Patents by Inventor Frank Graf

Frank Graf 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: 11629609
    Abstract: The invention concerns a gas turbine having a picture frame, a first vane, and a sealing arrangement to seal a gap between the picture frame and the first vane, the sealing arrangement including two seals arranged in series between the picture frame and the first vane. In exemplary embodiments, one of the seals is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal and the other seal is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal. A method of supplying cooling fluid to the gap between the picture frame and the first vane is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Frank Graf, Hans-Christian Mathews, Urs Benz, Fabien Fleuriot
  • Patent number: 11174784
    Abstract: An exemplary gas turbine power plant includes a gas turbine with a compressor having a compressor inlet. A combustion chamber follows the compressor and a turbine follows the combustion chamber. A cross section of the compressor inlet includes an inner sector and an outer sector in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor. A plurality of feed ducts introduces oxygen-reduced gas into the inner sector of the compressor inlet. The plurality of feed ducts is arranged in the compressor inlet so as to be distributed in a circumferential direction on a circle concentrically with respect to the axis of the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZEERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jaan Hellat, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf, Torsten Wind, Felix Guethe, Klaus Doebbeling
  • Patent number: 10920670
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement at an interface between a combustor and a turbine of a gas turbine. The turbine can include deflecting vanes at its inlet, which deflecting vanes are each mounted within the turbine so as to define an inner or outer diameter platform and are in sealing engagement via an inner or outer diameter vane tooth with a seal arranged at the corresponding inner or outer diameter part of the outlet of the combustor. The seal is movable and is pressed on the inner or outer diameter vane tooth by a differential pressure such that the pressure of the mainstream hot gas flow is a lower pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Marcos Escudero Olano, Stephan Strueken, Thomas Zierer, Frank Graf, Adnan Eroglu, Joshua R. McNally, Stephen W. Jorgensen, Afzal Pasha Mohammed
  • Publication number: 20200208274
    Abstract: An energy converting device and method for converting electric energy into chemical energy, including an electrolysis device which can be connected to an electrical network and is designed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electric power; a fuel synthesis device which is fluidically connected to the electrolysis device such that the fuel synthesis device can be supplied with hydrogen generated in the electrolysis device as a reactant, wherein the fuel synthesis device is designed to synthesize a fuel from hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and an internal combustion engine which is fluidically connected to the electrolysis device such that the internal combustion engine can be supplied with oxygen generated in the electrolysis device. The internal combustion engine is designed to be operated in a continuous mode using the oxygen generated in the electrolysis device as combustion gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Philippe GORSE, Wolfgang FIMML, Manuel BOOG, Frank GRAF
  • Patent number: 10590790
    Abstract: The invention concerns a conical hula seal wherein an inner part of the conical hula seal is closer to a conical hula seal longitudinal axis than an outer part of the conical hula seal, and wherein the conical hula seal extends in a circumferential direction relative to the conical hula seal longitudinal axis. A gas turbine which includes the conical hula seal is also disclosed, along with a method of operating a gas turbine which includes a conical hula seal that seals a gap between a first vane and a picture frame, the method including purging the gap with a cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Hans-Christian Mathews, Urs Benz, Frank Graf
  • Publication number: 20190202188
    Abstract: Adhesive bleed-through of substrates and build-up of adhesive on process equipment can be reduced or even fully eliminated by increasing the running temperature of circumferential rolls (e.g., nip rollers or idlers) used to compress and adhesively bond the substrates of a laminate structure together, as opposed to the usual cooling of the nip rollers. This method is particularly beneficial when using polyolefin-based hot melt adhesives to form laminates with permeable substrates, such as low basis weight nonwovens, for use in disposable absorbent articles. The method can be used to make a range of laminated structures, such as bi-laminates and tri-laminates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Steven Daniel GRAY, Ronald Frank GRAF, David Frederic FREUND, Miao HU, Russell P. STUCZYNSKI, Richard Edward HAMANN, Jeffery Thomas OLSON
  • Patent number: 9970353
    Abstract: In a method for operating a gas turbine, NOx is removed from the exhaust gases of the gas turbine by means of a selective catalysis device with the addition of NH3. The method achieves an extremely low NOx content while simultaneously achieving economic consumption of NH3 and avoiding NH3 in the exhaust gas by maintaining the NOx content of the exhaust gas at a constant level via a regulated return of a portion of the exhaust gas in varying operating conditions of the gas turbine, and by adjusting the addition of the NH3 in the selective catalysis device to the constant NOx level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Felix Guethe, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf
