Patents Assigned to Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
  • Patent number: 10545485
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of machines and at least a first assembly; the plurality of machines comprises at least a first machine and a second machine; the first assembly is associated with the first and second machines and is arranged to provide a first auxiliary function to the first and second machines; control is carried out by at least a first and a second controllers; the first and the second controllers are associated respectively to the first and second machines and are arranged to control a main function of each of the first and the second machines; the first and the second controllers are associated with the first assembly and are arranged to control an auxillary function of the first assembly; the first and the second controllers maintain a dialog between each other to assure that only one controller controls the first assembly at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: Marco Lisco, Giulio Guaglianone
  • Patent number: 10487697
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide compression system is disclosed. The system comprises at as a first compressor stage and a second compressor stage arranged in series, at least one inter-stage heat exchanger arranged to receive a compressed gas containing carbon dioxide flowing from the first compressor stage into the second compressor stage and to remove waste heat from the compressed gas, and an energy conversion unit, wherein at least part of the waste heat is recovered and transformed into mechanical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.S.
    Inventors: Matteo Berti, Francesco Bellantone, Marco De Iaco, Paolo Del Turco, Manuele Bigi
  • Patent number: 10253765
    Abstract: A valve assembly in a reciprocating compressor used in oil and gas industry is provided. The valve assembly comprises an actuator configured to a valve actuating motion and a valve. The valve has a valve seat comprises an inlet port configured to allow a fluid to flow through the valve seat, a counter-seat comprising an outlet port configured to allow the fluid to flow through the counter-seat, and a valve closing member attached to the counter-seat and configured to cover the inlet port when the counter-seat is in a closed position. The counter-seat is configured to receive the valve actuating motion and to move between the closed position and an open position in which the valve closing member does not cover the inlet port thereby selectively allowing the fluid to flow on a flow path which comprises the inlet port and the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Bagagli, Leonardo Tognarelli
  • Patent number: 9790932
    Abstract: An actuated rotary valves for reciprocating compressors used in oil and gas industry, the valve including a stator with a stator opening, a rotor with a rotor opening, and an actuation mechanism. The actuation mechanism is configured to receive a rotation motion and to actuate the rotor to perform first an axial translation moving away from the stator and then a rotation. The actuation mechanism includes an outer shaft configured to receive the rotation motion, and an inner shaft inside the outer shaft and configured to rotate the rotor. The outer shaft is configured to rotate a predetermined angular displacement while pushing the rotor away from the stator before engaging the inner shaft to rotate together with the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Bagagli, Leonardo Tognarelli
  • Patent number: 9528509
    Abstract: Method and device for lubricating a connection. A housing is configured to house a crankshaft adapter that connects an oil pump to a compressor. The housing includes a shell forming a round cavity configured to receive the crankshaft adapter; an oil feed conduit configured to enter through the shell into the round cavity and to deliver oil; a first drain conduit, opposite to the oil feed conduit, and configured to enter through the shell into the round cavity; a plug provided in the first drain conduit; and a second drain conduit configured to enter through the shell into the round cavity. The second drain conduit is located between the oil feed conduit and the first drain conduit, substantially between 50 and 130 degrees relative to the first drain conduit on a periphery of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: Vinh Do, Jeffrey Raynal, Jason Andrew Helton, Carlos Trevino
  • Patent number: 9507342
    Abstract: A device and a method for determining a residual life expectancy of a rotor of a gas turbine. The method includes receiving at a computer operating conditions of the gas turbine, receiving a gas turbine rotor inspection result, updating, based on the operating conditions of the gas turbine and the gas turbine rotor inspection result, a database for a fleet corresponding to the gas turbine, and calculating the residual life expectancy of the rotor of the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto De Prosperis, Paolo Di Sisto, Maciej Borkowski
  • Patent number: 9470101
    Abstract: A turbo machine is provided. The turbo machine comprises a turbo stator having a shroud, a turbo rotor having an impeller within the shroud, a brush seal between the impeller and the shroud, and at least one vane extending from the shroud toward the impeller upstream of the brush seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giacomo Landi
  • Patent number: 9464533
    Abstract: An inlet guide vane actuation apparatus is provided. The inlet guide vane actuation apparatus comprises an actuation ring with a first connector for connecting an actuator rod, wherein the first connector positions the actuator rod over the rotational axial center of the actuation ring, a plurality of crank rods with a first end connected respectively to a plurality of second connectors located on the rotational axial center of the actuation ring; and a plurality of cranks with each having a third connector connected respectively to a second end of the plurality of crank rods and respectively to vanes associated with a nozzle, wherein the third connector located on the rotational axial center of the actuation ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A
    Inventors: Giacomo Landi, Antonio Asti, Paolo Del Turco
  • Patent number: 9458863
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a turbomachine for imparting energy to a multiphase fluid is provided. The turbomachine comprises a casing having an inlet and an outlet; an axial stage part comprising at least one axial stage; a mixed-flow stage part comprising at least one mixed-flow stage fluidly connected to the axial stage part; and a centrifugal stage part comprising at least one centrifugal stage fluidly connected to the mixed-flow stage part. The axial stage is defined by an angle between an axial impeller outlet flow and an axis parallel to a rotational axis of the shaft having a value between 0° and 5°, the mixed-flow stage by an angle having a value between 5° and 80°, and the centrifugal stage by an angle having a value between 80° and 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Bergamini, Vittorio Michelassi
  • Patent number: 9404791
