Patents by Inventor Thomas Ruck

Thomas Ruck 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: 6210152
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustor, the former consists essentially of a rotation generator (100), a transition piece following the rotation generator, and a mixing pipe following this transition piece. Transition piece and mixing pipe form the mixing section (220) of the burner and are located upstream from a combustion chamber (30). In the lower part of the mixing pipe is located a pilot burner system (300) which creates, among other things, a stabilization of the flame front, in particular in the transient load ranges, while minimizing pollutant emissions. A sensor (400) installed in the burner detects a flashback of the flame (80), whereupon the fuel quantity of this flame is at least temporarily reduced and at the same time the fuel quantity for the pilot burner is increased in such a way that the total fuel quantity and thus the turbine output remains constant. This measure prevents a destruction of the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Haffner, Matthias Hobel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6186775
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30). A pilot-burner system (300) is arranged in the lower region of the mixing tube (20), which pilot-burner system (300), at minimized pollutant emissions, stabilizes the flame front, in particular in the transient load ranges. At least one ignition device (311) is integrated in the pilot-burner system (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Jansohn, Dieter Köster, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6155820
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a heat generator, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) form the mixing section of the burner, this mixing section being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30). In the region of the tangential combustion-air-directing inflow ducts (101b-104b), fuel-directing ducts (121-124), the cross section of flow of which is designed for a low-calorific fuel (116), extend along the swirl generator (100). The fuel-directing ducts (121-124) end at a distance upstream of the transition of the tangential inflow ducts (101b-104b) into an interior space of the swirl generator (100), whereby partial mixing between the two media (115, 117) takes place before the mixture flows into the interior space (118). In addition, this setting-back provides sufficient space for other fuel-directing lines (111-114) in this region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Klaus Dobbeling, Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6152726
    Abstract: A burner for operating a heat generator includes a rotation generator (100) for a combustion air stream (115), a device for injecting at least one fuel (112, 116) into the combustion air stream, a number of transition channels (201) for transferring a flow formed in the rotation generator into a mixing pipe (20) located downstream from these transition channels, and a pilot burner system (300) in the lower part of the mixing pipe (20), in which the pilot burner system (300) is in active connection with rotation generators (400) located at the end side of the mixing pipe (20). The interaction between the pilot burner system and rotation generators ensures maximized flame stability in the combustion chamber (30), and a general minimization of pollutant emissions, while increasing the load range for lower pollutants towards smaller loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AG
    Inventors: Thomas Ruck, Hans-Peter Knopfel
  • Patent number: 6102692
    Abstract: In a burner for a heat generator, having a swirl generator (100) arranged upstream of the combustion zone (30), fuel injection is connected with the combustion air (115), swirled in the swirl generator, in such a way that the injection angle of the fuel jet (105) belonging to the fuel nozzle (104) corresponds approximately to the setting angle of the sectional bodies forming the swirl generator relative to the axis (60) of the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Alstom Power (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Klaus Dobbeling, Christian Steinbach, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6059565
    Abstract: A burner for operating a heat generator, the burner including a swirl generator for a combustion-air flow and a mechanism for injecting at least one fuel into the combustion-air flow, a mixing section arranged downstream of the swirl generator and having a number of transition passages for passing a flow formed in the swirl generator into a mixing tube arranged downstream of the transition passages. The combustion-air flow into the swirl generator flows against turbulence generators, which are located upstream of the injection of the fuel into the combustion-air flow, and the turbulence generators include individual bars set transversely to the combustion-air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Alstom Power (Switzereland) Ltd
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6027331
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30). The swirl generator (100) itself comprises at least two hollow, conical sectional bodies (140, 141, 142, 143) which are nested one inside the other in the direction of flow, the respective center axes of these sectional bodies running mutually offset in such a way that the adjacent walls of the sectional bodies form inlet ducts (120), tangential in their longitudinal extent, for a combustion-air flow (115).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Klaus Dobbeling, Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 6019596
