Combustion Bursts Or Flare-ups In Pulses Or Serial Pattern Patents (Class 431/1)
  • Patent number: 11951226
    Abstract: An ethylene oxide sterilization sensor, and method of use, wherein the sensor includes: a heat-shrinkable film; an acid-functional porous sorbent in thermal contact with the heat-shrinkable film; and an acid having a boiling point above 120° C. and a pKa of no greater than 2.5, wherein the acid is impregnated in or covalently attached to the porous sorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Michael W. Kobe, Michael S. Wendland, Kelvin J. Witcher, Richard C. Webb
  • Patent number: 11512260
    Abstract: Gasifiers, gasification systems, and methods for producing synthesis gas are disclosed. A gasifier can include a gasifier body. A feeder can be positioned to feed an organic material into the gasifier body. A pulse detonation burner can be located under or above the gasifier body and connected to the gasifier body to direct supersonic shockwaves upward into the gasifier body to heat the organic material and to form a jet spouted bed of the organic material or to operate as an entrained flow reactor. An outlet can be located at the gasifier body to allow removal of synthesis gas, residual ash, and other reaction products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Donald Gene Taylor
  • Patent number: 11499714
    Abstract: A system for use with a fired vessel of production/separators or dehydration equipment that includes a metal box, a main burner, a pilot burner, and a flame arrestor. The main burner and the pilot burner are within the metal box and the first flame arrestor is connected to the metal box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: John McKinney
  • Patent number: 11441788
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a method of determining the use of hot water performed in a system including a water heater and an air handler. The method includes: sensing a temperature of influent flowing into the water heater; sensing a temperature of effluent flowing out of the air handler; calculating a temperature difference between the temperature of the influent and the temperature of the effluent; and determining whether hot water is used by calculating whether the temperature difference is greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KYUNGDONG NAVIEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Changheoi Hu, Euneok Lee
  • Patent number: 11421877
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine includes receiving data indicative of an operational vibration within a section of the gas turbine engine; and providing electrical power to a shaker mechanically coupled to one or more components of the section of the gas turbine engine to generate a canceling vibration to reduce or minimize the operational vibration within the section of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Daniel Edward Mollmann
  • Patent number: 11326780
    Abstract: A resonant sound absorbing device of a gas turbine combustor includes a plurality of resonance chambers independently disposed side by side in an axial direction of the gas turbine combustor so as to communicate with a gas passage of the gas turbine combustor via acoustic holes. The plurality of resonance chambers include n related resonance chambers each satisfying: 0.9 × ? i = 1 n ? F i n ? F i ? 1.1 × ? i = 1 n ? F i n ( A ) where n is an integer of 2 or more, and Fi is a peak frequency corresponding to a maximum sound absorbing ratio of the ith related resonance chamber of the n related resonance chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Fujimoto, Taiki Kinoshita, Satoshi Mizukami, Yoshinori Wakita, Satoshi Takiguchi, Wataru Kugimiya
  • Patent number: 11098890
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is an atmospheric gas burner (300) for cooking tops (400), in particular household cooking tops (400), where the air-gas mixture is obtained by the effect of the gas supply pressure using the principle of the tube ejector (10; 310) of Venturi that has a sufficient quantity Z?1 of ejectors (310) to supply, globally, the maximum power (Wb) provided for the same burner (300). Each of said ejectors (310) develops on a horizontal plane, has the axis of its diffuser (315) which in the first stretch (322) is substantially rectilinear and tangential to a circle with centre on the central axis (324) of said burner (300) while in the second stretch (323) gradually bends substantially as a spiral towards the same central axis (324), leads, downstream of said diffuser (315), to a converging channel (327) which gradually bends vertically upwards and which, in turn, leads to one or more diffusion chambers (328) to which one or more flame spreading caps (318) act as a cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: TRE P ENGINEERING S.R.L.
