Including Start Up, Shut Down, Cleaning, Protective Or Maintenance Procedure Patents (Class 60/646)
  • Patent number: 8959915
    Abstract: A waste heat steam generator for a gas and steam turbine power plant is provided. The generator has economizer, evaporator and superheater heating surfaces which form a flow path and through which a flow medium flows. An overflow line branches off from the flow path and leads to injection valves arranged downstream at a flow side of a superheater heating surface in the flow path. The overflow line permits a brief power increase of a downstream steam turbine without resulting in an excessive loss in efficiency of the steam process. The brief power increase is permitted independently of the type of waste heat steam generator. The branch location of the overflow line is arranged upstream of an evaporator heating surface at the flow medium side and downstream of an economizer heating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Brückner, Frank Thomas
  • Publication number: 20150047353
    Abstract: A method for controlling a cooling process of turbine components of a steam turbine shaft, wherein an air flow mixed with a water mist is used to cool the turbine components during a mist cooling phase (P4) is provided. The mist cooling phase (P4) is preceded by an air cooling phase (P3), during which an air flow is used to cool the turbine components. A constant temporal temperature gradient is specified for the cooling process, wherein the air flow density is adjusted by the valve position of a controllable regulating valve and a switch is made from the air cooling phase (P3) to the mist cooling phase (P4) if the maximum air flow density is reached and in particular if the regulating valve is fully open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Stefan Riemann
  • Publication number: 20150047354
    Abstract: A steam turbine system including a steam turbine is provided, the steam turbine having an incoming and an outgoing steam side, and a turbine housing with a feed-through for a turbine shaft with a seal, whereby a fluid flow through the feed-through can be minimized, and a steam conducting system to the seal is present. The steam turbine includes a first sub-section a second sub-section, and a connecting line to a region of low pressure between two sub-sections. A steam supply through the steam conducting system is possible for starting up the steam turbine such that a steam flow from the outgoing steam side to the connecting line to the region of low pressure is possible, an incoming steam feed line has a shut-off that can be controlled such that a steam flow from the incoming steam side to the connecting line to the region of low pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Rudolf Potter
  • Publication number: 20150033741
    Abstract: Provided are a turbine facility, in which iron oxide particle scale that adheres to inner surfaces of boiler tubes and impedes heat transfer can be efficiently removed from heater drainage water; and a water treatment method for heater drainage water in the turbine facility. The turbine facility includes a boiler 9, steam turbines 12 and 16, a condenser 1, feedwater heaters 5 and 8 which are interposed in water supply lines 4 and 6 that supply condensate condensed by the condenser 1 to the boiler 9, and in which part of steam supplied from the steam turbine 12 to a repeater is extracted as extraction steam, and the feedwater is heated using the extraction steam, and a filtration device 19 in which heater drainage water discharged from the low-pressure feedwater heater 5 is filtered and supplied to the water supply system for recovery. The filtration device 19 includes a filter having a pore size of 1 to 5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Mamoru Iwasaki, Nobuaki Nagao, Senichi Tsubakizaki, Masaharu Takada
  • Publication number: 20150000279
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a steam power plant, particularly a combined cycle power plant, which includes a gas turbine an a steam/water cycle with a heat recovery steam generator, through which the exhaust gases of the gas turbine flow, a water-cooled condenser, a feedwater pump and a steam turbine. A cooling water pump is provided for pumping cooling water through said water-cooled condenser. Evacuating means are connected to the water-cooled condenser for evacuating at least said water-cooled condenser. The method relates to a shut down and start-up of the power plant after the shutdown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Wolfgang Franz Dietrich MOHR, Hamid OLIA, Miguel Angel CARRILLO RUBIO, Juergen REINHARD
  • Publication number: 20140373541
    Abstract: A safety operation method includes detecting a steam pressure inside a high-pressure casing of the high-pressure part and a steam pressure inside a low-pressure casing of the low-pressure part; obtaining a low-pressure casing limit pressure as a reference corresponding to a pressure of the high-pressure casing in each detection, on a basis of a pressure correlation line expressing a prescribed special relation between preset high-pressure casing pressure and low-pressure casing pressure of the extraction steam turbine; comparing the low-pressure casing limit pressure with the detected pressure of the low-pressure casing; and forcibly throttling an opening of the main steam control valve to reduce the flow rate of steam flowing into the high-pressure part, in a state in which the extraction control valves continue controlling an operation of the extraction steam pressure, when the detected pressure of the low-pressure casing is judged to be higher than the low-pressure casing limit pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Yoshifumi KATO
