Patents by Inventor Hans Peter Knoepfel

Hans Peter Knoepfel 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: 9765975
    Abstract: A combustion chamber of a gas turbine including first and second premixed fuel supply devices connected to a combustion device having first zones connected to the first premixed fuel supply devices and second zones connected to the second premixed fuel supply devices. The second fuel supply devices are shifted along a combustion device longitudinal axis with respect to the first fuel supply devices. The first zones are axially upstream of the second premixed fuel supply devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knöpfel, Adnan Eroglu
  • Patent number: 8794008
    Abstract: In a method for the low-CO emissions part load operation of a gas turbine with sequential combustion, the air ratio (?) of the operative burners (9) of the second combustor (15) is kept below a maximum air ratio (?max) at part load In order to reduce the maximum air ratio (?), a series of modifications in the operating concept of the gas turbine are carried out individually or in combination. One modification is an opening of the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) before engaging the second combustor (15). For engaging the second combustor, the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) is quickly closed and fuel is introduced in a synchronized manner into the burner (9) of the second combustor (15). A further modification is the deactivating of individual burners (9) at part load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr, Hans Peter Knoepfel, Weiqun Geng
  • Patent number: 8434312
    Abstract: In a method for the low-CO emissions part load operation of a gas turbine with sequential combustion, the air ratio (?) of the operative burners (9) of the second combustor (15) is kept below a maximum air ratio (?max) at part load In order to reduce the maximum air ratio (?), a series of modifications in the operating concept of the gas turbine are carried out individually or in combination. One modification is an opening of the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) before engaging the second combustor (15). For engaging the second combustor, the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) is quickly closed and fuel is introduced in a synchronized manner into the burner (9) of the second combustor (15). A further modification is the deactivating of individual burners (9) at part load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr, Hans Peter Knöpfel, Weiqun Geng
  • Publication number: 20120073305
    Abstract: A combustion chamber of a gas turbine including first and second premixed fuel supply devices connected to a combustion device having first zones connected to the first premixed fuel supply devices and second zones connected to the second premixed fuel supply devices. The second fuel supply devices are shifted along a combustion device longitudinal axis with respect to the first fuel supply devices. The first zones are axially upstream of the second premixed fuel supply devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knöpfel, Adnan EROGLU
  • Publication number: 20120017601
    Abstract: In a method for the low-CO emissions part load operation of a gas turbine with sequential combustion, the air ratio (?) of the operative burners (9) of the second combustor (15) is kept below a maximum air ratio (?max) at part load In order to reduce the maximum air ratio (?), a series of modifications in the operating concept of the gas turbine are carried out individually or in combination. One modification is an opening of the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) before engaging the second combustor (15). For engaging the second combustor, the row of variable compressor inlet guide vanes (14) is quickly closed and fuel is introduced in a synchronized manner into the burner (9) of the second combustor (15). A further modification is the deactivating of individual burners (9) at part load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Klaus Knapp, Peter Flohr, Hans Peter Knöpfel, Weiqun Geng
  • Patent number: 8057224
    Abstract: A premix burner has a mixing section (3) for a heat generator, sectional conical shells (5) which complement one another to form a swirl body, enclose a conically widening swirl space (6), and mutually define tangential air-inlet slots (7), along which feeds (8) for gaseous fuel are provided in a distributed manner, having at least one fuel feed (11) for liquid fuel, this fuel feed (11) being arranged along a burner axis (A) passing centrally through the swirl space (6), and having a mixing tube (4) adjoining the swirl body downstream via a transition piece (2). At least one additional fuel feed (13) for liquid fuel is provided in the region of the swirl body, the transition piece (2), and/or the mixing tube (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 7491056
    Abstract: A premix burner for a heat generator has partial cone shells (5) which make up a vortex generator, and which encompass a conically widening vortex chamber (6) and mutually define tangential air inlet slots (7), and also with feeds for gaseous and/or liquid fuel, of which at least one is arranged along the air inlet slots (7) on the partial cone shells (5), and at least one other is arranged along a burner axis (A) which centrally passes through the vortex chamber (6). At least n partial cone shells (5) encompass the vortex chamber (6), and define n air inlet slots (7), with n?3, preferably n?5, the n air inlet slots (7) each have at least a maximum slot width (10) which is equal to or larger than that slot width (10) which a generic type premix burner (1) of the same size and dimensioning with m?2 partial cone shells (5) and m air inlet slots (7) has.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6895759
