Patents by Inventor Felix Staehli

Felix Staehli 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: 9970328
    Abstract: A method for barring a rotor of a thermally loaded turbomachine includes stopping normal operation of the turbomachine; providing a barring device for rotating the rotor about a machine axis; coupling the barring device to the rotor; letting the rotor cool down during cool down of the rotor rotating the rotor by means of the barring device. A damage of the machine due to thermally induced buckling during the barring process is avoided by consecutively determining the force or torque applied to the rotor by the barring device for rotating the rotor and/or the circumferential speed of the rotor during barring. The rotation of the rotor is controlled by means of the barring device in dependence of the determined force or torque and/or circumferential speed in order to reduce a bending or imbalance of the rotor, which is due to a nonuniform temperature distribution on the rotor during cool down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Axel Haerms, Felix Staehli, Marc Rauch, Eric Knopf
  • Patent number: 9683461
    Abstract: A device for positioning the rotor of a gas turbine by linearly actuating a piston rod that actuates on its end a ratched wheel that moves the rotor of the gas turbine. The device includes an eccentric wheel and a synchronous motor. The piston rod is moved through the eccentric wheel, which is connected to the synchronous motor. The device also includes an incremental counter controlling the angular position of the synchronous motor. The device can permit accurate positioning of the rotor for boroscopic inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Felix Staehli, Axel Haerms, Dirk Matthes
  • Patent number: 9671792
    Abstract: A method for positioning a rotor of a gas turbine automatically is provided that includes gathering data with a control unit, and processing this data to bring the rotor to a desired position which is set according a Human Machine Interface (HMI). The indication of the lay of the rotor to the control unit is done by a key phasor, which includes a sensor which gets a digital pulse for each revolution of a phasor cam wheel. This digital pulse is used to give the information of the lay of the rotor to the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Felix Staehli, Axel Haerms, Dirk Matthes
  • Publication number: 20140311260
    Abstract: The invention refers to a device for positioning the rotor of a gas turbine linearly actuating a piston rod that actuates on its end a ratched wheel that moves the rotor of the gas turbine. The device includes an eccentric wheel and a synchronous motor, such that the piston rod is moved through the eccentric wheel, connected to the synchronous motor. The device also includes an incremental counter controlling the angular position of the synchronous motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Felix STAEHLI, Axel Haerms, Dirk Matthes
  • Publication number: 20140309786
    Abstract: A method for positioning a rotor of a gas turbine automatically is provided that includes gathering data with a control unit, and processing this data to bring the rotor to a desired position which is set according a Human Machine Interface (HMI). The indication of the lay of the rotor to the control unit is done by a key phasor, which includes a sensor which gets a digital pulse for each revolution of a phasor cam wheel. This digital pulse is used to give the information of the lay of the rotor to the control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Felix STAEHLI, Axel HAERMS, Dirk MATTHES
  • Publication number: 20140199157
    Abstract: A method for barring a rotor of a thermally loaded turbomachine includes stopping normal operation of the turbomachine; providing a barring device for rotating the rotor about a machine axis; coupling the barring device to the rotor; letting the rotor cool down during cool down of the rotor rotating the rotor by means of the barring device. A damage of the machine due to thermally induced buckling during the barring process is avoided by consecutively determining the force or torque applied to the rotor by the barring device for rotating the rotor and/or the circumferential speed of the rotor during barring. The rotation of the rotor is controlled by means of the barring device in dependence of the determined force or torque and/or circumferential speed in order to reduce a bending or imbalance of the rotor, which is due to a nonuniform temperature distribution on the rotor during cool down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Axel HAERMS, Felix Staehli, Marc Rauch, Eric Knopf