    Inventors: Rosalino Usci, Michele Marcantoni
  • Patent number: 10859008
    Abstract: A rotational angle determining device periodically samples a resolver signal output from a resolver receiving an alternating current excitation signal, the sampling being performed at a timing at which the excitation signal reaches a peak or trough value, based on a timer signal to which initial phase alignment is performed with respect to the excitation signal, and then the device performs A/D conversion of a voltage value of the sampled resolver signal, to determine the rotational angle of the rotor of the resolver. The excitation signal is periodically sampled at a predetermined timing based on the timer signal, and a presence or absence of a phase shift between the excitation and timer signals is detected based on a change in A/D converted value AD1n (n=1, 2, . . . ) obtained by A/D conversion of a voltage value of the sampled excitation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mamada, Kazuhiko Arai, Shingo Ooba
  • Patent number: 10451275
    Abstract: A method of controlling operation of a pressure gain combustor comprises: determining a fuel injector duty cycle and a combustion frequency that meets a target load set point and a target fill fraction of the combustor; determining a fuel supply pressure setting, a fuel injector timing setting and an ignition timing setting that achieves the determined fuel injector duty cycle and combustion frequency; and sending a fuel supply pressure control signal with the fuel supply pressure setting to a fuel pressurizing means of the combustor, a fuel injector control signal with the fuel injector timing setting to a fuel injector of the combustor, and an ignition timing control signal with the ignition timing setting to an ignition assembly of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: EXPONENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Soheil Farshchian
  • Patent number: 10371376
    Abstract: Industrial furnace (1) which can be used for example for treating semi-finished and siderurgical products, metal and inorganic materials, comprising a) a hot chamber (3) in which a combustion takes place and the hot gases generated by the combustion come in direct contact with the materials to be treated (p) in the furnace itself; B) a combustion stabilizing system in turn comprising b1) an injection system in turn comprising at least a mixer (11) arranged to mix a fuel and a diluent before injecting them into the hot chamber (3). The diluent has the effect of reducing the amount of nitrogen oxides in the combustion products. It considerably reduces the consumption of required diluent and the Nox emissions in the fumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TENOVA S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Della Rocca, Massimiliano Fantuzzi
  • Patent number: 10247411
    Abstract: Embodiments of integrated burner assemblies, for use in classified hazardous areas, effectively utilize a designated general or non-classified area classification inside a burner housing to simplify wiring connections between various components of a managed burner system. A valve train which supplies fuel to the burner and a control unit which manages the burner assembly and the valve train are mounted external to the burner housing in a classified hazardous area. Mechanically protected wiring is used to connect the valve train and control unit to the non-classified area. The open wiring connections inside the non-classified area, connecting between the burner assembly and the mechanically protected wiring from the control unit and the mechanically protected wiring from the valve train are free of mechanically protection considerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: Chris Aldrich
  • Patent number: 10197275
    Abstract: An acoustic damping device is provided that includes a resonating tube defining a resonating cavity with a predetermined characteristic length and a tube end defining a cavity opening, as well as a case configured to reversibly secure the tube end in fluidic communication with a fluid volume enclosed by a liner. The cavity opening is connected with the resonating cavity. The case includes a vented ferrule adpressed over a perforated region of the liner. The vented ferrule defines a ferrule opening that is aligned with the perforated region of the liner and the cavity opening to form the fluidic communication between the fluid volume and the resonating cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kwanwoo Kim, Changjin Yoon, John Thomas Herbon
  • Patent number: 10088165
    Abstract: A system includes a combustor having a combustion chamber and a combustor supply passage configured to supply a fluid flow into the combustion chamber. The system also includes a resonator configured to receive at least a portion of the fluid flow. The resonator comprises a frequency adjuster configured to change an attenuation frequency of the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Quoc Hoai Nguyen, Kwanwoo Kim, Whitney Epperson, Patrick Edward Pastecki, Mark Anthony Mueller
  • Patent number: 9885609
