Patents Assigned to Siemens Energy, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10277086
    Abstract: Rotor windings for a thermo pump-cooled generator have an internally formed cooling passage having a cooling inlet on a radial underside of the motor end winding portion and a cooling outlet on a radial upper side of the axial portion that is oriented within the generator air gap. The cooling passage in the rotor winding exhausts air from end winding portions that are circumscribed by a generator retaining ring into the generator air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Garmon, Raul Ricardo Rico
  • Patent number: 10274126
    Abstract: A system and method for servicing a generator rotor of a turbine are presented. The system includes a support device for supporting the rotor. The support device has a surface. A contact point is established on the surface where the rotor contacts the surface. A location of the contact point along the surface may be variable based on a diameter of the rotor. The support device may be able to accommodate a plurality of different rotors having a plurality of different diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: James B. Edwards, Cezar Cisloiu
  • Patent number: 10267872
    Abstract: A device for streaming magnetic flux data generated by an electrical generator for a power plant. The device includes a flux probe located on the generator to enable detection of a magnetic flux of the generator. The device also includes a computer having an interface, wherein the computer includes an analog-to-digital converter. In addition, the device includes a calibration circuit attached to the flux probe by a first cable and the interface by a second cable. The calibration circuit measures a resistance of the second cable and a voltage of the flux probe wherein ends of the second cable are shorted when measuring the cable resistance and the flux probe voltage. A gain is determined based on the cable resistance and flux probe voltage to provide a suitable input voltage at the interface to deliver the magnetic flux data to the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: Edward David Thompson
  • Patent number: 10260352
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade (10), including a base portion (12) having a cast wall, and a tip portion (14) attached to the base portion and having a wall (60) formed by an additive manufacturing process. The tip portion wall may be formed to be solid and less than 2 mm in thickness, or it may be corrugated and be greater than 2 mm in thickness. Openings (80) defining the wall corrugations may be semi-circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, or elliptical in cross-sectional shape. The resulting blade has lower tip mass while retaining adequate mechanical properties. The tip portion may be formed to have a directionally solidified grain structure on a base portion having an equiaxed grain structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Campbell, Anand A. Kulkarni, Daniel M. Eshak, Allister William James, Phillip Behling, Ahmed Kamel
  • Patent number: 10246382
    Abstract: Catalytic systems and methods for treating process streams are disclosed. Catalytic wet oxidation and hydrolysis techniques may be used to treat one or more undesirable constituents such as HPAM and KHI. Methane may be produced in connection with at least some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Chad L. Felch, Matthew R. Patterson, Bryan J. Kumfer
  • Patent number: 10247010
    Abstract: A turbine component includes an airfoil-shaped core having an outer peripheral surface. A plurality of channels is formed in the core, each opening to the outer peripheral surface. The channels extend substantially radially to be elongated in the radial direction. A first platform is attached to the core. The component also includes an airfoil-shaped non-permeable skin having a hollow interior, an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The skin is sized so that the core can be received in the hollow interior of the skin. A second platform is attached to the skin. The core is received in the hollow interior of the skin such that the outer peripheral surface of the core engages the inner peripheral surface of the skin such that a plurality of generally radial cooling channels are formed between the channels in the core and the inner peripheral surface of the skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Arrell, Stefan Mazzola
  • Patent number: 10241036
    Abstract: A non-destructive method for condition assessment of a turbine component is provided. The method includes providing a laser generating a light pulse that heats the turbine component. An infrared image is then captured of the heated turbine component. An analysis of the turbine component for a particular characteristic of the turbine component may then be done. A system for the non-destructive condition assessment of a turbine component is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Dustin C. Boudin, Anand A. Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 10240988
    Abstract: A method of calibrating transceiver positions inside an acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel that contains a plurality of transceivers, includes determining (40) a speed of sound in the acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel from a temperature and gas composition of a gas inside the acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel, acquiring (41) time-of-flight (TOFs) ?ti,j measurements from a plurality of pairs i,j of transceivers inside the acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel, estimating (42) a radius of the acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel from an average of the acquired TOF measurements, and using (43) an estimated radius of the acoustic pyrometry measuring vessel to estimate errors ??j of displacement angles of the transceivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michelle xiaohong Yan, Heiko Claussen, Upul P. DeSilva, Justinian Rosca, Tong Fang, Nancy H. Ulerich
