Patents Examined by D. Hayes
  • Patent number: 6367241
    Abstract: A thrust compensation apparatus for high-speed rotating machinery includes an electromagnetic thrust bearing having a thrust rotor and a thrust stator, a first chamber filled with a pressurized medium on one side of the bearing, and a second chamber on the other side of the bearing. The pressure differential across the bearing augments the electromagnetic force between the rotor and stator in order to counteract the axial thrust load of the high-speed rotating machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignees: Allison Advanced Development Company, Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Anthony Ress, Jr., Mark Stephen Henry
  • Patent number: 6334759
    Abstract: A valve housing of the control valve has a communication passage communicating a suction port of the compressor with a crank chamber of the compressor. A main valve is provided in the valve housing for opening and closing the communication passage. A spring member resiliently biases the main valve toward its closed position. A pressure actuated unit moves the main valve toward the open position by receiving a suction pressure of the compressor. A flow adjustment valve is disposed in the valve housing for adjusting an open degree of a leak passage and receives the discharge pressure exerting a force on the flow adjustment valve toward its closed position. The flow adjustment valve increases a leak flow rate of a fluid flowing from a discharge port of the compressor to a crank chamber through a leak passage when the compressor provides a lower discharge pressure. A correction spring is disposed between the main valve and the flow adjustment valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Saginomiya Seisakusho, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Morio Kaneko, Ichiro Ohkawara, Masaki Ota, Ken Suito, Masanori Sonobe, Tomoji Tarutani
  • Patent number: 6332757
    Abstract: A valve housing has a communication passage communicating a suction port of the compressor with a crank chamber of the compressor. A valve element opens and closes the communication passage, and a spring member resiliently biases the valve element toward the closed position. A pressure actuated unit moves the valve element toward the open position by a suction pressure of the compressor. The spring member includes a spring made of a temperature responsive material. The spring decreases in its resilient force in an opening direction of the valve element with increase of an outer-air temperature. The spring member has a primary spring made of an ordinary resilient material for resiliently biasing the valve element toward the closed position and a correction spring made of a material having a temperature positive characteristic. The correction spring provides a correction spring force smaller than a primary force of the primary spring in the opposite direction to the primary force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Saginomiya Seisakusho, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Morio Kaneko, Ichiro Ohkawara, Masaki Ota, Ken Suitou, Kenta Nishimura, Taku Adaniya
  • Patent number: 6318065
    Abstract: In a gas turbine power plant system having an air chiller for lowering the temperature of inlet air, a compressor for compressing the inlet air, a combustor for combusting the compressed air and fuel and a power turbine for providing useful power, a method and apparatus for chilling water delivered to the air chiller is provided, having a thermal water storage tank for storing chilling water, the tank having a bottom portion and a top portion, and a bottom inlet and a bottom outlet and a top inlet and a top outlet. A charge cycle is provided wherein the tank is filled with chilled water, and a discharge cycle is provided wherein the chilled water is fed to the air chiller, thereby chilling the inlet air to the power turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventor: Tom L. Pierson
  • Patent number: 6314717
    Abstract: An electricity generating system having a body (159), an annular combustor (14), a turbine (16), a compressor chamber and a compressor (102) positioned within the compressor chamber. An inlet port is in fluid communication with the compressor chamber and an exit port is in fluid communication with the turbine. A plurality of magnets (MG) is secured to the rotor (18) and a stator (22) made of mangnetically attracted material, such as iron, and having a stator winding provided in the body (159). The stator winding is positioned in close proximity to the plurality of magnets mounted to the rotor whereby rotation of the rotor (18) induces a current in the winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Elliott Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Michael Teets, Jon W. Teets
  • Patent number: 6314715
    Abstract: In a power generating plant including a gas turbine which utilizes fuel gas from an oxygen blown gasifier for combustion at a predetermined pressure to drive a primary load, and where the fuel gas is supplied from the gasifier at a pressure higher than the predetermined pressure, an arrangement is provided to decrease the pressure of the fuel gas to a lower pressure required by the gas turbine. This arrangement includes a combustor and an expander downstream of the combustor, the combustor and the expander located between the gasifier and the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventor: David Andrew Stats
  • Patent number: 6311472
    Abstract: A combustion system includes a combustor and a hydrokinetic amplifier to supply it with fluids. The hydrokinetic amplifier includes first and second primary fluid inlet ports to receive first and second primary fluids into the hydrokinetic amplifier at a relatively low pressure, and a discharge port to discharge the combined first and second fluids at a higher pressure to the combustor. The primary fluids are air, water, steam, or fuel, at least one of which includes gas/vapor phase fluid. The hydrokinetic amplifier may include one or more auxiliary inlet ports to receive auxiliary input fluid (air, water, steam, or fuel) into the hydrokinetic amplifier for combination with the primary fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Helios Energy Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Nicodemus