  • Publication number: 20140373540
    Abstract: A start control unit for a steam turbine plant, wherein inputting a measured value of a steam temperature fed to a steam turbine, a measured value or an estimated value of a rotor temperature of the steam turbine, and a measured value of a casing temperature of the steam turbine, and controlling a steam flow rate so as to increase the steam flow rate fed to the steam turbine when a difference between the steam temperature and the rotor temperature is smaller than a first regulated value and a difference between the rotor temperature and the casing temperature is a second regulated value or larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Eunkyeong KIM, Yasuhiro YOSHIDA, Takuya YOSHIDA, Tatsuro YASHIKI, Nobuyuki HOKARI, Kenichiro NOMURA, Kazunori YAMANAKA, Fumiyuki SUZUKI, Masaaki TOMIZAWA, Yuichi TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20140366538
    Abstract: A structure and method are provided for preventing or at least minimizing thermally-induced structural distortions, such as may occur when a steam turbine is cooling down. The steam turbine may include an inner housing and an outer housing. An intermediate space is formed between the inner housing and the outer housing, and sealing steam may be injected into the intermediate space to avoid the formation of temperature strata in the interspace and thus prevent the outer housing from bowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Frank Deister, Ingo Forster, Daniel Gloss, Christian Musch, Heinrich Stuer, Frank Truckenmuller
  • Publication number: 20140360190
    Abstract: A drain system (10) for connection to a steam turbine (14). The drain system comprises a main drain line (20) providing a main flow path and a bypass drain line (28) providing a bypass flow path parallel to the main flow path. The main drain line and the bypass drain line are external to the steam turbine. The drain system further comprises a drain orifice assembly (22) within the main drain line, with the drain orifice assembly accessible during operation of the steam turbine. The main drain line and the bypass drain line are connected to a drain path (24) for carrying condensate and contaminants from the steam turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Archambeault, Donald R. Leger
  • Patent number: 8893499
    Abstract: An expander-generator is disclosed having an expansion device and a generator disposed within a hermetically-sealed housing. The expansion device may be overhung and supported on or otherwise rotate a hollow expansion rotor having a thrust balance seal being arranged at least partially within a chamber defined in the expansion rotor. Partially-expanded working fluid is extracted from an intermediate expansion stage and a first portion of the extracted working fluid is used cool the generator and accompanying radial bearings. A second portion of the extracted working fluid may be introduced into the chamber defined within the expander rotor via a conduit defined in the thrust balance seal chamber. The second portion of extracted working fluid minimizes unequal axial thrust loads on the expander rotor due to the overhung arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventor: William C. Maier
  • Patent number: 8893507
    Abstract: A method for warming the rotor of a gas turbine during extended periods of downtime comprising feeding ambient air to an air blower; extracting compressed air from the air blower; feeding a portion of the compressed air to one side of a heat exchanger and steam (typically saturated) from e.g. a gas turbine heat recovery steam generator; passing the resulting heated air stream from the exchanger into and through into defined flow channels formed within the rotor; continuously monitoring the air temperature inside the rotor; and controlling the amount of air and steam fed to the heat exchanger using a feedback control loop that controls the amount of air and steam feeds to the exchanger and/or adjusts the flow rate of heated air stream into the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Prabhakaran Saraswathi Rajesh, Rajarshi Saha, Durgaprasad Janapaneedi, Satyanarayana Venkata Ravindra Emani
  • Patent number: 8857455
    Abstract: A method for regulating a steam bypass valve is provided. The bypass valve is arranged in a steam line and the steam line includes a device for spraying water. The equation, t Rest , 0 = FB max m . W , SOLL - m . W , IST is used to determine when to close the steam bypass valve. The steam bypass value is closed when tRest,0 is smaller than a value ?t. An actual volume of water {dot over (m)}W,IST, a desired volume of water {dot over (m)}W,SOLL and a maximum water-volume deficiency FBmax are used in the equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stephan Minuth, Stefan Riemann, Klaus Rothe
