerofoil has a first part with a leading edge when located in the gas turbine engine, and a second part with a trailing edge when located in the gas turbine engine. The first part has features that slide relative to and engage with complementary features of the second part to form a releasable arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Gary Eadon, Andrew C. Graham
  • Publication number: 20100300112
    Abstract: A method for producing electric energy from solid and liquid fuels is provided. The fuels are first subjected to a gasification process at high pressure, and the scrubbed gasification gas is fed to a gas and steam turbine process. The combustion of the scrubbed gasification gas in the gas turbine chamber does not occur with air, but with a mixture made of the three components oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor. As a result, the waste gas of the gas turbine is made only of carbon dioxide and water vapor. After the condensation thereof, technically pure carbon dioxide remains, which can be dissipated by storage in the deep substrate of the atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Frank Hannemann, Martin Pfund, Manfred Schingnitz
  • Patent number: 7841183
    Abstract: A method of operating a delivery apparatus and a delivery apparatus are disclosed for the continuous delivery of a liquid. The method and the apparatus are suitable in particular for use in a water injection system for injecting water into a main flow of a gas turbine. The delivery apparatus includes a plurality of delivery devices connected parallel to one another. In a first method step, the delivery devices of the delivery apparatus are assigned to at least two delivery device groups. The delivery device groups with the respectively assigned delivery devices are then switched to the active state from the rest mode in a rolling manner in time segments in order to deliver the liquid mass flow. In each case at least one delivery device is therefore operated in the rest mode in a rolling sequence per time segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Carlos Jimenez Haertel, Stefan Oesterle, Carsten Reumschuessel, Sasha Savic
  • Publication number: 20100287943
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for inducing combustion dynamics within turbine engines to remove combustion deposits within the turbine engine during operation of the turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Mark Allan Hadley, Geoffrey D. Myers, Sam D. Draper
  • Patent number: 7832192
    Abstract: A system for the atomization of liquid is arranged on the intake duct of a gas turbo set. This atomization system comprises a number of nozzle tubes with atomizer nozzles, switching valves for selective action upon the nozzle tubes by liquid and a pump for conveying the liquid to be atomized. According to the invention, the pump is connected to a variable-speed drive. The switching valves are preferably designed as proportional valves. In a corresponding regulating circuit, this makes it possible to limit pressure gradients in the atomization system and consequently to avoid hammers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Carlos Jimenez Haertel, Stefan Oesterle, Carsten Reumschuessel, Sasha Savic
  • Patent number: 7832213
    Abstract: A method for operating a turbogroup, especially of a power generating plant, is provided. The turbogroup includes a compressor for compressing combustion air, a combustion chamber with at least one burner for producing a hot gas, and a turbine for expanding the hot gas, performing work. The method includes feeding combustion air to a compressor, where it is compressed, and fed to at least one burner and feeding a fuel to the at least one burner. The method also includes injecting water into the combustion air upstream of the burner where it is evaporated, mixing the fuel in the burner with the combustion air-water vapor mixture, combusting the fuel-combustion air-water vapor mixture in the combustion chamber, and feeding the hot gas which is produced in the combustion chamber to the turbine where it is expanded and performs work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Dieter Winkler, Andreas Brautsch
  • Patent number: 7827794
    Abstract: The power plant combusts a hydrocarbon fuel with oxygen to produce high temperature high pressure products of combustion. These products of combustion are routed through an expander to generate power. The products of combustion are substantially free of oxides of nitrogen because the oxidizer is oxygen rather than air. To achieve fast starting, oxygen, fuel and water diluent are preferably stored in quantities sufficient to allow the power plant to operate from these stored consumables. The fuel can be a gaseous or liquid fuel. The oxygen is preferably stored as liquid and routed through a vaporizer before combustion in a gas generator along with the hydrocarbon fuel. In one embodiment, the vaporizer gasifies the oxygen by absorption of heat from air before the air is routed into a separate heat engine, such as a gas turbine. The gas turbine thus operates on cooled air and has its power output increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Clean Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Pronske, Fermin Viteri, Scott MacAdam, Lawrence C. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 7827776
