Patents by Inventor David M. Freal

David M. Freal 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: 8356821
    Abstract: A seal assembly forming a seal with a rotatable shaft of a hydrogen-cooled generator is provided. The seal assembly includes a ring assembly disposed about the rotatable shaft. The ring assembly includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A hydrogen side ring is coupled to a generator frame of the generator. An insulating structure is positioned between the hydrogen side ring and the generator frame to provide electrical insulation between the hydrogen side ring and the generator frame. An air side ring is disposed adjacent to the hydrogen side ring and the seal structure is coupled to the air side ring. Structure for supplying oil to the ring assembly is provided, such that the oil flows through the ring assembly to an interface between the rotatable shaft and the seal structure so as to substantially limit direct contact between the rotatable shaft and the seal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Freal, Joseph M. Emery, John M. Nemeth
  • Publication number: 20090289420
    Abstract: A seal assembly forming a seal with a rotatable shaft of a hydrogen-cooled generator is provided. The seal assembly includes a ring assembly disposed about the rotatable shaft. The ring assembly includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A hydrogen side ring is coupled to a generator frame of the generator. An insulating structure is positioned between the hydrogen side ring and the generator frame to provide electrical insulation between the hydrogen side ring and the generator frame. An air side ring is disposed adjacent to the hydrogen side ring and the seal structure is coupled to the air side ring. Structure for supplying oil to the ring assembly is provided, such that the oil flows through the ring assembly to an interface between the rotatable shaft and the seal structure so as to substantially limit direct contact between the rotatable shaft and the seal structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: SIEMENS POWER GENERATION, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Freal, Joseph M. Emery, John M. Nemeth
  • Patent number: 7432620
    Abstract: A seal assembly is provided to prevent leakage of cooling fluid from a generator housing. A bracket 26 includes an inlet connectable to power plant piping for receiving a supply of sealing fluid. The inlet is in communication with a bracket passageway 32 for admitting the sealing fluid in a radially inner section of the bracket. A sealing cartridge 28 is mountable in an annulus defined by the bracket. The sealing cartridge includes at least one cartridge passageway 44 in communication with the bracket passageway for admitting the supply of sealing fluid and passing the supply of sealing fluid to establish a sealing boundary about the rotor shaft. At least one of the bracket or the sealing cartridge includes a first sealing fluid-distribution channel 30 extending along a radial direction for providing fluid communication between the bracket passageway and the at least one passageway in the sealing cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Freal, Samuel R. Farley, Joseph Marcus Emery