  • Patent number: 8857184
    Abstract: A method for increasing the operational flexibility of a turbomachine during a startup phase is provided. The turbomachine may include a first section, a second section, and a rotor disposed within the first section and the second section. The method may determine an allowable range of a physical parameter associated with the first section and/or the second section. The method may modulate a first valve and/or a second valve to allow steam flow into the first section and the second section respectively, wherein the modulation is based on the allowable range of the physical parameter. In addition, the physical parameter allows the method to independently apportion steam flow between the first section and the second section of the turbomachine, during the startup phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dileep Sathyanarayana, Steven Craig Kluge, Dean Alexander Baker, Steven Di Palma
  • Patent number: 8850817
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a steam turbine power plant comprising at least one steam generator that is fueled by lignite, wherein the lignite is indirectly dried in a fluidized bed dryer that is heated at least partially with steam from the water-steam circuit of the steam generator. Said method is characterized in that the flue gas from the steam generator undergoes gas scrubbing to remove CO2 and that the energy required for the gas scrubbing is at least partially extracted from the drying process in the fluidized bed. The invention additionally relates to a device for creating steam from lignite comprising a drying system for the lignite and a device to scrub CO2 from the flue gas, wherein the drying process and the CO2 gas scrubbing are thermally coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: RWE Power Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Georg Berger, Peter Moser, Toni Rupprecht, Sandra Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20140290249
    Abstract: Disclosed is a steam turbine power plant adapted to start operating safely even if prediction accuracy of its startup constraints cannot be obtained. The system calculates predictive values and current values of startup constraints of a steam turbine from process variables of plant physical quantities, next calculates in parallel both a first control input variable for a heat medium flow controller based on predictive values, and a second control input variable for a main steam control valve based on the current values, and while preferentially selecting the first control input variable, if the first control input variable is not calculated, selects the second control input variable instead. After the selection of at least one of the first and second control input variables, the system outputs an appropriate command value to the heat medium flow controller and the main steam control valve according to the kind of selected control input variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro YASHIKI, Yasuhiro YOSHIDA, Takuya YOSHIDA, Naohiro KUSUMI, Kazunori YAMANAKA, Kenichiro NOMURA, Masaaki TOMIZAWA, Fumiyuki SUZUKI, Yuichi TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8844289
    Abstract: A method of cooling a turbine having internal moving components to a predetermined temperature is disclosed. The method comprises taking the turbine offline. While the turbine is offline, nitrogen is flowed through the turbine until the turbine reaches the predetermined temperature while controlling the flow of nitrogen from at least one injection point to prevent damage to the moving components of the turbine by achieving uniform cooling of the internal moving components. Then the flow of nitrogen is stopped. A method and assembly for cleaning a turbine having a deposit formed on an internal surface of the turbine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Steven J. Barber
  • Patent number: 8844288
    Abstract: A steam turbine facility is provided which is capable of appropriately sealing a gap between members made of cast material of Ni-based alloy even under the steam-temperature condition of 650° C. or higher, and which includes a first member and a second member whose base material is formed of cast material composed of at least one of Ni-based alloy, austenite steel, or high-chrome steel, form a space where the steam of 650° C. or higher flows. Between the first member and the second member, a metal gasket is provided which has a plurality of portions in line contact with the first member and the second member. On the first member and the second member, a first high-hardness layer which is harder than the base material, is provided at least in a portion where each of the first member and the second member is in line contact with the metal gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Nishimoto, Katsuhisa Hamada, Yoshinori Tanaka, Tanehiro Shinohara, Tetsuro Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 8820046
