Patents by Inventor Bruno Schuermans

Bruno Schuermans has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11230974
    Abstract: The present application provides a variable frequency Helmholtz damper system for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The variable frequency Helmholtz damper system may include one or more Helmholtz dampers and a purge medium temperature control unit for providing a flow of purge medium to the Helmholtz dampers. The purge medium temperature control unit may be in communication with a temperature control fluid flow such that the purge medium temperature control unit may vary the temperature of the flow of purge medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Simone Roberto Walter Camponovo, Bruno Schuermans, Fulvio Magni
  • Patent number: 11041625
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle assembly includes a fuel plenum for delivering fuel to a combustion zone of a combustor. At least one narrow-band acoustic damper is provided in the fuel nozzle assembly. The narrow-band acoustic damper is tuned to dampen pressure oscillations within the combustor. The narrow-band acoustic damper may be a quarter-wave tube mounted to a cap plate within or adjacent to the fuel nozzle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy James Purcell, Bruno Schuermans, Lucas John Stoia, Sven Georg Bethke
  • Patent number: 10718520
    Abstract: The invention concerns a damper arrangement for reducing combustion-chamber pulsation arising inside a gas turbine, wherein the gas turbine includes at least one compressor, a primary combustor which is connected downstream to the compressor, and the hot gases of the primary combustor are admitted at least to an intermediate turbine or directly or indirectly to a secondary combustor. The hot gases of the secondary combustor are admitted to a further turbine or directly or indirectly to an energy recovery, wherein at least one combustor is arranged in a can-architecture. At least one combustor liner includes air passages, wherein at least one of the air passages is formed as a damper neck. The damper neck being actively connected to a damper volume, and the damper volume is part of a connecting duct extending between a compressor air plenum and the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Jaan Hellat, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 10546070
    Abstract: The damper arrangement includes a plurality of interconnected volumes and a plurality of necks for connecting the damper to a combustion chamber at a plurality of contact points. The plurality of necks are connected to the plurality of volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jaan Hellat, Mirko Ruben Bothien, Bruno Schuermans, Andreas Huber, Nicolas Noiray
  • Patent number: 10451283
    Abstract: A sequential combustor arrangement and method are disclosed which can include a first burner, a first combustion chamber, a mixer for admixing a dilution gas to the hot gases leaving the first combustion chamber during operation, a second burner, and a second combustion chamber arranged sequentially in a fluid flow connection. The mixer can include at least one injection opening in the mixer wall for admixing the dilution gas to cool the hot flue gases leaving the first combustion chamber. Further, the mixer can include a damper with a damper volume and a neck connecting the damper volume to the mixer, for modulating and damping pressure pulsations inside the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Ansaldo Energia Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Devis Tonon, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 10330319
    Abstract: The invention refers to a sequential combustor arrangement including a first burner, a first combustion chamber, a mixer for admixing a dilution gas to the hot gases leaving the first combustion chamber during operation, a second burner, and a second combustion chamber arranged sequentially in a fluid flow connection. The mixer includes a plurality of injection pipes pointing inwards from the side walls of the mixer for admixing the dilution gas to cool the hot flue gases leaving the first combustion chamber with a low pressure drop. The disclosure further refers to a method for operating a gas turbine with such a combustor arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Michael Duesing, Luis Tay Wo Chong Hilares, Mirko Ruben Bothien, Jaan Hellat, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 10260745
    Abstract: The invention relates to a damper for reducing pulsations in a gas turbine, which includes an enclosure, a main neck extending from the enclosure, a spacer plate disposed in the enclosure to separate the enclosure into a first cavity and a second cavity and an inner neck with a first end and a second end, extending through the spacer plate to interconnect the first cavity and the second cavity. The first end of the inner neck remains in the first cavity and the second end remains in the second cavity. A flow deflecting member is disposed proximate the second end of the inner neck to deflect a flow passing through the inner neck. With the solution of the present invention, as a damper according to embodiments of the present invention operates, flow field hence damping characteristic in the second cavity constant regardless the adjustment of the spacer plate in the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Nicolas Noiray, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 10247420
