Patents Examined by William H. Rodríguez
  • Cold recycle process for gas turbine inlet air cooling
    Patent number: 11193421
    Abstract: Methods and systems for increasing efficiency of combustion in a turbine, methods including expanding in an expansion unit a pressurized fluid stream to form an expanded, cooled fluid stream; exchanging heat between an oxygen containing stream and the expanded, cooled fluid stream to reduce temperature of the oxygen containing stream to a reduced temperature and create a reduced temperature turbine compressor inlet oxygen containing stream; and compressing the reduced temperature turbine compressor inlet oxygen containing stream to an operating pressure of the turbine, where the step of compressing the reduced temperature turbine compressor inlet oxygen containing stream is more efficient than compressing the oxygen containing stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Mourad Younes, Aadesh Harale, Sebastien Duval, Ghulam Shabbir
  • Fuel nozzle with improved swirler vane structure
    Patent number: 11187414
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a turbomachine includes a centerbody that extends axially with respect to a centerline of the fuel nozzle. A confining tube is positioned radially outward of the centerbody. A plurality of swirler vanes is disposed between the centerbody and the confining tube. Each of the plurality of swirler vanes includes a radially inner base and a radially outer tip. Each of the swirler vanes further includes an upstream portion that extends generally axially from a leading edge. A downstream portion extends from the upstream portion to a trailing edge. The downstream portion defines a bend length between the upstream portion and the trailing edge. The bend length at the radially outer tip is greater than the bend length at the radially inner base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fernando Biagioli, Sebastiano Sorato, Teresa Marchione
  • Rocket engine bipropellant supply system including an electrolyzer
    Patent number: 11181076
    Abstract: According to one contemplated embodiment of the rocket engine invention, water is first pumped from a water tank through a rocket nozzle cooling heat exchanger wherein it is evaporated into said superheated steam. A generator supplies electricity to an electrolyzer that electrolyzes superheated steam into gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. The gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen is employed for forming an annular curtain of secondary combustion in a divergent rocket engine. The secondary combustion gas surrounds a central thrust of combustion gas produced in an upstream combustion chamber by a primary injection of hydrogen/oxygen supplied from a liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. The rocket liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank are pressurized by gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen generated by the electrolyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventors: Kevin Michael Weldon, Daniel Patrick Weldon
  • Fuel oil axial stage combustion for improved turbine combustor performance
    Patent number: 11181273
    Abstract: A turbine engine has two combustion zones so as to operate in conditions where water scarcity is an issue. The secondary combustion zone is located downstream of the primary combustion zone. Fuel can be fed into an air scoop having air from a shell surrounding the primary and secondary combustion zone. The feeding of the fuel through the air scoop allows atomization of the fuel. The mixture can then enter the secondary combustion zone and mix with the products from the first combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Krishna C. Miduturi, Stephen A. Ramier, Walter Ray Laster
  • Oil system for a gas turbine engine having an accumulator for energy storage
    Patent number: 11174797
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a power unit and an oil system configured to lubricate the power unit during operation of the gas turbine engine. The power unit includes an engine core and a fan coupled with the engine core and driven by the engine core to produce thrust for propelling the gas turbine engine during operation of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Gebhard, Adam L. Kempers
  • Assembly fixture
    Patent number: 11162425
    Abstract: An assembly fixture for a fan casing of a gas turbine engine wherein the fan casing includes a casing having a flange with a plurality of apertures extending therethrough, comprises a locating structure having a positioning feature that is engageable by a fastener extending through a particular aperture of the plurality of apertures to secure the locating structure to the fan casing. The locating structure further includes a locating feature indicating a particular location of the fan casing when the locating structure is mounted to the fan casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Fleckenstein, Jonathan Rivers, Robert Heeter
  • Integrated ITM micromixer burner of shell and tube design for clean combustion in gas turbines
    Patent number: 11162681