    Abstract: Methods and systems for mitigating distortion of a shaft of a gas turbine engine are provided. One method comprises at least one step of applying intermittent rotary power to a shaft of a gas turbine engine. The step of applying intermittent power to the shaft is performed during a period where conditions of temperature differential in the engine exist capable of distorting the shaft. The methods and systems shorten the time needed to start a gas turbine engine in such a way that bowing of a shaft is not a significant problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven A. Ross, Thomas E. Agin
  • Patent number: 8820078
    Abstract: A once-through high pressure steam generator and reheater configured to eliminate the majority of components limiting cyclical life of fast start conventional HRSGs. Two remaining problematic components in conventional designs the final superheater and reheater tubes overheat while their headers remain colder in fast starts. In this inventive HRSG the critical components are arranged and started by a method that limits these damaging temperature differentials. At ignition when exhaust gas surges into a wet superheater steam flow starts minutes before conventional systems. This early steam flow cools the tubes while heating the headers, thereby reducing life damaging stresses. Steam temperature is controlled through the start and warms the rest of the plant earlier without attemperators with their problematic thermal stress history. Faster starts than conventional result without damaging fatigue life depletion with this low cost innovation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Duffy
  • Publication number: 20140238019
    Abstract: System and method for pre-startup or post-shutdown preparation for such power plants are disclosed which are subject to frequent startups and shutdowns, such as a solar operated power plant. The system and method introduces an auxiliary fluid flow to be circulated in an opposite direction to a direction of normal working fluid flow responsible for producing electricity. That is, if the working fluid flow in a first direction for operating the power plant, than the auxiliary fluid flows in a second direction, opposite to the first direction. The auxiliary fluid flows in the second direction for a predetermined time and at a predetermined conditions through a plurality of superheater panel arrangements of solar receiver former to activation of the working fluid circuit, as pre-startup preparation of the power plant, and after cessation of the working fluid circuit, as post-shutdown preparation of the power plant, to attain predetermined conditions in the superheater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Rahul J. Terdalkar, Wesley P. Bauver, Thomas W. Sambor
  • Patent number: 8813506
    Abstract: A method is provided for connecting at least one further steam generator to a first steam generator in a power plant. The power plant includes at least two steam generators and a steam turbine, in which a fluid used to drive the steam turbine is conveyed in a fluid circuit having a plurality of steam systems. The steam systems are assigned individual steam generators and are able to be separated from one another by shut-off valves. The fluid of at least the first steam generator is connected to the steam turbine. The method involves opening the shut-off valve of at least one first steam system of the at least one further steam generator before the steam of the at least one further steam generator has reached approximately the same steam parameters as the steam of the first steam generator, so that steam can flow into the further steam generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Hermsdorf, Matthias Migl, Georg Peters, Erich Schmid, Michael Schöttler
  • Patent number: 8806870
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a carbon-dioxide-recovery-type thermal power generation system includes an absorption column allows carbon dioxide contained in exhaust gas from a boiler to be absorbed in an absorption liquid, a regeneration column that discharges a carbon dioxide gas from the absorption liquid supplied from the absorption column, a reboiler that heats the absorption liquid discharged from the regeneration column and supplies steam generated, to the regeneration column, a condenser that generates condensate by cooling the steam exhausted from a turbine, a heater that heats the condensate, a water supply pump that supplies the condensate to the boiler, a line through the steam extracted from the turbine is supplied to the reboiler and the heater, and a steam flow rate adjusting unit. The steam flow rate adjusting unit maintains an amount of steam, which is extracted from the turbine through the line, to be constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Haruhiko Hirata, Hideo Kitamura, Takashi Ogawa, Yukio Ohashi
  • Patent number: 8794001
