Patents by Inventor Colin J. Etheridge

Colin J. Etheridge 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: 5937634
    Abstract: Present gas turbine engines fail to effectively and efficiently control the emission emitted therefrom. Many existing systems estimate the amount of constituents emitted within the exhaust gas verses measuring the actual quantity of constituent emitted within the exhaust gas. The present exhaust gas monitoring system has the ability to measure the actual quantity of an emission constituent, such as carbon monoxide (CO), sends a signal to a control box, interprets the signal, sends a second signal to an actuation device controlling a fluid flow to the combustion section resulting in the controlling of emissions emitted from the gas turbine engine within the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc
    Inventors: Colin J. Etheridge, Kenneth O. Smith
  • Patent number: 5896741
    Abstract: The control systems for reducing NOx in the combustion systems of past gas turbine engines has incorporated a variety of expensive and complicated techniques to reduce the NOx level. For example, such systems use schemes for introducing more air into the primary combustion zone, recirculating cooled exhaust products into the combustion zone and injecting water spray into the combustion zone. The present system reduces the formation of NOx within the combustion zone by controlling the air/fuel ratio and more explicitly by controlling the air portion of the air/fuel ratio. The present system includes a device for directing a portion of the flow of compressed air exiting a compressor section into an injection nozzle and into a combustor, a device for reducing the flow of compressed air into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 5749217
    Abstract: The control systems for reducing NOx in the combustion systems of past gas turbine engines has incorporated a variety of expensive and complicated techniques to reduce the NOx level. For example, such systems use schemes for introducing more air into the primary combustion zone, recirculating cooled exhaust products into the combustion zone and injecting water spray into the combustion zone. The present system reduces the formation of NOx within the combustion zone by controlling the air/fuel ratio and more explicitly by controlling the air portion of the air/fuel ratio. The present system includes a device for directing a portion of the flow of compressed air exiting a compressor section into an injection nozzle and into a combustor, a device for reducing the flow of compressed air into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 5457953
    Abstract: The control systems for reducing NOx in the combustion systems of past gas turbine engines has incorporated a variety of expensive and complicated techniques to reduce the NOx level. For example, such systems use schemes for introducing more air into the primary combustion zone, recirculating cooled exhaust products into the combustion zone and injecting water spray into the combustion zone. The present system (12) reduces the formation of NOx within the combustion zone by controlling the air/fuel ratio and more explicitly by controlling the air portion of the air/fuel ratio. The present system (12) includes a device (260) for directing a portion of the flow of compressed air exiting a compressor section (22) into an injection nozzle (60,180,330) and into a combustor (40), and further includes a device (298) for reducing the flow of compressed air into the combustor (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 5365738
    Abstract: Fuel injection nozzles used for reducing NOx in gas turbine engines has incorporated a variety of expensive and complicated techniques. For example, systems use schemes for introducing more air into the primary combustion zone, recirculating cooled exhaust products into the combustion zone and injecting water spray into the combustion zone. The present fuel injector (60,166) reduces the formation of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides within the combustion zone by controlling the premix air/fuel ratio and more explicitly by controlling the air portion of the air/fuel ratio over the entire operating range of the engine (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 4894986
    Abstract: A construction for the delivery of propellant constituents to the main combustion chamber of a hypergolic liquid bipropellant rocket engine having a staged combustion cycle incorporating at least one precombustor comprises: a mixer for mixing together prior to delivery to the main combustion chamber a first propellant constituent comprising oxidant together with exhaust gas from the precombustor injector means for injecting the mixture of the oxidant and exhaust gas provided by the mixer into the main combustion chamber in such a manner that the injected mixture forms a recirculation zone inside the main combustion chamber, an inlet into the main combustion chamber for a second propellant constituent comprising fuel, and a delivery channel to the said inlet, the said inlet and delivery channel being disposed laterally of the injector means relative to the main direction of flow through the injector means in such a position that fuel delivered into the main combustion chamber thereby is delivered into the said
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1990
    Assignee: Royal Ordnance
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge
  • Patent number: 4321794
    Abstract: In order to prevent the accumulation of carbon on the pintle of a gas turbine engine fuel burner, the pintle has a hollow base and inlet holes so that a small mass flow of compressor delivery air can enter the hollow base and flow over its interior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1982
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Limited
    Inventor: Colin J. Etheridge