    Abstract: An integrated ITM micromixer burner shell and tube design for clean combustion in gas turbines includes an oxy-fuel micromixer burner for separating oxygen from air within the burner to perform oxy-combustion, resulting in an exhaust stream that consists of CO2 and H2O. The shell and tube combustion chamber is designed so that preheated air enters a headend having an array of ion transfer membrane (ITM) tubes that separate oxygen from the preheated air and anchor flamelets on the shell side. The combustion products of the oxy-fuel flamelets expand through a turbine for power generation, before H2O is separated from CO2 by condensation. A portion of the effluent CO2 is compressed back into the burner system, while the remainder is captured for sequestration/utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Medhat A. Nemitallah, Ahmed Abdelhafez, Mohamed A. Habib
  • Fluid manifold damper for gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11156162
    Abstract: A fluid manifold assembly for a gas turbine engine, the fluid manifold assembly including a walled conduit assembly defining a fluid passage therewithin. The fluid passage defines a pair of ends separated by a length. A connecting conduit is coupled to the end of the fluid passage and to the length of the fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gurunath Gandikota, Kwanwoo Kim, Hiranya Kumar Nath
  • Method and apparatus for mounting a transition duct in a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11156112
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing the vibrations to a transition duct and improving the assembly and fit-up of a transition duct relative to a combustion system are disclosed. A damping member is provided between the transition duct and its mounting points to the gas turbine engine. The damping member comprises one or more layers of a composite material positioned between layers of sheet metal. An adjustable mounting system is also provided for the transition duct to allow for movement of a transition duct relative to the combustion liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC
    Inventors: Daniel L. Folkers, Charles A. Ellis, Pedro E. Rivero
  • Gas turbine plant having thermal decomposition of ammonia and pressurization of the decomposed gas and method thereof
    Patent number: 11156168
    Abstract: A gas turbine plant is provided with a gas turbine, a heating device, a decomposition gas line, and a decomposition gas compressor. The heating device heats ammonia and thermally decomposes the ammonia to convert the ammonia into decomposition gas including hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas. The decomposition gas line sends the decomposition gas PG from the heating device to the gas turbine. The decomposition gas compressor increases the pressure of the decomposition gas to a pressure equal to or higher than a feed pressure at which the decomposition gas is allowed to be fed to the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nose, Hideyuki Uechi, Satoshi Tanimura
  • Combustion device and gas turbine engine system
    Patent number: 11156157
    Abstract: The combustion device includes: a compressor that compresses combustion air; a combustor that combusts the compressed combustion air and fuel ammonia; and an ammonia injector that injects the fuel ammonia into the combustion air during or before compression of the combustion air by the compressor and cools the combustion air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintaro Ito, Soichiro Kato, Masahiro Uchida, Shogo Onishi, Taku Mizutani, Tsukasa Saitou, Toshiro Fujimori
  • Turbine powered electricity generation
    Patent number: 11149636
    Abstract: A process is provided for separating syngas fuel into a CO-rich stream for feeding to oxyfuel combustor means of CO2 turbine means and a H2-rich stream for feeding to air-fuel gas turbine means for generating power provides opportunity to realize operating and equipment advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventor: Richard Alan Callahan
  • Turbine powered electricity generation
    Patent number: 11149634
    Abstract: A process is provided for separating syngas fuel into a CO-rich stream for feeding to oxyfuel combustor means of CO2 turbine means and a H2-rich stream for feeding to air-fuel gas turbine means for generating power provides opportunity to realize operating and equipment advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventor: Richard Alan Callahan
  • Gas turbine system and control apparatus and method thereof
    Patent number: 11143115
    Abstract: A gas turbine system can estimate an amount of compressed air supplied to a combustor and limit a fuel amount according to the estimated compressed air amount. A control apparatus of the system includes a sensing unit to measure the turbine rotor speed; a compressed air amount estimation unit to estimate a change rate MR of an amount of compressed air produced by the compressor and supplied to the combustor, based on the measured turbine rotor speed; and a fuel amount control unit to control a fuel amount FC supplied to the combustor, based on the estimated change rate MR. The control apparatus can preemptively control the fuel amount in response to variations in the compressed air amount by a momentarily changing turbine rotor speed and can limit the turbine inlet temperature to below the maximum allowable temperature, to protect the turbine and/or combustor against fluctuations in compressed air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Inventor: Byung Hee Choi
  • Waste heat recovery cascade cycle and method
    Patent number: 11143102