    Abstract: A power generation apparatus that suppress cavitation includes a first on/off valve provided between a steam generator and an expander in a circulating channel; a bypass channel connected between an area between the steam generator and the first on/off valve and an area between the expander and a condenser; a second on/off valve provided in the bypass channel; a third on/off valve provided between a pump and the steam generator; and a controller. When stopping the pump, the controller outputs a control signal that stops the pump, a control signal that closes the first on/off valve, a control signal that opens the second on/off valve, and a control signal that closes the third on/off valve. In the case where a predetermined condition has been met, the controller outputs a control signal that closes the second on/off valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Tsuboi, Masayoshi Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20140208750
    Abstract: Provided herein are heat engine systems and methods for starting such systems and generating electricity while avoiding damage to one or more system components. A provided heat engine system maintains a working fluid (e.g., sc-CO2) within the low pressure side of a working fluid circuit in a liquid-type state, such as a supercritical state, during a startup procedure. Additionally, a bypass system is provided for routing the working fluid around one or more heat exchangers during startup to avoid overheating of system components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Louis Vermeersch, Brett A. Bowan, Swapnil Khairnar
  • Patent number: 8789371
    Abstract: A power generation apparatus including a boiler feedwater pump turbine control system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a power generation apparatus is disclosed, including: a boiler feedwater pump turbine having a low pressure steam inlet and a high pressure steam inlet; a high pressure control valve for controlling admission of high pressure steam to the high pressure steam inlet; a low pressure control valve for controlling admission of low pressure steam to the low pressure steam inlet; and a control system operably coupled to the high pressure control valve and the low pressure control valve, the control system configured to close the low pressure control valve and prevent flow of the low pressure steam to the boiler feedwater pump turbine in response to a request for increased power output from a power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles Henry Kleine
  • Patent number: 8766645
    Abstract: A method for tracking the deterioration of the insulators in a rotating machine, a method for preventive maintenance of these machines using this tracking and devices using the tracking method is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Gérard Friedrich, Marie Jaillet-Delclaud, Emilie Renouard-Mouren, David Laurent, Bernard Mineur, Emmanuel Odic
  • Patent number: 8763397
    Abstract: A solar-thermal receiver with a superheater isolation valve is disclosed. The superheater isolation valve is positioned so as to impede the transfer of steam from a steam drum or vertical separator into a superheater. The decays in temperature and pressure, within components of a solar-thermal receiver system that may occur throughout the shutdown period of a solar-thermal receiver, may be reduced or minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventors: Phani K. Meduri, James E. Pacheco, Andrew Heap
  • Publication number: 20140165565
    Abstract: A steam turbine plant capable of stably controlling start up of a steam turbine provided with a turbine bypass system and a driving method thereof are provided. A steam turbine plant 10 of an embodiment includes: a superheater 21; a reheater 22; a high-pressure turbine 30; an intermediate-pressure turbine 40; a low-pressure turbine 50; a condenser 110; a bypass pipe 74 that branches off a main steam pipe 70 and is provided with a high-pressure turbine bypass valve 95; a bypass pipe 75 that branches off a high-temperature reheat steam pipe 72, is connected to the condenser 110, and is provided with a low-pressure turbine bypass valve 97; and a branch pipe 76 that branches off a low-temperature reheat steam pipe 71, is connected to the condenser 110, and is provided with a ventilator valve 99.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Osamu Shindo
  • Patent number: 8745985
    Abstract: In a steam power plant, a first cooling circuit includes a condenser for condensing steam and a first pump for pumping a first cooling fluid through the condenser in order to cool the condenser. A third cooling circuit is a closed cycle cooling circuit that utilizes a second cooling fluid for cooling down at least one component that is different from the condenser. A second cooling circuit includes a heat exchanger that thermally couples the first cooling fluid and the second cooling fluid and utilizes the first cooling fluid in the heat exchanger for cooling down the second fluid and further includes a second pump for pumping the first cooling fluid through the second cooling circuit independently from an operation of the first pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Markus Fichtner, Mark Reissig, Marc Sattelberger
  • Patent number: 8739535