    Abstract: A premix burner has a premix burner casing which is formed in the manner of a tube open at the upstream end, is connected in the downstream direction to a combustion chamber via a transition contour and through which air can flow, a burner lance including an inner tube that projects into the interior of the premix burner casing on the upstream side, encloses a flow passage which is annular in cross section together with the premix burner casing, and has an inner tube wall which surrounds an inner flow passage and in which there is at least one fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the inner flow passage and at least one further fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the annular flow passage is provided so that downstream of the inner tube the fuel/air mixture ignites within the flame front in the region of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LTD
    Inventor: Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Publication number: 20040055307
    Abstract: The invention describes a premix burner, in which fuel and air can be mixed to form a fuel/air mixture, for forming at least one stable flame front within a downstream combustion chamber for driving a gas turbine which follows the combustion chamber, having a premix burner casing which is formed in the manner of a tube open at the upstream end, is connected in the downstream direction to the combustion chamber via a transition contour and through which air can flow, a burner lance, which is designed as an inner tube, projects into the interior of the premix burner casing on the upstream side, encloses a flow passage which is annular in cross section together with the premix burner casing, and has an inner tube wall which surrounds an inner flow passage and in which there is at least one fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the inner flow passage and at least one further fuel-addition unit for feeding fuel into the annular flow passage is provided in such a manner that downstream of the inner tube the fuel
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6694745
    Abstract: A method for running up a gas turbine plant (1) is disclosed. In the method, a fuel (6) is injected into the combustion chamber (5) via a plurality of pilot burners (10) and premix burners (11). During the start-up and in a lower load range, the combustion chamber (5) is operated in the pilot mode, and, at a specific time point, the combustion chamber (5) is changed over from the pilot mode to the premix mode. The changeover time point from the pilot mode to the premix mode depends on a variable changeover temperature (TSWO), and this changeover temperature (TSWO) is determined from pulsations occurring in the flame of the combustion chamber (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Marcel Stalder, Dieter Rebhan, Thomas Kueenzi, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6691518
    Abstract: A process is described for the operation of an annular combustion chamber and also an annular combustion chamber is shown with numerous circularly arranged premix burners, in which a fuel-air mixture is produced before it is ignited and the fuel-air mixture is used as a hot gas stream to drive at least one turbine stage of a gas turbine plant. At least one premix burner is operated such that it has a spatial mixing profile deviating within the fuel-air mixture from all other premix burners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Klaus Doebbeling, Hans Peter Knoepfel, Christian Oliver Paschereit
  • Publication number: 20040018459
    Abstract: The invention relates to a premix burner with high flame stability for use in a heat producer, preferably in the combustion chamber of a gas turbine. Modern lean operated premix burners make possible very low pollutant emissions, but sometimes operate very close to the extinction limit. To increase the stability of the lean premix combustion by increasing the distance between the flame temperature and the extinction limit temperature, it is proposed according to the invention to arrange a downstream combustion gas mixing section (300) for the burner, which mixing section (300) projects at least partially into the combustion chamber (50) and enables combustion gases from the combustion chamber (50) access to the fuel/air mixture (144) by means of combustion gas inlet openings (311). The added combustion gases (145) are mixed with the fuel/air mixture (144), and in this manner increase its temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas Ruck, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6640545
    Abstract: The invention relates to a premix burner with high flame stability for use in a heat producer, preferably in the combustion chamber of a gas turbine. Modern lean operated premix burners make possible very low pollutant emissions, but sometimes operate very close to the extinction limit. To increase the stability of the lean premix combustion by increasing the distance between the flame temperature and the extinction limit temperature, it is proposed according to the invention to arrange a downstream combustion gas mixing section (300) for the burner, which mixing section (300) projects at least partially into the combustion chamber (50) and enables combustion gases from the combustion chamber (50) access to the fuel/air mixture (144) by means of combustion gas inlet openings (311). The added combustion gases (145) are mixed with the fuel/air mixture (144), and in this manner increase its temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Ruck, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6558154
