Patents by Inventor Timothy A. Griffin
Timothy A. Griffin 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).
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Catalytic reactor and method for the combustion of fuel-air mixtures by means of a catalytic reactor
Patent number: 7594394Abstract: In a catalytic reactor for the burning of at least part of fuel-air mixtures flowing through the catalytic reactor, the catalytic reactor has a plurality of passages. The catalytic reactor is charged with lean fuel-air mixtures and rich fuel-air mixture. The catalytic reactor includes at least two sections (I,II,II). A first flow-washed section (I) is free of catalytic coatings and a catalytic coating is located in a downstream-lying second section (II) in the passages through which flows the rich fuel-air mixture.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2006Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Alstom Technology LtdInventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin -
Patent number: 7581022Abstract: A flexible mechanism and method for routers to select the egress point for each destination comprises identifying a plurality of points of egress from an autonomous system, ranking the plurality of points of egress according to a metric having variable and fixed terms, selecting a point of egress having the smallest rank, and transmitting packets from a point of ingress via a path to the selected point of egress. The metric is across a plurality of destinations and respective possible points of egress from the autonomous system and the metric is m(i, p, e) equaling ?(i, p, e)·d(G,i,e)+?(i, p, e) where a and ? are configurable values, i is the identity of the router, p is the destination, G is an undirected weighted graph, the d function is the interior gateway protocol distance and e is a point of egress.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2005Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: AT&T Corp.Inventors: Timothy Griffin, Mauricio Resende, Jennifer Rexford, Renata Teixeira
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Patent number: 7568907Abstract: A method for operating a combustion chamber of a gas turbine, in particular of a power plant is provided. The combustion chamber includes at least one burner with a catalytic pilot burner. The method includes actuating the pilot burner at low power of the combustion chamber, generating a synthesis gas with a high proportion of hydrogen as a reaction product. The method further includes actuating the pilot burner at high power of the combustion chamber, generating a synthesis gas with a low proportion of hydrogen gas. An annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine, is also provided. The combustion chamber includes a plurality of burners distributed annularly. Each burner includes a catalytic pilot burner and a common air supply for the burner and the pilot burner is also provided. The common air supply distributes the supplied air with constant division between the burner and the pilot burner.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2008Date of Patent: August 4, 2009Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin
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Patent number: 7503178Abstract: A thermal power plant with sequential combustion and reduced CO2 emissions is disclosed, which includes the following components, which are connected in series via in each case at least one flow passage (S): a combustion feed air compressor unit, a first combustion chamber, a high-pressure turbine stage, a second combustion chamber and a low-pressure turbine stage. The second combustion chamber and/or the low-pressure turbine stage can be supplied with a cooling gas stream for cooling purposes. A method for operating a thermal power plant of this type is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: Alstom Technology LtdInventors: Dominikus Bücker, Timothy Griffin, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20090031697Abstract: Apparatus for combustion of a fuel-oxidizer mixture in a combustion chamber of a turbogroup, in particular of a power plant wherein total oxidizer flow is divided into a main oxidizer flow and a secondary oxidizer flow. The main oxidizer flow is lean mixed with a main fuel flow in a premix burner, and the mixture is fully oxidized in the combustion chamber. The secondary oxidizer flow is divided into a pilot oxidizer flow and a heat-exchanging oxidizer flow. The pilot oxidizer flow is rich mixed with a pilot fuel flow, and the mixture is partially oxidized in a catalyst, with hydrogen being formed. Downstream of the catalyst, the partially oxidized pilot fuel-oxidizer mixture and the heat-exchanging oxidizer flow are together introduced into at least one zone which is suitable for stabilizing the combustion of the main fuel-oxidizer mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2008Publication date: February 5, 2009Applicant: ALSTOM Technology LtdInventors: Timothy Griffin, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20080314045Abstract: A method for operating a combustion chamber of a gas turbine, in particular of a power plant is provided. The combustion chamber includes at least one burner with a catalytic pilot burner. The method includes actuating the pilot burner at low power of the combustion chamber, generating a synthesis gas with a high proportion of hydrogen as a reaction product. The method further includes actuating the pilot burner at high power of the combustion chamber, generating a synthesis gas with a low proportion of hydrogen gas. An annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine, is also provided. The combustion chamber includes a plurality of burners distributed annularly. Each burner includes a catalytic pilot burner and a common air supply for the burner and the pilot burner is also provided. The common air supply distributes the supplied air with constant division between the burner and the pilot burner.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2008Publication date: December 25, 2008Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTDInventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin
