Patents by Inventor Michael James Molitor

Michael James Molitor 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: 9719378
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that may be used to control the temperature of steam being reheated by a moisture separator reheater (MSR). One embodiment provides a system including a steam turbine, a moisture separator reheater coupled to the steam turbine, and a controller programmed to control a temperature of steam leaving the moisture separator reheater based at least in part on sensor feedback. The controller is programmed to facilitate substantially smooth linear temperature ramping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Craig Kluge, Michael James Molitor
  • Publication number: 20170081981
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that may be used to control the temperature of steam being reheated by a moisture separator reheater (MSR). One embodiment provides a system including a steam turbine, a moisture separator reheater coupled to the steam turbine, and a controller programmed to control a temperature of steam leaving the moisture separator reheater based at least in part on sensor feedback. The controller is programmed to facilitate substantially smooth linear temperature ramping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Steven Craig Kluge, Michael James Molitor
  • Patent number: 8689557
    Abstract: A steam seal dump re-entry system delivers steam dump flow to an LP steam turbine. The system includes a steam seal header receiving steam leaking from turbine end seal packings, and a desuperheater receiving and cooling the steam from the steam seal header. The desuperheater outputs cooled steam. A temperature sensor is disposed downstream of the desuperheater and detects a temperature of the cooled steam. A flow control circuit communicating with the temperature sensor selectively delivers the cooled steam to at least one of the condenser and to the LP steam turbine depending on the temperature of the cooled steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Eric Maki, Kevin J. Odell, Michael James Molitor, Timothy Andrew Melsert, Steven Paul Scarlata, James Daniel Antalek
  • Publication number: 20130333386
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that may be used to control the temperature of steam being reheated by a moisture separator reheater (MSR). One embodiment provides a system including a steam turbine, a moisture separator reheater coupled to the steam turbine, and a controller programmed to control a temperature of steam leaving the moisture separator reheater based at least in part on sensor feedback. The controller is programmed to facilitate substantially smooth linear temperature ramping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Craig Kluge, Michael James Molitor
  • Patent number: 8499561
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that may be used to control the temperature of steam being reheated by a moisture separator reheater (MSR). The temperature of a steam being reheated by a MSR may be sensed, and controller embodiments may use the sensed temperature to control the transfer of heat from various MSR components into the reheated steam. By using such control embodiments, the MSR may provide optimally heated steam to other power plant components, thus increasing the performance, efficiency, and safety of a power plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Craig Kluge, Michael James Molitor
  • Publication number: 20120198845
    Abstract: A steam seal dump re-entry system delivers steam dump flow to an LP steam turbine. The system includes a steam seal header receiving steam leaking from turbine end seal packings, and a desuperheater receiving and cooling the steam from the steam seal header. The desuperheater outputs cooled steam. A temperature sensor is disposed downstream of the desuperheater and detects a temperature of the cooled steam. A flow control circuit communicating with the temperature sensor selectively delivers the cooled steam to at least one of the condenser and to the LP steam turbine depending on the temperature of the cooled steam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: William Eric Maki, Kevin J. Odell, Michael James Molitor, Timothy Andrew Melsert, Steven Paul Scarlata, James Daniel Antalek
  • Publication number: 20110056201
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided that may be used to control the temperature of steam being reheated by a moisture separator reheater (MSR). The temperature of a steam being reheated by a MSR may be sensed, and controller embodiments may use the sensed temperature to control the transfer of heat from various MSR components into the reheated steam. By using such control embodiments, the MSR may provide optimally heated steam to other power plant components, thus increasing the performance, efficiency, and safety of a power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Craig Kluge, Michael James Molitor
  • Patent number: 7343744
    Abstract: A method for controlling a turbine-generator including: detecting a power-load unbalance between a turbine and a generator; measuring the duration of a power-load unbalance; measuring the rate of loss of an electrical load; and regulating steam flow through the turbine responsive to the rate of loss of an electrical load and the duration of the power-load unbalance; all of which results in more accurate and robust control of turbine-generator speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sheldon S. Abelson, Michael Glynn Wise, Michael James Molitor
  • Patent number: 7134834
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of minimizing steam boiler pressure changes or turbine power changes during turbine control valve operational safety test stroking. The method of the present invention uses control valve positions as feedback into a compensation algorithm to minimize flow disturbance caused by the closing and reopening of a turbine control valve during periodic operational testing. By maintaining the total mass flow through several parallel turbine inlet control valves constant, the steam generator pressure is maintained constant, and the inlet pressure regulator is unaffected during inlet control valve testing. Maintaining the total mass flow through several parallel turbine inlet control valves constant also minimizes turbine power changes during inlet control valve testing. In addition, the monitoring of additional process parameters is not needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Michael James Molitor