Patents by Inventor Richard Carroni

Richard Carroni 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: 8621870
    Abstract: A method is provided for fuel injection in a sequential combustion system comprising a first combustion chamber and downstream thereof a second combustion chamber, in between which at least one vortex generator is located, as well as a premixing chamber having a longitudinal axis downstream of the vortex generator, and a fuel lance having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, being located within said premixing chamber. The fuel injected is an MBtu-fuel. In said premixing chamber the fuel and a gas contained in an oxidizing stream coming from the first combustion chamber are premixed to a combustible mixture. The fuel is injected in such a way that the residence time of the fuel in the premixing chamber is reduced in comparison with a radial injection of the fuel from the horizontal portion of the fuel lance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Adnan Eroglu
  • Publication number: 20130327051
    Abstract: A power plant (1) that includes at least one of a gas turbine (GT), a steam turbine (ST) with a water-steam cycle, and a heat recovery steam generator (B) operatively connected to a heat generating member such as solar energy system (Ssolar) by means of a primary circuit (10a, 10b, 10c) and a secondary circuit system (20a). The primary heat transfer circuit (10a, 10b) includes solar heating system (Ssolar) configured to heat a primary fluid (10), and the secondary circuit (20a) comprises a flow line (20A) for a secondary flow (20) and a main heat exchanger (23) to exchange heat between the secondary water flow and a gas turbine inlet air flow (2). A first line (10B) in the primary circuit (10b) leads to a first heat exchanger (12) to heat the water flow in the secondary circuit (20a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Christoph Ruchti, Joerg Dietzmann
  • Patent number: 8584465
    Abstract: In a power plant which is equipped with a gas turbine, fuel for the gas turbine is preheated by means of solar heat. The preheating is realized through the use of a heat transfer circuit. The use of an additional, second heat transfer circuit between the source for the solar heat and the first heat transfer circuit permits storage of the solar heat. The fuel preheating according to the invention permits in particular an increase in the efficiency of the power plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Burkhard Josuhn-Kadner
  • Patent number: 8549860
    Abstract: A method for the combustion of hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuels in combustion air in a burner of a gas turbine includes injecting the hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel at least partially isokinetically with respect to the combustion air such that the partially hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel is injected at least partially in the same direction and at least partially at the same velocity as the combustion air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Stefano Bernero, Fernando Biagioli, Thierry Lachaux
  • Publication number: 20130255257
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system comprising a compressor in mechanical communication with a turbine; the compressor being operative to produce compressed air; a premixer; the premixer being operative to mix a fuel with the compressed air; a carbonator being located downstream of the premixer; the carbonator being operative to receive a mixture of carbon dioxide and syngas and to convert a metal oxide into a metal carbonate by reacting it with the carbon dioxide; a calciner; the calciner being operative to receive the metal carbonate from the carbonator; and to dissociate carbon dioxide from the metal carbonate; and a combustor; the combustor being located downstream of the carbonator; where the combustor is operative to combust syngas received from the carbonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Gian-Luigi Agostinelli, Peter Stuttaford, Richard Carroni, Michal Bialkowski
  • Patent number: 8528313
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a burner for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine plant, with an injection device for introducing gaseous fuel into the burner. The injection device has a body which is arranged in the burner and which has at least one nozzle for introducing gaseous fuel into the burner. The body is configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction transversely with respect to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at an trailing edge of the streamlined body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Michal Bialkowski, Mark Andrew Willetts
  • Patent number: 8511059
    Abstract: In an SEV combustor and a method for reducing emissions in an SEV combustor of a sequential combustion gas turbine, an air/fuel mixture is combusted in a first burner and the hot gases are subsequently introduced into the SEV combustor (1) for further combustion. The SEV combustor (1) includes a chamber having a chamber wall (5) defining a mixing portion (8), for mixing the hot gases with a fuel, and a combustion region (9), at least one inlet (2) for introducing the hot gases into the mixing region (8), at least one inlet (12) for introducing a fuel into the mixing region (8) and at least one inlet (10, 13) for introducing steam into the mixing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Madhavan Narasimhan Poyyapakkam, Adnan Eroglu, Richard Carroni, Gregory John Kelsall, Jian-Xin Chen
  • Patent number: 8468833
    Abstract: A burner arrangement includes a tubular mixing tube extending along an axis and configured to mix fuel and air, the mixing tube opening into a combustion chamber in a direction of flow; and a film air ring disposed in the mixing tube and arranged concentrically to the axis, the film air ring configured to prevent a backfiring of the fuel disposed in the mixing tube and to generate or reinforce an air film near the wall, wherein the film air ring has at least one annular gap concentric to the axis and configured to inject air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Marcel Rieker, Adnan Eroglu, Heinz Schaer
  • Patent number: 8459985
    Abstract: A method for producing hot gas for operating a turbomachine fired with at least one combustion chamber includes premixing a fuel with a plurality of operating gases by introducing fuel into the plurality of operating gases in a mixing chamber disposed upstream of the combustion chamber using a burner arrangement, wherein the fuel includes at least one of a combustible gas and a H2-rich fuel; and introducing the premixed fuel into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Bettina Paikert
  • Publication number: 20120227411
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for mixing H2-rich fuels with air in a gas turbine combustion system, wherein a first stream of burner air and a second stream of a H2-rich fuel are provided. All of the fuel is premixed with a portion of the burner air to produce a pre-premixed fuel/air mixture. This pre-premixed fuel/air mixture is injected into the main burner air stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Fernando Biagioli
  • Publication number: 20120210727
