Patents by Inventor Ludger Alfes

Ludger Alfes 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: 10337520
    Abstract: A fluid energy machine having a rotor, with a casing that separates an interior from an exterior, having at least one shaft seal for sealing a gap between the rotor and casing. The shaft seal is a tandem dry gas seal, having an inner and outer seal. The outer seal has a first sealing gas feed, which opens into the gap axially between the outer and inner seal. The shaft seal has a primary discharge between the inner and outer seal, which extracts primary discharge fluid from the gap. The first sealing gas feed has a first control member for controlling the flow rate of the sealing gas. The primary discharge has a second control member for controlling the flow rate of a primary discharge fluid. The first and second control members are matched such that the first pressure is adjusted to a first pressure setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ludger Alfes
  • Publication number: 20170191486
    Abstract: A fluid energy machine having a rotor, with a casing that separates an interior from an exterior, having at least one shaft seal for sealing a gap between the rotor and casing. The shaft seal is a tandem dry gas seal, having an inner and outer seal. The outer seal has a first sealing gas feed, which opens into the gap axially between the outer and inner seal. The shaft seal has a primary discharge between the inner and outer seal, which extracts primary discharge fluid from the gap. The first sealing gas feed has a first control member for controlling the flow rate of the sealing gas. The primary discharge has a second control member for controlling the flow rate of a primary discharge fluid. The first and second control members are matched such that the first pressure is adjusted to a first pressure setpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ludger Alfes
  • Patent number: 9568014
    Abstract: A gas system has a first compressor stage for compressing a process gas. The first compressor stage includes an intake side and a pressure side. A seal gas is provided outside the first compressor stage in order to prevent process gas from issuing from leaks in the first compressor stage, having at least one second line for returning a gas mixture issuing from the gas system, this mixture including at least of process gas and seal gas. The at least one second line is configured for returning the issuing gas mixture to the intake side of the first compressor stage and/or to a location in the gas system upstream of the first compressor stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Klaus Eisele, Thomas Mönk, Markus Reinhold, Axel Spanel
  • Publication number: 20150322959
    Abstract: A turbo machine, particularly a turbo compressor, including at least one rotor, which extends along an axis, at least one gas seal, which uses a seal gas to seal a gap between the rotor and a stator of the turbo machine, and a processing module, which processes process fluid taken from the high-pressure position at a tapping into seal gas, which seal gas is fed to the gas seal is provided. To reduce the investment costs for processing the seal gas for the gas seal, a control valve is provided in a first pipe of the turbo machine, the turbo machine has a control unit and a sensor in a second pipe for the seal gas between the processing module and the gas seal, and the control unit is designed such that the control valve controls the pressure or the mass flow or the volume flow measured by the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventor: Ludger ALFES
  • Patent number: 8985587
    Abstract: A shaft seal for a turbomachine is provided for sealing process side of the turbomachine against the atmosphere. The shaft seal includes a process gas seal which is acted upon by a process gas and be blocked on the process side, an atmosphere seal which is acted upon by air and be blocked on the atmosphere side, and a ventilation chamber extending around the shaft of the turbomachine. The ventilation chamber is arranged between the process gas seal and the atmosphere seal for collecting and discharging a process gas leakage that has passed through the process gas seal and an air leakage that has passed through the atmosphere seal. The ventilation chamber includes a radially inner leakage inlet, a radially outward leakage outlet and built in components that are dimensioned to as to provide a flame blocking function with regard to ignition of the leakage at the leakage inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Zacharias
  • Patent number: 8714907
    Abstract: A shaft seal for sealing a gap between a shaft and a casing is provided. The shaft seal includes a plurality of sealing modules, at least one fluid feed and at least one fluid outlet. The sealing modules include an outer main seal, and inner main seal and a fluid drain between the two. Conventional shaft seals of the above type require significant amounts of additional barrier fluid in regular intervals to ensure suitable pressure gradients. In the presently provided shaft seal, the inner seal is designed as a radial double seal which is defined by two gas seals having respective rotating sealing surfaces and stationary sealing surfaces, the pair of sealing surfaces being opposite each other in a sealing plane. The sealing planes extend from the shaft in a substantially radial manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ludger Alfes
  • Publication number: 20140050569
    Abstract: A gas system has a first compressor stage for compressing a process gas. The first compressor stage includes an intake side and a pressure side. A seal gas is provided outside the first compressor stage in order to prevent process gas from issuing from leaks in the first compressor stage, having at least one second line for returning a gas mixture issuing from the gas system, this mixture including at least of process gas and seal gas. The at least one second line is configured for returning the issuing gas mixture to the intake side of the first compressor stage and/or to a location in the gas system upstream of the first compressor stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Klaus Eisele, Thomas Mönk, Markus Reinhold, Axel Spanel
  • Patent number: 8647052