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Publication number: 20080280239Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2007Publication date: November 13, 2008Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin
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Patent number: 7421844Abstract: A method used for combustion of a fuel-oxidizer mixture in a combustion chamber of a turbogroup, in particular of a power plant wherein total oxidizer flow is divided into a main oxidizer flow and a secondary oxidizer flow. The main oxidizer flow is lean mixed with a main fuel flow in a premix burner, and the mixture is fully oxidized in the combustion chamber. The secondary oxidizer flow is divided into a pilot oxidizer flow and a heat-exchanging oxidizer flow. The pilot oxidizer flow is rich mixed with a pilot fuel flow, and the mixture is partially oxidized in a catalyst, with hydrogen being formed. Downstream of the catalyst, the partially oxidized pilot fuel-oxidizer mixture and the heat-exchanging oxidizer flow are together introduced into at least one zone which is suitable for stabilizing the combustion of the main fuel-oxidizer mixture.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Alstom Technology LtdInventors: Timothy Griffin, Dieter Winkler
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Patent number: 7363764Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine power plant and gas turbine power plant are disclosed wherein hydrogen for the combusting process is produced by feeding natural gas mixed with steam through a membrane/partial oxidation reactor and converting the natural gas at least to H2 and CO. Thereby oxygen is transferred from the compressed air through the membrane of the membrane/partial oxidation reactor and the oxygen is used for the partial oxidation process of the natural gas. The process is followed by converting the syngas in a CO shift reactor and a CO shift reactor to a CO2 removal equipment to mainly hydrogen.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2005Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: ALSTOM Technology LtdInventors: Timothy Griffin, Daniel Holmberg, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20080092513Abstract: A method and a device for producing an ignitable fuel/air mixture includes a fuel fraction which is hydrogen or a gas mixture containing hydrogen and which is burnt in a burner arrangement for driving a thermal engine, in particular a gas turbine plant. An exemplary method includes combining a fuel flow and of an air flow, so as to form a fuel/air mixture flow, and providing a further air flow, catalyzing part of the fuel/air mixture flow, so as to form a partly catalyzed fuel/air mixture, during an exothermal catalytically assisted reaction of the fuel, the released heat of which is utilized at least partially for heating the further air flow, admixing the heated further air flow to the partly catalyzed fuel/air mixture, so as to form an ignitable fuel/air mixture, and igniting and combusting the ignitable fuel/air mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2007Publication date: April 24, 2008Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20080066443Abstract: A gas turbine plant with a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine and at least one heat sink is operated with a working medium in the form of a carbon dioxide/water mixture. A hydrocarbon reacts as fuel with oxygen in the combustion chamber, and the excess carbon dioxide and water thereby occurring is tapped from the circuit. The compressor and the turbine have in each case a rotor with moving blades and a casing with flow ducts and with guide blade cascades. In the compressor and/or the turbine, matching to the expansion behavior of the working medium, which is different from that of air, is brought about by modifications of the flow ducts, of the moving blades and/or of the guide blade cascades.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2007Publication date: March 20, 2008Inventors: Hans Frutschi, Timothy Griffin, Roland Span, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20080010967Abstract: In a method for generating energy in an energy generating installation (10) having a gas turbine (12), in a first step, an oxygen-containing gas is compressed in a compressor (13, 14) of the gas turbine (12), in a second step the compressed gas is supplied, with the addition of fuel, for combustion in a combustion chamber (15), in a third step the hot flue gas from the combustion chamber (15) is expanded in a turbine (16) of the gas turbine (12) so as to perform work, and, in a fourth step, a branched-off part stream of the expanded flue gas is recirculated into a part of the gas turbine (12) lying upstream of the combustion chamber (15) and is compressed. A reduction in the CO2 emission, along with minimal losses of efficiency, is achieved in that carbon dioxide (CO2) is separated from the circulating gas in a CO2 separator (19), and in that measures are taken to compensate for the efficiency losses in the gas turbine cyclic process which are associated with the CO2 separation.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2007Publication date: January 17, 2008Inventors: Timothy Griffin, Dominikus Buecker, David Abbott
