Patents Examined by Steven Sutherland
  • Patent number: 9664393
    Abstract: A burner of a gas turbine extending along an axis is provided having in axial order: a swirler section, mixing section, outlet section, and main combustion zone. The swirler section has swirler vanes to swirl a stream of fuel and oxygen containing gas entering therein in a circumferential direction. The mixing section conducts the premix of fuel and oxygen containing gas to the outlet section. The outlet section discharges the premix into the combustion zone expanding the flow of premix from a smaller axial cross section of the mixing section to a larger cross section of the combustion zone which streamlines the flow to diverge radially. A surface of the outlet section facing the flow of the premix is provided with first fuel nozzles injecting fuel into the premix into a radial inwardly inclined direction before the flow of the premix enters the outlet section into the combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mats Andersson, Alessio Bonaldo
  • Patent number: 9664110
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a gas turbine which includes a compressor with annular inlet area, at least two burners, a combustion chamber and a turbine. According to the method, at least one first partial intake flow, consisting of oxygen-reduced gas which has an oxygen concentration which is lower than the average oxygen concentration of the compressor intake flow, and at least one second partial intake flow, consisting of fresh air, are fed to the compressor in an alternating manner in the circumferential direction of the inlet area. In addition, the invention relates to a gas turbine power plant with a gas turbine, the compressor inlet of which includes at least one first segment and at least one second segment which are arranged in an alternating manner around a compressor inlet in the circumferential direction, wherein a feed for an oxygen-reduced gas is connected to the first segment and a fresh air feed is connected to the second segment of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Felix Guethe, Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Frank Graf, Bruno Schuermans, Eribert Benz
  • Patent number: 9664112
    Abstract: A turbojet is suspended by attachments including hinged links. An attachment includes a support including three branches with passages through which a pin passes, the pin being oriented generally parallel to a direction that is tangential to a casing and being hinged to a central branch of the support by a ball joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Wouter Balk, Thomas Alain Christian Vincent
  • Patent number: 9664116
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section mounted relative to an engine static structure. A module includes instrumentation that is mounted to the engine static structure. The module includes an energy harvesting power source that is configured to provide electricity to the instrumentation during engine operation and is independent of an external electrical power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce Hockaday, Thomas M. Ritter
  • Patent number: 9657949
    Abstract: A combustor assembly includes a hot skin of a combustion chamber wall having an inner face exposed to the combustion chamber and an opposite outer face, a receiving skin having a securing portion affixed to the hot skin outer face in an air-tight manner and a receiving flange, extending from the securing portion, that is offset from the hot skin outer face to form a female recess, a cold skin having a cold wall portion spaced from the hot skin and forming a cooling cavity therebetween, a securing portion extending from a first end of the cold wall portion affixed to the hot skin outer face in an air-tight manner and a male flange extending from a second end of the cold wall portion opposite the first end, the male flange snugly received in the female recess and forming a sliding engagement therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Honza Stastny, Robert Sze
  • Patent number: 9650966
    Abstract: A gas turbine provided with an air bleeder tube (1) that, during startup, bleeds a portion of the compressed air of a compressor from the compressor and discharged the bled air into a cylindrical exhaust duct (20), wherein the air bleeder tube (1) is disposed at a portion that does not obstruct the flow of the main flow of combustion gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuro Sakamoto, Eisaku Ito, Susumu Wakazono, Koichi Ishizaka, Yukinori Machida
  • Patent number: 9650994
    Abstract: Thrust reverser actuator systems are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a first controller to communicate with a first flight computer and a second flight computer of an aircraft. The example apparatus also includes a second controller to communicate with the first flight computer and the second flight computer. The example apparatus further includes a thrust reverser and a first electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser. The first electrical actuator is to be communicatively coupled to the first controller and the second controller. The example apparatus also includes a second electrical actuator coupled to the thrust reverser. The second electrical actuator is to be communicatively coupled to the second controller. The first electrical actuator and the second electrical actuator are to synchronously actuate the thrust reverser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Douglas C. Cameron
  • Patent number: 9644533
    Abstract: In a method for supplying nitrogen to a combustion chamber, gaseous nitrogen (9) is drawn off from an air separation unit (7) at a first pressure, the nitrogen is compressed in at least two stages (C1, C2) of a nitrogen compressor and sent to a combustion chamber (25) at a second pressure, which is the output pressure of the last stage (C3) of the nitrogen compressor, between two stages of the nitrogen compressor the nitrogen is humidified by direct contact in passing through a contactor (17) supplied at its top with water, and the humidified nitrogen is compressed in at least one stage of the nitrogen compressor and sent to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Richard Dubettier-Grenier, Sylvain Gerard, Loïc Joly
  • Patent number: 9644642
    Abstract: An axial compressor that can remove an attachment within a groove of a casing and recover an effect of suppressing stall on rotor blades, and a gas turbine provided with the axial compressor, are provided. The axial compressor includes a compressor body 6 and a sprayer 9 for spraying droplets in suction gas of the compressor body 6 so that the droplets are introduced into the compressor body 6 and evaporate. The compressor body 6 includes a casing 11, a rotor 12, rotor blades 13, and stator vanes 14. A groove 21 is formed in an inner circumferential surface of the casing 11 so as to be positioned around rotor blades 13 arranged on a front stage side. A purge system 23 is provided that supplies high-pressure air to the groove 21 through communication holes 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Takahashi, Chihiro Myoren, Kohta Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9638104
