Patents by Inventor Donald F. Behringer

Donald F. Behringer 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: 4270357
    Abstract: Some power plants may produce both power and process steam as output products and may be referred to as cogeneration power plants. This type of power plant may include at least one extraction type steam turbine in order to conveniently output process steam. Sometimes the available power plant steam supply is insufficient to satisfy both load demand and process steam requirements whereupon it may be desirable to prefer load demand over process steam requirements. The present invention is a control system for electronically implementing that preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1981
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony J. Rossi, Donald F. Behringer
  • Patent number: 4227072
    Abstract: In the field of closed loop control systems, a reference signal input is compared with a feedback signal to provide an error signal which then initiates corrective action until the feedback signal duplicates the reference signal. Hence, the reference signal may be appreciated as the set point at which the control system should operate. The disclosure relates to a manual input reference signal circuit which may be used to input a desired reference speed signal into a control system circuit for a prime mover. Provision is made for both local and remote manual signal input and priority logic is included for selecting the most appropriate reference signal. Inhibit logic dictates the floor and ceiling for the range of prime mover operation .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1980
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas A. Fancy, Donald F. Behringer
  • Patent number: 4217617
    Abstract: The disclosure sets forth trip circuitry for a rotating shaft machine which includes redundant overspeed protection and means for testing the overspeed protection circuit while the machine remains in operation. Moreover, further protective circuitry is provided for detecting a failure in the speed sensing system. The overspeed protection and the speed sensing failure circuit are each connected to a relay system which may actuate a trip servo valve to a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1980
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony J. Rossi, Richard E. Lundberg, Thomas A. Fancy, Donald F. Behringer, John B. Haven
  • Patent number: 4025762
    Abstract: In a prime mover control system, control over the prime mover is dependent, in part, upon the validity of a reference signal to the control system. Circuitry is provided between a reference signal generator and the control system whereby under normal conditions the reference signal to the control system is the same as the output of the reference signal generator. However, if the reference signal generator output becomes invalid, then a stored reference signal may be substituted for the reference signal generator output by switching from a first signal channel to an alternate second signal channel, each channel selectably interconnecting the reference signal generator and the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1977
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony J. Rossi, Donald F. Behringer