Patents Represented by Attorney Cermak & Kenealy LLP
  • Patent number: 7169242
    Abstract: A method for removing casting defects (5) from an article (1) with an oriented microstructure can include locating at least one casting defect (5) and melting the casting defect (5) locally by a heat source (7) to a depth at least as great as the casting defect (5) itself. The molten material can then be solidified epitaxially with respect to the surrounding oriented microstructure of the article (1) in a way that the resulting solidified area is substantially free of any defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: John Fernihough, Matthias Hoebel, Maxim Konter
  • Patent number: 7168916
    Abstract: A rotor (10) for a thermal machine, in particular a steam or gas turbine, includes a plurality of rotor disks (12, 13, 14) which are arranged one behind the other in the rotor axis (11) and are welded to one another, at least one first rotor disk (13), which is arranged in a section of the rotor (10) which is subject to particularly high thermal loads, including a nickel-base alloy which is able to withstand high temperatures and is welded to at least one second, adjacent rotor disk (12, 14), which includes a steel which is able to withstand high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard Brendon Scarlin
  • Patent number: 7169478
    Abstract: Multinary alloys, in particular for use as coatings, if appropriate in combination with other types of layers, for components which are exposed to high temperatures and corrosive gases. The alloys are of the general form: Al—Ni—Ru-M, where at least one B2 phase is present, the aluminum content being in the range from 26–60 atomic percent and where M may be one or more metals and/or semimetals selected from the group consisting of: precious metal, transition metal, rare earths, semimetal. Multinary alloys of this type are very stable with respect to oxidation, have a low thermal conductivity and in particular have similar coefficients of thermal expansion to superalloys, which are usually used as substrates for protective coatings of this type in gas turbine components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Anton Kaiser, Valery Shklover, Walter Steurer, Ivan Victor Vjunitsky
  • Patent number: 7165935
    Abstract: In an axial compressor (10), in particular for a gas turbine, with a plurality of stages (ST1, . . . , ST5) which are arranged one behind the other between a compressor inlet (14) and a compressor outlet (15) and include in each case at least one ring of rotor blades (R) and one ring of stator blades (S), a substantial improvement is achieved in that, to minimize the losses in the individual stages (ST1, . . . , ST5), during operation of the axial compressor (10) in which water is injected into the compressor inlet (14) and evaporates on its way though the compressor (10) (what is known as “wet compression”), the variations, caused by the injected water, in the flow velocities (c1, cm1, w1) of the medium flowing though the compressor (10) are largely compensated by a controlled change in the geometry of the blades (R, S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Sven Buehler, Charles Raymond Matz
  • Patent number: 7161029
    Abstract: A diL-lysine monosulfate trihydrate crystal which has a large tabular form and is more easily separable from the mother liquor. The crystal is obtained by a novel process of conducting crystallization at a lower temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kushiku, Dave Steckelberg, Toshiya Tanabe, Jirou Haga
  • Patent number: 7160704
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for producing a target substance using a coryneform bacterium comprising culturing a coryneform bacterium having an ability to produce the target substance in a medium, resulting in accumulation of the target substance in the medium or cells of the bacterium, and collecting the target substance from the medium or the cells of the bacterium. Also disclosed is a coryneform bacterium which is introduced with a methanol dehydrogenase gene and which has enhanced activities of hexulose phosphate synthase and phosphohexuloisomerase, and to which an ability to utilize methanol is imparted or which has enhanced ability to utilize methanol, and the medium contains methanol as a carbon source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ryo Takeshita, Hisashi Yasueda
  • Patent number: 7152864
    Abstract: It is disclosed a seal assembly (5) which comprises a layered structure. It consists of a first layer (9, 12) of a base material, a second layer (10) of thermal insulating material on top of the base material and a third layer (11, 12) of base material or an oxide resistant material on top of the second layer (10) of thermal insulation. The inventive seal assembly (5) described herein can be arranged between combustor liner segments (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter G. Amos, Gordon McColvin, D. Gregory More
  • Patent number: 7150154
    Abstract: A compressed air energy storage power station comprises a first shafting (1) and a second shafting (2). A gas turbo group (11), an electrical machine (12) and a compressor (13) are arranged on the first shafting (1). Switchable clutch elements (14, 15) are arranged between the electrical machine and the gas turbo group or the compressor. The clutch elements allow a connection to be selectively made between the electrical machine and the gas turbo group (11) or the compressor (13). An expansion machine (21) for the power generating expansion of a pressurized storage fluid, an electrical machine (22) and a compressor (23) are arranged on the second shafting (2). Switchable clutch elements (24, 25) are arranged between the electrical machine and the expansion machine or the compressor and allow the electrical machine to be optionally connected to the expansion machine and to the compressor. The electrical machines are operable both as generators and as electric motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Rolf Althaus, Martin Koller
