Patents Represented by Attorney Cermak & Kenealy LLP
  • Patent number: 6942390
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement for the rotor (11) of a rotating machine, in particular of a hydrogenerator (20) rotating about a vertical axis (19), comprises a combined axial and radial bearing (23) which is accommodated in a bearing body (24), on which supporting arms (27) are arranged for absorbing axial forces. The supporting arms (27) are supported with the free ends on a load-bearing base. Tangentially oriented connecting elements (29) are additionally provided between the bearing body (24) and a foundation (21), enclosing the rotor, for absorbing radial forces and for centering the bearing, which connecting elements (29) are fastened at a first end to the foundation (21) and are fastened at a second end to articulation points (31) arranged directly on the bearing body (24). This results in a material-saving construction, optimization of the individual bearing functions, and improved adjustability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Axel Guenter Albert Fuerst, Kamil Matyscak
  • Patent number: 6942900
    Abstract: A process for producing insulations for electrical conductors by powder coating, which results in aging which is improved compared to glass-mica or casting-resin insulation, and a powder which is suitable for such a process. The powder is applied a number of times in succession, in the form of individual layers which follow one another, until a layer thickness of ?10 mm is reached, and each of the individual layers undergoes intermediate heat curing before the next individual layer is applied. The intermediate curing of each individual layer uses a curing time which corresponds to 2-10 times the gel time of the powder used. Finally, the entire insulation undergoes final curing. The result of an electrical life test carried out on various specimens insulated with epoxy-resin powder which contains fine filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Baumann, Johann Nienburg, Jörg Oesterheld, Jörg Sopka
  • Patent number: 6932353
    Abstract: A seal has a metallic body having a convoluted cross-section extending between first and second ends and a first generally interior surface extending between the first and second ends and a second generally exterior surface extending between the first and second ends. An adhesive is located in one or more locations on at least one of the surfaces, the adhesive holding the body in a longitudinally contracted condition. There are related methods of manufacture. In related methods of use, the adhesive is caused to release, allowing the seal to expand toward the relaxed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter G. Amos, D. Gregory More, Ian W. Boston
  • Patent number: 6924045
    Abstract: It is disclosed a bond or overlay MCrAlY-coating for the use within a high temperature environment for the protection of the base alloy of turbine blades and vanes. The MCrAlY-coating having a ? or ?/??-structure comprises a dispersion of ?-NiAl and/or ?/?-MCrAlY particles. This provides a reservoir of aluminum reservoir to coatings wherein the reservoir replenish the aluminum lost due to oxidation and interdiffusion during service. The ?-NiAl and/or ?/?-MCrAlY is the aluminum reservoir and is applied by mixing appropriate powders with ? or ?/?? powders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventors: Abdus S. Khan, Maxime Konter, Robert Schmees
  • Patent number: 6922060
    Abstract: In a method for detecting partial conductor short circuits (7) in a conductor (11) including plural mutually insulated partial conductors (5) in which the partial conductors (5) are connected together at one or both ends of the conductor (11) by a short circuit (3), a simple measurement without changes to the conductor is made possible in that the propagation behavior of time-varying electrical signals is measured on the conductor (11), that the measured propagation behavior is compared with the propagation behavior on a reference conductor without partial conductor short circuits, and that conclusions are drawn as to the presence of partial conductor short circuits from the changes in propagation behavior given by the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Christoph Wendel, Mike Offermann
  • Patent number: 6916021
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sealing arrangement which is formed between a rotating assembly (4, 6) and a static assembly (3, 14, 15). In this sealing arrangement, the rotating assembly (4, 6, 16) has at least one cutting element (1) which engages in a counterpart surface on the static component. The present sealing arrangement is distinguished by the fact that the cutting element (1) is designed as a chipping device with a geometrically determined cutting edge with respect to the counterpart surface (2) or forms a chipping device of this type when the rotating assembly is rotating. The proposed sealing arrangement reduces the wear to the cutting element even in the event of adverse rotation or temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexander Beeck, Bruno Benedetti, Andreas Kieninger, Ulrich Rathmann
  • Patent number: 6901759
    Abstract: A gas turbine system includes a gas turbine (1, 2, 3) having a compressor (1) and a turbine (2), which via a common shaft (3) drive a generator (4), and a combustion chamber (6), the exit of which is connected to the entry to the turbine (2) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3), has a fuel feed (8) and receives combustion air from the exit of the compressor (1) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3) via the high-pressure side of a recuperator (5), the exit of the turbine (2) and the entry to the compressor (1) of the gas turbine (1, 2, 3) being connected via the low-pressure side of the recuperator (5), and a first exhaust-gas turbocharger (ATL2) which sucks in air being connected to different locations (9, 10) of the low-pressure side of the recuperator (4) via the exit of its compressor (13) and the entry to its turbine (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Hans Ulrich Frutschi
