Patents by Inventor Ulrich Robert Steiger

Ulrich Robert Steiger 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: 9650907
    Abstract: A labyrinth seal is provided for sealing the annular interspace between the rotor and the stator of a steam turbine or gas turbine. The labyrinth seal includes a multiplicity of sealing strips which are arranged in series in the axial direction and fastened on the stator and project into the interspace. The sealing strips interact, with sealing effect, with rotor-side sealing elements which are arranged in a staggered manner. An improved sealing effect is achieved by the sealing strips in the cold installed state being offset in relation to a symmetrical position, wherein the offset has the reverse direction and the same amount as the distance by which the sealing strip is displaced relative to adjacent rotor-side sealing elements as a result of thermal expansions of the stationary and rotating components and support structure when being heated from the cold installed state to a hot steady-state operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Cyrille Bricaud, Ulrich Robert Steiger, Axel Heidecke, Carlos Simon-Delgado
  • Publication number: 20170030268
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surge control method for a gas turbine engine. The method includes providing a gas turbine engine having a compressor, a combustor, downstream of the compressor, with a hot gas path, a turbine downstream of the combustor, with a hot gas path. The method further includes monitoring the gas turbine engine for a potential surge condition, controlling a blow-off flow from the compressor, based on the monitoring for the control purpose of avoiding the surge condition, and directing the blow-off flow to at least one of the hot gas paths so as to bypass at least a portion of the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Adrien Franz STUDERUS, Ulrich Robert STEIGER, Ralf JAKOBY, René WÄLCHLI
  • Publication number: 20160376891
    Abstract: A method and device for cooling a turboengine rotor. A blade member includes a platform having a hot gas side and a coolant side. An airfoil is on the platform hot gas side and a blade foot section is on the platform coolant side. The blade foot section includes a blade shank and a blade root. The blade shank extends from the platform coolant side and is interposed between the blade root and the platform coolant side. The blade root includes root fixation features and is received by a fixation feature of a rotor shaft. A first fluid flows along the rotor front face and into a cavity of the blade shank and a second fluid flows within the blade shank cavity. The first fluid flow is relatively colder than the second fluid flow and a combined shank cavity fluid flow is formed inside the blade shank cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Cyrille BRICAUD, Carlos SIMON-DELGADO, Thomas ZIERER, Ulrich Robert STEIGER, Stephan STRUEKEN, Christoph DIDION
  • Patent number: 9267385
    Abstract: A strip seal and method of configuration thereof for sealing portions of components of a gas turbine exposed to pressure pulsations. The strip seal has a sealing face that is configured to follow the contours of first portions of the components. The strip seal further has a pressure face that has a sinusoidal curvilinear shape with respect to the sealing face. The pressure face is configured to prevent localized movement of strip seal by configuring pressure face on its first side to contact sealing face at a plurality of points, on its second side to contact second portions of the components at a plurality of points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Ulrich Robert Steiger, Thomas Heinz-Schwarzmaier
  • Patent number: 9163515
    Abstract: A gas turbine arrangement and a method of operating are provided. The turbine includes an annulus, axially delimited between a rotor unit, and at least one stationary component. Cooling medium outlet openings, lead into the annulus, from the stationary component. The cooling medium flows into cooling medium inlet openings, in the rotor unit in a flow direction, which propagates through the annulus. At least one inner cavity, radially to the annulus, is delimited by the rotor unit and by the stationary component. The inner cavity is pressurized with a purging gas, and is fluidically connected to the annulus. The stationary component and the rotor unit include a constriction by which the inner cavity is separated from the radially outer annulus and via which the inner cavity is fluidically connected to the radially outer annulus. Flow guides, fastened on the stationary component on one side, project into the constriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Ulrich Robert Steiger, Sascha Justl
  • Publication number: 20150027129