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30), there are means (302, 303, 304) in the lower region of the mixing tube (20) which bring about cooling of the base plate (305) forming a front wall. The air quantity (307) used here is passed into the flow (40) of the mixing tube (20). A leaner mixing and lower NOx emissions are thereby achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5954490
    Abstract: A burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30). At the end of the mixing tube (20) in its region leading out to a downstream combustion space (30), the mixing tube (20) has a first radius (R.sub.1) which runs convexly relative to the burner axis (60). This radius (R.sub.1) merges into a second radius (R.sub.2) which extends up to the outlet plane (70) of the mixing tube (20) and runs concavely relative to the burner axis (60), the covered sector (.beta..sub.1 +.beta..sub.2) of the two radii (R.sub.1, R.sub.2) being 90.degree. at most. With this configuration, enlargement and stabilization of the backflow zone (50) as well as axial orientation of the marginal flow are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5954495
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion space (30), a pilot-burner system (300) is arranged in the lower region of the mixing tube (20), which pilot-burner system (300), at minimized pollutant emissions, stabilizes the flame front, in particular in the transient load ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5944511
    Abstract: In a burner for operating a combustion chamber, which burner essentially comprises a swirl generator (100), a transition piece (200) arranged downstream of the swirl generator, and a mixing tube (20), transition piece (200) and mixing tube (20) forming the mixing section of the burner and being arranged upstream of a combustion chamber (30), a means (160, 161, 170, 190) which evens out the fuel concentration (150) over the cross section of flow is provided. With this measure, stabilization of the flame front and suppression of combustion-chamber pulsations is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventor: Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5876196
    Abstract: In a burner for a heat generator, which consists essentially of a swirl generator (100a) for a combustion air stream (115) and of means for injecting a fuel into this combustion air stream, a mixing stage (220) is arranged downstream of said swirl generator. This mixing stage has, within a first stage part (200), a number of transition channels (201) running in the direction of flow, which ensure the continuous transfer of the flow (40), formed in the swirl generator (100a), into a tube (20) located downstream. A nozzle (103), arranged on the head side and on the burner axis (60), for the injection of a fuel is offset upstream at a distance relative to the start of the swirl generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5800160
    Abstract: In a premix burner (100) for a heat generator, which essentially comprises at least two hollow, conical sectional bodies (101, 102) nested one inside the other in the direction of flow, the longitudinal symmetry axes (101b, 102b) of the sectional bodies are offset from one another in such a way that the adjacent walls of these sectional bodies form air-inlet slots (119, 120), tangential in their longitudinal extent, for the throughflow of combustion air (115). On the head side, the premix burner (100) has a fuel nozzle (103) which is shifted upstream by a distance (126) relative to the cone start (125) induced by the sectional bodies. Thus the fuel injection is caught by the combustion air only when the fuel spray cone can be penetrated more effectively, which leads to better mixture formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5735687
    Abstract: In a burner which essentially comprises a swirl generator (100) for a combustion-air flow (115) and means for injecting a fuel into the combustion-air flow (115), a mixing section (220) is arranged downstream of the abovementioned swirl generator. This mixing section (220) has inside a first part (200) of the section a number of transition passages (201) which run in the direction of flow and ensure the smooth passing of the flow (40) formed in the swirl generator (100) into a tube (20) arranged downstream. The outlet plane of this tube (20) to the combustion chamber (30) is formed with a breakaway edge which serves to stabilize and enlarge a backflow zone (50) forming downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hans Peter Knopfel, Thomas Ruck
  • Patent number: 5588826
    Abstract: In a burner which consists of a swirl generator (100) on the oncoming-flow side, the flow (40) formed herein is passed smoothly into a mixing section (220). This is done with the aid of a transition geometry which is present at the start of the mixing tube (220) and consists of transition passages (201) which cover sectors of the end face of the mixing section (220), in accordance with the number of sectional bodies of the swirl generator (100), and run helically in the direction of flow. On the outflow side of these transition passages (201), prefilming bores (21) pass through the mixing section (220), which prefilming bores (21) initiate an increase in the flow velocity along the tube wall. Adjoining the mixing section (220) is a combustion chamber (30) in which a backflow zone (50) forms in the region of the jump in cross-section between mixing section (220) and combustion chamber (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: ABB Management AG
    Inventors: Klaus Dobbeling, Jurgen Haumann, Hans P. Knopfel, Bettina Paikert, Thomas Ruck, Thomas Sattelamayer, Christian Steinbach