  • Patent number: 6896509
    Abstract: In a combustion method, in a burner (12, 20), a fuel/air mixture flowing through a flow passage (13) is made to react in a first combustion stage in a catalytic reactor (15), and downstream of the catalytic reactor (15) fuel is burnt together with the exhaust gas from the catalytic reactor (15) in a second combustion stage to form a homogenous flame (17) by self-ignition. If the fuel from the fuel/air mixture is only partially burnt in the first combustion stage in the catalytic reactor (15), and the unburnt remainder of the fuel is burnt in the second combustion stage, combustion can be stabilized by virtue of the fact that the fuel-containing exhaust gas from the catalytic reactor (15), between the outlet of the catalytic reactor (15) and the homogenous flame (17) is passed through devices 916, 19) which aerodynamically stabilize the homogenous flame (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Peter Flohr
  • Patent number: 6895650
    Abstract: A process for producing a spatially shaped carrier layer (3) which is of foil-like design from hard brittle material includes: providing a basic mold (1) having a spatially shaped surface, depositing a material which is in the gas or liquid phase on the spatially shaped surface, solidifying the material which has been deposited on the spatially shaped surface to form a hard brittle material layer (3), and separating the hard brittle material layer (3) from the spatially shaped surface in order to obtain the carrier layer (3) which consists of hard brittle material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventors: Reinhard Fried, Alkan Goecmen
  • Patent number: 6895759
    Abstract: A premix burner has a premix burner casing which is formed in the manner of a tube open at the upstream end, is connected in the downstream direction to a combustion chamber via a transition contour and through which air can flow, a burner lance including an inner tube that projects into the interior of the premix burner casing on the upstream side, encloses a flow passage which is annular in cross section together with the premix burner casing, and has an inner tube wall which surrounds an inner flow passage and in which there is at least one fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the inner flow passage and at least one further fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the annular flow passage is provided so that downstream of the inner tube the fuel/air mixture ignites within the flame front in the region of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventor: Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6886344
    Abstract: In a method for the operation of a power plant with a closed or quasi-closed cycle, the power plant substantially comprises at least one compressor unit (1) or a pump, at least one combustion chamber (2), at least one turbine (3) and at least one heat sink (4). In the combustion chamber (2), a fuel mass flow (14) reacts with at least one oxygen flow (12), the excess combustion products which are formed as a result (CO2, H2O) are removed from the cycle at a suitable location (5, 6), and the oxygen stream (12) fed to the combustion chamber is obtained by means of an air fractionation installation (11). Means (9) for coarse fractionation of the supplied air (8) are connected upstream of the air fractionation installation (11) in order to supply oxygen-enriched air (10) to the air fractionation installation (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Ulrich Frutschi, Timothy Griffin, Hans Wettstein, Dieter Winkler
  • Patent number: 6851266
    Abstract: In a method for maintaining a combined-cycle power station at readiness, an supplemental firing (44) with a fresh air supply fan (46) and, preferably, the feed and supply pumps (21, 23, 31, 38) are operated continuously or intermittently when the combined-cycle power station is not in use, in order to maintain specific states and media flows in the two-phase circuit of the combined-cycle power station. In one embodiment of the invention, the media in the two-phase circuit are prevented from freezing by means of the supplemental firing. Furthermore, media states which prevent air from entering while the power station is not in use and which thus prevent corrosion damage can also be maintained. In addition to this protective maintenance of readiness, the supplemental firing is also used when the combined-cycle power station is not in use, in order to produce and maintain conditions which allow the combined-cycle power station to be started and loaded quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventor: Erhard Liebig
  • Patent number: 6844639
    Abstract: A very simple and reliable rotor (4) for a (brushless) exciter to be used to energise the field winding of a rotor of a generator, is proposed which can be used for high-speed rotation and for the generation of high currents for energising the field winding of the rotor of the generator. The rotor (4) comprises at least two conducting bars (6) aligned substantially parallel to the axis (8) of the rotor (4), wherein the bars (6) are connected on their first axial end to a collecting ring (13) and wherein on their second axial end the bars (6) are connected individually to two rings (14, 15) by means of diodes (16) with reversed polarity such that alternating current induced in the conducting bars (6) due to a static field (7) is converted into a direct current (DC) in the two rings (14, 15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventor: Alain Lacaze
  • Patent number: 6836053