    Abstract: A turbine engine optical system includes a plurality of viewing ports in an engine case that are circumferentially spaced from one-another. At least one optical device is optically coupled to the ports for viewing an internal chamber defined by the engine case and for depicting at least spatial temperature distributions. The chamber may be an exhaust chamber and the controller may have the capability to correlate events in the exhaust chamber to events in an upstream combustor chamber and may thereby adjust operating parameters of a fuel system of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen K. Kramer
  • Patent number: 9740180
    Abstract: A method of controlling a dynamic physical system comprising a plurality of variable quantities. A model of the system comprising a plurality of variables representing the variable quantities, and a plurality of respective rate equations that describe the rate of change of the variables, is obtained. A control term in at least one rate equation from the plurality of rate equations is identified. A rate control function is derived from, for at least one of the variables in the rate equation, the proportion of the variable to the growth rate of the rate equation, and the rate control function is applied to the control term to provide a stabilized control term. The dynamic physical system is then controlled by modifying at least one of the quantities represented by the variables in the control term, so that the control term derived from the modified quantities is substantially the same as the stabilized control term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tjeerd Victor Siebe Maria Olde Scheper, Andrew Robert Carnell
  • Patent number: 9671166
    Abstract: An acoustic energy-transfer apparatus including: an acoustic chest, the acoustic chest defining an inner chamber sized to receive a material to be processed; and an acoustic device positioned within the acoustic chest and oriented to direct acoustic energy towards the material to be processed. A method for drying a material, the method including: positioning a material in an acoustic chest including an acoustic device; and directing acoustically energized air from the acoustic device at the material within the acoustic chest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Heat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zinovy Zalman Plavnik, Jason Lye
  • Patent number: 9644846
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system including a first combustor having a first fuel nozzle and a second combustor having a second fuel nozzle. The system further includes a first acoustic adjuster having a first drive coupled to a first piston with a first fuel orifice. The first piston is disposed along a first fuel passage leading to the first fuel nozzle of the first combustor. The system further includes a second acoustic adjuster having a second drive coupled to a second piston with a second fuel orifice. The second piston is disposed along a second fuel passage leading to the second fuel nozzle of the second combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Sarah Lori Crothers
  • Patent number: 9599065
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous detonation wave engine and aircraft provided with such an engine. The continuous detonation wave engine (1) operates with a detonation mixture of fuel and oxidant and includes, in particular, a detonation chamber (3) comprising an injection base (10), the length of which is defined along an open line (17), such as to form a detonation chamber (3) having an elongate form in a transverse plane, as well as an injection system (4) arranged such as to inject the fuel/oxidant mixture into the detonation chamber (3) at at least one segment of the injection base (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: MBDA France
    Inventor: François Falempin
  • Patent number: 9581332
    Abstract: A burner combustion method is employed in which at least two burners (2) are disposed opposite each other in a furnace (1) so as to cause combustion, the method comprising: cyclically changing at least one of a flow rate of a fuel fluid and a flow rate of an oxidant fluid supplied to the respective burners (2) while cyclically changing a concentration of oxygen in the oxidant fluid thereby cyclically changing an oxygen ratio obtained by dividing a supply oxygen amount by a theoretically required oxygen amount, whereby, the burners (2) are made to cause combustion in a cyclical oscillation state, wherein with respect to the cyclical change in an oscillation state of the burners (2), a phase difference is provided between a cyclical change in an oscillation state of at least one burner (2) and cyclical changes in oscillation states of other burners (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TAIYO NIPPON SANSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Yamamoto, Kimio Iino, Yoshiyuki Hagihara, Tomoyuki Haneji
  • Patent number: 9556799
    Abstract: A system for operating a gas turbine includes a controller configured to execute logic stored in a memory that causes the controller to determine a frequency, a coherence and, optionally, a phase and/or an amplitude, of a combustion instability; to compare the frequency and the coherence, and, optionally, the phase and/or the amplitude, of the combustion instability to a respective predetermined limit; and to adjust at least one parameter of the gas turbine if the frequency, the coherence, and, optionally, the phase and/or the amplitude of the combustion instability is actionable relative to the respective predetermined limit. A related method of operating the gas turbine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sarah Lori Crothers, Scott Arthur Day
