Patents by Inventor Giovanni Tonno

Giovanni Tonno 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: 11397135
    Abstract: The method allows to detect flameout in a combustor of a turbine system; it includes the steps of: A) measuring angular acceleration of a shaft of the or each turbine of the turbine system, B) calculating a flameout indicator as a function of the angular acceleration, and C) carrying out a comparison between the flameout indicator and at least one threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Asti, Miriam Losapio, Mariateresa Paci, Giovanni Tonno
  • Publication number: 20210123834
    Abstract: The method allows to detect flameout in a combustor of a turbine system; it includes the steps of: A) measuring angular acceleration of a shaft of the or each turbine of the turbine system, B) calculating a flameout indicator as a function of the angular acceleration, and C) carrying out a comparison between the flameout indicator and at least one threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Antonio ASTI, Miriam LOSAPIO, Mariateresa PACI, Giovanni TONNO
  • Publication number: 20180266270
    Abstract: The method allows to detect flameout in a combustor of a turbine system; it comprises the steps of: A) measuring angular acceleration of a shaft of the or each turbine of the turbine system, B) calculating a flameout indicator as a function of the angular acceleration, and C) carrying out a comparison between the flameout indicator and at least one threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Antonio ASTI, Miriam LOSAPIO, Mariateresa PACI, Giovanni TONNO
  • Patent number: 8578717
    Abstract: A method is described for controlling load variations in a gas turbine. The method comprises reducing the flow of gaseous fuel entering the combustor to a predefined minimum value, if an increase is observed in the rotation regime of said turbine above a predefined maximum value and a total reduction in the load, activating a selective feeding sequence of the burners if the turbine is operating in normal functioning or premixed flame mode, modifying the angulation of the adjustable stator vanes, in order to reduce the speed rate of the compressor, and opening one or more anti-surge valves and one or more overboard bleeds, in order to reduce the air flow at the inlet of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Michele D'Ercole, Alessandro Russo, Jesse F. Stewart, Ya-Tien Chiu, Marco Ulivi, Antonio Baldassarre
  • Patent number: 8285468
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for using a combustion dynamics tuning algorithm with a multi-can combustor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a gas turbine engine with an engine model can be implemented for an engine comprising multiple cans. The method can include obtaining operating frequency information associated with multiple cans of the engine. In addition, the method can include determining variation between operating frequency information of at least two cans. Furthermore, the method can include determining a median value based at least in part on the variation. Moreover, the method can include determining whether the median value exceeds at least one operating threshold. The method can also include implementing at least one engine control action to modify at least one of the operating frequencies if at least one operating threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Jesse Floyd Stewart, Antonio Asti
  • Patent number: 8234420
    Abstract: Operating a control system includes repeatedly transmitting a first interrupt to at least one interface unit by a first controller of a plurality of controllers, wherein the first interrupt is transmitted at a first frequency. A first response is received at the first controller from the at least one interface unit responsive to the first interrupt, and a second response is received at a second controller of the plurality of controllers from the at least one interface unit, wherein the second response is aperiodic with respect to the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: GE Intelligent Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Lueckenbach, Giovanni Tonno, Michael Yoensky, Gary Pratt
  • Publication number: 20120017018
    Abstract: Operating a control system includes repeatedly transmitting a first interrupt to at least one interface unit by a first controller of a plurality of controllers, wherein the first interrupt is transmitted at a first frequency. A first response is received at the first controller from the at least one interface unit responsive to the first interrupt, and a second response is received at a second controller of the plurality of controllers from the at least one interface unit, wherein the second response is aperiodic with respect to the first frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: William H. Lueckenbach, Giovanni Tonno, Michael Yoensky, Gary Pratt
  • Publication number: 20110137536
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for using a combustion dynamics tuning algorithm with a multi-can combustor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a gas turbine engine with an engine model can be implemented for an engine comprising multiple cans. The method can include obtaining operating frequency information associated with multiple cans of the engine. In addition, the method can include determining variation between operating frequency information of at least two cans. Furthermore, the method can include determining a median value based at least in part on the variation. Moreover, the method can include determining whether the median value exceeds at least one operating threshold. The method can also include implementing at least one engine control action to modify at least one of the operating frequencies if at least one operating threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Jesse Floyd Stewart, Antonio Asti
  • Patent number: 7908072
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for using a combustion dynamics tuning algorithm with a multi-can combustor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a gas turbine engine with an engine model can be implemented for an engine comprising multiple cans. The method can include obtaining operating frequency information associated with multiple cans of the engine. In addition, the method can include determining variation between operating frequency information of at least two cans. Furthermore, the method can include determining a median value based at least in part on the variation. Moreover, the method can include determining whether the median value exceeds at least one operating threshold. The method can also include implementing at least one engine control action to modify at least one of the operating frequencies if at least one operating threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Jesse Floyd Stewart, Antonio Asti
  • Patent number: 7730726
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for controlling the combustion in a gas turbine. The method includes measuring, with one or two calorimeters, the temperature, calorific value and relative density of a gaseous fuel in order to determine the Wobbe index, comparing the Wobbe index value measured with a predefined Wobbe index value for the gaseous fuel and regulating the temperature of the gaseous fuel with at least one heat exchanger in order to reach the predefined Wobbe index value. The method may also include using a second gaseous fuel, having a different Wobbe index from the gaseous fuel, or a fuel obtained by mixing the gaseous fuel and the second gaseous fuel, according to arbitrary proportions and variable with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.
