Patents Assigned to ALSTOM Technology
  • Patent number: 8690992
    Abstract: Processes for operating an ammonia stripper at a low pressure in a gas purification system include providing a first side-draw stream from the ammonia stripper; heating the first side-draw stream with a second side-draw stream from a regenerator; providing a stripper offgas stream from the ammonia stripper to a stripper overhead condenser; and utilizing the stripper offgas stream as a heat source for a regenerating system fluidly coupled to the stripper overhead condenser. Also disclosed are systems for implementing the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Sanjay Kumar Dube, Daniel Nicolaus Secundus Mattstedt, Joseph P. Naumovitz
  • Publication number: 20140090822
    Abstract: A rotary regenerative heat exchanger [1] employs heat transfer elements [100] shaped to include notches [150], which provide spacing between adjacent elements [100], and undulations (corrugations) [165,185] in the sections between the notches 150. The elements [100] described herein include undulations [165,185] that differ in height and/or width. These impart turbulence in the air or flue gas flowing between the elements [100] to improve heat transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: James David Seebald
  • Patent number: 8684663
    Abstract: A steam turbine is provided having a relief groove which is arranged in the region of the equalizing piston and extends in the circumferential direction of the rotor. The relief groove, with regard to an inlet passage, is arranged in the axial upstream direction so that it is arranged on the rotor outside a region in which the steam flow enters the bladed flow path via the inlet passage. The relief groove, with regard to the first blade row, is arranged in a region in which the greatest thermal stresses can arise in the rotor. As an option, the relief groove has a cover for reducing vortex flows, and also devices for reducing heating of the groove or devices for active cooling. The steam turbine allows an increased number of risk-free running up and running down operations of the steam turbine with minimum detriment to the turbine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Rabiye Bekyigit, Philipp Brunner, Jian Chen, Rolf Dobler, Jozo Drmic, Andreas Ehrsam, Maurus Herzog, Davor Kriz, Thomas Mokulys, Martin Reigl, Luca Ripamonti, Thomas Schreier, Giorgio Zanazzi
  • Patent number: 8684130
    Abstract: An acoustic damper arrangement for a combustor which has an inner liner configured for use at a first temperature during operation and an outer liner configured for operation at a second temperature lower than the first temperature during operation is disclosed, the acoustic damper arrangement comprising: a plurality of flexible sheets; and at least one hollow body having an interior volume, each of said at least one hollow body being fixed to one of the plurality of flexible sheets, wherein the acoustic damper arrangement is configured to be fixed to both the inner liner and the outer liner such that the interior volume of the at least one hollow body is in communication with a chamber formed by the inner liner, and the plurality of flexible sheets accommodate expansion and contraction of the inner liner relative to the outer liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Stephen W. Jorgensen, Douglas Pennell
  • Patent number: 8685141
    Abstract: A wet scrubber (1) and a method of using the wet scrubber to clean a process gas containing sulphur dioxide comprising at least one spray level system (20) with atomizing nozzles (38) to which an absorption liquid is supplied for atomization by the nozzles (38). The method comprises operating the spray level system (20) in at least a first operating mode with an active nozzle density of at least 0.7 nozzles/m2, an absorption liquid flow of at least 10 m3/hour per nozzle and a Total Flow of at least 30 m3/hour/m2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Rikard Hakansson
  • Publication number: 20140083097
    Abstract: A concentrated solar tower assembly includes a hollow tower structure defining lower and upper portions. The lower portion includes a closable opening region for configuring a closable opening, and the upper portion includes a top gird having inner and outer top grids. The assembly further includes a solar receiver steam generator entirely installed at the ground level G on the inner top grid simultaneous to erection of the tower. The generator on the inner top grid is slidingly directed within the tower from the closable opening to be entirely accommodated therewithin. Thereafter, the generator on the inner top grid is lifted for being placed along the upper portion of the tower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Paolo Montresor, Michael Sack, Markus Friess
  • Publication number: 20140086743
    Abstract: A method and a cooling system for cooling blades of at least one blade row in a rotary flow machine includes an axial flow channel which is radially limited on the inside by a rotor unit and at the outside by at least one stationary component, the blades are arranged at the rotary unit and provide a shrouded blade tip facing radially to said stationary component. Pressurized cooling air is fed through from radially outside towards the tip of each of said blades in the at least one blade row, and the pressurized cooling air enters the blades through at least one opening at the shrouded blades' tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Sascha JUSTL, Carlos Simon-Delgado, Axel Heidecke, Sven Olmes
  • Patent number: 8677756