  • Patent number: 7147899
    Abstract: A process of masking cooling holes (4) of a gas turbine component (1) with an external surface (6), including a cavity (2) and a plurality of cooling holes (4) before coating the gas turbine component (1), includes first applying a mask material (5) to the cooling holes (4) so that the cooling holes are filled at least closest to the external surface (6), whereby the mask material (5) contains a filler material. Then the mask material (5) within the cooling holes (4) is thickening and the coating (8) is applied to the external surface (6) of the component (1) and the masked cooling holes (4). In the end remaining thickened mask material (5a) is removed from the cooling holes (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: John Fernihough, Andreas Boegli, Alexander Stankowski
  • Patent number: 7147684
    Abstract: For preparing a gas stream cleaned from dust and dirt particles, a device is proposed in which an outflow channel (2) for cleaned medium has at its mouth in an inflow channel (1) an extension element (4), which projects into the inflow channel. A cover element (6) covers an end inflow aperture (4a) of the extension element. In an embodiment of the invention, the extension element (4) has lateral inlet apertures (5). The cover element (6) is preferably constituted hood-shaped, and has axial extension elements (6a), which at least partially cover the extension element (4) in the axial direction, and advantageously extend over the lateral inlet apertures. The stream entering the outflow channel (2) for cleaned medium must overcome strong flow deflections, so that particles with a low flow following ability cannot get into this channel. Further outflow channels (3) for conducting the remaining dust-laden medium are arranged substantially flush with the wall (7) of the inflow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Gordon Anderson, Marcel Koenig
  • Patent number: 7140183
    Abstract: A burner (24) which is useful for operating a heat generator includes a first upstream swirl generator (17) capable of swirling a combustion air stream, a device for injecting at least one fuel into the combustion air stream from the upstream swirl generator (17), an exit ring (1) located at the downstream end of the burner (24) at the edge to the combustion chamber (2) where the fuel is burnt, and preferentially a mixing section (20, 21) downstream from the upstream swirl generator (17) having a downstream end, having at least one transfer duct (20) for transferring downstream a flow of combustion air and fuel formed in the upstream swirl generator (17), and having a mixing tube (21) downstream from the at least one transfer duct (20) and receiving flow from the at least one transfer duct (20), wherein the downstream end of the mixing section borders the combustion chamber (2) and is formed by the exit ring (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Ruck, Sasha Savic, Torsten Strand
  • Patent number: 7142403
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detection of a ground fault (18), which occurs in the vicinity of a neutral point (22), in a polyphase electrical device which is operated at a fundamental frequency, in particular an electrical machine (10) or a transformer which has a number of windings (11, 12, 13), which are associated with the individual phases, one end of each of which windings (11, 12, 13) is connected to the neutral point (22) and the other end of each of which windings (11, 12, 13) is connected directly to a power supply network via a power supply system connection (14, 15, 16). Simple and reliable detection is achieved in that the change in the physical variables which is associated with a ground fault (18) is measured in the immediate vicinity of the ground fault (18), and is evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Goeran Lindahl, Erland Soerensen
  • Patent number: 7140841
    Abstract: A connecting arrangement for rotor blades of a turbomachine includes projections (2), which extend in circumferential direction (3), are rigidly connected in pairs to a rotor blade and are respectively supported on the adjacent projection (2) by means of a pressure body (7). Each pressure body (7) has, on a securing face (8), a securing contour (10) which protrudes into an acceptance feature (11) of the associated projection (2) and is supported in it. Each pressure body (7) has, on a support face (9), a plane support surface (13) which has area support on a plane mating support surface (14) of the adjacent projection (2). In order to also improve the support in the case of different rotational angles of the projections (2), the securing contour (10) of the pressure body (7) is configured as a spherical segment. The associated acceptance feature (11) is likewise configured as a spherical segment whose radius (R) is of the same magnitude as the radius (R) of the spherical segment of the securing contour (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Eduard Goetzfried, Heinz-Dieter Tremmel
  • Patent number: 7141898
    Abstract: Gaseous coolant, preferably helium, flows from coolers 12 past the winding overhangs 7 of the stator 3, then through cooling channels in the rotor 1, then into the rotor/stator gap 4, then through cooling ducts in the stator core 6 into a coolant receiving region 11, and then through the coolers 12. The coolant flow is preferably caused solely by the rotor auto-ventilation effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Denis Thiot