    Abstract: A system and method improves cold start performance of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) plant. The system includes one or more pumps configured to pump condensed fluid from points of natural accumulation of the condensed fluid within an ORC loop back into a corresponding low pressure liquid storage vessel shortly after shutting down the ORC plant to ensure the start-up routine works properly for the next ORC plant start event. One or more of the pumps can also be configured to pump fluid away from the ORC expansion machine(s) at any time prior to starting the ORC if the fluid is in a liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herbert Kopecek, Gabor Ast, Sebastian Freund, Thomas Johannes Frey, Pierre Sebastien Huck, Simon Schoewel
  • Publication number: 20140137555
    Abstract: The invention can be a method for maintaining an operating temperature of a power plant during shut-down periods. The method can include, during shut-down of the power plant, generating heat with an electric heater in order to approximately maintain the operating temperature of the power plant. The method can use electric power to operate the electric heater, where at least some of the electric power is from an electricity grid external to the power plant. The method can continue to generate heat with the electric heater as long as at least one of the electrical prices and the demand for electricity indicate that it will be more efficient to use electric power from the electricity grid to generate heat with the electric heater than to more completely shut down or restart the power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Hyteresis, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonardo Andres DEL CAMPO, Warren KATZENSTEIN
  • Patent number: 8726625
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant is provided and includes a gas turbine engine to generate power from combustion of a fuel and air mixture, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) disposed downstream from the gas turbine engine to receive heat energy from the gas turbine engine from which steam is produced, the HRSG including a superheating element and a drum element, and a steam turbine engine to be receptive of the steam produced in the HRSG and to generate power from the received steam, the HRSG further including a valve operably disposed to isolate the superheating element from the drum element when a risk of condensate formation in the HRSG exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joel Donnell Holt, Gordon Raymond Smith
  • Patent number: 8713941
    Abstract: A method for operating a multi-step steam turbine operating in high temperature conditions is provided. The rotor is embodied as a welded construction including a first component and a second component. A coolant is supplied to the steam turbine after an intermediate state when the steam turbine is in the light-load or no-load phase. As a result, the thermal loads in the outflow area of the steam turbine are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Glos, Matthias Heue, Ernst-Wilhelm Pfitzinger, Norbert Pieper
  • Publication number: 20140102100
    Abstract: The various embodiments herein provide a safety system for multiple turbine stages for saturated steam applications. The system comprises an isolating system having the inter-stage pipes for isolating the turbine stages and for transferring steam from one stage to another stage. A draining system is connected to each seal housing, inlet casing, exit casing and inter stage pipe to drain out a condensed steam vapor during a passage of steam between two successive stages. The draining system comprises drain pipes and a condensate pot for collecting and storing condensed steam. A thermodynamic trap is attached to the drain pipes and condensate pot for removing the condensed steam vapors collected in the condensate pot and drain pipes without significant steam leakage. A control system is provided for detecting and stopping high speed rotation of rotor disk in turbine assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Inventor: KRISHNA KUMAR BINDINGNAVALE RANGA
  • Patent number: 8695342
    Abstract: A turbine for converting thermal energy into mechanical work. The turbine includes a heating system, wherein the heating system is adapted for heating the turbine in a power off state and/or a start-up phase of the turbine. The heating system may include an electrical heating device and/or a steam heating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mikael Fredriksson, Torbjörn Johansson, Tommy Larsson, Oskar Mazur
  • Publication number: 20140096521
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure generally provide a heat engine system with a working fluid circuit and a method for starting a turbopump disposed in the working fluid circuit. The turbopump has a main pump and may be started and ramped-up using a starter pump arranged in parallel with the main pump of the turbopump. Once the turbopump reaches a self-sustaining speed of operation, a series of valves may be manipulated to deactivate the starter pump and direct additional working fluid to a power turbine for generating electrical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: ECHOGEN POWER SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy James Held, Michael Vermeersch, Tao Xie
  • Publication number: 20140075942