    Abstract: A burner, such as for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine with sequential combustion having first and second combustion chambers, includes an injection device for introducing at least one gaseous fuel into the burner. The injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the gaseous fuel into the burner. The body is configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body. The body has two lateral surfaces substantially parallel to the main flow direction. At least one vortex generator is located on at least one lateral surface upstream of the at least one nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Madhavan Poyyapakkam, Anton Winkler, Khawar Syed, Adnan Eroglu, Andrea Ciani
  • Patent number: 8679232
    Abstract: A rotating packed bed RPB that includes a first and second packed bed both arranged on the same rotatable shaft. A gas is directed via a gas inlet through the first packed bed in co-current flow with a liquid in a radially outward direction towards the outer radius of the packed bed. The liquid enters the first packed bed via a first liquid inlet. The gas exiting the first packed bed is directed to the second packed bed and forced through it in a radially inward direction in counter-current flow with a liquid, which enters through a second liquid inlet. The arrangement allows an operation of the rotating packed bed with less energy compared to RPBs of the prior art operating in counter-current flow only. The apparatus allows low-cost design and high design flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Hartwig Wolf, Petar Aleksic, Frank Klaus Ennenbach, Mark Harvey Tothill
  • Publication number: 20140075939
    Abstract: A solar thermal power plant includes a solar radiation receiver mounted on a tower surrounded by a heliostat field to receive solar radiation reflected by heliostats forming the heliostat field. The power plant includes a power generation circuit including a steam turbine for driving an electrical generator to produce electrical power, and water in the power generation circuit is capable of being heated directly by solar radiation reflected onto the solar radiation receiver by the heliostat field to generate steam to drive the steam turbine. The power plant also includes an energy storage circuit including a thermal energy storage fluid, such as molten salt, which is capable of being heated directly by solar radiation reflected by the heliostat field. A heat exchanger is also provided for recovering thermal energy from the thermal energy storage fluid in the energy storage circuit; the recovered thermal energy may then be used to generate steam to drive the steam turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Vipluv AGA, Marco SIMIANO, Erik BOSCHEK
  • Publication number: 20140079547
    Abstract: A method of coupling at least two sections of a rotor designed to carry the rotating parts of a turbine for the generation of electrical power for a public grid and a modified rotor is described with a coupling of increased diameter exceeding the nominal diameter of the rotor, with the step of removing mass from an volume lying exclusively within the interior of the sections when coupled such that the lateral critical speed of the coupling is moved away from the normal operating speed of the rotor
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Nikola ZELENOVIC, Christopher KENTISH, Timothy George SHURROCK
  • Patent number: 8676523
    Abstract: A method of detecting the position of a wavefront in a time-varying signal corresponding to an event is disclosed. According to one aspect, the method includes digitizing a signal received by a detector to produce a working signal, filtering the working signal N4 times with a band-pass filter to obtain N4 filtered working signals with different pass-bands, detecting a peak of the N4 filtered working signals to detect the position of a first wavefront as a function of time of occurrence. The N4 points are plotted such that an ordinate is one of the times of occurrence and an abscissa is the width of the associated band. An exponential asymptote that fits a maximum number of the N4 points is applied, and the position of the wavefront is determined as the ordinate of the point that has the maximum abscissa and substantially fits the exponential asymptote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Raphaël Lebreton
  • Patent number: 8673227
    Abstract: A system for removal of carbon dioxide from a process gas includes an absorption arrangement arranged to allow contact between the process gas and an ammoniated solution within the absorption arrangement such that at least a part of the carbon dioxide of the process gas is captured by the ammoniated solution. The absorption arrangement is arranged to, with regard to the ammoniated solution, only accommodate ammoniated solution without solids. A first heat exchanger is arranged to cool the ammoniated solution including captured carbon dioxide after it has exited the absorption arrangement. A separator is arranged to remove at least a part of any solids in the cooled ammoniated solution. A second heat exchanger is arranged to heat the ammoniated solution after it has exited the separator and returned to the absorption arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Sean E. Black, Sanjay K. Dube, David J. Muraskin, Frederic Z. Kozak
  • Publication number: 20140069738
