Patents by Inventor David Steele
David Steele 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).
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Patent number: 12631081Abstract: A downhole system may include a plurality of conduits configured to interconnect, via at least one stab-in connection, to form at least one fiber channel extending along a portion of a wellbore. The downhole system may also include at least one fiber optic line configured to extend through at least a portion of the fiber channel from a surface position to a downhole position. Further, the downhole system may include a plug secured to leading end of the fiber optic line. The plug is configured to move along the at least one fiber channel in response to fluid pressure in the at least one fiber channel to drive the leading end of the at least one fiber optic line along the at least one fiber channel from the surface position to at least the downhole position.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2025Date of Patent: May 19, 2026Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventors: David Steele, Matthew Bradley Stokes, Stacey Blaine Donovan
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Patent number: 12601493Abstract: There is provided a heat engine 10 comprising a combustor 120 and a controller 290. The combustor 120 includes a fuel injection port 128 and a pilot 130. The controller 290 is configured to mitigate thermoacoustic instabilities in a gas flow A, B within the heat engine 10 by selectively energising 320 the pilot 130 to ignite fuel discharged from the fuel injection port 128. There is also provided a method 300 of mitigating thermoacoustic instabilities in a gas flow A, B within a heat engine 10 comprising a combustor 120 including a fuel injection port 128 and a pilot 130. The method 300 comprises selectively energising 320 the pilot 130 to ignite fuel discharged by the fuel injection port 128.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2025Date of Patent: April 14, 2026Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: David Steele
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Patent number: 12493032Abstract: A lateral flow immunoassay device includes a porous test strip, a sampling channel having an inlet at a first end to receive a biomarker and an outlet at a second end, opposite the first end, the outlet communicating with the test strip. The sampling channel has an air vent opening at or adjacent the second end thereof, and a diluent reservoir having an outlet communicating with the test strip. The outlet of the sampling channel and the outlet of the diluent reservoir are sealed by a common removable seal to prevent communication between the sampling channel and the test strip, and the diluent reservoir and the test strip, until the seal is removed.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2020Date of Patent: December 9, 2025Assignee: University of UlsterInventors: Sam Fishlock, David Steele, James McLaughlin
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Publication number: 20250341189Abstract: There is provided a heat engine 10 comprising a combustor 120 and a controller 290. The combustor 120 includes a fuel injection port 128 and a pilot 130. The controller 290 is configured to mitigate thermoacoustic instabilities in a gas flow A, B within the heat engine 10 by selectively energising 320 the pilot 130 to ignite fuel discharged from the fuel injection port 128. There is also provided a method 300 of mitigating thermoacoustic instabilities in a gas flow A, B within a heat engine 10 comprising a combustor 120 including a fuel injection port 128 and a pilot 130. The method 300 comprises selectively energising 320 the pilot 130 to ignite fuel discharged by the fuel injection port 128.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2025Publication date: November 6, 2025Applicant: Rolls-Royce plcInventor: David STEELE
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Patent number: 12270381Abstract: A control network for a wind turbine system, the wind turbine system comprising multiple rotor-nacelle assemblies mounted on a support structure, the control network comprising: a respective local network associated with each rotor-nacelle assembly, each local network comprising multiple nodes; a central network that is connected to each local network, the central network comprising multiple nodes; and a synchronization device that synchronizes data transmission throughout the control network.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2021Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: David Steele, Jens Steen Krogh
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Publication number: 20240384705Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for monitoring occurring rotor imbalances. A dynamic characteristic sensor determines the value of a dynamic characteristic of a wind turbine, e.g., of a nacelle thereof, such that the dynamic characteristic includes a component aligned with a rotor plane of the rotor. The dynamic characteristic is sampled when the rotor of the wind turbine is at each of a plurality of azimuth angles (?n) to produce a sequence of dynamic values (a(?)). An azimuth-domain transform is applied to the sequence of dynamic values (a(?)) to generate at least one inverse-angle component (A(?k)). Rotor imbalances are then detected based on the inverse-angle component (A(?k)), such as by comparing a value of the inverse-angle component (A(?k)) to a threshold, and the rotation of the rotor is stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2022Publication date: November 21, 2024Inventors: Keld HAMMERUM, Christian JEPPESEN, David STEELE
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Patent number: 12135010Abstract: A method of providing safety configuration parameters for a wind turbine is provided. The method comprises receiving a safety configuration file at a location of the wind turbine, and comparing a turbine ID associated with the safety configuration file to a turbine ID of the wind turbine stored at the location of the wind turbine. A tamper check is performed on the safety configuration file to determine if data in the safety configuration file has been modified. If the turbine ID associated with the safety configuration file matches the turbine ID of the wind turbine, and if the tamper check determines that the data has not been modified, a safety configuration parameter associated with a safety system of the wind turbine is extracted from the file and stored.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2020Date of Patent: November 5, 2024Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: David Steele, Keld Hammerum, Rolf Kiilerich Andersen, Martin Møller Sørensen
