Patents Examined by Steven Sutherland
  • Patent number: 8631639
    Abstract: A turbine power generation system with enhanced cooling provided by a stream of carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide source and a method of using a stream of carbon dioxide to cool hot gas path components. The turbine power generating system includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a generator, and at least one shaft linking the compressor and turbine and generator together such that mechanical energy produced from the turbine is used to drive the compressor and the generator. Carbon dioxide that is sequestered from the exhaust of the turbine may be stored and injected back into the turbine to cool hot gas path components of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andres Garcia-Crespo, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., George Martin Gilchrist, III, Amit Toprani
  • Patent number: 8627643
    Abstract: A system includes a radiation detector array configured to direct a field of view toward multiple conduits within a fluid flow path from a turbine into a heat exchanger. The radiation detector array is configured to output a signal indicative of a multi-dimensional temperature profile of the fluid flow path based on thermal radiation emitted by the conduits. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the radiation detector array. The controller is configured to determine a temperature variation across the fluid flow path based on the signal, and to compare the temperature variation to a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rahul Jaikaran Chillar, Julio E. Mestroni, Eric J. Kauffman, Adil Ansari
  • Patent number: 8621874
    Abstract: A coupling assembly for an engine core of a turbomachine is provided. The coupling assembly comprises a duct having a substantially circular shape and surrounding the engine core, and a plurality of coupling struts, each coupling strut extending only in a substantially vertical direction relative to the direction of gravity when the engine core is at a rest position with zero pitch and zero roll, each of the plurality of coupling struts coupling the engine core to the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Bill Russell Watson, Max Warden
  • Patent number: 8616002
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for premixing combustion fuel and air within gas turbines. In one embodiment, a combustor includes an upstream mixing panel configured to direct compressed air and combustion fuel through a premixing zone to form a fuel-air mixture. The combustor also includes a downstream mixing panel configured to mix additional combustion fuel with the fuel-air mixture to form a combustion mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Balachandar Varatharajan, Andrei Tristan Evulet, Ertan Yilmaz, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Patent number: 8590313
    Abstract: A precision counter-swirl combustor that includes an annular combustor having a forward end, an aft end opposite the forward end, and an interior. The aft end being proximal to a gas turbine. The combustor further includes a fuel inlet and swirler operatively connected to the forward end and at least one air inlet. The air inlet is equipped with a chute that extends into the interior of said combustor. The combustor is secured to a fixed structure proximate the forward end of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Charles B. Graves, William G. Cummings
  • Patent number: 8584467
    Abstract: A method of controlling a combustor of a gas turbine is disclosed. The method includes operatively disposing a combustor can in a combustor of a gas turbine. The combustor can comprising a plurality of combustor fuel nozzles, each having a fuel injector and configured to selectively provide a liquid fuel, a liquid fluid or liquid fuel and liquid fluid to a fuel injector nozzle that is configured to provide, respectively, a plurality of liquid fuel jets, a plurality of liquid fluid jets or a combination thereof, that are in turn configured to provide an atomized liquid fuel stream, an atomized liquid fluid stream, or an atomized and emulsified liquid fuel-liquid fluid stream, respectively. The method also includes selectively providing an amount of fuel, fluid or a combination thereof to the fuel injector nozzle to produce an atomized fuel stream, atomized fluid stream, or an atomized and emulsified fuel-fluid stream, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sachin Khosla, Mihir Lal, Daniel Scott Zehentbauer
  • Patent number: 8578699
    Abstract: The invention relates to a turbojet engine nacelle that includes a power supply source (113) for a system for actuating and controlling a thrust reverser device (121), and for a system for actuating and controlling a variable nozzle device (120), characterised in that the power supply can be switched between a first position in which it powers the system for actuating and controlling the thrust reverser device, and a second position in which it powers the system for actuating and controlling the variable nozzle device, wherein the switching is carried out under the action of a control output from a computer (103) capable of receiving a thrust reverser opening control (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventor: Benoit Kubiak
  • Patent number: 8572948
    Abstract: A rocket propulsion system having a liquid fuel tank and a liquid oxidizer tank, where a liquid inert gas tank supplies liquid inert gas to a liquid inert gas pump driven by a turbine of the engine to pressurize the liquid inert gas, which is passed through a heat exchanger around the nozzle to vaporize the inert gas, that is then used to pressurize the liquid oxidizer tank so that a liquid oxidizer pump is not needed, or to pressurize both the liquid oxidizer tank and the liquid fuel tank so that a liquid oxidizer pump and a liquid fuel pump are not needed in the rocket engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Alex Pinera
  • Patent number: 8572984
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a nacelle and a breather duct. The breather duct provides communication between a component of the engine within the nacelle and the exterior of the nacelle and opens at an exhaust port on the external surface of the nacelle. There is a clean air outlet slot located downstream of the exhaust port and arranged to expel, in use, a sheet flow of clean air to form an aerodynamic barrier between the external surface of the nacelle and a flow of breather air expelled from the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Christopher T J Sheaf, Zahid M Hussain
  • Patent number: 8555646