  • Patent number: 9512997
    Abstract: The present invention is a burner system that allows ‘quasi continuous burning’ of fluids at very high temperatures by using controlled continuous pulsing explosions or detonations instead of continuous flow and thus creating pulsing pressure waves that can be easily utilised for increasing heat exchanger efficiency. After initiation the explosions or detonations are maintained by use of infrared radiation. The pulsed explosions or detonations send their shock waves directly onto the heat exchanger walls thus introducing a bigger part of energy into the heat exchanger wall then would be possible with any other method of heat exchange. In addition the kinetic energy of the negative acceleration of the mass in the explosion or detonation wave is added as additional heat introduced into the heat exchanger walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Triple E Power Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Zettner
  • Patent number: 9512805
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present disclosure is a gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique combustion system. Another embodiment is a unique engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for employing continuous detonation combustion processes. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip H. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9388090
    Abstract: A catalyst free method of igniting an ionic liquid is provided. The method can include mixing a liquid hypergol with a HAN-based ionic liquid to ignite the HAN-based ionic liquid in the absence of a catalyst. The HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol can be injected into a combustion chamber. The HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol can impinge upon a stagnation plate positioned at top portion of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Physical Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Prakash B. Joshi, Lawrence G. Piper, David B. Oakes, Justin L. Sabourin, Adam J. Hicks, B. David Green, Anait Tsinberg, Allan Dokhan
  • Patent number: 9228542
    Abstract: A swirl vane air duct cuff assembly includes a tubular body and a swirl vane cuff extending from the tubular body. The swirl vane cuff has an exterior surface which has a cuff groove, and an interior surface which has at least one inward radially extending vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: STEERE ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Eric D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9181921
    Abstract: In a laser ignition apparatus, a focusing optical element is configured to focus a pulsed laser light to a predetermined focal point in a combustion chamber of an engine. An optical window member is arranged on the combustion chamber side of the focusing optical element so as to separate the focusing optical element from the combustion chamber. A catoptric-light focal point, at which a catoptric light is to be focused, is positioned on the anti-combustion chamber side of a combustion chamber-side end surface of the optical window member. The catoptric light results from the reflection of the pulsed laser light by a pseudo mirror that is formed by the optical window member when the combustion chamber-side end surface thereof is fouled with contaminants. Further, the catoptric-light focal point falls in a region where no solid material forming either the focusing optical element or the optical window member exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Kenji Kanehara, Shingo Morishima, Akimitsu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 9068512
    Abstract: A method can protect a gas turbine engine (10), which includes a compressor (11), a combustor (13), and a turbine (12), against high dynamical process values, especially in combustor/flame pulsations. Effective protection against high dynamical process values, especially in combustor/flame pulsations, can be achieved by: a) measuring the pulsations of the combustor (13) with a suitable sensor (18), b) dividing the frequency spectrum of the measured pulsation signal up into pre-defined band pass sections, c) computing the rms (root mean square) of the signal for each band, d) weighting the computed frequency/frequency band rms with predetermined weighting factors, e) cumulating the weighted frequency/frequency band rms values to get a Pulsation Limit Criterion (PLC) value, f) comparing the PLC value with at least one reference value (23), and g) operating the gas turbine engine (10) according to the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Hanspeter Zinn, Ghislain Singla, Bruno Schuermans, Piotr Siewert
  • Patent number: 9027324
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an engine. Another embodiment is a unique combustion system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for engines and combustion systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip H. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8955303