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide improved protection for the insulation of the rotor end windings of electrical machines that is suitable in particular for electrical limit-rating machines. This is achieved by the rotor end bell (2) consisting of steel and the retaining ring liner sheet (10), spatially separating the end winding insulation (9) from the rotor end bell (2), consisting of titanium or a titanium alloy. Moreover, a lubricant (11) with a temperature stability of >300° C. is applied between the retaining ring liner sheet (10) and the rotor end bell (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventors: Hermfred Gohn, Claudio Picech, Ralf Rotzinger, Alfred Ziegler
  • Patent number: 6834622
    Abstract: Method for generating steam, in particular ultrapure steam, and steam generator The invention relates to a method and a steam generator for generating steam, in particular ultrapure steam, by reacting a stoichiometric mixture comprising a fuel, in particular hydrogen, and an oxidizing agent, in particular oxygen, and injecting water into the hot reaction gases, which is distinguished by a high purity of the steam generated. The object of providing a method for generating an ultrahigh purity steam is achieved, according to the invention, by two-stage combustion, in that the reaction mixture which is generated in a first combustion and evaporation stage is subjected to catalytic afterburning. A steam generator is distinguished by the fact that a catalytic afterburning chamber (3) with a through-flow body (16) is arranged downstream of the combustion and evaporation chamber (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventors: Timothy Griffin, Andreas Schlegel, Dieter Winkler
  • Patent number: 6830435
    Abstract: The blades (1, 11, 12, 13, 1n) of a turbine or compressor are fastened into a groove (8) on the rotor (6) or stator of the turbine or compressor by blade roots (4), there being no play or a prestress prevailing between the root plate (3) and/or the blade root (4), and adjacent blades (1, 11, 12, 13, 1n) thereby being supported relative to one another with respect to torsional moments (12) and not or only slightly on the rotor (6) or stator. This is possible, for example, by incorporating a bevel (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventors: Eduard Goetzfried, Helmut Wendler, Heinz May
  • Patent number: 6820409
    Abstract: A method of operating a gas-turbine power plant is described, having a gas-turbine plant (1) in which an oxygen-containing gas is drawn in, compressed and fired and, after passing through a turbine stage, is fed as discharging hot gas (8) to a waste heat boiler (4), from which the cooled exhaust gas (9) is fed to an outlet (10) and then to the free atmosphere. The invention is characterized in that a specific reduction in the flow velocity with which the exhaust gas (9) flows through the outlet (10) is effected in the region of the latter, with a simultaneous pressure increase downstream in the outlet (10), and in that the pressure conditions occurring inside the outlet (10) are transmitted free of losses between the gas turbine (1) and the outlet (10) via a gas-tight flow path of the hot and exhaust gases (8; 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventor: Jost Braun
  • Patent number: 6818034
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for separating dirt and debris in flowing media by making use of centrifugal forces, said device comprising a separation chamber (1), and a dirt collection chamber (3) connected with said separation chamber (1) by at least one dirt discharge opening (2). Arranged in the region of dirt discharge opening (2) within dirt collection chamber (3) are one or more flow guide elements (4, 5, 6), which make the backflow of dirt and debris into separation chamber (1) difficult. In the present device the danger of backflow of dirt and debris particles from the dirt collection chamber into the separation chamber is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventors: Gordon Anderson, Joergen Ferber
  • Patent number: 6815012
    Abstract: The process according to the invention discloses production of a high-quality insulation for conductors or conductor bundles. In this process, internal corona-discharge protection, insulation and external corona-discharge protection are all applied to the conductor or conductor bundle in successive steps by means of thermal spraying. The application thickness per spraying run is up to 0.2 mm, thus ensuring that the layer is free of defects and therefore avoiding partial discharges. Moreover, the ability to withstand thermal loads is considerably improved by the use of high-temperature plastics with fillers comprising inorganic materials as coating powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventors: Thomas Baumann, Reinhard Fried
  • Patent number: 6810675
    Abstract: In a method for increasing the power output of a combined-cycle power station, comprising at least one gas turbo group, at least one heat recovery steam generator and at least one steam turbo group, with the gas turbo group comprising at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber and at least one gas turbine, the heat recovery steam generator having at least one pressure stage and the steam turbo group comprising at least one steam turbine, in which combined-cycle power station air is compressed in a compressor, is then supplied as combustion air to a combustion chamber, the hot gas which is produced there is passed to a gas turbine, and the exhaust gas from the gas turbine is used in a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam for a steam turbo group, an immediate and rapid increase in the power output is achieved, and an additional power output from the combined-cycle power station is maintained in safe operating conditions, in that an supplemental firing is arranged to provide additional he
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology LTD
    Inventor: Erhard Liebig