  • Patent number: 6305914
    Abstract: Counterweight size is reduced by removing material from an electric motor rotor for a machine, such as a compressor. The material is removed asymmetrically with respect to shaft centerline to provide maximum benefit. Counterweight size reduction results in decrease of compressor dimensional envelope and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Scroll Technologies
    Inventor: Alexander Lifson
  • Patent number: 6302658
    Abstract: A compressor, in particular for the air conditioning system of an automobile, with a housing (1) and a compressor unit (2) accommodated in the housing (1) for taking in and compressing a refrigerant, wherein the compressor unit (2) comprises pistons (7) reciprocating in a cylinder block (6) and a drive disk—swash plate or pivot disk (8)—that drives the pistons (7), is characterized for increasing efficiency in that the drive disk (8) is supported such that a center line (9) of the bearing mount (pivoting or bearing axis) forms a tangent to a reference circle (10) defining the stroke, so that an angle of inclination (11) of the drive disk (8) is variable, without displacing the dead center above the stroke position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Luk Fahrzeug-Haydraulik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Volker Seipel, Jan Hinrichs
  • Patent number: 6298655
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an additional air supply duct which is additionally installed at the inlet duct connected to an exhaust duct of a gas turbine of a combined-cycle power generation apparatus, for providing the air required for additional combustion in the duct burner of a heat recovery steam generator. The air supply duct of a heat recovery steam generator according to the present invention diverges to left and right at the upper side of the real portion of the inlet duct connected to the exhaust duct of the gas turbine, and the terminal parts thereof, facing each other in a staggered manner, are respectively installed through the left and right sides of the inlet duct. Further, the penetration depth into the inlet duct is set to one eighth of the width of the inlet duct. In this way, uniform distribution of oxygen concentration can be formed at the end face of the entrance of the duct burner, thereby simultaneously achieving flame stability and complete combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Korea Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byeong-Eun Lee, Jae-Wook Ryu, Sung-Jin Park, Chae-Su Lee
  • Patent number: 6282904
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle system for use in a combustor utilized in a combustion turbine for reducing nitrogen oxides and other pollutants including an annular fuel distribution manifold separately mounted away from a diffusion nozzle, said annular manifold having a plurality of fuel emitting passages or holes disposed along the downstream side of the manifold, said manifold being mounted in a position away from the diffuser nozzle body to allow air to stream around the manifold on all sides allowing for a thorough mixture of fuel and air around the annular manifold for better premixing in the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Power Systems Mfg., LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Kraft, Vincent C. Martling, Brian R. Mack, Mark A. Minnich, David Stephens
  • Patent number: 6283731
    Abstract: A fuel supplying apparatus for a vehicle for supplying fuel including an in-tank type fuel pump 7 provided in a sub-tank 5 inside a main tank 1 and a tubular fuel holding case 21 surrounding a suction filter portion 20 of this fuel pump 7 and having an opening portion 21B which is open in an opposite direction to a forwardly moving direction of the vehicle, so as to supply fuel 2 to outside the main tank 1 through a delivery pipe 16 by means of the fuel pump 7. The fuel 2 can be supplied to an engine even during the quick braking of the vehicle when the amount of fuel 2 is small without increasing the number of component parts of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 6282905
    Abstract: Cooling structure of gas turbine combustor in which cooling medium flows through grooves in wall is improved so that adjustment of flow velocity, pressure loss and heat transfer rate of cooling medium flow in the wall becomes possible and cooling effect thereof is enhanced. Wall of combustor tail tube is made in double structure in which outer plate (1) and inner plate (4) are jointed together being lapped one on another. The outer plate (1) has air inlet hole (3) and groove (2) formed therein. The groove (2) is closed by jointing of the inner plate (4) to the outer plate (1). The inner plate (4) has air outlet hole (5) formed therein. The groove (2) communicates with the air inlet hole (3) and the air outlet hole (5). Cross sectional shape of the groove (2) is changed two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally such that width enlarges toward the hole (5) from the hole (3) or depth is constant or changed in tapered form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshichika Sato, Koichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 6283732
