Patents Examined by Mark A Laurenzi
  • Patent number: 10982543
    Abstract: A near-adiabatic engine has four stages in a cycle: a means of near adiabatically expanding the working fluid during the downstroke (expansion stroke); a means of cooling the working fluid at Bottom Dead Center (BDC); a means of near adiabatically compressing that cooled fluid from the lower pressure/temperature level at BDC to the higher level at Top Dead Center (TDC); and finally, a means of passing that working fluid back into the high pressure/temperature source in a balanced condition with minimal resistance to that flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventor: Barry W. Johnston
  • Patent number: 10982555
    Abstract: A root extending from a platform of an airfoil is disclosed. The root may include a first portion having a generally cylindrical shape, and a second portion extending from the first portion to the platform. The second portion may have a circumference larger than a circumference of the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas Aiello, John C. Duong
  • Patent number: 10982568
    Abstract: A pumping apparatus for a heat engine, includes an extraction line arranged to extract a fraction of liquid working fluid from a working circuit of a heat engine; an extraction line pump for pumping the extracted working fluid; an extraction line heat exchanger for vaporising the extracted working fluid; and a pressure-operated pump for pumping the working fluid around the working circuit, wherein the extraction line pump and the extraction line heat exchanger are arranged in series to convert the liquid working fluid to a pressurised motive gas; and wherein the pump is driven by the pressurized motive gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Spirax-Sarco Limited
    Inventors: Jeremy Miller, Obadah Zaher
  • Patent number: 10968786
    Abstract: An improved heat engine employing a dual-component working fluid and configured to generate internal heat from one component of the working fluid that heats the other component through the physical contact between them such that together with the addition of external heat, the engine advantageously yields enhanced work extraction efficiency through separate, parallel expansion of each of the working fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Nitzan Eliyahu
  • Patent number: 10968843
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods in interoperating with multiple clean energy sources, such as pneumatic energy, electrical energy, hydrogen energy and steam energy, with engine configurations employing theses clean energy sources dynamically and synchronously. Further embodiments including fossil fuel energies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Marvin W. Ward
  • Patent number: 10968826
    Abstract: A combined power generation system performing pressure difference power generation includes a pressure difference power generation facility generating electricity by using a pressure change of natural gas; a gas turbine power generation facility including a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a generator; and a heating unit to heat the natural gas discharged from the pressure difference power generation facility. A first bypass channel enables the natural gas to bypass the pressure difference power generation facility, and a second bypass channel enables the natural gas to bypass the heating unit. The heated natural gas is heated to a high temperature and then introduced into the combustor of the gas turbine power generation facility. Since the natural gas to be used in the gas turbine power generation facility is preliminarily heated while passing through the preceding power generation facility, the generation efficiency of the gas turbine power generation efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Sanghyeun Kim, Hwachang Sung, Songhun Cha
  • Patent number: 10969167
    Abstract: An apparatus for the distillation of air by cryogenic distillation is provided. The apparatus can include an enclosure; a first distillation column configured to operate at a first pressure; a second distillation column configured to operate at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure, the second distillation column being placed above the first distillation column and forming therewith a double column; a subcooling heat exchanger configured to cool at least one liquid from the first distillation column upstream of the second distillation column and configured to warm a gaseous nitrogen stream from the second distillation column; and an argon column configured to separate an argon enriched stream from the second distillation column and configured to produce an argon rich stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Patrice Cavagne, Remy Kurtz
  • Patent number: 10961975
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for pumping or removing a fluid from a region within or on top of or in contact with a water or liquid body and applications for said systems and methods. Some embodiments may also relate to anti-fouling or reducing fouling structures like docks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Innovator Energy, LLC