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Patent number: 12078349Abstract: A combustion system comprising: a combustion chamber extending in an axial direction between an inlet and an outlet, the combustion chamber configured to receive an airflow through the inlet and to discharge the airflow through the outlet; a fuel injection port configured to inject fuel into the airflow to form an air-fuel mixture; an ignition system for igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the ignition system comprising an array of electrical plasma initiation points disposed downstream of the fuel injection port, and distributed radially and circumferentially around the combustion chamber, wherein each electrical plasma initiation point comprises a pair of electrodes configured to apply a voltage across an electrode gap between the pair of electrodes to produce plasma within the air-fuel mixture passing between the electrodes, thereby igniting the air-fuel mixture.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2023Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: David Steele
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Patent number: 11933774Abstract: In some embodiments, data from multiple vehicle-based natural gas leak detection survey runs are used by computer-implemented machine learning systems to generate a list of natural gas leaks ranked by hazard level. A risk model embodies training data having known hazard levels, and is used to classify newly-discovered leaks. Hazard levels may be expressed by continuous variables, and/or probabilities that a given leak fits within a predefined category of hazard (e.g. Grades 1-3). Each leak is represented by a cluster of leak indications (peaks) originating from a common leak source. Hazard-predictive features may include maximum, minimum, mean, and/or median CH4/amplitude of aggregated leak indications; estimated leak flow rate, determined from an average of leak indications in a cluster; likelihood of leak being natural gas based on other indicator data (e.g. ethane concentration); probability the leak was detected on a given pass; and estimated distance to leak source.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Picarro Inc.Inventors: Sean MacMullin, Chris W. Rella, Aaron Van Pelt, Alex Balkanski, Yonggang He, Sze M. Tan, David Steele, Tim Clark
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Patent number: 11913431Abstract: A wind turbine comprising: a tower; a first arm extending from the tower; a first rotor-nacelle assembly disposed on the first arm; a first movement sensor disposed on the first arm or on the first rotor-nacelle assembly and arranged to generate first movement data based on movement of the first arm or of the first rotor-nacelle assembly; a second arm extending from the tower; a second rotor-nacelle assembly disposed on the second arm; a second movement sensor disposed on the second arm or on the second rotor-nacelle assembly and arranged to generate second movement data based on movement of the second arm or of the second rotor-nacelle assembly; and a control system coupled to the first and the second movement sensors and arranged to receive and to process the first and second movement data; wherein the control system is arranged to determine an oscillation characteristic of the wind turbine from the first and the second movement data.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: David Steele, Kristian Kiib
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Publication number: 20230366544Abstract: A combustion system comprising: a combustion chamber extending in an axial direction between an inlet and an outlet, the combustion chamber configured to receive an airflow through the inlet and to discharge the airflow through the outlet; a fuel injection port configured to inject fuel into the airflow to form an air-fuel mixture; an ignition system for igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the ignition system comprising an array of electrical plasma initiation points disposed downstream of the fuel injection port, and distributed radially and circumferentially around the combustion chamber, wherein each electrical plasma initiation point comprises a pair of electrodes configured to apply a voltage across an electrode gap between the pair of electrodes to produce plasma within the air-fuel mixture passing between the electrodes, thereby igniting the air-fuel mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: David STEELE
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Publication number: 20230048480Abstract: A control network for a wind turbine system, the wind turbine system comprising multiple rotor-nacelle assemblies mounted on a support structure, the control network comprising: a respective local network associated with each rotor-nacelle assembly, each local network comprising multiple nodes; a central network that is connected to each local network, the central network comprising multiple nodes; and a synchronisation synchronization device that synchronizes data transmission throughout the control network.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2021Publication date: February 16, 2023Inventors: David STEELE, Jens Steen KROGH
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Publication number: 20230021757Abstract: A wind turbine comprising: a tower; a first arm extending from the tower; a first rotor-nacelle assembly disposed on the first arm; a first movement sensor disposed on the first arm or on the first rotor-nacelle assembly and arranged to generate first movement data based on movement of the first arm or of the first rotor-nacelle assembly; a second arm extending from the tower; a second rotor-nacelle assembly disposed on the second arm; a second movement sensor disposed on the second arm or on the second rotor-nacelle assembly and arranged to generate second movement data based on movement of the second arm or of the second rotor-nacelle assembly; and a control system coupled to the first and the second movement sensors and arranged to receive and to process the first and second movement data; wherein the control system is arranged to determine an oscillation characteristic of the wind turbine from the first and the second movement data.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2021Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: David STEELE, Kristian KIIB