    Abstract: An acoustic damper arrangement for a combustor which has an inner liner configured for use at a first temperature during operation and an outer liner configured for operation at a second temperature lower than the first temperature during operation is disclosed, the acoustic damper arrangement comprising: a plurality of flexible sheets; and at least one hollow body having an interior volume, each of said at least one hollow body being fixed to one of the plurality of flexible sheets, wherein the acoustic damper arrangement is configured to be fixed to both the inner liner and the outer liner such that the interior volume of the at least one hollow body is in communication with a chamber formed by the inner liner, and the plurality of flexible sheets accommodate expansion and contraction of the inner liner relative to the outer liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben BOTHIEN, Stephen W. Jorgensen, Douglas Pennell
  • Publication number: 20140071267
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system having a first housing that includes an optically transparent substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposed to the first side, a camera disposed on the first side of the optically transparent substrate and a source of illumination. The source of illumination is disposed in a ring on the periphery of the first housing and located on the first side of the optically transparent substrate. The system further has a second housing having a circuit board that is operative to process the image captured by the camera, and a battery pack that is operative to supply electrical energy to the source of illumination and to power the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Allan Gunn FERRY, Ronald Francis Konopacki, Robert F. Crocker
  • Publication number: 20140074415
    Abstract: A merging unit, for example for substation automation, including at least one input interface for receiving input data characterizing at least one voltage and/or current related to a component of a power system, and a timing synchronization mechanism which includes an interface to an external synchronization network operating according to one of Inter Range Instrumentation Group, IRIG, -B standard, the 1PPS standard and the Institute of Electrical and the Electronics Engineers, IEEE, 1588 standard. The merging unit is configured to implement logical nodes according to the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC, 61850-7 standard. The merging unit is configured to map information to and/or from at least one of the logical nodes; to the IEC 61850-9-2 sampled measured values, SMV, communication protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicants: ALSTOM Technology Ltd., Schneider Electric GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Rudolph
  • Publication number: 20140069175
    Abstract: A sensor for detection and measurement of a particular substance present in a liquid is disclosed. The sensor includes a non-circular or non-symmetrically fixed electrode for detection and measurement of a particular substance present in a liquid in which said sensor is submersed. The sensor with non-circular or non-symmetrically fixed electrode and method of using the same reduces or eliminates electrode deformation upon residue removal therefrom thereby prolonging operating life.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Rikard Håkansson
  • Publication number: 20140068911
    Abstract: The method for removing an inner casing from a machine includes removing a top part of the outer casing, removing a top part of the inner casing, removing the bottom part of the inner casing, before removing the bottom part of the inner casing connecting the bottom part of the inner casing to the rotor, such that the bottom part of the inner casing is supported by the rotor, then rotating the rotor around the longitudinal axis to make the bottom part of the inner casing accessible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Tobias Christoph HUBER, Gerard FROIDEVAUX, Daniel SENG, Karsten SCHWARZ, Ivan ROZMAN
  • Publication number: 20140069104
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a thermal power plant, which includes a gas turbine and a generator driven directly by the gas turbine by means of a shaft and being connected to an electrical grid having a grid frequency (FG) via an electronic decoupling apparatus and a step-up transformer. A synthetic inertia response is achieved by said method includes the steps of: sensing said grid frequency (FG); detecting if in case of an excursion of said grid frequency (FG) additional inertial power is required or not; if inertial power is required, calculating the magnitude and duration of the additional inertial power; and releasing additional inertial power to said electrical grid in accordance with said calculations via said electronic decoupling apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Kevin Chan, Hongtao Li, Joerg Oesterheld
  • Publication number: 20140072422
    Abstract: The method for removing an inner casing from a machine such as a turbine or compressor includes providing supports between the outer casing and the inner casing of the machine, removing a top part of the outer casing, then removing a top part of the inner casing, then connecting a ring sector to a bottom part of the inner casing to replace the removed top part of the inner casing, then rotating the reciprocally connected ring sector and bottom part of the inner casing around the longitudinal axis to make the bottom part of the inner casing accessible, then removing the bottom part of the inner casing, guiding the reciprocally connected ring sector and bottom part of the inner casing during rotation, to prevent movement along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Tobias Christoph HUBER, Gerard Froidevaux, Daniel Seng, Karsten Schwarz