  • Patent number: 7138266
    Abstract: A bacterial strain of Escherichia coli is described which produces L-threonine, and is obtained by a process comprising transduction by bacteriophage P1 which bears a transposon which inactivates threonine dehydrogenase activity, and isolation of a transductant lacking threonine dehydrogenase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Georgievich Debabov, Jury Ivanovich Kozlov, Evgeny Moiseevich Khurges, Vitaly Arkadievich Livshits, Nelli Isaakovna Zhdanova, Mikhail Markovich Gusyatiner, Alexandr Konstantinovich Sokolov, Tatyana Alexandrovna Bachina, Nikolai Kazimirovich Yankovsky, Jury Dmitrievich Tsygankov, Andrei Jurievich Chistoserdov, Tatyana Grigorievna Plotnikova, Irina Olegovna Shakalis, Alla Valentinovna Belareva, Raisa Alexandrovna Arsatiants, Albert Fedorovich Sholin, Tamara Mikhailovna Pozdnyakova
  • Patent number: 7137809
    Abstract: In the case of swirl-stabilized premix burners (1), an axial mass flow distribution of the fuel introduced which has especially favorable values with respect to characteristics such as NOx emission and maximum amplitudes of pulsations occurring is used. For this purpose, Pareto solutions are determined with respect to the said characteristics, in that a distributing device (5) with control valves is represented by a tree structure with distributing parameters, and values for the distributing parameters on the basis of which the distributing device (5) is set by means of a control unit (10) are iteratively generated in a data-processing system (9) by an evolutionary algorithm. On the basis of the values determined by a measuring unit (11), solutions which are especially favorable with respect to the characteristics mentioned, espectially Pareto-optimal, are selected. The distributing devices or the premix burners of the burner system are then formed in a way corresponding to such a solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Dirk Bueche, Rolf Dornberger, Petros Koumoutsakos, Christian Oliver Paschereit, Bruno Schuermans, Peter Stoll
  • Patent number: 7134768
    Abstract: Light emitted from a plurality of LED light sources can be introduced into a light guide and inwardly reflected (totally reflected) at a first reflective surface formed on the light guide to form a substantially collimated light. The substantially collimated light can then be inwardly reflected (totally reflected) at a second reflective surface and a third reflective surface. The light can then be led out of the light guide and emitted in a direction of illumination of the lamp. An increased amount of light provides a bright lamp. An arrangement of LEDs emitting different colored lights enables the different colored lights to be emitted at the same time or with time delays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7131814
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement (17) for supplying a first cavity (9) with a cooling gas, in particular in a gas turbine of a power plant, includes a cooling-gas passage (19) which is formed in a first component (6) and connects the first cavity (9) to a second cavity (10 ). A second component (16 ) bears against a bearing side (15) remote from the second cavity (10 ) and separates the first cavity (9) from a third cavity (12). The second component (16 ) is displaceable within a range of displacement. To improve the cooling effect, an orifice region (20) of the cooling-gas passage (19) is dimensioned and/or positioned in such a way that its orifice cross section (21) projects from the range of displacement to such an extent that it is open at least with a predetermined minimum cross section in any position of the second component (16 ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Christoph Nagler, André Schwind, Ralf Walz
  • Patent number: 7131175
    Abstract: An extraction tool (20) for extracting spiral threaded inserts includes an elongated basic body (23, . . . , 26), on the one end of which an extracting tip (28) narrowing toward the front and intended for being inserted with a cutting action into the threaded insert to be extracted is provided, and on the other end of which a device (23) for turning the extraction tool (20) about the tool longitudinal axis is provided. In the case of such an extraction tool, extraction of the threaded inserts through inspection ports is made possible in a simple and reliable manner by virtue of the fact that at least a section of the extracting tip (28) has the shape of a steep-angle truncated pyramid (28.1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Graham Cristopher Young
  • Patent number: 7128537
    Abstract: A rotor blade (1) for a flow machine includes an aerodynamic blade (2) and a foot (3). The foot (3) has an anchoring section (5) on a side facing away from the blade (2). A rotor (4) of the flow machine has an axial anchoring groove (6) which is complementary to the anchoring section (5). The anchoring section (5) can be inserted axially into the anchoring groove (6) in order to radially attach the rotor blade (1) to the rotor (4). At least one pulling-off contour (7) is formed on the foot (3), via which an axial pulling-off force can be introduced into the rotor blade (1), which is attached to the rotor (4) with the aid of a pulling-off tool (15) which is complementary to this pulling-off contour (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Emil Anner, Edouard Sloutski, Alexandre Tchekanov, Remigi Tschuor