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a steam cycle process for using the heat of an internal combustion engine (2), comprising a conduction circuit (4) in which a working medium circulates. Said conduction circuit (4) comprises at least one pump (6, 13), at least one heat exchanger (8), an expansion machine (10), a feedwater tank (14) for storing the liquid working medium, and a condenser (12). Components of the conduction circuit (4) are frost-proofed by partially evacuating the liquid working medium. After the end of the circulation of the working medium, at least one of the pumps (6, 13) continues to operate in order to evacuate the working medium at least from the pump (6, 13) which continues to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Gregory Rewers, Nadja Eisenmenger, Achim Brenk, Dieter Seher, Hans-Christoph Magel, Andreas Wengert
  • Publication number: 20140075941
    Abstract: Provided is a power generating apparatus capable of using power generated by a heat engine in combination with power of a driving source provided separately from the heat engine. In order to prevent a problem caused when activating and stopping the apparatus, the apparatus of the present invention includes a rotary machine driving source which generates a rotational driving force for a rotary machine and a heat engine which drives the rotary machine in cooperation with the rotary machine driving source, wherein the heat engine includes an expander which expands an evaporated working medium so as to generate a rotational driving force, the expander is provided with a bypass pipe which causes a working medium inlet of the expander to communicate with a working medium outlet thereof, and the bypass pipe is provided with an on-off valve which opens and closes the bypass pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Shigeto Adachi, Masayoshi Matsumura, Yutaka Narukawa
  • Patent number: 8671688
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant is provided and includes a gas turbine engine to generate power, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to produce steam from high energy fluids produced from the generation of power in the gas turbine engine, a steam turbine engine to generate additional power from the steam produced in the HRSG and a thermal load reduction system to reduce thermal loading of components of the HRSG and/or the steam turbine engine during at least startup and/or part load operations, which includes an eductor by which a mixture of compressor discharge air and entrained ambient air is injectable into the HRSG and/or an attemperator to cool superheated steam to be transmitted to the steam turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Lee Rogers, Rahul Jaikaran Chillar, Robert Frank Hoskin, Julio Enrique Mestroni, Vijay Raghavendran Nenmeni
  • Patent number: 8671686
    Abstract: Backup energy systems utilizing compressed air storage (CAS) systems and bridging energy systems to supply backup power to a load are provided. During a power failure, the bridging energy system provides backup power to the load at least until the CAS system begins supplying adequate power. In various embodiments, backup power capability is enhanced through the use of one or more exhaustless heaters, which are used to heat compressed air. The compressed air, in turn, drives a turbine which is used to power an electrical generator. In various embodiments, ambient air heat exchangers or other types of heat exchangers are used to heat compressed air prior to the compressed air being routed to the turbine, thereby increasing system efficiency. Backup power and backup HVAC are also provided by utilizing turbine exhaust, heat exchangers and various resistive heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Active Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph F. Pinkerton, David Beatty, David E. Perkins
  • Publication number: 20140060044
    Abstract: A system includes a heat exchanger and a fluid flow control module. The heat exchanger includes a substrate, a catalyst applied to the substrate, and fluid passages. Exhaust gas from an engine flows through the heat exchanger and a working fluid in the fluid passages absorbs heat from the exhaust gas. The fluid flow control module controls fluid flow from the heat exchanger based on a temperature of the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Stuart R. Smith, Norman K. Bucknor
  • Patent number: 8656718
    Abstract: In a steam system having a turbine driven by steam supplied from a high-pressure header to a low-pressure header, when the pressure in the low-pressure header drops, a turbine bypass valve is opened and the high-pressure side steam is supplied to the low-pressure side header in a normal control. When the turbine is tripped, steam is rapidly flow into the low-pressure side header and its pressure temporally increases. the steam in the low-pressure header is discharged through a discharge valve. After that, if a steam supply from the low-pressure header to another process increases, the discharge valve is closed. After the discharge valve is fully closed, an after-trip control is performed in which the opening of the turbine bypass valve is increased at an earlier timing than the normal control for preventing the steam amount in the low-pressure header to be too small. The control stability of the steam system when the turbine is tripped can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuko Takeshita, Susumu Kouno, Haruaki Hirayama, Naohiko Ishibashi, Yosuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8650878
