Patents by Inventor Robert Bland

Robert Bland 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).

  • Publication number: 20040050057
    Abstract: A pre-mixing burner (10) for a gas turbine engine having improved resistance to flashback. Fuel (32) is supplied to a pre-mixing chamber (24) of the burner from a plurality of fuel outlet openings (34) formed in fuel pegs (36) extending into the flow of air (30) passing through the chamber. The fuel outlet openings are formed to direct the fuel in a downstream direction at an angle (A) relative to the direction of the flow of air past the respective fuel peg. This angle imparts a downstream velocity vector (VD) for increasing the net velocity of the air and a normal velocity vector (VN) for directing the fuel away from the wake (44) formed downstream of the fuel peg. Alternate ones of the fuel outlet openings along a single fuel peg may be formed at respective positive (A) and negative (B) angles with respect to a plane (46) extending along the wake in order to minimize the size of the wake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Bland, Anil Gulati, John Battaglioli
  • Publication number: 20040045273
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine (10) includes a plurality of can combustors (19). Each can combustor includes a first stage of burners (46) located at a first radius about the combustor centerline (42) and a second stage of burners (50) located at a second radius greater than the first radius. The second stage of burners may be clocked to an angular position that is not midway between respective neighboring burners of the first stage. Combustion instabilities may be controlled by exploiting variations in combustion parameters created by differential fueling of the two stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Bland
  • Publication number: 20040045295
    Abstract: A flame-holding nozzle for a combustion turbine engine is disclosed. The nozzle includes several elongated sleeves in a substantially-concentric arrangement. The sleeves cooperatively provide distinct passageways for fluids to move through the nozzle. The nozzle includes conduits that advantageously direct fluids to designated regions of the nozzle, allowing fuel and cooling fluid to move within the nozzle without becoming commingled. Portions of the nozzle sleeves are also strategically arranged to transmit fluids in a manner that provides substantially-uniform thermal expansion, thereby eliminating the need for sliding joints or bellows arrangements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: David James Wiebe, Michael Herbert Koenig, Robert Bland
  • Patent number: 6698207
    Abstract: A flame-holding nozzle for a combustion turbine engine is disclosed. The nozzle includes several elongated sleeves in a substantially-concentric arrangement. The sleeves cooperatively provide distinct passageways for fluids to move through the nozzle. The nozzle includes conduits that advantageously direct fluids to designated regions of the nozzle, allowing fuel and cooling fluid to move within the nozzle without becoming commingled. Portions of the nozzle sleeves are also strategically arranged to transmit fluids in a manner that provides substantially-uniform thermal expansion, thereby eliminating the need for sliding joints or bellows arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: David James Wiebe, Michael Herbert Koenig, Robert Bland
  • Patent number: 6672070
    Abstract: In gas turbines, compressed air is supplied via an air duct to combustion chambers and is heated there. Pressure losses in the air duct should be minimized in order to ensure good overall efficiency. This is achieved by the compressed air flowing with approximately constant velocity in the air duct from the compressor to the inlet into the combustion chamber. This is supported by the effective cross section of the air duct being almost constant over this distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Robert Bland, Charles Ellis, Peter Tiemann
  • Patent number: 6533485
    Abstract: A combination toothbrush and toothpaste dispenser with incorporated remaining use counter including a toothbrush portion comprised of an elongated hollow handle having an incorporated head portion. The elongated hollow handle includes an internal channel. The head portion has a plurality of openings in communication with the internal channel. The head portion has a plurality of bristles extending outwardly thereof. The handle holds a quantity of toothpaste within the internal channel. An internal plunger is disposed within the internal channel of the elongated hollow handle. The internal plunger will force the toothpaste out of the plurality of openings of the head portion and onto the bristles. A counter is disposed within the elongated hollow handle of the toothbrush portion. The counter is in communication with the plunger for determining a remaining amount of toothpaste disposed therein, and displaying the same on a rotary dial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Inventor: Robert Bland
  • Publication number: 20030010014
    Abstract: In gas turbines, compressed air is supplied via an air duct to combustion chambers and is heated there. Pressure losses in the air duct should be minimized in order to ensure good overall efficiency. This is achieved by the compressed air flowing with approximately constant velocity in the air duct from the compressor to the inlet into the combustion chamber. This is supported by the effective cross section of the air duct being almost constant over this distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Bland, Charles Ellis, Peter Tiemann