Patents Examined by Louis Casaregola
-
Patent number: 8176723Abstract: An external steam turbine main steam startup control valve bypass loop is provided to facilitate a full pressure combined cycle rapid response/fast start powerplant. The main steam startup bypass control loop particularly includes a main steam startup bypass control valve, which allows for the implementation of high efficiency, low pressure drop main steam control valve that otherwise would not be able to handle the severe throttling duty during a full pressure steam turbine startup and enhances the controllability of the steam turbine allowing for the high fidelity controls necessary to minimize steam turbine rotor stresses.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David E. Welch, Dileep Sathyanarayana, James C. Mondello, Edward L. Kudlacik
-
Patent number: 8176722Abstract: The invention relates to a thermodynamic circuit with a working medium comprising at least two substances with non-isothermal evaporation and condensation whereby the working medium can decompose above a given temperature. According to the invention, the heat from heat sources at temperatures above the decomposition temperature of the working medium may be made useful with little complexity and with high operational security, whereby the heat from the heat source is transferred in a first step to a hot liquid circuit and, in a second step, from the hot liquid circuit to the circuit with the working medium comprising at least two substances with non-isothermal evaporation and condensation. The heat introduced to the circuit with the working medium comprising at least two substances with non-isothermal evaporation and condensation can be reduced by means of the intermediate hot liquid circuit, such that a decomposition of the working medium can be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2005Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Jann Blonn, Jörg Lengert, Kathrin Ruhsland
-
Patent number: 8176725Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a fan drive gear system, a low spool connected to the fan drive gear system, and a high spool disposed aft of the low spool. The low spool comprises a rearward-flow low pressure compressor disposed aft of the fan drive gear system, and a forward-flow low pressure turbine disposed aft of the low pressure compressor. The high spool comprises a forward-flow high pressure turbine disposed aft of the low pressure turbine, a combustor disposed aft of the high pressure turbine, and a forward-flow high pressure compressor disposed aft of the combustor.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2009Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Jams W. Norris, Alan Epstein, Gary D. Roberge, Mark W. Costa, Andrew P. Berryann, Daniel B. Kupratis
-
Patent number: 8171734Abstract: A unitary swirler is disclosed, comprising a body having a swirler axis, and a plurality of vanes arranged in a circumferential direction around the swirler axis, wherein the swirler has a unitary construction. In one embodiment, the unitary swirler has a rim located coaxially with the swirler axis, and a wall extending between a portion of the rim and a portion of the hub. In another embodiment, the unitary swirler has an adaptor having a passage that is configured to direct a flow of air towards at least some of the plurality of vanes.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2008Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Marie Ann McMasters, Michael A. Benjamin, Alfred Mancini
-
Patent number: 8171736Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes an annular combustor shell having an inner liner and an outer liner respectively with inner and outer flanges at least partly overlapping to form a dome end portion of the shell, at least the outer flange including intersecting upstream and downstream wall portions defining a corner therebetween, the upstream wall portion having a plurality of cooling apertures defined therethrough immediately upstream of the corner, and the cooling apertures being oriented to direct a cooling air flow from outside the combustor shell therethrough and adjacent an inner surface of the downstream wall portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2007Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventors: Eduardo Hawie, Robert Sze
-
Patent number: 8171718Abstract: A system for power generation comprises an engine operative to output an exhaust gas, a carbon capture means operative to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas and output the CO2, and a compressor operative to receive the CO2 and output compressed CO2 that cools a component of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2009Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Seyfettin Can Gulen, Cristina Botero
-
Patent number: 8171738Abstract: A mounting system supporting and positioning an internal fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine includes at least a heat shield surrounding a fuel inlet of the fuel manifold, the heat shield bearing at least a portion of a load to support the fuel manifold.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2006Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventors: Jason Fish, Bryan Olver
-
