Patents by Inventor Ruurd A. Vanderleest

Ruurd A. Vanderleest 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: 20240133348
    Abstract: A controller for a gas turbine engine comprises a fuel flow sensor interface for receiving input signals indicative of a fuel flow into a combustor, a power output sensor interface for receiving input signals indicative of power output of an electrical generator driven via the gas turbine engine, a bleed valve interface for providing an output signal to a bleed valve that controls bleed air to vent a compressor of the gas turbine engine, and memory having stored therein instructions for determining functionality of the bleed valve based on evaluating efficiency of the gas turbine engine when the output signal is issued. A method comprises sensing efficiency of a gas turbine engine in response to actuation of a compressor bleed valve, comparing the efficiency to baseline efficiency, and outputting indicia of a differential between the efficiency and the baseline efficiency as an indication of operability of the first bleed valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Ruurd Vanderleest
  • Publication number: 20140152009
    Abstract: A controller for a power generating system that includes an engine and a generator, wherein the engine provides mechanical force to the generator, which converts the mechanical force to electrical energy that is distributed via a distribution network. The controller includes a complementary filter that applies a low-frequency response to changes in the monitored power output and a high-frequency response to changes in the monitored grid frequency. The complementary filter combines outputs of the high-frequency response and low-frequency response to generate a process variable. A feedback controller generates a fuel flow value in response to the process variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Richard P. Meisner, Ruurd A. Vanderleest
  • Patent number: 8297036
    Abstract: A controller for a turbine power plant that is operable to identify a failure condition and measure a shutoff valve performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ruurd A. Vanderleest, Stuart S. Hay
  • Patent number: 7825721
    Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering analog signals corresponding to sensed parameters are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: sampling the analog signal to acquire a sequential series of data points; determining a first cumulative change in value with respect to a first of the data points relative to at least two subsequent data points in the series, the subsequent data points including a second of the data points; determining a second cumulative change in value with respect to the second of the data points relative to at least two data points adjacent to the second of the data points in the series, the at least two adjacent data points including an immediately preceding and an immediately succeeding one of the data points relative to the second of the data points; comparing the first cumulative change and the second cumulative change to respective data thresholds; and outputting a filtered analog signal based, at least in part, on results of the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Ruurd A. Vanderleest, Brett Marples
  • Publication number: 20100097132
    Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering analog signals corresponding to sensed parameters are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: sampling the analog signal to acquire a sequential series of data points; determining a first cumulative change in value with respect to a first of the data points relative to at least two subsequent data points in the series, the subsequent data points including a second of the data points; determining a second cumulative change in value with respect to the second of the data points relative to at least two data points adjacent to the second of the data points in the series, the at least two adjacent data points including an immediately preceding and an immediately succeeding one of the data points relative to the second of the data points; comparing the first cumulative change and the second cumulative change to respective data thresholds; and outputting a filtered analog signal based, at least in part, on results of the comparing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
    Inventors: Ruurd A. Vanderleest, Brett Marples
  • Publication number: 20090313966
    Abstract: A controller for a turbine power plant that is operable to identify a failure condition and measure a shutoff valve performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Ruurd A. Vanderleest, Stuart S. Hay
  • Patent number: 7328098
    Abstract: The invention detects gas turbine bleed valve position discordances. The invention derives a modified exhaust gas temperature derivative as the predictive criteria in conjunction with a control logic to determine bleed valve position discordances that may indicate a mechanical failure in a valve, or in the control means for a valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ruurd VanderLeest, David R. Walton