    Abstract: In order to improve the cooling of an air-cooled gas turbine in the partial load operating mode it is proposed to provide a connecting line between two cooling air lines with different pressure levels, which connecting line leads from the second cooling air line at a relative high pressure level to the first cooling air line at a relative low pressure level. In this context, a cooling device for cooling an auxiliary cooling air stream, flowing from the second cooling air line into the first cooling air line, and an adjustment element are arranged in the connecting line. In addition to a gas turbine, a method for operating such a gas turbine is the subject matter of the disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Karsten FRANITZA, Peter MARX, Ulrich Robert STEIGER, Andrea BRIGHENTI
  • Publication number: 20150000297
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining at least one firing temperature for controlling a gas turbine that comprises at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber and at least one turbine, compressed air being drawn off at the compressor in order to cool the turbine and being fed to the turbine via at least one external cooling duct and via a control valve arranged in the cooling duct, in which method a plurality of temperatures and pressures of the working medium being measured in various positions of the gas turbine and the at least one firing temperature being derived from the measured temperatures and pressures. A more flexible and more accurate control is achieved additionally by determining the cooling air mass flow via the external cooling duct and by taking said flow into account when deriving the at least one firing temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Manuel ARIAS CHAO, Anton NEMET, Ulrich Robert STEIGER, Darrel Shayne LILLEY
  • Publication number: 20150001815
    Abstract: A strip seal and method of configuration thereof for sealing portions of components of a gas turbine exposed to pressure pulsations. The strip seal has a sealing face that is configured to follow the contours of first portions of the components. The strip seal further has a pressure face that has a sinusoidal curvilinear shape with respect to the sealing face. The pressure face is configured to prevent localized movement of strip seal by configuring pressure face on its first side to contact sealing face at a plurality of points, on its second side to contact second portions of the components at a plurality of points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Ulrich Robert Steiger, Thomas Heinz-Schwarzmaier
  • Publication number: 20140191476
    Abstract: A labyrinth seal is provided for sealing the annular interspace between the rotor and the stator of a steam turbine or gas turbine. The labyrinth seal includes a multiplicity of sealing strips which are arranged in series in the axial direction and fastened on the stator and project into the interspace. The sealing strips interact, with sealing effect, with rotor-side sealing elements which are arranged in a staggered manner. An improved sealing effect is achieved by the sealing strips in the cold installed state being offset in relation to a symmetrical position, wherein the offset has the reverse direction and the same amount as the distance by which the sealing strip is displaced relative to adjacent rotor-side sealing elements as a result of thermal expansions of the stationary and rotating components and support structure when being heated from the cold installed state to a hot steady-state operating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Cyrille Bricaud, Ulrich Robert Steiger, Axel Heidecke, Carlos Simon-Delgado
  • Publication number: 20140013765
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surge control method for a gas turbine engine. The method includes providing a gas turbine engine having a compressor, a combustor, downstream of the compressor, with a hot gas path, a turbine downstream of the combustor, with a hot gas path. The method further includes monitoring the gas turbine engine for a potential surge condition, controlling a blow-off flow from the compressor, based on the monitoring for the control purpose of avoiding the surge condition, and directing the blow-off flow to at least one of the hot gas paths so as to bypass at least a portion of the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Adrien Franz Studerus, Ulrich Robert Steiger, Ralf Jakoby, René Wälchli
  • Publication number: 20120121377
    Abstract: A gas turbine arrangement and a method of operating are provided. The turbine includes an annulus, axially delimited between a rotor unit, and at least one stationary component. Cooling medium outlet openings, lead into the annulus, from the stationary component. The cooling medium flows into cooling medium inlet openings, in the rotor unit in a flow direction, which propagates through the annulus. At least one inner cavity, radially to the annulus, is delimited by the rotor unit and by the stationary component. The inner cavity is pressurized with a purging gas, and is fluidically connected to the annulus. The stationary component and the rotor unit include a constriction by which the inner cavity is separated from the radially outer annulus and via which the inner cavity is fluidically connected to the radially outer annulus. Flow guides, fastened on the stationary component on one side, project into the constriction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Ulrich Robert Steiger, Sascha Justl