Patent number: 8166766Abstract: A split heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) arrangement including a first HRSG coupled to a turbine and thereby receptive of a portion of the exhaust gases to deliver the portion of the exhaust gases to a compressor, a second HRSG coupled to the turbine and thereby receptive of a remaining portion of the exhaust gases, which includes an NOx catalyst and a CO catalyst sequentially disposed therein to remove NOx and CO from the exhaust gases and an air injection apparatus to inject air into the second HRSG between the NOx catalyst and the CO catalyst to facilitate CO consumption at the CO catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Samuel David Draper
-
Patent number: 8166748Abstract: A gas turbine engine booster includes one or more rotatable booster stages having booster blades extending radially inwardly from a rotatable drum and one or more non-rotatable vane stages having booster vanes extending radially outwardly from a non-rotatable shell. The booster stages may be interdigitated with the vane stages. The booster may be co-rotatable or counter-rotatable with respect to a fan stage of an aircraft gas turbine engine. The booster may be driven by a single turbine or one of counter-rotatable turbines or though a gearbox by these turbines. The booster blades and the booster vanes extend across a core engine inlet duct having an entrance downstream of the first fan stage. A fan section with the booster may have counter-rotatable first and second fan stages with fan blades of the second fan stages connected to and mounted radially outwardly of the rotatable drum.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Jan Christopher Schilling
-
Patent number: 8166762Abstract: Fuel control arrangements provide and control fuel flow to injectors through fuel control valves. The injectors are connected to respective fuel control valves which in turn are connected to a first fuel flow path. The injectors are also connected to a second fuel flow path. The fuel paths are associated with a fuel source and generally have a recirculation valve between them. When flow in the flow path is stopped, recirculation of fuel can be provided across the recirculation valve to prevent fuel degradation. By provision of a restrictor valve in the second fuel flow path control of fuel recirculation can be achieved, as well as greater flexibility by presenting fuel flow separately through the second flow path to the injector whilst the first flow path is inhibited.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2009Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Mark Scully
-
Patent number: 8161755Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a heat exchange unit through which a hot air stream and a cooling air stream flow. The heat exchange unit includes a hot air inlet pipe situated on a rear face of the heat exchange unit, to carry the hot air stream into the heat exchange unit, and a cooling air discharge pipe situated on the rear face of the heat exchange unit to expel the cooling air stream from the heat exchange unit, the hot air inlet pipe and the cooling air discharge pipe being concentric with each other. The hot air stream flows from the rear face forward to a front of the heat exchange unit, then from the front of the heat exchange unit, to a rear of the heat exchange unit, so as to be expelled via the rear face of the heat exchange unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2006Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Airbus Operations SASInventor: Herve Marche
-
Patent number: 8161751Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a turbine engine is configured to deliver a large volume of a fuel which has a relatively low amount of energy per unit volume. The fuel nozzle includes a fuel swirler plate having fuel delivery apertures which are angled with respect to the flat surfaces of the swirler plate. A nozzle cap covers the end of the fuel nozzle to create a swirl chamber at the outlet end. The nozzle cap may include a plurality of air inlet apertures to allow the air to enter the swirl chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Joel Hall
-
Patent number: 8156743Abstract: Disclosed is an arrangement for expanding an annular fluid flow and a center fluid flow, comprising a combustor including a venturi and a centerbody, the centerbody including an upstream end and a downstream end, and a venturi throat defined by the venturi and disposed upstream of 0.19 inches downstream of the downstream end of the centerbody.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2006Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Kirk Hessler, Alberto Jose Negroni, Predrag Popovic, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman
-
Patent number: 8156727Abstract: An adjustable section nozzle having a ring of deformable panels arranged close to its trailing edge is disclosed. Each panel has a dual-strip type structure made up of two materials presenting different coefficients of expansion, together with controlled heater devices that are thermally coupled to the set of panels.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Delphine Edith Dijoud, Benoit Marc Michel Fauvelet, Thomas Alain Christian Vincent
-