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas turbine device using a supercritical fluid as a cooling fluid, the gas turbine device having a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for burning the air emitted from the compressor and fuel, and a turbine driven by the burned gas emitted from the combustor, wherein the gas turbine device includes cooling passages formed in the combustor and the turbine, along which the supercritical fluid as a cooling fluid flows to allow the combustor and the turbine to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hyung Hee Cho, Kyung Min Kim, Ho Kyu Moon, Beom Seok Kim, Jun Su Park, Seon Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9631560
    Abstract: A method of noise control from a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes selectively forming a plurality of local circumferential zones with different fuel-air ratios within the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James B. Hoke, William Proscia
  • Patent number: 9618206
    Abstract: The damper arrangement include two concentric hollow shapes, each having a wall, wherein the walls form an annular volume therebetween. The damper arrangement further includes one or more necks for connecting to a combustion chamber at corresponding one or more contact points. The one or more necks are connected to the annular volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Franklin Marie Genin, Naresh Aluri, Mirko Ruben Bothien
  • Patent number: 9617923
    Abstract: An engine fuel control system includes a fuel metering valve that controls the flow of fuel between supply and delivery lines which delivers fuel to engine burners. The fuel control system includes a fixed displacement main pump which receives fuel from a low pressure source and delivers the fuel at a first high pressure to the supply line, an augmenter pump which receives fuel from the low pressure source and delivers the fuel at a second high pressure to one or more fuel-pressure operated auxiliary engine devices, and a start valve which is actuated at low engine speeds to open a flow path which diverts fuel delivered by the augmenter pump away from the auxiliary engine devices to the supply line to augment the fuel delivered thereto by the main pump, the start valve being actuated at higher engine speeds to shut the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE CONTROLS AND DATA SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventor: Michael Griffiths
  • Patent number: 9611807
    Abstract: A gas ejection cone includes a cylindrical-shaped front cone portion, a conical-shaped rear cone portion, a ventilation tube and a support bearing of this drainage and/or ventilation tube. The ventilation tube extends inside the cylindrical-shaped front and conical-shaped rear cone portions and emerges at the end of the conical-shaped rear cone portion. In particular, the conical-shaped rear cone portion includes a front sub-portion connected to the cylindrical-shaped front cone portion, and a rear sub-portion removably secured to the front sub-portion. The rear sub-portion is further equipped with an outlet port of the ventilation tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventors: Pascal-Marie Paul Marcel Soulier, Jean-Bernard Guillon, Jean-Pierre Guegou
  • Patent number: 9611047
    Abstract: An arrangement of a tank of lubrication liquid for an aircraft turbomachine, under a nacelle cowling covering the turbomachine, is provided. The tank is arranged in the volume located between the turbomachine and the nacelle cowling. The nacelle cowling includes an opening for access to the volume. The tank is fastened to an internal face of a panel closing off the opening. The unit formed by the panel and the tank is added onto the nacelle cowling and is able to be mounted and dismounted from the nacelle cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Thierry Kohn, Jeremy Edmond Fert
  • Patent number: 9611859
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed fan drive turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5. The high pressure turbine is mounted by bearings positioned at an outer periphery of a shaft driven by the high pressure turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Patent number: 9611862
    Abstract: The invention relates to a secondary air system for a compressor of centrifugal or mixed type including a rotor presenting an axis of rotation, said compressor being adapted to compress an oxidizer gas. The secondary air system includes an oxidizer gas bleed system arranged in the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TURBOMECA
    Inventors: Christophe Michel Georges Marcel Brillet, Jerome Yves Felix Gilbert Porodo, Laurent Pierre Tarnowski
  • Patent number: 9605595
    Abstract: A method for eliminating rotational stall in a compressor of a turbine engine, includes automatically detecting surge in the turbine engine; automatically shutting-down the turbine engine; in the event surge is detected, automatically restoring a surge margin; and automatically re-igniting the turbine machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Cédrik Djelassi
  • Patent number: 9599018
    Abstract: A method and a device are disclosed for the safe operation of a gas turbine plant, whose operation is both controlled by at least one process controller, which at least triggers and/or influences operationally relevant processes of the gas turbine plant, and is also monitored by a separate protection unit that is operated independently of the process controller on the basis of at least one first limit value for a safety-relevant operating parameter, wherein the gas turbine plant is subjected to an emergency switch-off once the at least one first limit value is exceeded. In that in the case of a defined transient operating state of the gas turbine plant that can be detected by the protection unit, the at least one first limit value of the safety-relevant operating parameter is raised to a second limit value, wherein the gas turbine plant is protected by an emergency switch-off of the gas turbine plant once said second limit value is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Belzner
  • Patent number: 9599023
    Abstract: An accessory gear box configured to be mounted on a fan casing of a turbojet engine, including: an input shaft; a plurality of accessory drive shafts; and a compartment forming an interface with an accessory arranged on the housing of the accessory gear box at a site of the accessory, the interface compartment including an inlet and an outlet configured to allow air to circulate inside the compartment, to insulate the accessory gear box from heat generated by the accessories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Pierrick Charlemagne, Gerard Philippe Gauthier