Patents by Inventor Christopher T. Meadows

Christopher T. Meadows 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: 8474268
    Abstract: A method of managing transient events regularly seen during gas turbine operation that may cause undesirable operation and hardware damage. During certain transient operations, a lag may be seen between reference exhaust temperature and actual turbine exhaust temperature. This lag can result in an under-fired condition within the combustion system of variable magnitude and duration. Either fuel split schedules or a control algorithm can be positioned during these transients to prevent combustion dynamics or loss of flame. Combustion dynamics are known to cause damage that may require hardware replacement. Once the transient has completed, normal control operation is resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason D. Fuller, Derrick W. Simons, Douglas E. Dean, Christopher T. Meadows
  • Patent number: 7997083
    Abstract: A method and controller for identifying lean blowout conditions in a Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustor during a premix mode. An effective approach to quickly and reliably identify a blowout during operation in the premix mode is by the effect on fuel normalized power (FNP). FNP is a useful signal, in that a power reduction from a blowout may be distinguished much slower changes in power resulting from global fuel demand (changing load request). A difference between the FNP and a filtered FNP parameter may be compared against a predetermined threshold. If the difference exceeds the threshold, a lean blowout is identified and a signal may be transmitted to the turbine controller to reposition combustor operation away from blowout conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher T. Meadows, Douglas E. Dean, Jason D. Fuller, William F. Seely
  • Publication number: 20090063003
    Abstract: A method and controller for identifying lean blowout conditions in a Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustor during a premix mode. An effective approach to quickly and reliably identify a blowout during operation in the premix mode is by the effect on fuel normalized power (FNP). FNP is a useful signal, in that a power reduction from a blowout may be distinguished much slower changes in power resulting from global fuel demand (changing load request). A difference between the FNP and a filtered FNP parameter may be compared against a predetermined threshold. If the difference exceeds the threshold, a lean blowout is identified and a signal may be transmitted to the turbine controller to reposition combustor operation away from blowout conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Christopher T. Meadows, Douglas E. Dean, Jason D. Fuller, William F. Seely
  • Publication number: 20090044513
    Abstract: A method of managing transient events regularly seen during gas turbine operation that may cause undesirable operation and hardware damage. During certain transient operations, a lag may be seen between reference exhaust temperature and actual turbine exhaust temperature. This lag can result in an under-fired condition within the combustion system of variable magnitude and duration. Either fuel split schedules or a control algorithm can be positioned during these transients to prevent combustion dynamics or loss of flame. Combustion dynamics are known to cause damage that may require hardware replacement. Once the transient has completed, normal control operation is resumed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jason D. Fuller, Derrick W. Simons, Douglas E. Dean, Christopher T. Meadows