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Patent number: 7305831Abstract: A gas turbine adapted to operate in a highly diluted mode comprises a compressor 3 adapted to compress oxidant 5; a combustion chamber 3 adapted to accept the compressed oxidant 7 and provide an exit means for flue gas 9; a turbine 4; and a flue gas re-circulation means 12,13 adapted to re-circulate the flue gas 9 from the combustion chamber 3 and mix the said flue gas with the compressed oxidant 7 from the compressor 2 in order to provide a highly diluted mode of combustion with a flue gas re-circulation rate of from 100% to 200%.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2004Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.Inventors: Elisabetta Carrea, Timothy Griffin, Peter Jansohn
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Publication number: 20070261408Abstract: A gas turbine adapted to operate in a highly diluted mode comprises a compressor 3 adapted to compress oxidant 5; a combustion chamber 3 adapted to accept the compressed oxidant 7 and provide an exit means for flue gas 9; a turbine 4; and a flue gas re-circulation means 12, 13 adapted to re-circulate the flue gas 9 from the combustion chamber 3 and mix the said flue gas with the compressed oxidant 7 from the compressor 2 in order to provide a highly diluted mode of combustion with a flue gas re-circulation rate of from 100% to 200%.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2004Publication date: November 15, 2007Inventors: Elisabetta Carrea, Timothy Griffin, Peter Jansohn
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Publication number: 20070128093Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2007Publication date: June 7, 2007Applicant: ALSTOM Technology, Ltd.Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin, Verena Schmidt
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Catalytic reactor and method for the combustion of fuel-air mixtures by means of a catalytic reactor
Publication number: 20070054226Abstract: In a catalytic reactor for the burning of at least part of fuel-air mixtures flowing through the catalytic reactor, the catalytic reactor has a plurality of passages. The catalytic reactor is charged with lean fuel-air mixtures and rich fuel-air mixture. The catalytic reactor includes at least two sections (I,II,II). A first flow-washed section (I) is free of catalytic coatings and a catalytic coating is located in a downstream-lying second section (II) in the passages through which flows the rich fuel-air mixture.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2006Publication date: March 8, 2007Applicant: ALSTOM Technology LtdInventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin -
Patent number: 7182920Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 30, 2002Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.Inventors: Richard Carroni, Timothy Griffin, Verena Schmidt
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Publication number: 20070034171Abstract: A gas turbine installation (1), in particular in a power plant for generating electricity, includes a turboset (2) having a turbine (4), a compressor (5) and a combustion chamber (6) arranged in a gas path (9) connecting the compressor (5) to the turbine (4), and a flue gas recirculation device (3), which passes combustion flue gas from the turbine (4) from a flue gas path (14) connected to the turbine (4) via a recirculation path (16) to a fresh gas path (13) connected to the compressor (5). To improve the efficiency of the gas turbine installation (1), a control device (17) controls a volumetric flow and/or a temperature of the recirculated combustion flue gases in such a way that a fresh gas/flue gas mixture which enters the compressor (5) is at a predetermined desired temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2006Publication date: February 15, 2007Inventors: Timothy Griffin, Gianfranco Guidati, Hans Wettstein, Majed Toqan
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Publication number: 20060272331Abstract: A thermal power plant with sequential combustion and reduced CO2 emissions is disclosed, which includes the following components, which are connected in series via in each case at least one flow passage (S): a combustion feed air compressor unit, a first combustion chamber, a high-pressure turbine stage, a second combustion chamber and a low-pressure turbine stage. The second combustion chamber and/or the low-pressure turbine stage can be supplied with a cooling gas stream for cooling purposes. A method for operating a thermal power plant of this type is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2006Publication date: December 7, 2006Applicant: ALSTOM Technology LtdInventors: Dominikus Bucker, Timothy Griffin, Dieter Winkler
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Publication number: 20060267857Abstract: A system for operating multiple independent terminals of grouped, locally connected input and output devices through a single graphical user interface layer running on a computer comprising an event queue module for receiving each input command from each input device; an event handler module for receiving the input commands from the event queue module and directing input commands from specific input devices via corresponding socket/listeners of the single graphical user interface layer to corresponding ones of multiple pointers, focuses and client applications based on predetermined associations between grouped devices and respective ones of the socket/listeners; and an output module for directing output commands from each socket/listener to respective ones of the output devices based on the predetermined associations.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2005Publication date: November 30, 2006Applicant: USERFUL CORPORATIONInventors: Xiao Zhang, Yung Kim, Timothy Griffin, Banji Li, Stephen Deasey