    Abstract: A turbine system includes a valve coupled to a leak off line from a leak packing of a first turbine, the valve controlling a first steam flow used to maintain a constant self-sustaining sealing pressure to a second turbine across numerous loading conditions. A related method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mahendra Singh Mehra, Nestor Hernandez Sanchez, Jegadeesan Maruthamuthu, Rajasekar Natarajan, Manikandan Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20140033708
    Abstract: To operate solar thermal technology economically, a cheap heat transfer fluid is used. To either completely spare or significantly reduce the energy-intensive auxiliary heating at night, a water tank is simply installed in the plant without a threat to the environment. With the water tank, the salt HTF is thinned by adding water when the solar heating is not in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Gröppel, Pascal Heilmann, Christian Müller-Elvers, Peter Mürau, Matthias Übler
  • Publication number: 20140000277
    Abstract: A method to start up and manage a combined cycle thermal plant for energy production comprising the execution according to a set sequence of a plurality of functional groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventor: Ezio Pasqualon
  • Publication number: 20140000259
    Abstract: A method is provided for connecting at least one further steam generator to a first steam generator in a power plant. The power plant includes at least two steam generators and a steam turbine, in which a fluid used to drive the steam turbine is conveyed in a fluid circuit having a plurality of steam systems. The steam systems are assigned individual steam generators and are able to be separated from one another by shut-off valves. The fluid of at least the first steam generator is connected to the steam turbine. The method involves opening the shut-off valve of at least one first steam system of the at least one further steam generator before the steam of the at least one further steam generator has reached approximately the same steam parameters as the steam of the first steam generator, so that steam can flow into the further steam generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Christian Hermsdorf, Matthias Migl, Georg Peters, Erich Schmid, Michael Schottler
  • Patent number: 8616001
    Abstract: Various thermodynamic power-generating cycles are disclosed. A turbopump arranged in the cycles is started and ramped-up using a starter pump arranged in parallel with the main pump of the turbopump. Once the turbopump is able to self-sustain, a series of valves may be manipulated to deactivate the starter pump and direct additional working fluid to a power turbine for generating electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Echogen Power Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy James Held, Michael Louis Vermeersch, Tao Xie
  • Patent number: 8620483
    Abstract: A steam system control method applied to a steam system including: a low-pressure header storing low-pressure steam; a high-pressure header storing high-pressure header; a steam turbine connected between them; and a turbine bypass line introducing controlled amount of steam from the high-pressure header to the low-pressure header by bypassing the steam turbine. The low-pressure header has a blow-off valve for discharging excessive steam to the outside. The steam system control method includes: a normal time blow-off valve control step of PI controlling the opening of the blow-off valve; and a trip time blow-off control step of controlling the opening of the blow-off valve by changing the MV value to a predetermined trip time opening set value when the turbine is tripped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuko Takeshita, Susumu Kouno, Haruaki Hirayama, Naohiko Ishibashi, Yosuke Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20130305720
    Abstract: Systems and methods for actively controlling the temperature in at least portions of a steam path associated with a steam turbine are disclosed. An active temperature control unit is configured to activate one or more attemperators to maintain temperatures in at least a portion of the steam path below a pre-determined threshold. By maintaining the temperature, those portions of the steam path may use less expensive materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kamlesh Mundra, Nestor Hernandez Sanchez, Fred Thomas Willett, Raymond Pang
  • Patent number: 8572970
    Abstract: A rankine cycle system, which includes a turbine for driving a generator by way of a gearbox having an oil sump, is adapted to have the oil heated relatively quickly by causing a mixture of hot refrigerant gases from the evaporator and the oil from the low portion of the turbine to be mixed in an eductor and flow to the oil sump for heating the oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Peter S. Matteson, Sean P. Breen