    Abstract: A shaft seal for sealing a gap between a shaft and a casing is provided. The shaft seal includes a plurality of sealing modules, at least one fluid supply and one fluid drain, and a first main seal on which a major partial pressure difference occurs. Conventional shaft seals of the above type require significant amounts of additional barrier fluid in regular intervals to ensure suitable pressure gradients. In the presently proposed shaft seal, the first main seal is designed as a radial double seal which is defined by two gas seals having respective rotating sealing surfaces and stationary sealing surfaces, the pair of sealing surfaces being opposite each other in a respective sealing plane. The sealing planes extend in a substantially radial manner relative to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Dirk Grieshaber
  • Patent number: 8529217
    Abstract: A method for operating a compressor device and associated compressor device including a compressor chamber and a cooling chamber adjoining the compressor chamber is provided. The pressure of a cooling medium in the cooling chamber is held above the pressure of a compressor medium in the compressor chamber during operation of the compressor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Zacharias
  • Publication number: 20120093643
    Abstract: A multistage turbocompressor is provided for compressing a process gas. The turbocompressor has includes a rotor and a casing. A gas seal is associated in each case with a first turbocompressor stage and a last turbocompressor stage for sealing a penetration of a rotor shaft through a wall of the at least one casing, against a respective stage inlet pressure or stage discharge pressure. The gas seals are connected to a sealing gas line via which they are supplied with a sealing gas. A pressure chamber on a pressure side of the gas seal of the last stage which provides sealing against pressure discharge to the environment is connected to a relief line which opens into a pressure sink. A plurality of sealing gas lines are connected to a sealing gas feed line in which at least one control valve is arranged between junctions of different sealing gas lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ludger Alfes
  • Publication number: 20120043727
    Abstract: A shaft seal for a turbomachine is provided for sealing process side of the turbomachine against the atmosphere. The shaft seal includes a process gas seal which is acted upon by a process gas and be blocked on the process side, an atmosphere seal which is acted upon by air and be blocked on the atmosphere side, and a ventilation chamber extending around the shaft of the turbomachine. The ventilation chamber is arranged between the process gas seal and the atmosphere seal for collecting and discharging a process gas leakage that has passed through the process gas seal and an air leakage that has passed through the atmosphere seal. The ventilation chamber includes a radially inner leakage inlet, a radially outward leakage outlet and built in components that are dimensioned to as to provide a flame blocking function with regard to ignition of the leakage at the leakage inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Zacharias
  • Publication number: 20110255966
    Abstract: A shaft seal for sealing a gap between a shaft and a casing is provided. The shaft seal includes a plurality of sealing modules, at least one fluid supply and one fluid drain, and a first main seal on which a major partial pressure difference occurs. Conventional shaft seals of the above type require significant amounts of additional barrier fluid in regular intervals to ensure suitable pressure gradients. In the presently proposed shaft seal, the first main seal is designed as a radial double seal which is defined by two gas seals having respective rotating sealing surfaces and stationary sealing surfaces, the pair of sealing surfaces being opposite each other in a respective sealing plane. The sealing planes extend in a substantially radial manner relative to the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Dirk Grieshaber
  • Publication number: 20110189013
    Abstract: A shaft seal for sealing a gap between a shaft and a casing is provided. The shaft seal includes a plurality of sealing modules, at least one fluid feed and at least one fluid outlet. The sealing modules include an outer main seal, and inner main seal and a fluid drain between the two. Conventional shaft seals of the above type require significant amounts of additional barrier fluid in regular intervals to ensure suitable pressure gradients. In the presently provided shaft seal, the inner seal is designed as a radial double seal which is defined by two gas seals having respective rotating sealing surfaces and stationary sealing surfaces, the pair of sealing surfaces being opposite each other in a sealing plane. The sealing planes extend from the shaft in a substantially radial manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventor: Ludger Alfes
  • Publication number: 20100303639
    Abstract: A method for operating a compressor device and associated compressor device including a compressor chamber and a cooling chamber adjoining the compressor chamber is provided. The pressure of a cooling medium in the cooling chamber is held above the pressure of a compressor medium in the compressor chamber during operation of the compressor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Zacharias
  • Patent number: 4899850
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lubricating device for a turbomachine with a main oil pump mechanically connected to a central rotor shaft, which main oil pump exhibits an input port or, respectively, an output port which is connected for fluid with a suction line or, respectively, a discharge line, and including a hydraulically driven oil pump unit, including a motor and a pump, disposed in the region of the oil container, which oil pump unit pumps lubricating oil from the oil container via a main supply line to the consumer points. The motor of the oil pump unit is driven by the oil flowing out of the discharge line of the main oil pump, and the pump is mechanically driven by the motor, and withdraws oil from the oil container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1990
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter Koller, Ludger Alfes
  • Patent number: D810140
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Freund
  • Patent number: D810785
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Ludger Alfes, Wolfgang Freund