    Abstract: A burner system with staged fuel injection includes a burner with a swirl generator (1) for a combustion air stream and device(s) for introducing fuel into the combustion air stream, wherein the fuel introducing devices include at least two separate fuel supply elements (4a, 4b) with groups of fuel outlet openings for corresponding premix fuel amounts, wherein a first group is arranged downstream from a second group. The burner system furthermore includes measurement value probes (8, 9) for measuring the pulsations and emissions of the combustion, as well as a control device (10) that controls the two stages (4a, 4b) for introducing fuel dependent on the measured measuring values. The burner system permits optimized operation of the system even under changing operating and environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Peter Stuber, Christian Oliver Paschereit, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Publication number: 20020194851
    Abstract: A method for running up a gas turbine plant (1) is disclosed. In the method, a fuel (6) is injected into the combustion chamber (5) via a plurality of pilot burners (10) and premix burners (11). During the start-up and in a lower load range, the combustion chamber (5) is operated in the pilot mode, and, at a specific time point, the combustion chamber (5) is changed over from the pilot mode to the premix mode. The changeover time point from the pilot mode to the premix mode depends on a variable changeover temperature (TSWO), and this changeover temperature (T-SWO) is determined from pulsations occurring in the flame of the combustion chamber (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Marcel Stalder, Dieter Rebhan, Thomas Kueenzi, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Publication number: 20020172905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a premix burner with high flame stability for use in a heat producer, preferably in the combustion chamber of a gas turbine. Modem lean operated premix burners make possible very low pollutant emissions, but sometimes operate very close to the extinction limit. To increase the stability of the lean premix combustion by increasing the distance between the flame temperature and the extinction limit temperature, it is proposed according to the invention to arrange a downstream combustion gas mixing section (300) for the burner, which mixing section (300) projects at least partially into the combustion chamber (50) and enables combustion gases from the combustion chamber (50) access to the fuel/air mixture (144) by means of combustion gas inlet openings (311). The added combustion gases (145) are mixed with the fuel/air mixture (144), and in this manner increase its temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Thomas Ruck, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Patent number: 6461151
    Abstract: According to the invention, in burners having a swirl generator (100), a mixing tube (220) and a combustion chamber (30), the transition from the mixing tube (220) to the combustion chamber (30) is designed with a variable radius over the circumference of the mixing tube (220). As a result, it is possible to form the flame in various shapes—from a circle to an ellipse with a ratio of width to height of 3 at most. The number of burners in a gas turbine may thus be advantageously reduced. Burners of existing gas turbines may be converted in a simple manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knoepfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Publication number: 20020142257
    Abstract: A burner system with staged fuel injection includes a burner with a swirl generator (1) for a combustion air stream and device(s) for introducing fuel into the combustion air stream, wherein the fuel introducing devices include at least two separate fuel supply elements (4a, 4b) with groups of fuel outlet openings for corresponding premix fuel amounts, wherein a first group is arranged downstream from a second group. The burner system furthermore includes measurement value probes (8, 9) for measuring the pulsations and emissions of the combustion, as well as a control device (10) that controls the two stages (4a, 4b) for introducing fuel dependent on the measured measuring values. The burner system permits optimized operation of the system even under changing operating and environmental conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Peter Stuber, Christian Oliver Paschereit, Hans Peter Knoepfel
  • Publication number: 20020134086
    Abstract: A process is described for the operation of an annular combustion chamber (13) and also an annular combustion chamber (13) with numerous circularly arranged premix burners (1, 2), in which, respectively, a fuel-air mixture is produced before it is ignited and is used as a hot gas stream to drive at least one turbine stage of a gas turbine plant. The invention is distinguished in that at least one premix burner (2) is operated such that it has a spatial mixing profile deviating within the fuel-air mixture from all other premix burners (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventors: Klaus Doebbeling, Hans Peter Knoepfel, Christian Oliver Paschereit