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an axially staged mixer arrangement with dilution air or dilution gas injection in connection with a combustion arrangement of a gas turbine engine or turbo machinery, having at least one combustion chamber, at least one mixer arrangement for admixing air or gas portions to the hot gas flow leaving the combustion chamber. The mixer arrangement includes a plurality of injectors for admixing air portions to cool at least the hot gas flow leaving combustion chamber. The spacing between the last injection location of acting injectors and at least one subsequently arranged dilution air injection, inside of the mixer arrangement in the hot gas flow, where there is no node between the injection locations, corresponds to a distance equal or approximating to half of convective wave length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Luis Tay Wo Chong Hilares, Adnan Eroglu, Bruno Schuermans, Michael Düsing
  • Patent number: 10228138
    Abstract: A damping system and apparatus are disclosed for dampening acoustic pressure oscillations of a gas flow in a combustor of a gas turbine engine having at least one combustor with a combustor liner. A second inner cap portion is disposed on the at least one combustor inner liner. The second inner cap portion can have a hot surface, a cold surface, at least one burner opening protruding from the cold surface, and at least one neck ring having an internal opening and protruding from the cold surface. At least one resonating tube having a resonating tube neck is integrated with and protruding from the at least one neck ring. The at least one resonating tube is disposed between adjacent burner openings, and is configured such that the radial dimension is greater than or equal to the axial dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andre Theuer, Dariusz Oliwiusz Palys, Jost Imfeld, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 10221769
    Abstract: A damping system and apparatus are disclosed for dampening acoustic pressure oscillations of a gas flow in a combustor of a gas turbine engine having at least one combustor with a combustor liner. A second inner cap portion is disposed on the at least one combustor. The second inner cap portion can have a hot surface, a cold surface, at least one burner opening protruding from the cold surface, and at least one neck ring having an internal opening and protruding from the cold surface. At least one extended resonating tube having a resonating tube neck is integrated with and protruding from the at least one neck ring. The at least one extended resonating tube is disposed between adjacent burner openings, and is configured such that the radial dimension is less than the axial dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jost Imfeld, Andre Theuer, Bruno Schuermans, Naresh Kumar Aluri
  • Publication number: 20180363559
    Abstract: The present application provides a variable frequency Helmholtz damper system for use with a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The variable frequency Helmholtz damper system may include one or more Helmholtz dampers and a purge medium temperature control unit for providing a flow of purge medium to the Helmholtz dampers. The purge medium temperature control unit may be in communication with a temperature control fluid flow such that the purge medium temperature control unit may vary the temperature of the flow of purge medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Simone Roberto Walter CAMPONOVO, Bruno SCHUERMANS, Fulvio MAGNI
  • Patent number: 10145558
    Abstract: A method for determining the temperature of an aggressive and/or abrasive gas is described using an acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver. The transmitter emits an acoustic signal with varying frequencies and the receiver extracts from the acoustic input signal a frequency of the maximum. Based on this the frequency of this maximum the temperature of the gas between transmitter and receiver is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Bruno Schuermans, Dominik Wassmer
  • Publication number: 20180172273
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle assembly includes a fuel plenum for delivering fuel to a combustion zone of a combustor. At least one narrow-band acoustic damper is provided in the fuel nozzle assembly. The narrow-band acoustic damper is tuned to dampen pressure oscillations within the combustor. The narrow-band acoustic damper may be a quarter-wave tube mounted to a cap plate within or adjacent to the fuel nozzle assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Timothy James Purcell, Bruno Schuermans, Lucas John Stoia, Sven Georg Bethke
  • Publication number: 20180156461