  • Publication number: 20180119612
    Abstract: An exemplary gas turbine power plant includes a gas turbine with a compressor having a compressor inlet. A combustion chamber follows the compressor and a turbine follows the combustion chamber. A cross section of the compressor inlet includes an inner sector and an outer sector in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor. A plurality of feed ducts introduces oxygen-reduced gas into the inner sector of the compressor inlet. The plurality of feed ducts is arranged in the compressor inlet so as to be distributed in a circumferential direction on a circle concentrically with respect to the axis of the gas turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jaan HELLAT, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf, Torsten Wind, Felix Guethe, Klaus Doebbeling
  • Publication number: 20180100439
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement at an interface between a combustor and a turbine of a gas turbine. The turbine can include deflecting vanes at its inlet, which deflecting vanes are each mounted within the turbine so as to define an inner or outer diameter platform and are in sealing engagement via an inner or outer diameter vane tooth with a seal arranged at the corresponding inner or outer diameter part of the outlet of the combustor. The seal is movable and is pressed on the inner or outer diameter vane tooth by a differential pressure such that the pressure of the mainstream hot gas flow is a lower pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Marcos ESCUDERO OLANO, Stephan STRUEKEN, Thomas ZIERER, Frank GRAF, Adnan EROGLU, Joshua R. McNALLY, Stephen W. JORGENSEN, Afzal Pasha MOHAMMED
  • Patent number: 9915158
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vane arrangement with a vane carrier, an array of rocking first stage vanes, and an array of frame segments for axially receiving aft ends of a combustor transition pieces. The frame segments comprise an I-beam with an upper horizontal element, a lower horizontal element, a vertical web, a radially outer fixation to the vane carrier, and an arm extending from the lower horizontal element in axial direction below the inner rim segment for supporting the inner platform of the vane and for sealing a gap between the inner platform and the lower horizontal element. Besides the vane arrangement the disclosure relates to a method for assembly of such an arrangement as well as to a gas turbine comprising such a vane arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Frank Graf, Hans-Christian Mathews, Fabien Fleuriot, Urs Benz
  • Patent number: 9856792
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a gas turbine, in which an oxygen-reduced gas and fresh air are delivered to a compressor of the gas turbine in a radially staged manner, the fresh air being delivered via an outer sector of the inlet cross section in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor, and the oxygen-reduced gas being delivered via an inner sector of the inlet cross section in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor. The invention relates, further, to a gas turbine power plant with a gas turbine having a compressor inlet which is followed by the flow duct of the compressor and which is divided into an inner sector and an outer sector, a feed for an oxygen-reduced gas being connected to the inner sector of the compressor inlet, and a fresh air feed being connected to the outer sector of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jaan Hellat, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf, Torsten Wind, Felix Guethe, Klaus Doebbeling
  • Patent number: 9664110
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a gas turbine which includes a compressor with annular inlet area, at least two burners, a combustion chamber and a turbine. According to the method, at least one first partial intake flow, consisting of oxygen-reduced gas which has an oxygen concentration which is lower than the average oxygen concentration of the compressor intake flow, and at least one second partial intake flow, consisting of fresh air, are fed to the compressor in an alternating manner in the circumferential direction of the inlet area. In addition, the invention relates to a gas turbine power plant with a gas turbine, the compressor inlet of which includes at least one first segment and at least one second segment which are arranged in an alternating manner around a compressor inlet in the circumferential direction, wherein a feed for an oxygen-reduced gas is connected to the first segment and a fresh air feed is connected to the second segment of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Felix Guethe, Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Frank Graf, Bruno Schuermans, Eribert Benz
  • Publication number: 20160281523
    Abstract: The invention concerns a conical hula seal wherein an inner part of the conical hula seal is closer to a conical hula seal longitudinal axis than an outer part of the conical hula seal, and wherein the conical hula seal extends in a circumferential direction relative to the conical hula seal longitudinal axis. A gas turbine which includes the conical hula seal is also disclosed, along with a method of operating a gas turbine which includes a conical hula seal that seals a gap between a first vane and a picture frame, the method including purging the gap with a cooling fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Hans-Christian MATHEWS, Urs BENZ, Frank GRAF
  • Publication number: 20160281522
