Abstract: A pumped heat energy storage system (11) is provided. A thermodynamic charging assembly (11?) may be configured to compress a working fluid and generate thermal energy. A thermal storage assembly (32) is coupled to charging assembly to store at atmospheric pressure by way of a conveyable bulk solid thermal storage media thermal energy generated by the charging assembly. A thermodynamic discharging assembly (11?) is coupled to the thermal storage assembly to extract thermal energy from the thermal storage assembly and convert extracted thermal energy to electrical energy. A heat exchanger assembly (34) is coupled to the thermal storage assembly. The heat exchanger assembly is arranged to directly thermally couple the conveyable bulk solid thermal storage media that is conveyed to the heat exchanger assembly with a flow of the working fluid that passes through the heat exchanger assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling one or more components of a gas turbine are provided. One system may include an expansion device and one or more conduits. The expansion device may be operatively coupled to the gas turbine and configured to convert a pressure drop of a stream of compressed process fluid to mechanical energy. The expansion device may be further configured to at least partially drive the gas turbine with the mechanical energy. The one or more conduits may fluidly couple the expansion device and the gas turbine. The one or more conduits may be configured to direct an expanded stream of the compressed process fluid to the one or more components of the gas turbine to cool the one or more components.

Abstract: A support assembly and method for supporting an internal assembly in a casing of a turbomachine are provided. The support assembly may include a support member that may be slidably disposed in a recess formed in the internal assembly and configured to engage an inner surface of the casing. A biasing member may be disposed in a pocket extending radially inward from the recess. The biasing member may at least partially extend into the recess and may be configured to apply a biasing force to the support member disposed therein.

Abstract: A pumped heat energy storage (PHES) system (100) including a charging circuit and a discharging circuit effective to balance or split a total heat rejection of the PHES system between the charging circuit and the discharging circuit. The charging circuit may include thermal storage vessels (102, 104) to store thermal energy generated from a first compressor (110). A first heat rejection system (128) is fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels to remove thermal energy from the charging circuit. The discharging circuit may include a first turbine (146) fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels to extract thermal energy stored in the thermal storage vessels and convert the thermal energy to mechanical energy via an expansion of a second working fluid. A second heat rejection system (156) is fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels and the first turbine to remove thermal energy from the discharging circuit.

Abstract: A drainage system for a stage of a turbine. The drainage system may include at least one annular recess defined in the inner surface of the casing of the turbine and configured to accumulate liquid therein. An axial slot and a radial slot may be formed in a diaphragm of the turbine, the axial slot extending between the upstream and downstream faces of the diaphragm. The drainage system may further include a tubular member including an axially extending tubular portion disposed in the axial slot and a radially extending tubular portion disposed in the radial slot. The radially extending tubular portion may be sized and configured to fluidly couple the at least one annular recess and the axially extending tubular portion, such that liquid in the at least one annular recess may be drained therefrom and discharged from the stage of the turbine via the axially extending tubular portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling a rotor assembly disposed within a cavity of an expander fluidly coupled with a cooling source are provided. The system may include an annular body disposed on a rotor disc of the rotor assembly. The rotor disc may also include a plurality of rotor blades mounted thereto via respective roots. The annular body may define at least one fluid passageway fluidly coupling the roots and the cooling source. The annular ring may be configured to substantially prevent mixing of the flue gas with a coolant provided by the cooling source and flowing through the at least one fluid passageway and contacting at least one root. The system may also include a plurality of seal members, each disposed between respective platforms of adjacent rotor blades and configured to substantially prevent the flue gas flowing though the expander from mixing with the coolant.