    Abstract: Disclosed is a premixer for a combustor including an annular outer shell and an annular inner shell. The inner shell defines an inner flow channel inside of the inner shell and is located to define an outer flow channel between the outer shell and the inner shell. A fuel discharge annulus is located between the outer flow channel and the inner flow channel and is configured to inject a fuel flow into a mixing area in a direction substantially parallel to an outer airflow through the outer flow channel and an inner flow through the inner flow channel. Further disclosed are a combustor including a plurality of premixers and a method of premixing air and fuel in a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Patrick Benedict Melton, William David York
  • Patent number: 8549860
    Abstract: A method for the combustion of hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuels in combustion air in a burner of a gas turbine includes injecting the hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel at least partially isokinetically with respect to the combustion air such that the partially hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel is injected at least partially in the same direction and at least partially at the same velocity as the combustion air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Stefano Bernero, Fernando Biagioli, Thierry Lachaux
  • Patent number: 8539750
    Abstract: A power generation system (11) and method of operating such a system (11) including a steam turbine (14). In one embodiment a HRSG (20) includes an evaporator (127) coupled to receive condensate from the steam turbine (14), and a superheater (132) coupled to receive output from the evaporator (127). The HRSG (20) generates steam with thermal energy received from a combustion turbine (28). A flash tank (9) receives water heated in the HRSG (20), outputs a first portion of the water as steam, and outputs a second portion of the water as liquid. A flow line (134) passes steam (51) from the flash tank (9) to a combustion chamber (26) in the combustion turbine (28) to provide power augmentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Bellows, Frederick W. Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 8534038
    Abstract: A combined power plant that is capable of reducing the time required for restarting is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Kitaguchi
  • Patent number: 8528343
    Abstract: A method of producing substitute natural gas (SNG) includes providing at least one steam turbine engine. The method also includes providing a gasification system that includes at least one gas shift reactor configured to receive a boiler feedwater stream and a synthesis gas (syngas) stream. The at least one gas shift reactor is further configured to produce a high pressure steam stream. The method further includes producing a steam stream within the at least one gas shift reactor and channeling at least a portion of the steam stream to the at least one steam turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Steven Wallace, Arnaldo Frydman
  • Patent number: 8528337
    Abstract: An injection system for fuel and air that includes a number of lobes positioned adjacent to each other. Each of the lobes has a trailing end. A number of jets may be positioned adjacent to the trailing end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Gilbert Otto Kramer
  • Patent number: 8528314
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant startup system is provided. The system includes a steam turbine, a HRSG, a condenser, and a bypass system. The steam turbine may include a turbine section. The HRSG may be operably connected to the steam turbine for providing steam to the steam turbine. The HRSG may include a reheater. The bypass system may be configured to adjust the steam pressure downstream of the reheater by routing steam downstream of the reheater to the condenser. The bypass system may include at least one bypass line, at least one control valve operably connected to the at least one bypass line, a pressure gauge configured to monitor the steam pressure downstream of the reheater, and a controller configured to communicate with the pressure gauge and operate the at least one control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Leslie Yung-Min Tong, Diego Fernando Rancruel, Tailai Hu, Joel Donnell Holt
  • Patent number: 8516828
    Abstract: An assembly and method for providing buffer air and/or ventilation air within a gas turbine engine, the assembly includes an accessory gearbox and a centrifugal compressor. The accessory gearbox is connected to a driven shaft of the gas turbine engine. The centrifugal compressor is driven by the accessory gearbox during operation of the gas turbine engine to receive and compress a bleed air to produce the buffer air and/or the ventilation air. The buffer air and/or the ventilation air is communicated within the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Jorn A. Glahn
  • Patent number: 8516827
    Abstract: A bleed valve bleeds hot gases from a compressor into a bypass duct of a gas turbine engine. The valve comprises a diffuser having opposing walls and a divider located between the walls and which define at least two passages through which a bleed fluid flows and into a fluid flow through the bypass duct. The passages are angled towards each other to force the two gas flows together to form a high aspect ratio plume. This plume has a relatively large surface area that that improves mixing with the bypass flow to cool it and prevented otherwise hot bleed flows from impinging on heat sensitive components adjacent the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Patent number: 8516829
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for modifying the operation and/or performance of a gas turbine. According to one embodiment, a method for modifying the performance of a gas turbine comprising one or more combustors can be provided. The method can include measuring a gas exhaust temperature for the gas turbine and estimating a heat transfer rate for the gas turbine based at least in part on the gas exhaust temperature. After estimating the heat transfer rate, the method can continue by estimating a transiently accurate combustion reference temperature and using this parameter to control the one or more combustors of the gas turbine. In doing so, the performance of the gas turbine can be modified to ensure reliable and consistent operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Ewens, Kevin Wilkes, Christopher Long, Noemie Dion Ouellet
  • Patent number: 8511098
    Abstract: An example engine assembly includes a first attachment structure secured to an engine casing or an engine liner, and a second attachment structure secured to the other of the engine casing or the engine liner. A sliding member is held by the first attachment structure and is slideable relative to the first attachment structure between a first position and a second position. A pin structure moves with the sliding member between the first position and the second position. A link is pivotally connected to the second attachment structure and the pin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Gonzalo F. Martinez