    Inventors: Antonio Asti, Mariateresa Paci, Michele D'Ercole, Massimo Betti, Simone Bei, Giovanni Tonno, Jesse Stewart, Francesco Maria Orgero
  • Publication number: 20090158702
    Abstract: A method is described for controlling load variations in a gas turbine. The method comprises reducing the flow of gaseous fuel entering the combustor to a predefined minimum value, if an increase is observed in the rotation regime of said turbine above a predefined maximum value and a total reduction in the load, activating a selective feeding sequence of the burners if the turbine is operating in normal functioning or premixed flame mode, modifying the angulation of the adjustable stator vanes, in order to reduce the speed rate of the compressor, and opening one or more anti-surge valves and one or more overboard bleeds, in order to reduce the air flow at the inlet of the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Giovanni TONNO, Mariateresa PACI, Michele D'ERCOLE, Alessandro RUSSO, Jesse F. STEWART, Ya-Tien CHIU, Marco ULIVI, Antonio BALDASSARRE
  • Publication number: 20090158747
    Abstract: A method is described for the controlled purging of the fuel feeding system in the combustor of a gas turbine comprising at least one compressor, capable of compressing the air introduced into it through an inlet duct, at least one combustor, in which said compressed air is mixed and combusted with a gaseous fuel coming from a feeding duct, and at least one turbine, capable of transforming the energy of the combusted gas coming from said combustion chamber into work energy which can be exploited for activating one or more operating machines. The combustor is equipped with one or more burners, each equipped with at least one pilot injector and one or more main injectors for the adduction of the gaseous fuel inside the burner. The method comprises purging at least part of the main injectors and relative manifolds with a stream of gaseous fuel when the turbine is in diffusive flame functioning mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Giovanni TONNO, Antonio ASTI, Antonio BALDASSARRE, Massimo BETTI, Michele D'ERCOLE, Mariateresa PACI, Stefano RIVA, Jesse STEWART
  • Publication number: 20090005952
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for using a combustion dynamics tuning algorithm with a multi-can combustor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a gas turbine engine with an engine model can be implemented for an engine comprising multiple cans. The method can include obtaining operating frequency information associated with multiple cans of the engine. In addition, the method can include determining variation between operating frequency information of at least two cans. Furthermore, the method can include determining a median value based at least in part on the variation. Moreover, the method can include determining whether the median value exceeds at least one operating threshold. The method can also include implementing at least one engine control action to modify at least one of the operating frequencies if at least one operating threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Giovanni Tonno, Mariateresa Paci, Jesse Floyd Stewart, Antonio Asti
  • Publication number: 20080289339
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for controlling the combustion in a gas turbine. The method includes measuring, by means of one or two calorimeters, the temperature, calorific value and relative density of a gaseous fuel in order to determine the Wobbe index, comparing the Wobbe index value measured with a predefined Wobbe index value for the gaseous fuel and regulating the temperature of the gaseous fuel by means of at least one heat exchanger in order to reach the predefined Wobbe index value. The method may also include using a second gaseous fuel, having a different Wobbe index from the gaseous fuel, or a fuel obtained by mixing the gaseous fuel and the second gaseous fuel, according to arbitrary proportions and variable with time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Antonio Asti, Mariateresa Paci, Michele D'ercole, Masslmo Betti, Simone Bei, Giovanni Tonno, Jesse Stewart, Francesco Maria Orgero