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a pulse detonation system includes a pulse detonation tube including a base tube and a thermally protective layer disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the base tube. The thermally protective layer is configured to limit temperature fluctuations at the inner surface of the base tube to less than approximately 20 degrees Celsius during operation of the pulse detonation system, and the thermally protective layer does not comprise a ceramic coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Gene Brzek, Adam Rasheed, Narendra Digamber Joshi
  • Patent number: 8951039
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a lightweight mechanism that changes the distribution of a flow rate of air for combustion supplied into each burner, without providing a mechanical movable part in a passage for high-temperature and high-pressure air for combustion in a combustor having a plurality of burners such as a pilot burner and a main burner. The combustor equipped with an air flow rate distribution control mechanism based on a fluidic element in accordance with the present invention has a plurality of burners such as a main burner and a pilot burner, wherein with the fluidic element being disposed upstream of a passage of air for combustion that is supplied to each burner, and means for sucking out or blowing out air into a control air passage of the fluidic element being provided, the distribution of a flow rate of the air flowing into the burners is controlled by changing a flow direction of the air for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Seiji Yoshida, Yoji Kurosawa, Takeshi Yamamoto, Kazuo Shimodaira
  • Patent number: 8944809
    Abstract: A tubular combustion chamber including a tubular combustion chamber whose front-end is open; and, fuel-gas spraying nozzles and oxygen-containing-gas spraying nozzles, for spraying a fuel and an oxygen-containing-gas separately and individually, or for spraying a premixed gas; wherein respective orifices of the respective nozzles face toward an inner surface of the combustion chamber, so as to spray the fuel-gas and the oxygen-containing-gas in a neighborhood of a tangential direction of an inner circumferential wall of the combustion chamber; wherein the tubular flame burner is a multi-stage tubular burner that is unified in a body, by using a plurality of the tubular flame burners, and by connecting the front-end of the tubular flame burner with a smaller inner diameter of the combustion chamber into the rear-end of the tubular flame burner with a greater inner diameter of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Okada, Munehiro Ishioka, Hitoshi Oishi, Tatsuya Shimada, Koichi Takashi, Yutaka Suzukawa, Yoshiki Fujii, Takamitsu Kusada
  • Patent number: 8919131
    Abstract: A combustion dynamics control system for an aviation based or land based gas turbine engine employs an acoustic driver that is configured to drive pressure perturbations across a premixed fuel injection orifice to substantially zero in response to a control signal such that fuel flow perturbations across the fuel injection orifice are substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kapil Kumar Singh, Fei Han, Shiva Srinivasan, Kwanwoo Kim, Preetham Balasubramanyam, Qingguo Zhang
  • Patent number: 8899010
    Abstract: A pulse detonation combustor including a plurality of nozzles engaged with one another via mating surfaces to support a gas discharge annulus in a circumferential direction. The pulse detonation combustor also including multiple pulse detonation tubes extending for the nozzles and a plurality of thermal expansion control joints coupled to the plurality of pulse detonation tubes. Each of the plurality of thermal expansion control joints is configured to facilitate independent thermal growth of each of the plurality of pulse detonation tubes. The thermal expansion control joints may be configured as a bellows expansion joint or a sliding expansion joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ross Hartley Kenyon, Adam Rasheed, Paul Whitson Dom, Jr., Mark Joseph Pombles
  • Patent number: 8887482
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies described herein provide for the creation of a high speed actuating fluid flow utilizing one or more pulse detonation actuators. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, an actuating flow trigger is detected with respect to a high speed airflow over an aerodynamic surface. In response, a pulse detonation actuator is activated and a resulting high speed actuating flow is directed into the high speed airflow to alter at least one attribute of the high speed airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert T. Ruggeri, Ephraim Gutmark
  • Patent number: 8858222
    Abstract: A new approach for igniting an air-fuel mixture in a turbine or other engine is disclosed. Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) is used to generate volume ionization within an air-fuel flow and induce an ignition arc. The output of a relatively low energy single pulsed ultraviolet laser is aimed across an electric field inside a volume of air to create a pre-ionized channel so that a smaller voltage electric field is sufficient to create an electrical arc that follows the pre-ionized channel and will ignite an air-fuel mixture. Because the arc follows the pre-ionized channel, it can be directed to an optimal location inside an ignition volume for igniting the air-fuel mixture. A specific example embodiment is described using a 287.5 nm wavelength pulsed ultraviolet laser to excite ground state oxygen molecules to a specific excited state having a coincident term energy with a specific nitrogen molecule excited state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Steven F. Adams