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Patent number: 11525819Abstract: In some embodiments, data from multiple vehicle-based natural gas leak detection survey runs are used by computer-implemented machine learning systems to generate a list of natural gas leaks ranked by hazard level. A risk model embodies training data having known hazard levels, and is used to classify newly-discovered leaks. Hazard levels may be expressed by continuous variables, and/or probabilities that a given leak fits within a predefined category of hazard (e.g. Grades 1-3). Each leak is represented by a cluster of leak indications (peaks) originating from a common leak sources. Hazard-predictive features may include maximum, minimum, mean, and/or median CH4/amplitude of aggregated leak indications; estimated leak flow rate, determined from an average of leak indications in a cluster; likelihood of leak being natural gas based on other indicator data (e.g. ethane concentration); probability the leak was detected on a given pass; and estimated distance to leak source.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Picarro Inc.Inventors: Sean MacMullin, Chris W. Rella, Aaron Van Pelt, Alex Balkanski, Yonggang He, Sze M. Tan, David Steele, Tim Clark
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Publication number: 20220282708Abstract: A method of providing safety configuration parameters for a wind turbine is provided. The method comprises receiving a safety configuration file at a location of the wind turbine, and comparing a turbine ID associated with the safety configuration file to a turbine ID of the wind turbine stored at the location of the wind turbine. A tamper check is performed on the safety configuration file to determine if data in the safety configuration file has been modified. If the turbine ID associated with the safety configuration file matches the turbine ID of the wind turbine, and if the tamper check determines that the data has not been modified, a safety configuration parameter associated with a safety system of the wind turbine is extracted from the file and stored.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2020Publication date: September 8, 2022Inventors: David STEELE, Keld HAMMERUM, Rolf Kiilerich ANDERSEN, Martin Møller SØRENSEN
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Patent number: 11408398Abstract: The wind turbine comprises at least one controller arranged to control a function of the wind turbine, and a data storage unit arranged to store controller specific data for the at least one controller, where the data storage unit is associated with the at least one controller to enable communication of the controller specific data between the data storage unit and the at least one controller. The method comprises detecting a connection between a programming enabling key and a connection interface dependent on a presence of the programming enabling key in proximity of the connection interface, initiating a programming mode wherein a control unit is enabled to receive controller specific data or wind turbine specific data from which the controller specific data can be determined, and obtaining the controller specific data or the wind turbine specific data via a manual action or via a trusted data source.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Peter Delgado Grove, David Steele
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Publication number: 20220241772Abstract: A lateral flow immunoassay device includes a porous test strip, a sampling channel having an inlet at a first end to receive a biomarker and an outlet at a second end, opposite the first end, the outlet communicating with the test strip. The sampling channel has an air vent opening at or adjacent the second end thereof, and a diluent reservoir having an outlet communicating with the test strip. The outlet of the sampling channel and the outlet of the diluent reservoir are sealed by a common removable seal to prevent communication between the sampling channel and the test strip, and the diluent reservoir and the test strip, until the seal is removed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2020Publication date: August 4, 2022Inventors: Sam Fishlock, David Steele, James McLaughlin
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Patent number: 11204017Abstract: Embodiments herein describe validating an emergency stop signal before activating a brake within a wind turbine. The emergency stop signal is received from a control node of a plurality of control nodes distributed throughout the wind turbine, and the emergency stop signal indicates that the wind turbine should be shut down. The wind turbine is shut down by transmitting a shutdown signal to the plurality of control nodes. Upon determining there is no indication a person is present within the wind turbine, the emergency stop signal is validated. Additionally, upon determining the emergency stop signal is valid, a brake within the wind turbine is activated to bring the rotor to a stop.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2018Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Lars Rohrmann Andersen, Peter Gjellerup Schiønning, David Steele
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Patent number: 11177646Abstract: A wind turbine generator controller is described. The controller comprises switching circuitry, for selectively activating and deactivating one or more transducer circuits, and overcurrent detection circuitry, for detecting an overcurrent state in relation to one or more of the transducer circuits. The switching circuitry is responsive to the detection on an overcurrent state to selectively deactivate one or more of the transducer circuits.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2017Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Karl Axel Pétursson, Lars Rohrmann Andersen, Jesper Holm, Henrik Møller Ravn, David Steele, Arne Gormsen
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Patent number: 11041624Abstract: A fuel spray nozzle comprises a fuel passage (1) having at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The outlet is configured for accelerating fuel exiting the fuel passage into a jet. An air swirler (3) is arranged outboard of the fuel passage and converges to a single outlet chamber (5) adjacent the fuel passage outlet(s). The air swirler (3) can be nominally concentrically arranged but have some freedom to move axially or radially or change its angular position. The fuel passage outlets may be arranged symmetrically in an annular configuration. An air passage may be arranged axially within the annular array of fuel passage outlets.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2016Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventors: Frederic Witham, Steven P Jones, Jonathan M Gregory, Timothy Minchin, David Clarke, David Steele