    Abstract: A power generation system. The exemplary system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a gas turbine (28), a gasifier (10) for generating gaseous fuel and a gas combustor (26) configured to receive the fuel and power the gas turbine (28). A drain collection and separation system (5) is positioned to collect gaseous fuel entrained in liquid and to separate the gaseous fuel from the liquid so the gaseous fuel can be cycled or disposed of separately from the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Douglas Moore, Damien G. Teehan, Christopher J. Davila-Aponte
  • Publication number: 20100269482
    Abstract: A gas turbine system using high-humidity air, comprises a compressor for compressing air, a humidifying tower for humidifying the compressed air supplied from the compressor, and a gas turbine driven by a combustion using the compressed air humidified by the humidifying tower, wherein the system further comprises a first fluidal system for collecting a thermal energy from at least one of an exhaust gas and the compressed air, a second fluidal system including a water collector for collecting water content from the exhaust gas, a purifier for removing an impurity from the collected water content, and a humidifying tower for humidifying the compressed air with the collected and purified water content circulated in the humidifying tower, and a heat exchanger between the first and second fluidal systems to heat the collected and purified water content with the collected thermal energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: Mamoru HIROTA, Hidefumi Araki, Moriaki Tsukamoto, Yoshiki Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20100242487
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a plurality of injection nozzles arranged in a can-annular array and a transition piece including at least one wall that defines a combustion flow passage. A dilution orifice is formed in the at least one wall of the transition piece. The dilution orifice guides dilution gases to the combustion flow passage. A heat shield member is mounted to the at least one wall of the transition piece in the combustion flow passage. The heat shield member includes a body having a first surface and an opposing second surface through which extends a dilution passage. The dilution passage is off-set from the dilution orifice. The heat shield member is spaced from the at least one wall of the transition piece defining a flow region between the at least one wall and the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Ronald James Chila
  • Patent number: 7784286
    Abstract: A gas turbine unit as well as a method for operating a gas turbine with high-pressure turbine and a low-pressure turbine unit are disclosed. A very quick and at the same time easily controllable augmentation or reduction of the shaft power of the gas turbine unit can be achieved by providing at least one liquid droplet injection device on the upstream side of said compressor for injecting liquid into the stream of intake air in order to increase the shaft power generated by the gas turbine unit. The amount of water mass flow corresponding to the desired increase or decrease of shaft power output of the gas turbine unit is added or reduced in the form of liquid droplets in a substantially stepless manner and immediately within a time interval that is determined by the design characteristics of the liquid droplet injection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Giacomo Bolis, Gustav Hagström, Jürgen Hoffman, Thorsten Wasmuth
  • Publication number: 20100186366
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a water injection system configured to supply water from a pressure regulating valve to a water manifold of a turbine engine. The system also includes a drain valve configured to drain at least a portion of the water from the pressure regulating valve during a start-up period of the water injection system at least until a stable water pressure is achieved downstream of the pressure regulating valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Roger Doyle, Steven Backman, William Seely, Leslie Tong, Carlos Hein, Steven Rose
  • Patent number: 7752848
    Abstract: A system for co-production of hydrogen and electrical energy comprising a reformer configured to receive a reformer fuel and steam and produce a reformate rich in hydrogen. The system further comprises a separation unit in fluid communication with the reformer wherein the separation unit is configured to receive the reformate to separate hydrogen from the reformate and produce an off gas. The system also includes a combustor configured to receive a fuel for combustion and produce heat energy and a hot compressed gas, wherein the combustor is coupled with the reformer. A gas turbine expands the hot compressed gas and produces electrical energy and an expanded gas; wherein at least a part of the heat energy from the combustor is used to produce the reformate in the reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chellappa Balan, Andrei Colibaba-Evulet
  • Patent number: 7752847
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for cooling a gas turbine comprising a rotor, said method being carried out after the operation of the gas turbine and whereby the rotor is driven at least intermittently during a cooling phase at a reduced nominal speed. To provide a gas turbine with a reduced down time, a liquid is introduced at least intermittently into the air stream upstream of the compressor during the cooling phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Akteingesellschaft
    Inventors: Hajrudin Ceric, Giuseppe Gaio, Frank Günther, Armin Hülfenhaus, Gerhard Hülsemann, Gabriel Jungnickel-Marques, Stefan Wanz