    Abstract: A pump, electromagnetically operable valves and at least one low-pressure accumulator are arranged in a valve block. The valve actuators are disposed in front of a base of the valve block opposite to an electric motor which drives the pump. The housing of the low-pressure accumulator is formed of an add-on piece which is deepdrawn from sheet metal in a bowl-type configuration. The edge of the add-on piece is attached in the mouth of a blind-end bore in the valve block. The add-on piece projects beyond the and has roughly the same height as the actuators of the valves. The actuators and the add-on pieces are covered by a housing cap on the valve block which protects them against environmental influences. The arrangement is extremely compact and permits achieving a relatively small and, thus, light-weight valve block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co., oHG
    Inventors: Hans-Dieter Reinartz, Dieter Dinkel, George Sonnenschein, Stephan Risch
  • Patent number: 6266954
    Abstract: A double wall bearing cone closes an opening between a bearing housing and an exhaust frame in a gas turbine. The bearing cone includes a conical forward plate having an inner diameter and an outer diameter and a conical aft plate nested with and spaced from the conical forward plate. A hub connects the inner diameters of the forward plate and the aft plate. The hub preferably includes holes therein that serve to meter air flow between the forward plate and the aft plate. The double wall bearing cone defines a cooling circuit that reduces wear between a third stage turbine wheel in a gas turbine and the rotor aft shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Martel A. McCallum, Jon A. Ebacher
  • Patent number: 6256995
    Abstract: The invention relates to a simple low cost fuel nozzle support stem that can be manufactured to meet extremely close tolerances with enhanced structural rigidity through use of a cylindrical stem body machined from solid bar stock. Superior thermal control to regulate thermal displacement of the stem body and to prevent fuel coking is provided by a concentric secondary fuel bore and a primary fuel tube disposed within the bore. The low pressure secondary fuel flow encircles the high pressure primary flow tube and serves to cool the fuel tube and cylindrical stem body in a uniform symmetric manner. An outer cylindrical insulating sleeve mounted on shoulders extending from the cylindrical body of the stem defines an elongate annular insulating air gap between the sleeve and cylindrical stem body. The support stem includes a dual fuel spray nozzle and a fuel adapter/mounting flange that are mounted to the stem body with simple cylindrical sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Parthasarathy Sampath, Richard Alan Kostka
  • Patent number: 6256979
    Abstract: The invention concerns a backblast gas structure for jet engine comprising a thrust reversal system with two downstream doors. The invention is characterized in that the two tilt-up doors articulated about axes (6, 7) are mounted on two side beams (2, 3) with free downstream edges (16, 17) comprising protuberances (18, 19). The door downstream edges (13, 14) having median zones (13b, 14b) forming an angle (A) with the lateral parts (13a, 14a), such that when the doors are in retracted position in direct jet, the beam (13b, 14b) edges (16, 17) of the doors are found in the same plane (P2), thereby constituting a gas exhaust outlet which is planar and substantially circular. The invention aims at improving the power package performance in direct jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Societe de Construction des Avions Hurel-Dubois (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Alain Fournier, Robert Standish
  • Patent number: 6254356
    Abstract: In a fitting structure of a control valve in a variable capacity compressor according to the present invention, a step portion 92 is formed by connecting two taper surfaces 93a and 93b, the diameter of each of which decreases progressively towards the depth of a fitting hole 32 (in an inserting direction of a control valve 33) between each step surface portion 57, 67, 74, 91 of a fitting hole 32. A first taper surface 93a at a deep part of each step portion 92 has a smaller inclination in the inserting direction than a second taper surface 93b on the inlet side. The first taper surface 93a is formed so that its inner diameter on the inlet side is a little greater than the outer diameter of each O-ring 61, 70, 77 disposed on each step surface portion 57, 67, 74 in a free condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Yamada, Hiroyuki Nakaima, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Shingo Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 6226976
    Abstract: A control and method is provided that continuously adjusts fuel sensitive schedules in the ECU for changes in the heating value of the fuel being combusted by the engine. The control and method includes calculating, as the engine is running, an expected fuel flow for a baseline fuel type and an actual fuel flow. A ratio of these two fuel flows is determined and applied to the heating value of a baseline fuel type that is preprogrammed into the ECU. This results in a scale factor that is then applied to fuel sensitive schedules in the ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: AlliedSignal, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Scott, Jeffrey S. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 6189321
    Abstract: A distributor for supplying burners of a gas turbine with fuel, air and coolant. Prior art distributors contain a combination of ring lines and tie lines, over which the fuel is distributed to individual burners. It is very complicated and expensive to replace defective components, and in some cases the entire apparatus has to be dismantled to do so. The distributor of the invention has two or more modules, depending on the number of burners, which are assembled from distributor units and regulating units in such a way that they can be taken apart again. For each burner, at least one regulating unit is provided, from which at least one supply line for the fuel, air and coolant extends to the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Banhardt, Burkhard Josuhn-Kadner, Raiko Milanovic, Volker Schüle, Wolfgang Waldi, Hans-Jürgen Weidemann