    Abstract: A method for the combustion of hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuels in combustion air in a burner of a gas turbine includes injecting the hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel at least partially isokinetically with respect to the combustion air such that the partially hydrogen-rich, gaseous fuel is injected at least partially in the same direction and at least partially at the same velocity as the combustion air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Stefano Bernero, Fernando Biagioli, Thierry Lachaux
  • Publication number: 20110232295
    Abstract: A method is provided for operation of an integrated solar combined-cycle power station. The power station includes a water/steam circuit having a steam turbine and a heat recovery steam generator through which hot exhaust gases from a gas turbine flow. The water/steam circuit is additionally supplied with heat from a solar array. In such a method, an optimum cost-benefit relationship is achieved in that the water/steam circuit is designed only for the full load on the gas turbine, and in that, when feeding additional power from the solar array into the water/steam circuit, the load on the gas turbine is reduced, on the basis of the power additionally fed in from the solar array, to such an extent that the total output power of the integrated solar combined-cycle power station remains substantially constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard CARRONI, Camille PEDRETTI, Thomas DALLA PIAZZA, Paul Pierre Antoine DROUVOT
  • Patent number: 7976304
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for mixing at least two separate fluid flows (2, 3), in particular for a burner of a power plant. To improve the mixing, a plurality of swirl flows (7, 8), which are annular and concentric with respect to a longitudinal center line (6), are generated from the fluid flows (2, 3), in such a manner that radially adjacent swirl flows (7, 8) have opposite directions of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin
  • Patent number: 7934925
    Abstract: A catalyzer for burning part of a gaseous fuel/oxidant mixture, in particular for a burner of a power plant installation, has catalytically active channels and catalytically inactive channels and at least two sectors are arranged consecutively in the main flow direction. The sectors include a first sector defining an inlet sector and at least one following sector that includes one or more of a mixing sector arranged downstream from the inlet sector and an outlet sector. Further, the catalyzer has one or more of a smaller flow resistance in the inlet sector than any following sector, a higher catalytic activity in the inlet sector than any following sector, a plurality of holes in the mixing sector oriented transversely to the main flow direction and through which adjoining channels communicate, and a swirl generator in the outlet sector that provides a swirl to a gas mixture flowing through the outlet sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin, Verena Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20110079014
    Abstract: A burner arrangement includes a tubular mixing tube extending along an axis and configured to mix fuel and air, the mixing tube opening into a combustion chamber in a direction of flow; and a film air ring disposed in the mixing tube and arranged concentrically to the axis, the film air ring configured to prevent a backfiring of the fuel disposed in the mixing tube and to generate or reinforce an air film near the wall, wherein the film air ring has at least one annular gap concentric to the axis and configured to inject air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard CARRONI, Marcel RIEKER, Adnan EROGLU, Heinz SCHAER
  • Publication number: 20110059408
    Abstract: A method for producing hot gas for operating a turbomachine fired with at least one combustion chamber includes premixing a fuel with a plurality of operating gases by introducing fuel into the plurality of operating gases in a mixing chamber disposed upstream of the combustion chamber using a burner arrangement, wherein the fuel includes at least one of a combustible gas and a H2-rich fuel; and introducing the premixed fuel into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard CARRONI, Bettina PAIKERT
  • Publication number: 20110056205
    Abstract: A burner arrangement is provided including a swirl-generating premix burner for providing a fuel/air mixture produced with a first fuel as well as a mixing pipe adjoining the premix burner downstream thereof and extending into a combustion chamber. In the case of such a burner arrangement, safer operation with highly reactive, in particular H2-rich fuel is achieved by the mixing pipe having a constriction downstream of the outlet of the swirl generator, and by a feeder for spraying in the highly reactive, in particular H2-rich fuel being arranged at the level of the constriction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard CARRONI, Alexander NI
  • Patent number: 7871262
    Abstract: A method and a device for combusting gaseous fuel which contains hydrogen or consists of hydrogen, includes a burner which provides a swirl generator (1) into which liquid fuel is feedable centrally along a burner axis (A), forming a liquid fuel column which is conically formed and which is enveloped by, and mixed through with, a rotating combustion air flow which flows tangentially into the swirl generator (1). The gaseous fuel is fed inside the swirl generator (1) largely axially and/or coaxially to the burner axis (A), forming a fuel flow with a largely spatially defined flow pattern (9) which is maintained inside the burner and bursts open in the region of the burner outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin
  • Publication number: 20100300109
    Abstract: A method is provided for fuel injection in a sequential combustion system comprising a first combustion chamber and downstream thereof a second combustion chamber, in between which at least one vortex generator is located, as well as a premixing chamber having a longitudinal axis downstream of the vortex generator, and a fuel lance having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, being located within said premixing chamber. The fuel injected is an MBtu-fuel. In said premixing chamber the fuel and a gas contained in an oxidizing stream coming from the first combustion chamber are premixed to a combustible mixture. The fuel is injected in such a way that the residence time of the fuel in the premixing chamber is reduced in comparison with a radial injection of the fuel from the horizontal portion of the fuel lance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Adnan Eroglu
  • Patent number: 7832213
    Abstract: A method for operating a turbogroup, especially of a power generating plant, is provided. The turbogroup includes a compressor for compressing combustion air, a combustion chamber with at least one burner for producing a hot gas, and a turbine for expanding the hot gas, performing work. The method includes feeding combustion air to a compressor, where it is compressed, and fed to at least one burner and feeding a fuel to the at least one burner. The method also includes injecting water into the combustion air upstream of the burner where it is evaporated, mixing the fuel in the burner with the combustion air-water vapor mixture, combusting the fuel-combustion air-water vapor mixture in the combustion chamber, and feeding the hot gas which is produced in the combustion chamber to the turbine where it is expanded and performs work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Carroni, Dieter Winkler, Andreas Brautsch