    Abstract: A power conversion system including a first working fluid circuit and a second working fluid circuit. Heat, e.g. waste heat from a top, high-temperature thermodynamic cycle, is transferred to working fluid circulating in the first working fluid circuit and expanded in a first expander to generate useful mechanical power. A heat transfer arrangement is provided, between the first working fluid circuit and second working fluid circuit, configured for transferring low-temperature heat from the first working fluid circuit to the second working fluid circuit. In the second working fluid circuit working fluid is processed, which is expanded in at least one expander to generate useful mechanical power which is used to power a pump or compressor of the first working fluid circuit. The heat of the expanded gas is further used in a second recuperator to pre-heat the first working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE TECNOLOGIE SRL
    Inventors: Paolo Del Turco, Jury Auciello, Stefano Capodanno, Simone Amidei
  • Binary fuel staging scheme for improved turndown emissions in lean premixed gas turbine combustion
    Patent number: 11125437
    Abstract: A method for staging premixers in a combustion system for a gas turbine having a compressor section and a turbine section. The method includes providing a plurality of burners each including premixers wherein compressed air from the compressor section is provided to the premixers. The method also includes providing a plurality of fuel circuits that deliver fuel to the premixers to provide premixed air and fuel used for combustion in the combustion system. In addition, the method includes associating premixers with each fuel circuit in accordance with a power of base two pattern. Further, the method includes activating or deactivating the premixers in stages by activating or deactivating an associated fuel circuit to deliver fuel or stop fuel delivery, respectively, to the premixers wherein a staging step size between consecutive stages is in accordance with a power of base two staging scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Marc Furi, Matthew Engelhardt, Fabian Enrique Sanchez, Thomas Scarinci
  • Control system, gas turbine, power generation plant, and method of controlling fuel temperature
    Patent number: 11125166
    Abstract: A control system is configured to control a temperature of a fuel which is supplied to a combustor of a gas turbine via a fuel gas heater, which is configured to heat the fuel of the gas turbine, by adjusting a flow rate of heated water which is supplied to the fuel gas heater. The control system includes a water flow rate adjusting unit configured to adjust the flow rate of the heated water which is supplied to the fuel gas heater based on a difference between a target temperature of the fuel and the temperature of the fuel on an outlet side of the fuel gas heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nakazawa, Akihiko Saito, Hiroyuki Nakagawa, Ryo Koto
  • Gas turbine combustor transition piece including inclined surface at downstream end portions for reducing pressure fluctuations
    Patent number: 11118465
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor and a gas turbine; wherein inclined surfaces are provided on inner surfaces of side walls neighboring in a circumferential direction at downstream end portions of transition pieces of combustors, the inclined surfaces being configured to increase a passage area of the transition pieces, a ratio (S/P) is from 0 to 0.2, where (P) is a pitch dimension of first stage vanes, and (S) is a circumferential dimension from an intermediate point between neighboring transition pieces to an upstream end of a first stage vane closest in the circumferential direction; and a ratio (L/P) is from 0.3 to 0.55, where (P) is the pitch dimension, and (L) is an axial dimension from a downstream end of the transition piece to the upstream end of the first stage vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuro Sakamoto, Satoshi Mizukami, Keisuke Matsuyama, Satoshi Tanimura, Masanori Yuri, Shunsuke Torii, Hiroaki Kishida
  • Control device and control method for rotary machine, and rotary machine unit equipped with control device
    Patent number: 11105270
    Abstract: A control device for a rotary machine, which is driven by a turbine output torque which is an output of a turbine and an electric motor output torque which is an output of an induction motor, includes: a required output setting unit configured to set a required torque for driving the rotary machine; and a drive source command unit configured to set the electric motor output torque to a minimum torque or higher of the induction motor and to set the turbine output torque to a value obtained by subtracting the electric motor output torque from the required torque when the turbine output torque is greater than or equal to a lower limit in a stable output range of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadashi Kawahara, Yoshiyuki Okamoto
  • Gas turbine combustor liner with integral chute made by additive manufacturing process
    Patent number: 11085639
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a combustion liner assembly comprising at least a portion of a combustion liner of a combustor, the combustion liner defining a combustion chamber. A chute integral with at least the portion of the combustion liner is provided, the chute having an inlet, an outlet, and a body extending between the inlet and the outlet. The body of the chute extends towards a midline of the combustion chamber. The inlet is located in an outer surface of the combustion liner, and the outlet opens into the combustion chamber. A cooling channel is provided that extends from the outer surface of the combustion liner along the body of the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Sauer, Christopher D. DeBruhl