    Inventor: Ethan J. Novek
  • Patent number: 10961949
    Abstract: A system including a closed cycle engine having a piston body defining a hot side and a cold side and having a piston assembly movable within the piston body. An electric machine is operatively coupled with the piston assembly. A control system includes one or more sensors operable to detect a piston movement characteristic of the piston assembly movable within the piston body. A controller is communicatively coupled with the one or more sensors and a controllable device. The controller is configured to determine a control command based at least in part on data received from the one or more sensors. The control command is selected based at least in part to cause the electric machine operatively coupled with the piston assembly to generate a preselected electrical power output. The controller provides the determined control command to the controllable device. The controllable device is operable to control an input to an engine working fluid disposed within the piston body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Tyler Mook, Michael Thomas Gansler, Scott Douglas Waun, Kevin Michael VandeVoorde, Aigbedion Akwara, Michael Robert Notarnicola, Jason Joseph Bellardi, Mohammed El Hacin Sennoun, Mary Kathryn Thompson, Mohamed Osama
  • Patent number: 10961873
    Abstract: Optimizing power generation from waste heat in large industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries by utilizing a subset of all available hot source streams selected based, in part, on considerations for example, capital cost, ease of operation, economics of scale power generation, a number of ORC machines to be operated, operating conditions of each ORC machine, combinations of them, or other considerations are described. Recognizing that several subsets of hot sources can be identified from among the available hot sources in a large petroleum refinery, subsets of hot sources that are optimized to provide waste heat to one or more ORC machines for power generation are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mahmoud Bahy Mahmoud Noureldin, Hani Mohammed Al Saed, Ahmad Saleh Bunaiyan
  • Patent number: 10961985
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a main shaft (34), a rotor hub (22), a plurality of blades coupled to the rotor hub (22), and a rotor locking disc (32), (32?). The main shaft (34) includes a front end portion (34a), and the front end portion (34a) includes a first connecting structure (36). The rotor hub (22) includes a second connecting structure (40). The first connecting structure (36) of the main shaft (34) is fixed to the second connecting structure (40) of the rotor hub (22). The rotor locking disc (32), (32?) is integrally formed on the front end portion (34a) of the main shaft (34), and includes a peripheral region. A plurality of rotor locking elements (50), (50?) are located in the peripheral region for receiving one or more rotor locking pins (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Thomas Møller Christiansen, Erik Markussen, Jeppe Hesseldal Otten, Nicolaj Biltoft Kristensen
  • Patent number: 10954788
    Abstract: A heat engine, in particular an ORC engine, includes a crankcase and at least one working cylinder connected to the crankcase, in which cylinder a working piston that is rigidly connected to a piston rod can be moved and the end of the piston rod facing away from the working piston is articulatedly connected to a connecting rod by crosshead running in the longitudinal direction of the piston rod. The interior of the working cylinder, which is supplied with a working medium, is separated from the interior of the crankcase, which is supplied with oil, by two walls, each of which has a sealing through-opening for the piston rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: DEVETEC GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Schnur, Joscha Horbach
  • Patent number: 10954852
    Abstract: This compressed air storage power generation device 10 is provided with: a power demand receiving unit 60 which receives in real-time the power demand value of consumer equipment 3; a power supply adjustment device 19 which adjusts the amount of power generated by a generator 15; and a control device which has a power generation amount control unit 17a for controlling the power supply adjustment device 19 so as to supply the consumer equipment 3 in a timely fashion with power corresponding to the power demand value received by the power demand receiving unit 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Matsukuma, Ayaka Nagahira
  • Patent number: 10947961
    Abstract: This disclosure includes various embodiments of apparatuses for encapsulating and stopping a flowing mass of fluid (e.g., liquid such as water, or gas such as air) to extract the kinetic energy from the mass, and for exhausting the mass once stopped (spent mass, from which kinetic energy has been extracted). This disclosure also includes various embodiments of systems comprising a plurality of the present apparatuses coupled together and/or one or more of the present apparatuses in combination with one or more flow resistance modifiers (FRMs). This disclosure also includes various embodiments of methods of extracting kinetic energy from a flowing mass of fluid (e.g., liquid such as water, or gas such as air) by stopping the mass, and for exhausting the mass once stopped (spent mass, from which kinetic energy has been extracted). This disclosure also includes embodiments of mechanical energy-storage or accumulation devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Inventor: Gregory A. M. Brown