  • Patent number: 10233776
    Abstract: A gas turbine shroud ring segment assembly (36) with an outer structural block (32A) having cooling channels (72) between inlets (60) on a front face and outlets (74, 76) on a front hanger rail (48). The outlets may be positioned on a radially inner surface (77) of the front rail for impingement and forced convection cooling of backsides of radially inner front lips (44) of adjacent shroud ring segments (30A, 30B) mounted on front and rear rails (48, 50) of the block. The outlets may enter a pocket (86) on the inner surface configured to allow coolant flow in all positions of the ring segments (32A, 32B). The cooling channel may form a main channel (72A) and tributary channels (72B, 72C). These channels may be drilled upward from the rail to the inlet. The tributaries may have offset intersections (72E, 72D) with the main channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: John Pula, Andrew R. Narcus
  • Patent number: 10224787
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved life large electric generator comprising a rotor arranged along a centerline of the generator; a core arranged coaxially and surrounding the rotor; a plurality of stator windings arranged within the core; a stator frame arranged to fixedly support the core and rotationally support the rotor; a gas cooling system that circulates a cooling gas within the generator; a liquid cooling system that circulates a cooling liquid to cool the stator windings wherein the cooling ability of the liquid cooling system is a function of a required generator parameter; and a pressure boundary member that surrounds a plurality of the rotor and an entirety of the core and stator windings, the frame configured to operatively contain an internal pressure of two (2) bar relative to atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Garmon, Raul Ricardo Rico, Bobby A. Warren
  • Patent number: 10222355
    Abstract: An apparatus for bolt inspection are presented. The bolt has a cylindrical threaded surface delimited by a pair of end faces that are opposite to each other. An ultrasonic transducer device contacts one of the pair of end faces for performing a scan operation. A guide structure is engaged with the bolt that guides a motion of the ultrasonic transducer device such that only a portion of a transducer contact surface contacts the one of the pair of end faces during the scan operation. The guide structure delimits a radial extent of the motion of the ultrasonic transducer device during the scan operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: James F. Landy, Thomas F. Quinn, Daniel R. Ryan, Derrick Marcantel
  • Patent number: 10222066
    Abstract: A ducting arrangement (10) in a combustion stage downstream of a main combustion stage of a gas turbine engine is provided. A duct (18) is fluidly coupled to receive a cross-flow of combustion gases from the main combustion stage. Duct (18) includes a duct segment (23) with an expanding cross-sectional area (24) where one or more injector assemblies (26) are disposed. Injector assembly (26) includes one or more reactant-guiding structures (27) arranged to deliver a flow of reactants into the downstream combustion stage to be mixed with the cross-flow of combustion gases. Disclosed injector assemblies are arranged in expanding cross-sectional area (24) to reduce total pressure loss while providing an effective level of mixing of the injected reactants with the passing cross-flow. Respective duct components or the entire ducting arrangement may be formed as a unitized structure, such as a single piece using a rapid manufacturing technology, such as 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Yuntao Chen, Juan Enrique Portillo Bilbao, Andrew J. North, Lucky Tran, Joseph Meadows, Walter Ray Laster
  • Patent number: 10222200
    Abstract: Turbine blade-tip clearance is measured in a fully assembled turbine casing by mounting a probe tip of a non-contact displacement probe in an inspection port of a vane cavity at a known distance relative to the inner circumferential surface of the corresponding ring segment. The displacement probe generates displacement samples that are indicative of probe tip distance from the turbine blade tip. Variations in probe distance data are recorded as the blade circumferentially sweeps the turbine casing. A data processing system correlates the distance data with localized blade-tip clearance gap. In some embodiments, blade rotational position data are collected by a rotational position sensor. In those embodiments, the data processing system correlates the distance and rotational position data with localized blade tip gap at angular positions about the turbine casing circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Clifford Hatcher, Jr., James P. Williams, Mahmood K. Silieti
  • Patent number: 10215044
    Abstract: An interstage seal system (10) for adjusting the position of an interstage seal during operation of a gas turbine engine (14) to increase efficiency of the seal (12) is disclosed. The interstage seal system (10) may include a interstage seal housing (16) formed from a circumferentially extending housing having a seal (12) positioned on a radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16). The interstage seal housing (16) may biased radially outward via one or more springs (20) to bias the radially inward surface (18) of the interstage seal housing (16) outwardly. The interstage seal housing (16) may reside in an interstage housing receiving cavity (68). The cavity (68) may be supplied with gases at a higher pressure than on the other side (24) of the seal housing (16) during turbine engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Patrick M. Pilapil, Yan Yin, Joshua D. Kovac
