Patents Assigned to Solar Turbines Inc.
  • Patent number: 6611076
    Abstract: Tooth tips, which fit over teeth and distal ends of fingers formed between slots in laminated disks making up a portion of a stator in a generator, facilitate slipping stator windings into the slots from a central opening in the laminated disks; cooperate with wedges to affix stator windings in the slots; and provide a slot gap between adjacent tooth tips, which is substantially smaller than the width of the slots, to reduce slot harmonics and improve performance of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Lindbery, Kourosh Mehrayin
  • Patent number: 6520002
    Abstract: A cell of a recuperator has a passage therein having a first end and a second end. In use a fluid passes through the passage under pressure. The cell must be tested to determine an operational efficiency or leakage within the passage. A pair of sealing mechanisms is positioned at a respective one of the first end and the second end of the passage. A vacuum is pulled across the passage and a rate of leakage is monitored to define an operational cell and a failed cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc
    Inventors: Charles W. Bucey, Bruce D. Harkins, Michael S. Nowak
  • Patent number: 6098396
    Abstract: Internal combustion engines produce a number of emissions including oxides of nitrogen, NOx. One manner of reducing NOx production used in gas turbine engines is through the use of catalytic reactors. Catalytic reactors reduce the ignition temperatures required for complete combustion of a fuel air mixture. However, high temperatures present in catalytic reactors cause sintering of the substrate, vaporization of the catalyst, and sintering of catalyst and metal substrate. The present invention is directed at controlling the temperature of a catalytic reactor in an internal combustion engine. An exothermic catalyst coats a first side of a substrate in the catalytic reactor. An endothermic catalyst coats a second side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: Chaur S. Wen, Peter B. Roberts
  • Patent number: 6082093
    Abstract: Systems for controlling the combustion air to be used with a gas turbine engine for control the products of combustion and reducing emissions emitted therefrom have been used in the past. The present system includes a compressed air plenum being divided into a combustion air supply portion and a dilution or cooling air supply portion. A variable geometry system is positioned between the compressor section and the compressed air plenum. The variable geometry system is movably between an open position and a closed position. Movement of the variable geometry system varies the distribution of the compressed air between the combustion air supply portion and the dilution or cooling air supply portion. The system reduces emissions emitted from the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart Greenwood, Jorge Montoya, Mike Kelton, Tony Fahme
  • Patent number: 5937634
    Abstract: Present gas turbine engines fail to effectively and efficiently control the emission emitted therefrom. Many existing systems estimate the amount of constituents emitted within the exhaust gas verses measuring the actual quantity of constituent emitted within the exhaust gas. The present exhaust gas monitoring system has the ability to measure the actual quantity of an emission constituent, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sends a signal to a control box, interprets the signal, sends a second signal to an actuation device controlling a fluid flow to the combustion section resulting in the controlling of emissions emitted from the gas turbine engine within the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc
    Inventors: Colin J. Etheridge, Kenneth O. Smith
  • Patent number: 5918368
    Abstract: Circular recuperators are used to increase the efficiency of gas turbine engines. The present circular recuperators is made of a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells includes a plurality of components, such as, a plurality of sheets, a plurality of bars and guide strips. To more efficiently utilize the configuration of a primary surface circular heat exchanger or recuperator, the plurality of cells are manufactured to have a involute configuration. A fixture is used to position, hold and form the involute configuration. The fixture includes clamping device which positions and holds a base edge and the plurality of bars in a preestablished position and a forming member forms the remainder of the individual cells into the involute configuration. Corresponding ones of the base edges of individual cells form an inner diameter of the recuperator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Solar Turbines, Inc.
    Inventors: Doug R. Ervin, Tom L. Grigsby, Robert A. Prochnow
  • Patent number: 5896741
    Abstract: The control systems for reducing NOx in the combustion systems of past gas turbine engines has incorporated a variety of expensive and complicated techniques to reduce the NOx level. For example, such systems use schemes for introducing more air into the primary combustion zone, recirculating cooled exhaust products into the combustion zone and injecting water spray into the combustion zone. The present system reduces the formation of NOx within the combustion zone by controlling the air/fuel ratio and more explicitly by controlling the air portion of the air/fuel ratio. The present system includes a device for directing a portion of the flow of compressed air exiting a compressor section into an injection nozzle and into a combustor, a device for reducing the flow of compressed air into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 4627386
    Abstract: A compact, unfired, staggered tube, once-through steam generator or boiler of simple construction intended primarily for combined cycle power plants in which the thermal energy utilized to generate steam is obtained from the exhaust gases of a gas turbine engine. The boiler provides steam at two different pressure levels, which maximizes recovery of thermal energy; and all wettable components in the steam/water loop are fabricated of corrosion resistant materials. This eliminates the need for controlling the pH of the feedwater and the need for chemically controlling its dissolved oxygen content, thereby reducing maintenance and operating costs and making automatic, unattended, remotely controlled operation of the boiler practical as well as eliminating the need for blowing down the boiler and minimizing requirements for make-up water. The boiler can be operated dry to remove gas side fouling; and feedwater flow rates can be directly controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Solar Turbines, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Duffy, John P. Archibald, Alan H. Campbell
  • Patent number: D465499
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc
    Inventors: Robert W. Briggs, Gary C. Bryant, Kolin J. Kirschenmann, Ian McCulloch, William Pack, Larry T. Ryterski