  • Patent number: 10941754
    Abstract: A fluid driven motor device is provided, which does not use a magnet or an armature coil, includes a motor casing chamber containing a fluid mixture, a shaft disposed within the chamber, and a plurality of ray guns arranged on the periphery of the chamber, and a unidirectional gear assembly. The shaft has a plurality of cell holders, onto which a corresponding plurality of membrane cells is attached. Each membrane cell holds a predetermined quantity of a liquid. The membrane cells expand continuously based on the firing of the subatomic rays by the plurality of ray guns causing the shaft to rotate. The device has several advantages such as being very energy and heat efficient, having lesser weight as compared to conventional electromagnetic coil based motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventor: Samir Hanna Safar
  • Patent number: 10941676
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for rapidly and flexibly adapting the output of a steam-turbine power station (1), preferably for adapting the output to altered network loads, more preferably for providing a positive and/or negative network operating reserve as required, and especially preferably for providing a primary operating reserve and/or a secondary operating reserve. According to the invention, heat released during the discharge of at least one electrically chargeable thermal store (6) is coupled into a feedwater heater section (3) of the power station (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon-Clean Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Joseph Pfab, Lars Zoellner, Klaus Knop
  • Patent number: 10933958
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel burner disposed within a buoy, and at least one fuel tank coupled to the fuel burner. The fuel tank preferably contains ethanol or propane. The system comprises either a thermoelectric generator or an electrical generator mechanically coupled to a heat engine. The ethanol or propane is burned to generate electric power. At least a portion of the electric power that is generated is stored in a battery system so that the system can provide peak levels of electric power consumption that are relatively large. The system can be used in autonomous marine applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Sarokhan
  • Patent number: 10931117
    Abstract: Arrangements of the present disclosure relate to a system including a datacenter, having an electrical connection configured to receive electrical power generated from landfill gas, a thermal connection configured to receive thermal energy generated as a byproduct of generating the electrical power from the landfill gas, a datacenter load powered by the electrical power, and a cooling plant configured to cool the datacenter load using the thermal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Patrick Robert Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 10927733
    Abstract: A system to mitigate diesel exhaust fluid deposits in vehicle exhaust system flexible couplings includes a diesel exhaust pipeline. A diesel exhaust fluid injector is connected to the diesel exhaust pipeline to inject a diesel exhaust fluid into the diesel exhaust pipeline. A flexible coupling is connected to the diesel exhaust pipeline. A diesel exhaust fluid collection device is positioned in the diesel exhaust pipeline between a connection location into the diesel exhaust pipeline of the diesel exhaust fluid injector and the flexible coupling. The diesel exhaust fluid collection device includes a liquid diesel exhaust fluid collection volume where an un-vaporized portion of the diesel exhaust fluid is collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Rahul Mital, Daryl J. D'Andrea, Bilal A. Rathur
  • Patent number: 10927712
    Abstract: The invention relates to a waste heat recovery system (3) for an internal combustion engine (1), having a working fluid circuit (19) with a condenser (31) that is also connected to a working fluid cooling circuit (34), and wherein the working fluid cooling circuit (34) has a cooler (35). The invention provides a waste heat recovery system (3) having a working fluid cooling circuit (34) which is improved in comparison to one design of a working fluid cooling circuit (34). This is achieved by the working fluid cooling circuit (34) having a cooler bypass (46). This configuration makes it generally possible for part of the coolant volume flow to be routed past the cooler (35). This is advantageous in particular at low temperatures since otherwise very low pressures arise in the working fluid cooling circuit (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Zuschlag, Gregory Rewers, Michael Richter