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a surface of a rotating element with both a phase reference mark and a plurality of additional marks. A proximity probe detects the passage of both the phase reference mark and the plurality of additional marks as they rotate through a detection zone. Both a phase reference signal and a vibration reference signal are generated, which signals are used to calculate lateral and angular (and optionally torsional) vibration of the rotating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: Valerio Rossi, Valerio Depau
  • Patent number: 9404387
    Abstract: A seal for a turbo machine is provided. The seal includes a plurality of honeycomb cells, at least one circumferential groove within the plurality of honeycomb cells, and at least one swirl brake within the at least one groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Nicola Mitaritonna, Giuseppe Vannini
  • Patent number: 9360002
    Abstract: Method and system for compressing a fluid in a gas phase and for pumping the fluid in a dense phase. The system includes a compressor part having an impeller; a compressor part inlet that receives the fluid in the gas phase; a compressor part outlet that provides the fluid in the gas phase; a temperature changing device that changes a phase of the fluid; a pump part having an impeller; a pump part inlet that receives the fluid in the dense phase from the compressor part outlet; a pump part outlet that outputs the fluid in the dense phase from the system; a single bull gear configured to rotate around an axial axis with a predetermined speed; plural pinions contacting the single gear bull and configured to rotate with predetermined speeds, and a pump shaft configured to rotate the at least one impeller of the pump part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Sassanelli, Matteo Berti, Lorenzo Bergamini, Stefano Bresciani, Marco DeIaco, Nicola Banchi
  • Patent number: 9359658
    Abstract: A nickel-based superalloy particularly suitable for the fabrication of mechanical components for a piece of turbomachinery that it comprises the following elements in percentage by weight: chromium between 3% and 7%; tungsten between 3% and 15%; tantalum between 4% and 6%; aluminum between 4% and 8%; carbon less than 0.8%; the remaining percentage of nickel plus impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A
    Inventors: Marco Innocenti, Pasquale Maresca, Oriana Tassa, Andrea Carosi, Barbara Giambi, Claudio Testani
  • Patent number: 9347459
    Abstract: A sealing system for a centrifugal compressor includes a stator having a seal, a seal disposed in the seal housing and having an abradable portion along an inner circumference, a rotor having a plurality of rotor teeth configured to rotate within the inner circumference of the seal and configured to create rub grooves within the abradable portion, and a first spring disposed between the stator and the seal and configured to facilitate axial movement of the seal relative to the seal housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
    Inventors: Nuo Sheng, Roderick Mark Lusted, Vittorio Michelassi
  • Patent number: 9309896
    Abstract: A compressor unit for processing a working fluid comprising a compressor inside a housing to compress the working fluid wherein a collection chamber is fluidly coupled with a working fluid inlet of said housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone, S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Vannini, Luciano Mei, Massimo Pinzauti, Franco Frosini
  • Patent number: 9297274
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes an expander; a central region having a first end attached to the expander; a compressor attached to a second end of the central region; an electrical device provided inside the central region; and an electrical connection including a first part and a second part, the first part being configured to be removably attached directly to the second part. The first part is configured to be removably attached to an external surface of an external casing of the central region, and the second part is configured to be fixedly attached to a bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventor: Gabriele Mariotti
  • Patent number: 9296051
    Abstract: A method for plunge milling a workpiece. The method includes rotating a cutting head while advancing the cutting head along a direction towards the workpiece; removing material from the workpiece with frontal teeth disposed on a frontal face of the cutting head; bending a tool holder configured to lead the cutting head inside the workpiece; stopping the advancing of the cutting head along the direction towards the workpiece when the cutting head has reached a predetermined depth inside the workpiece; and retrieving while rotating the cutting head from the inside of the workpiece such that side teeth of the cutting head remove material from the inside of the workpiece due to the bending of the tool holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventor: Emanuele Cigni
  • Patent number: 9297373
    Abstract: A differential pressure valve is disclosed, comprising: a valve body, the valve body having at least one flow inlet and one flow outlet; at least one shutter, the shutter being movable between an open position and a closed position under a differential pressure across the valve; a flow passage from the flow inlet to the flow outlet; at least one biasing member configured to bias the shutter towards a closed position so as to block the flow passage through the flow inlet. The biasing member comprises at least two springs arranged in parallel, one of the springs having at least one resonance frequency different from at least one resonance frequency of the other of the two springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: Riccardo Bagagli, Carmelo Maggi, Alberto Babbini, Leonardo Tognarelli
  • Patent number: 9279431
    Abstract: A method for detecting rotating stall in a compressor is disclosed herein. The method comprises measuring radial vibration of the rotor relative to the stator and generating a vibration measurement signal, calculating a frequency spectrum of the vibration measurement signal, identifying a plurality of frequency bandwidths of the frequency spectrum, neglecting one first frequency bandwidth of the plurality of frequency bandwidths if the rotation frequency of the rotor falls within the first frequency bandwidth, neglecting at least one second frequency bandwidth of the plurality of frequency bandwidths if the rotation frequency of the rotor falls below the second frequency bandwidth, determining the maximum magnitude of the spectrum in each of the non-neglected frequency bandwidths, and comparing each determined maximum magnitude and a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: David Rossi, Daniele Galeotti
  • Patent number: 9243644
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems capable of performing a hot restart of a compressor driven by a turbine are provided. The turbine has a high speed shaft and a low speed shaft connected to the compressor. A base slow roll speed at which a speed of the low speed shaft is in a slow roll range is maintained at the high speed shaft for a predetermined time. Then, when a vibration amplitude of the compressor is larger than a vibration limit, the maintaining is repeated. Otherwise, a set speed of the high speed shaft is increased, until a current speed of the low speed shaft reaches a minimum operating speed. If, while increasing the set speed, the vibration amplitude becomes larger than the vibration limit, the maintaining is repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone, S.P.A.
    Inventors: Gianni Bagni, Antonio Baldassarre, Leonardo Baldassarre, Michele Fontana