Patents by Inventor Nathan R. Pfeifer

Nathan R. Pfeifer 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).

  • Combustion turbine having a single compressor with inter-cooling between stages
    Publication number: 20080047276
    Abstract: A combustion turbine is disclosed having a single shaft compressor that includes a low pressure side and a high pressure side. The compressor operation is optimized by inter-cooling within the compressor. In particular, a compressed fluid is extracted from a selected stage and the extracted fluid is cooled and returned to a selected stage within the compressor. The compressor inter-cooling improves engine performance and cycle performance, as measured by an increase in power or a decrease in heat rate for the same power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Joan M. Baer, Nathan R. Pfeifer
  • Aerodynamically optimized mid-span snubber for combustion turbine blade
    Patent number: 5695323
    Abstract: An aerodynamically optimized mid-span snubber for combustion turbine blades provides sufficient stiffness to ameliorate vibratory stress but does so with minimal degradation of aerodynamic performance. The snubber has an optimized aerodynamic cross-sectional shape that forms when two snubber portions attached to adjacent rotor blades come into contact upon rotation of the rotor at an operational velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan R. Pfeifer, John P. Thomas, Wally N. Dangerfield