    Abstract: A damping system and apparatus are disclosed for dampening acoustic pressure oscillations of a gas flow in a combustor of a gas turbine engine having at least one combustor with a combustor liner. A second inner cap portion is disposed on the at least one combustor inner liner. The second inner cap portion can have a hot surface, a cold surface, at least one burner opening protruding from the cold surface, and at least one neck ring having an internal opening and protruding from the cold surface. At least one resonating tube having a resonating tube neck is integrated with and protruding from the at least one neck ring. The at least one resonating tube is disposed between adjacent burner openings, and is configured such that the radial dimension is greater than or equal to the axial dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Andre Theuer, Dariusz Oliwiusz Palys, Jost Imfeld, Bruno Schuermans
  • Publication number: 20180156128
    Abstract: A damping system and apparatus are disclosed for dampening acoustic pressure oscillations of a gas flow in a combustor of a gas turbine engine having at least one combustor with a combustor liner. A second inner cap portion is disposed on the at least one combustor. The second inner cap portion can have a hot surface, a cold surface, at least one burner opening protruding from the cold surface, and at least one neck ring having an internal opening and protruding from the cold surface. At least one extended resonating tube having a resonating tube neck is integrated with and protruding from the at least one neck ring. The at least one extended resonating tube is disposed between adjacent burner openings, and is configured such that the radial dimension is less than the axial dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Jost Imfeld, Andre Theuer, Bruno Schuermans, Naresh Kumar Aluri
  • Patent number: 9970659
    Abstract: The invention relating to a A damper for combustion oscillation damping for a gas turbine, includes a resonator cavity with a box or cylinder shape, a neck in flow communication with the resonator cavity and a combustion chamber. The length Lneck of the neck is equal or greater than a maximum distance lmax that a hot gas ingested from the combustion chamber reaches in the neck. The maximum distance lmax is determined according to the following equation: l max = ? t 1 t 2 ? U - p ^ ? ? ? U ? ? ? ? sin ? ( ? ? ? t ) ? ? d ? ? t . With the solution of the present invention, the damper used to damping combustion oscillation may prevent hot gas ingestion during normal operations by uniquely determining the dimensions of the neck connecting the resonator cavity and the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Bruno Schuermans, Mirko Ruben Bothien
  • Publication number: 20180128483
    Abstract: The invention relates to a damper for reducing pulsations in a gas turbine, which includes an enclosure, a main neck extending from the enclosure, a spacer plate disposed in the enclosure to separate the enclosure into a first cavity and a second cavity and an inner neck with a first end and a second end, extending through the spacer plate to interconnect the first cavity and the second cavity. The first end of the inner neck remains in the first cavity and the second end remains in the second cavity. A flow deflecting member is disposed proximate the second end of the inner neck to deflect a flow passing through the inner neck. With the solution of the present invention, as a damper according to embodiments of the present invention operates, flow field hence damping characteristic in the second cavity constant regardless the adjustment of the spacer plate in the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben BOTHEIN, Nicolas NOIRAY, Bruno SCHUERMANS
  • Patent number: 9897314
    Abstract: The invention relates to a damper for reducing pulsations in a gas turbine, which includes an enclosure, a main neck extending from the enclosure, a spacer plate disposed in the enclosure to separate the enclosure into a first cavity and a second cavity and an inner neck with a first end and a second end, extending through the spacer plate to interconnect the first cavity and the second cavity. The first end of the inner neck remains in the first cavity and the second end remains in the second cavity. A flow deflecting member is disposed proximate the second end of the inner neck to deflect a flow passing through the inner neck. With the solution of the present invention, as a damper according to embodiments of the present invention operates, flow field hence damping characteristic in the second cavity constant regardless the adjustment of the spacer plate in the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Nicolas Noiray, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 9857079
    Abstract: A combustion device (1) for a gas turbine includes portions (12) having an inner and an outer wall (13, 14) with an interposed noise absorption plate (15) having a plurality of holes (16). The combustion device (1) further has first passages (17) connecting zones between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) to the inside of the combustion device (1) and second passages (21) for cooling the inner wall (13). The portions (12) also have an inner layer (22) between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) defining inner chambers (23), each connected to at least a first passage (17), and an outer layer (24) between the outer wall (14) and the plate (15) defining outer chambers (25) connected to the inner chambers (23) via the holes (16) of the plate (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Nicolas Noiray, Bruno Schuermans, Urs Benz
  • 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