Abstract: A pumped heat energy storage (PHES) system (100) including a charging circuit and a discharging circuit effective to balance or split a total heat rejection of the PHES system between the charging circuit and the discharging circuit. The charging circuit may include thermal storage vessels (102, 104) to store thermal energy generated from a first compressor (110). A first heat rejection system (128) is fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels to remove thermal energy from the charging circuit. The discharging circuit may include a first turbine (146) fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels to extract thermal energy stored in the thermal storage vessels and convert the thermal energy to mechanical energy via an expansion of a second working fluid. A second heat rejection system (156) is fluidly coupled with the thermal storage vessels and the first turbine to remove thermal energy from the discharging circuit.

Abstract: A poppet valve assembly including a valve seat defining at least one inlet port configured to receive a working fluid, a valve guard coupled to or integral with the valve seat and defining at least one outlet port configured to discharge the working fluid therefrom, and a valve member disposed in a guide pocket defined in the valve guard. The valve member may include a primary impact surface configured to contact a planar surface of the valve guard facing the valve seat. The valve member may also include a secondary impact surface configured to contact a bottom portion of the valve guard within the guide pocket after a structural failure of the primary impact surface prevents substantially all of the primary contact surface from contacting the planar surface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for protecting a turbomachine may include a trip throttle valve having a throttle valve assembly and a trip valve assembly. The trip valve assembly may include a plurality of trip valves fluidly coupled to a hydraulic cylinder of the throttle valve assembly via a first flow path and a second flow path in parallel with one another. The trip valve assembly may also include a plurality of isolation valves fluidly coupled to the hydraulic cylinder via the first flow path and the second flow path. The plurality of isolation valves may be configured to selectively prevent fluid communication between the plurality of trip valves and the hydraulic cylinder to allow testing of one or more of the plurality of trip valves during operation of the turbomachine.

Abstract: An internally-cooled diaphragm for an internally-cooled compressor is provided. The internally-cooled diaphragm may include an annular body configured to cool a process fluid flowing through a fluid pathway of the internally-cooled compressor. The annular body may define a return channel of the fluid pathway, and a cooling pathway in thermal communication with the fluid pathway. The return channel may be configured to at least partially diffuse and de-swirl the process fluid flowing therethrough, and the cooling pathway may be configured to receive a coolant to absorb heat from the process fluid flowing through the return channel.

Abstract: An internally-cooled compressor is provided including a casing and a diaphragm disposed in the casing. The diaphragm includes a diaphragm box defining a plurality of box channels and a bulb defining a plurality of bulb channels. A plurality of return channel vanes connect the diaphragm box and bulb in fluid communication, such that each return channel vane defines a plurality of return vane conduits coupled in fluid communication with the plurality of box channels and the plurality of bulb channels thereby forming a section of a cooling pathway. The cooling pathway is configured such that a cooling agent introduced from an external coolant source into the diaphragm box and flowing through a box channel flows through a return vane conduit into and through a bulb channel and back through another return vane conduit into another box channel before flowing back to the external coolant source.

Abstract: A balance piston seal assembly for a balance piston of a compressor is provided. The balance piston seal assembly may include a balance piston seal configured to be disposed about the balance piston such that an inner radial surface of the balance piston seal and an outer radial surface of the balance piston define a radial clearance therebetween. The balance piston seal assembly may also include a plurality of heaters in thermal communication with the balance piston seal and configured to heat and thermally expand the balance piston seal and thereby increase a radial length of the radial clearance.

Abstract: A gas turbine assembly and method for operating the gas turbine assembly are provided. The method for operating the gas turbine assembly may include compressing a process fluid containing inlet air through a compressor to produce compressed inlet air, combining fuel from a main fuel source with the process fluid, and preheating the process fluid containing the inlet air and the fuel in a warmer disposed downstream from the compressor. The method may also include heating an oxidizer by flowing the preheated process fluid from the warmer to the oxidizer, and oxidizing the process fluid containing the compressed inlet air and the fuel in the oxidizer to produce an oxidation product. The method may further include expanding the oxidation product in a turbine to generate rotational energy, and preventing the process fluid from flowing upstream to the compressor with a check valve.