  • Patent number: 10215714
    Abstract: Method and system for detecting defects on surface of object are presented. An imaging device captures images of surface of object under ambient and dark field illumination conditions. The images are processed with a plurality of image operations to detect area of potential defect at location on surface of object based on predictable pattern consisting of bright and shadow regions. Kernels are defined corresponding to configurations of dark field illumination sources to enhance detecting potential defect. Areas of potential defect are cut from processed images to sub images. Sub images are stitched together to generate hypothesis of potential defect at location on surface of object. The hypothesis is classified with a classifier to determine whether the potential defect is true defect. The classifier is trained with training data having characteristics of true defect. The method provides efficient automated detection of micro defects on surface of object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ziyan Wu, Rameswar Panda, Jan Ernst, Kevin P. Bailey
  • Patent number: 10215039
    Abstract: A ducting arrangement (12) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. The arrangement includes a ceramic liner (22) defining a hot gas path throughout a length of the ducting arrangement. A cooling sleeve (24) is disposed circumferentially outwardly onto the ceramic liner along the length. A metallic support frame (26) is disposed circumferentially outwardly onto the cooling sleeve along the length. The cooling sleeve may be structured with structural features along the length for biasing against the ceramic liner and the metallic support frame to resiliently accept mechanical and thermal growth induced loading that develops between the ceramic liner and the metallic support frame during operating conditions of the combustion turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: Anthony L. Schiavo
  • Patent number: 10215038
    Abstract: Method and computer-readable model for additively manufacturing a ducting arrangement (10) for a gas turbine engine are provided. Ducting arrangement (10) may include a duct (18) to be fluidly coupled to receive a cross-flow of combustion gases from a main combustion stage. Duct (18) includes a duct segment (23) with an expanding cross-sectional area (24) where one or more injector assemblies (26) are disposed. Injector assembly (26) includes one or more reactant-guiding structures (27) arranged to deliver a flow of reactants to be mixed with the cross-flow of combustion gases. The ducting arrangement is effective to reduce total pressure loss while providing an effective level of mixing of the injected reactants with the passing cross-flow. Respective duct components or the entire ducting arrangement may be formed as a unitized structure, such as a single piece using a rapid manufacturing technology, such as 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Yuntao Chen, Juan Enrique Portillo Bilbao, Andrew J. North, Lucky Tran, Joseph Meadows, Walter Ray Laster
  • Patent number: 10218248
    Abstract: A lifting tool for lifting a rotor associated with a generator so as to allow a rotor bearing to be removed from a bearing pedestal beneath the rotor. The tool includes a semi-circular base portion that is bolted to the bearing pedestal and a pair of jack screws mounted to the base portion. A hydraulic ram is mounted to the base portion between the jack screws and is positioned against the rotor when the tool is bolted to the bearing pedestal. The ram is used to lift the rotor away from the bearing and the jack screws are used to hold the rotor up once it is in the desired location, where the ram is then lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: James B. Edwards, Cezar Cisloiu
  • Patent number: 10208601
    Abstract: An air separator for a turbine engine is provided. The air separator includes an aft air separator member (10) having an annular frame (14) which defines a chamber (16) configured to engage disc shoulders (18) configured in a first stage of the turbine engine. The aft air separator member (10) is constrained from movement along a radial direction by the disc shoulders engaged in the chamber of the aft air separator member. A forward air separator member (12) is affixed at a forward end thereof to a torque tube (20) to constrain movement along the radial direction. The forward air separator includes at an aft end thereof a flange (22) that engages the aft air separator member. The forward air separator member is constrained from outward radial movement along the radial direction by way of a recess (24) constructed in a portion of the aft air separator member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Brian D. Nereim, Piyush Sane, Yevgeniy P. Shteyman
  • Patent number: 10208612
    Abstract: A sealing band arrangement for a gas turbine including first and second adjoining rotor disks each including a disk arm having a slot. The sealing band arrangement includes at least one first seal strip segment located within the slots, wherein the seal strip segment includes first and second ends. The sealing band arrangement also includes a tab section that extends from the first end in order to form an underlap seal with an adjacent second seal strip segment. The underlap seal enables a thickness of the first and second ends to be substantially equivalent to a thickness of the first seal strip segment in order to improve wear life of the seal strip segment. The sealing band arrangement further includes at least one wide portion formed in the first seal strip segment wherein the wide portion is wider than a remaining portion of the first seal strip segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Olejarski, David J. Mitchell, Christopher J. Muller, Rebecca L. Kendall