    Abstract: The invention concerns a gas turbine having a picture frame, a first vane, and a sealing arrangement to seal a gap between the picture frame and the first vane, the sealing arrangement including two seals arranged in series between the picture frame and the first vane. In exemplary embodiments, one of the seals is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal and the other seal is a honeycomb seal, a dogbone seal, a hula seal or a piston seal. A method of supplying cooling fluid to the gap between the picture frame and the first vane is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Frank GRAF, Hans-Christian MATHEWS, Urs BENZ, Fabien FLEURIOT
  • Publication number: 20160153294
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vane arrangement with a vane carrier, an array of rocking first stage vanes, and an array of frame segments for axially receiving aft ends of a combustor transition pieces. The frame segments comprise an I-beam with an upper horizontal element, a lower horizontal element, a vertical web, a radially outer fixation to the vane carrier, and an arm extending from the lower horizontal element in axial direction below the inner rim segment for supporting the inner platform of the vane and for sealing a gap between the inner platform and the lower horizontal element. Besides the vane arrangement the disclosure relates to a method for assembly of such an arrangement as well as to a gas turbine comprising such a vane arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Frank GRAF, Hans-Christian MATHEWS, Fabien FLEURIOT, Urs BENZ
  • Patent number: 9217367
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a gas turbine power plant with flue gas recirculation, in which the flue gases are split into a first flue gas flow for recirculation into an intake flow of the gas turbine and into a second flue gas flow for discharging to the environment. The first flue gas flow is cooled in a recooler before its mixing with ambient air for forming the intake flow. The recirculation flow, after being recooled, is reheated in order to avoid condensation of vaporous water contained in the recycled flue gases during cooling as a result of the mixing with the ambient air. A gas turbine power plant is provided with flue gas recirculation, which includes a heat exchanger for reheating the recirculation flow after being recooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Frank Sander, Felix Guethe, Frank Graf
  • Publication number: 20150337742
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine plant is provided. According to the method a first fuel gas with a first fuel reactivity and a second fuel gas with a second fuel reactivity which is higher than the first fuel reactivity are injected into a combustor of the gas turbine, and the ratio of the mass flows of the second fuel gas to the first fuel gas is controlled depending on the combustion behavior of the combustor. A gas turbine plant configured to carry out the method is further shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Stefano BERNERO, Frank GRAF, Gianfranco Ludovico GUIDATI, Martin GASSNER, Felix GUETHE
  • Publication number: 20150007576
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a gas turbine which includes a compressor with annular inlet area, at least two burners, a combustion chamber and a turbine. According to the method, at least one first partial intake flow, consisting of oxygen-reduced gas which has an oxygen concentration which is lower than the average oxygen concentration of the compressor intake flow, and at least one second partial intake flow, consisting of fresh air, are fed to the compressor in an alternating manner in the circumferential direction of the inlet area. In addition, the invention relates to a gas turbine power plant with a gas turbine, the compressor inlet of which includes at least one first segment and at least one second segment which are arranged in an alternating manner around a compressor inlet in the circumferential direction, wherein a feed for an oxygen-reduced gas is connected to the first segment and a fresh air feed is connected to the second segment of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Felix GUETHE, Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Frank Graf, Bruno Schuermans, Eribert Benz
  • Publication number: 20150000296
    Abstract: In a method for operating a gas turbine, NOx is removed from the exhaust gases of the gas turbine by means of a selective catalysis device with the addition of NH3. The method achieves an extremely low NOx content while simultaneously achieving economic consumption of NH3 and avoiding NH3 in the exhaust gas by maintaining the NOx content of the exhaust gas at a constant level via a regulated return of a portion of the exhaust gas in varying operating conditions of the gas turbine, and by adjusting the addition of the NH3 in the selective catalysis device to the constant NOx level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Felix GUETHE, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf
  • Publication number: 20140360199
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a gas turbine, in which an oxygen-reduced gas and fresh air are delivered to a compressor of the gas turbine in a radially staged manner, the fresh air being delivered via an outer sector of the inlet cross section in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor, and the oxygen-reduced gas being delivered via an inner sector of the inlet cross section in relation to the axis of rotation of the compressor. The invention relates, further, to a gas turbine power plant with a gas turbine having a compressor inlet which is followed by the flow duct of the compressor and which is divided into an inner sector and an outer sector, a feed for an oxygen-reduced gas being connected to the inner sector of the compressor inlet, and a fresh air feed being connected to the outer sector of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Jaan HELLAT, Eribert Benz, Frank Graf, Torsten Wind, Felix Guethe, Klaus Doebbeling