Abstract: A system and method for producing liquefied natural gas are provided. The method may include compressing a process stream containing natural gas in a compression assembly to produce a compressed process stream. The method may also include removing non-hydrocarbons from the compressed process stream in a separator, and cooling the compressed process stream with a cooling assembly to thereby produce a cooled, compressed process stream containing natural gas in a supercritical state. The method may further include expanding a first portion and a second portion of the natural gas from the cooled, compressed process stream in a first expansion element and a second expansion element to generate a first refrigeration stream and a second refrigeration stream, respectively. The method may further include cooling the natural gas in the cooled, compressed process stream to a supercritical state with the first and second refrigeration streams to thereby produce the liquefied natural gas.

Abstract: A piston plug includes a cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis and an outer cylindrical surface. The outer cylindrical surface extends longitudinally between a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The outer cylindrical surface defines a hole extending radially inward. The hole has a central axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body. A first channel and a second channel are defined by cylindrical body. The first channel is in fluidic communication with the first surface and the hole. The second channel is in fluidic communication with the second surface and the hole. The first channel, the second channel, and at least a portion of the hole form a non-collinear flowpath. The piston plug is disposed in a plug hole in a piston and is retained in the plug hole via an interference fit between the piston plug and the plug hole.

Abstract: A liquefaction system and method for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) is provided. The liquefaction system may include a heat exchanger to cool natural gas to LNG, a first compressor to compress and combine first and second portions of a single mixed refrigerant from the heat exchanger, a first cooler to cool the single mixed refrigerant from the first compressor to a first liquid phase and a gaseous phase, and a first liquid separator to separate the first liquid phase from the gaseous phase. The liquefaction system may also include a second compressor to compress the gaseous phase, a second cooler to cool the compressed gaseous phase to a second liquid phase and the second portion of the single mixed refrigerant, a second liquid separator to separate the second liquid phase from the second portion of the single mixed refrigerant, and a pump to pressurize the first liquid phase.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a turbomachine component including a metal alloy with a layering device is provided. The method for fabricating the turbomachine component may include combining two or more elemental powders to form a powdered material. The method for fabricating the turbomachine component may also include forming a first metal alloy layer of the turbomachine component on a substrate. Forming the first metal alloy layer on the substrate may include melting a first portion of the powdered material to a first molten material with a heat source, mixing the first molten material with the heat source, and cooling the first molten material. The method for fabricating the turbomachine component may further include forming a second metal alloy layer of the turbomachine component on the first metal alloy layer, and binding the first metal alloy layer with the second metal alloy layer.

Abstract: A system and method for producing liquefied natural gas from a natural gas source is provided. The method may include feeding natural gas provided by the natural gas source to a liquefaction module. The method may also include flowing the natural gas through a product stream of the liquefaction module. The method may further include flowing a process fluid through a liquefaction stream of the liquefaction module to cool at least a portion of the natural gas flowing through the product stream to produce the liquefied natural gas.

Abstract: A turbomachine component and method for fabricating the turbomachine component are provided. The turbomachine component may include a matrix material and carbon nanotubes combined with the matrix material. The matrix material may include a metal or a polymer. The carbon nanotubes may be contacted with the metal to form a metal-based carbon nanotube composite, and the metal-based carbon nanotube composite may be processed to fabricate the turbomachine component.

Abstract: A system for attenuating acoustic energy in machines is provided. The system may include an inner tube disposed about a central axis, an outer tube disposed about the inner tube and the central axis, and a middle tube disposed about the central axis and between the inner tube and the outer tube. The system may also include a first annular ring extending radially from the outer tube and configured to couple the outer tube to the middle tube. The system may further include a second annular ring extending radially from the inner tube and configured to couple the inner tube to the outer tube, such that an acoustic resonator may be formed by the first annular ring, the second annular ring, a portion of the inner tube, a portion of the outer tube, and a portion of the middle tube.