Patents by Inventor Derrick Walter Simons

Derrick Walter Simons 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: 10480792
    Abstract: A gas turbine system includes a turbine combustor. The turbine combustor includes one or more first fuel injectors coupled to a head end of the turbine combustor and configured to deliver a first portion of a fuel to a first axial position of a combustion section of the turbine combustor. The turbine combustor also includes one or more second fuel injectors coupled to the turbine combustor axially downstream of the head end and configured to deliver a second portion of the fuel to a second axial position of the combustion section of the turbine combustor, the second axial position being downstream of the first axial position. The gas turbine system also includes a controller configured to deliver the first and the second portions of the fuel such that combustion of the fuel and oxidant within the overall combustion section of the turbine combustor is at a defined equivalence ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Igor Petrovich Sidko, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Publication number: 20160258629
    Abstract: A gas turbine system includes a turbine combustor. The turbine combustor includes one or more first fuel injectors coupled to a head end of the turbine combustor and configured to deliver a first portion of a fuel to a first axial position of a combustion section of the turbine combustor. The turbine combustor also includes one or more second fuel injectors coupled to the turbine combustor axially downstream of the head end and configured to deliver a second portion of the fuel to a second axial position of the combustion section of the turbine combustor, the second axial position being downstream of the first axial position. The gas turbine system also includes a controller configured to deliver the first and the second portions of the fuel such that combustion of the fuel and oxidant within the overall combustion section of the turbine combustor is at a defined equivalence ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Igor Petrovich Sidko, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Patent number: 9388985
    Abstract: A premixing apparatus for a gas turbine system includes non-swirl elements around a periphery of a face of a premixing apparatus and a swirl assembly located substantially at a center of the face. The non-swirl elements premix a premixture prior to the premixture being delivered to a combustor of the gas turbine system. The swirl assembly disturbs a flow of fluid prior to the fluid being delivered to the combustor. The premixture includes fuel and oxidant, and the fluid disturbed by the swirl assembly includes the oxidant or the premixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chunyang Wu, Derrick Walter Simons, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Michael John Hughes
  • Patent number: 9291098
    Abstract: A turbomachine including a combustor in which fuel is combustible to produce a working fluid, a turbine section, which is receptive of the working fluid for power generation operations, a transition piece in which additional fuel is combustible, the transition piece being disposed to transport the working fluid from the combustor to the turbine section and a staged combustion system coupled to the combustor and the transition piece. The staged combustion system is configured to blend components of the fuel and the additional fuel in multiple modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Abdul Rafey Khan, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Patent number: 9279369
    Abstract: A turbomachine is provided and includes a combustor in which fuel and air are combusted, a turbine disposed for reception of products of combustion from the combustor, a transition piece fluidly interposed between the combustor and the turbine and including a body formed to define dilution holes configured to allow air to enter the combustor and for enabling steam injection toward a main flow of the products of the combustion proceeding from the combustor to the turbine and a fuel injection system supportively coupled to the transition piece and configured to inject fuel toward the main flow of the products of the combustion to thereby restore a flame temperature of the main flow of the products of the combustion reduced by steam injection enabled by the dilution holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carey Edward Romoser, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Publication number: 20150253011
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a head end portion that carries at least one fuel/air nozzle. Each fuel/air nozzle includes a premixed pilot nozzle having premix conduits where each premix conduit has an upstream end defining an opening and having a central axis and downstream end defining an outlet and having a central axis where the central axis of the downstream end is non-parallel with a central axis of a center body of the fuel/air nozzle. The premixed pilot nozzle can include an annular channel disposed radially outwardly from the premix conduits and may include air jets that direct air radially outwardly from the premix conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Jong Ho Uhm, Derrick Walter Simons, Gregory Allen Boardman, Bryan Wesley Romig, Kara Edwards, Michael John Hughes
  • Patent number: 8997558
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a turbine combustor probe having a combustion dynamics monitoring probe configured to monitor combustion dynamics within a turbine combustor. The turbine combustor probe also has a gas sampling sleeve configured to collect a gas sample from an airflow path between a liner and a flow sleeve of the turbine combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley Romig, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Robert Wade Clifford, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Patent number: 8959925
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling gas turbine operation in response to lean blowout of a combustion can. The gas turbine comprises a pair of combustion cans. The method includes sensing that a first combustion can is extinguished during a full load operation of the gas turbine, adjusting a fuel ratio between the fuel nozzles in each can, delivering a richer fuel mixture to the fuel nozzles nearest to the cross-fire tubes, generating a cross-fire from the second combustion can to the first combustion can, detecting a recovery of the turbine load, and adjusting the fuel ratio to the normal balanced fuel distribution between the fuel nozzles in each can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley Romig, Derrick Walter Simons, Venkat Narra
  • Patent number: 8904797
    Abstract: Systems are provided for mounting sector nozzles within gas turbine combustors. In one embodiment, a sector nozzle includes a nozzle portion configured to mix fuel and air to produce a fuel-air mixture and a shell coupled to the nozzle portion. The sector nozzle also includes a first longitudinal strut and a second longitudinal strut coupled to a first surface of the shell on opposite sides of a window within the first surface. A third longitudinal strut is coupled to a second surface of the shell, and the second surface is disposed opposite of the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Derrick Walter Simons, Jason Thurman Stewart
  • Publication number: 20140260261
