Patents Examined by Steven Anderson, II
  • Patent number: 9074493
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a steam generation system is provided. Fluid flow is channeled from at least one first boiler within at least one conduit. Fluid flow is added within the conduit from at least one second boiler. At least one operating condition within the first and second boilers is detected. A fluid pressure set point and/or a fluid temperature set point for each boiler is determined based on the operating condition detected for each boiler. A fluid pressure and/or a fluid temperature is maintained within the first and second boiler to be approximately equal to the fluid pressure set point and the fluid temperature set point for each boiler, respectively, prior to fluid flow being channeled and/or during the channeling of fluid flow from the first boiler and/or the second boiler within the conduit to a steam process and/or at least one steam turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vijay Subhash Wad, Steven Di Palma, Charles William Weidner, Maxwell Reeves Erwin, Samuel Jacob Wallin, Shanmuga Priya Muniyandi
  • Patent number: 9074400
    Abstract: An oven door opening and closing device includes at least one hinge connectable to an oven door and to an oven housing for realizing a predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement of the oven door relative to the oven housing between an open and a closed position. At least one closing force generating device generates a predetermined closing force, and a kinematic device is coupled to the hinge and to a moveable element in such a manner that the predetermined pivoting opening and closing movement of the hinge is converted into a predetermined reciprocating opening and closing movement of the moveable element. At least one damping system has a damper for generating a damping force which counteracts the closing movement of the movable element within a predetermined section, which corresponds to a predetermined angle section of the pivoting closing movement of the hinge shortly prior to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Behnam Mirshekari, Klaus Walzlein, Simone Stephan, Klaus Kern, Dietmar Hildner, Gerhard Schaff, Branko Ivanovic, Tobias Weber
  • Patent number: 9052121
    Abstract: Mobile water heating systems for producing hot water are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a mobile water heating system includes a water heater having an oval-cylindrical shape. The water heater includes a shell, a lid and a water reservoir having a screen. A first heating coil and a second heating coil can extend between the screen and a first cone and a second cone, respectively. A first burner and a second burner can be configured to mix and combust fuel and air and direct the resulting flames through the heating coils. Pall rings can at least partially fill an interior volume of the water heater and the combustion of the fuel and air can heat the heating coils and the pall rings. Water can be heated by being directed through the heating coils and through a water manifold positioned to spray water on the pall rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Intelligent Energy, LLC
    Inventors: James Alan Cooper, Gerald Wayne Lind, Justin Lydell Mason, Noland Harper Critchfield, Jeffery K. Cooper
  • Patent number: 9038575
    Abstract: A tube disposed in the combustion chamber of a standing pilot type fuel-fired water heater is used to increase the overall efficiency of the water heater by improving the heat transfer from the pilot flame to the tank during standby periods by funneling the standing pilot flame upwardly through the tube in a manner concentrating the pilot flame heat against an underside portion of the bottom head of the water heater tank. To further increase water heater efficiency, the pilot burner is of a dual input type. Various pilot burner operational algorithm modes are disclosed for causing the pilot burner to operate at a high firing rate during main burner operation, and at a low firing rate during standby periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jozef Boros, Ashwin Rao, Subbramanian Thenappan, David L. Gibbons
  • Patent number: 8997730
    Abstract: A grease removal system for a combination oven, requiring venting and condensation of steam, conducts excess grease through the same drainpipe as the steam to a water-filled condenser, then segregates the grease within a reservoir wall. In this way, a single opening may serve to remove both excess steam pressure and grease and temperature-moderated grease may be readily pumped to a convenient location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Alto-Shaam, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Kulakowski, Jan Bartelick
  • Patent number: 8978638
    Abstract: A door with a gas burner on an inner surface and a system for carrying a combustible gas to the burner on the outer surface thereof. The door comprises a pair of metal sheets rigidly connected to one another at the edges thereof, each sheet having input and output openings for the gas mixture that are mutually separated in order to leave an inner space receiving a deflector plate serving as a thermal shield to be swept over on either side by the flow of the gas mixture supplying the burner. This arrangement reduces heat loss through the door; thus, keeping the outer surface cold, avoiding the risk of burns, and preheating the gas mixture. The invention can be used in heating appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Giannoni France
    Inventor: Joseph Le Mer
  • Patent number: 8967088
    Abstract: A steam generation boiler having a reaction chamber formed by a bottom portion in a lower portion, a roof portion at an upper portion, and walls extending vertically between the bottom portion and the roof portion. The walls include vertical end walls having a tapering wall section that tapers symmetrically with respect to its middle axis towards the bottom portion, in which (i) a first group of steam pipes in the tapering wall section including steam pipes on both sides of the middle axis, pass at an angle with respect to the middle axis in a wall plane of the tapering wall section, and from the wall plane into the reaction chamber, and (ii) a second group of steam pipes arranged to pass to the bottom portion along the wall plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energia Oy
    Inventor: Pentti Lankinen
  • Patent number: 8894407
    Abstract: A combustor includes an end cap, a combustion chamber downstream from the end cap, and a plurality of tubes that extends through the end cap to provide fluid communication through the end cap to the combustion chamber. A casing surrounds the end cap, and a conduit extends from the casing to the end cap. A duct extends around the conduit and inside the end cap to provide fluid communication to the end cap. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through a plurality of tubes that extends axially through an end cap, supplying a first fluid through a conduit into the end cap, and supplying a second fluid through a duct spiraling around the conduit into the end cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Patent number: 8844515
    Abstract: A low profile heliostat with elongated louvered mirror segments is provided. Its envelope of revolution has the shape of a flat disc to enable heliostat fields with very high ground coverage ratio. The heliostat's disc-shaped footprint rotates around a substantially vertical axis (akin to a carousel). The short dimension of the mirror segments is drastically shorter than the disc's diameter. Embodiments are described in which the motion relies on two concentric rings, which are individually rotated around a vertical axis. The lower ring acts as a platform providing mainly azimuth tracking, carrying the upper ring. The differential rotation between the upper ring and the lower ring is translated into a rotation of the mirror segments around a second, perpendicular, axis and used for elevation tracking. Disc-shaped heliostat with D-shaped cut-offs are described, to facilitate the required maintenance access even in highly dense heliostat fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Philipp H. Schmaelzle, Patrick Y. Maeda, Patrick C. Cheung