Patent number: 8151573Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting a flameout of an operating turbomachine that is configured to receive a controlled flow of bleed air from a bleed air source and a controlled flow of fuel from a fuel source. A value of an operational parameter within the turbomachine is detected and a determination is made as to whether it has varied by a predetermined amount. If the operational parameter has varied by the predetermined amount, a flameout confirmation test is triggered. The flameout confirmation test includes holding the controlled flow of bleed air constant, commanding an increase in turbomachine speed, and confirming that a flameout has occurred by detecting that the controlled fuel flow to the turbomachine is at a maximum fuel flow limit and that actual turbomachine speed differs from the commanded turbomachine speed by a predetermined speed error.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2008Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Matthew Christopher, Hanif Vhora
-
Patent number: 8151571Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling combustion emission parameters associated with a gas turbine combustor. The method can include providing an optical path through a gas turbine exhaust duct, propagating light along the optical path, measuring exhaust species absorption of the light within the gas turbine exhaust duct, and controlling at least one of the combustion parameters based at least in part on the measured exhaust species absorption.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2009Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Peter Martin Maly, Jamison W. Janawitz, William Eberhardt, Mark Holt, Yu Wang
-
Patent number: 8151551Abstract: A nozzle for use in a gas turbine engine includes nozzle doors coupled with a fan nacelle wherein the nozzle doors move in unison between a plurality of positions to influence a bypass airflow through a fan bypass passage. A linkage connects the nozzle doors and an actuator. A louver section coupled with the linkage moves in unison with the nozzle doors between a plurality of louver positions to direct a portion of the bypass airflow in a selected direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2006Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Edward B. Pero
-
Patent number: 8146369Abstract: A starter/generator machine for a turbine with a turbine enclosure, an air duct, and a plurality of fan blades is provided. The starter/generator machine includes a plurality of stator elements spaced at intervals in a ring shape adjacent to the air duct and a plurality of rotor elements mounted on the fan blades. The stator elements and the rotor elements are mounted to interact magnetically to exert a force sufficient to move the rotor elements. The stator elements are shaped to minimize air flow interference and are formed with a core, at least one pole, and multiple windings. The spacing between the stator elements and the rotor elements forms an air gap on the order of 5-10 mm, and the number of stator elements is different from the number of rotor elements.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2008Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Borealis Technical LimitedInventors: Hans Juergen Walitzki, Jonathan Sidney Edelson, Rodney Thomas Cox
-
Patent number: 8141363Abstract: A nozzle includes a nozzle body and a cavity defined at least in part by the nozzle body. A plenum extends through the nozzle body into the cavity. At least one passage through the plenum provides fluid communication between the plenum and the cavity. Orifices through the nozzle body and circumferentially spaced around the nozzle body provide fluid communication through the nozzle body. A method for cooling a face of a nozzle having a nozzle body that defines a cavity includes flowing a fuel through the cavity and inserting a plenum through the nozzle body into the cavity. The method further includes flowing a fluid through the plenum so that the fluid impinges on the face of the nozzle to remove heat.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Christian Xavier Stevenson, Thomas Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 8141368Abstract: Methods of managing fuel temperatures in fuel injectors for gas turbine engines include cooling fuel circuits by initiating fuel flow therethrough using opened, closed, and semi-open control techniques. A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine includes a feed arm having a fuel inlet fitting for delivering fuel to at least one fuel conduit extending through the feed arm. A nozzle body depends from the feed arm and has at least one fuel circuit extending therethrough. The fuel circuit is configured and adapted to receive fuel from the feed arm and to issue fuel from an exit orifice of the nozzle body. Sensing means are provided adjacent to the at least one fuel circuit. The sensing means are configured and adapted to provide temperature feedback in order to control fuel flow in the at least one fuel circuit to maintain fuel temperature within a predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2008Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Delavan IncInventors: Jerry L. Goeke, Neal A. Thomson, Brandon P. Williams