    Abstract: A turbomachine is provided and includes a combustor in which fuel and air are combusted, a turbine disposed for reception of products of combustion from the combustor, a transition piece fluidly interposed between the combustor and the turbine and including a body formed to define dilution holes configured to allow air to enter the combustor and for enabling steam injection toward a main flow of the products of the combustion proceeding from the combustor to the turbine and a fuel injection system supportively coupled to the transition piece and configured to inject fuel toward the main flow of the products of the combustion to thereby restore a flame temperature of the main flow of the products of the combustion reduced by steam injection enabled by the dilution holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Carey Edward Romoser, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Publication number: 20140130477
    Abstract: A turbomachine including a combustor in which fuel is combustible to produce a working fluid, a turbine section, which is receptive of the working fluid for power generation operations, a transition piece in which additional fuel is combustible, the transition piece being disposed to transport the working fluid from the combustor to the turbine section and a staged combustion system coupled to the combustor and the transition piece. The staged combustion system is configured to blend components of the fuel and the additional fuel in multiple modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Abdul Rafey Khan, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Patent number: 8707704
    Abstract: A method of assembling a turbine engine includes defining a first chamber and defining a second chamber. The method also includes forming at least one venturi device oriented with a predetermined venturi step angle greater than approximately 48°. The method further includes coupling the first chamber in flow communication with the second chamber via the venturi device therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Derrick Walter Simons, Jeffrey Scott Lebegue, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20130219899
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a head end portion that carries at least one fuel/air nozzle. Each fuel/air nozzle includes a premixed pilot nozzle having premix conduits that are configured with concentric axes that direct the fuel/air mixture axially from the premixed pilot nozzle. The premixed pilot nozzle can include an annular channel disposed radially outwardly from the premix and including air jets that direct air radially outwardly from the premix conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jong Ho Uhm, Derrick Walter Simons, Gregory Allen Boardman, Bryan Wesley Romig, Kara Edwards, Michael John Hughes
  • Publication number: 20130180260
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling gas turbine operation in response to lean blowout of a combustion can. The gas turbine comprises a pair of combustion cans. The method includes sensing that a first combustion can is extinguished during a full load operation of the gas turbine, adjusting a fuel ratio between the fuel nozzles in each can, delivering a richer fuel mixture to the fuel nozzles nearest to the cross-fire tubes, generating a cross-fire from the second combustion can to the first combustion can, detecting a recovery of the turbine load, and adjusting the fuel ratio to the normal balanced fuel distribution between the fuel nozzles in each can.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley ROMIG, Derrick Walter SIMONS, Venkat NARRA
  • Patent number: 8370044
    Abstract: A gas turbine comprises a plurality of target exhaust temperature determination modules, the plurality of target exhaust temperature modules comprising a nitrogen oxide (NOx) compliance module configured to determine an exhaust temperature at which an exhaust of the gas turbine complies with a maximum permitted level of NOx; at least one bias module, the at least one bias module configured to apply a bias to an output of at least one of the plurality of target exhaust temperature determination modules; and a controller configured to operate the gas turbine to produce the exhaust temperature determined by the NOx compliance module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas Edward Dean, Derrick Walter Simons, Abhijit Prabhakar Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20130025283
    Abstract: Systems are provided for mounting sector nozzles within gas turbine combustors. In one embodiment, a sector nozzle includes a nozzle portion configured to mix fuel and air to produce a fuel-air mixture and a shell coupled to the nozzle portion. The sector nozzle also includes a first longitudinal strut and a second longitudinal strut coupled to a first surface of the shell on opposite sides of a window within the first surface. A third longitudinal strut is coupled to a second surface of the shell, and the second surface is disposed opposite of the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Derrick Walter Simons, Jason Thurman Stewart
  • Publication number: 20130025284
    Abstract: A premixing apparatus for a gas turbine system includes non-swirl elements around a periphery of a face of a premixing apparatus and a swirl assembly located substantially at a center of the face. The non-swirl elements premix a premixture prior to the premixture being delivered to a combustor of the gas turbine system. The swirl assembly disturbs a flow of fluid prior to the fluid being delivered to the combustor. The premixture includes fuel and oxidant, and the fluid disturbed by the swirl assembly includes the oxidant or the premixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Chunyang WU, Derrick Walter SIMONS, Jonathan Dwight BERRY, Michael John HUGHES
  • Publication number: 20130014514
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a plurality of combustion chambers; at least one fuel nozzle for each of the combustion chambers; at least one fuel line for each fuel nozzle in each of the combustion chambers; at least one heat exchanger for each fuel line configured to adjust a temperature of a fuel flow to each fuel nozzle; and a controller configured to control each of the heat exchangers to reduce temperature variations amongst the combustion chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley Romig, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Publication number: 20120247108
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a turbine combustor probe having a combustion dynamics monitoring probe configured to monitor combustion dynamics within a turbine combustor. The turbine combustor probe also has a gas sampling sleeve configured to collect a gas sample from an airflow path between a liner and a flow sleeve of the turbine combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley Romig, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Robert Wade Clifford, Derrick Walter Simons
  • Publication number: 20110247340
    Abstract: A combustion liner assembly for a gas turbine includes an outer liner, the outer liner having a flange at a forward end. An inner liner is disposed within the outer liner. The inner liner has a first inner wall. A venturi includes a second inner wall, a venturi throat, and the first inner wall of the inner liner. A slip joint is connected to the second inner wall. The slip joint receives the flange of the outer liner. Alternatively, or additionally, the combustion liner assembly includes a slip joint between the inner or outer liner and an aft section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Predrag POPOVIC, Krishna Kumar Venkataraman, Derrick Walter Simons, Ajay Kumar Gupta, William Kirk Hessler, Jeffrey Lebegue