  • Patent number: 8851883
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combustion method which is performed in a furnace that is equipped with energy recovery means and burners, whereby the heat from the combustion fumes is recovered by energy recovery means and said recovered heat is used in order to heat the air. According to the invention, at least part of the burners performs the combustion of an oxygen-rich comburent and a fuel and at least part of the air heated by the energy recovery means is used to heat the oxygen-rich comburent and/or fuel for the burners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Luc Jarry, Bertrand Leroux
  • Patent number: 8813474
    Abstract: An engine including a means for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber of the fire tube, that includes a variable-volume transfer chamber for receiving fuel, a fuel transfer means from the tank of the engine towards the transfer chamber, and injection means for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber from the transfer chamber. The engine further includes an elastic return at least partially defined by the fuel contained in the transfer chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: MBDA France
    Inventors: Emeric Daniau, François Falempin, Etienne Bobo, Jean-Pierre Minard
  • Publication number: 20140234789
    Abstract: An oscillating combustor may support a time-sequenced combustion reaction having rich and lean phases. The rich and lean phases may be determined according to a flame position relative to a diverging fuel jet. The flame location may be modulated responsive to an interaction between applying a constant voltage or charge rate to a fuel stream or flame, and modulating continuity between a conductive or semiconductive flame holder and an activation voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: ClearSign Combustion Corporation
    Inventors: ROBERTO RUIZ, JOSEPH COLANNINO, IGOR A. KRICHTAFOVITCH, CHRISTOPHER A. WIKLOF
  • Publication number: 20140113237
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dental furnace comprising a firing hood equipped with a heating device that is movably supported for the opening and closing of the dental furnace relative to a base intended for receiving a dental restoration part, and further comprising a heat detection device that is directed towards an area above the base, in particular towards one or more dental restoration parts, and further comprising a control or regulating device for the dental furnace that is coupled to the heat detection device, wherein the heat detection device is configured as a thermal imaging camera (30) which is directed towards the area above the base while the firing hood (12) is partially or completely opened, and which feeds an at least two-dimensional image in the form of a matrix of the one or more inserted dental restoration parts (60) to the control or regulating device and/or to a muffle (26) that is intended for the generation of the dental restoration parts (60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Gottfried ROHNER, Rudolf JUSSEL
  • Patent number: 8683780
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique pulse detonation combustion system. Another embodiment is a unique gas turbine engine including a unique pulse detonation combustion system. In some embodiments, the pulse detonation combustion system includes an inlet section, a vortex generator and at least one flame accelerator. The inlet section, vortex generator and the at least one flame accelerator may be operative to initiate a deflagration to detonation transition. In some embodiments, the pulse detonation combustion system may include a flame accelerator configured with a directionally-dependent drag coefficient. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for pulse detonation combustion systems, gas turbine engines, and other machines and engines. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Inventors: Masayoshi Shimo, Philip H. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8650856
    Abstract: A detonation chamber and a pulse detonation combustor including a detonation chamber, wherein the detonation chamber includes a plurality of aerodynamic jets disposed adjacent an exterior of a sidewall of the detonation chamber. The detonation chamber further includes a plurality of openings formed in the sidewall of the detonation chamber, wherein each of the plurality of openings is in fluidic communication with one of the plurality of aerodynamic jets. The plurality of aerodynamic jets are adapted to create a plurality of jet flows of a fluid within the detonation chamber during a combustion cycle defining a plurality of initiation obstacles within the detonation chamber to enhance a turbulence of a fluid flow and flame acceleration through the detonation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin Thomas Brumberg, Adam Rasheed
  • Patent number: 8607543
    Abstract: A millimeter-scale pulse jet engine comprises an engine body that defines a combustion chamber, a fuel, an air intake, and an exhaust. The fuel inlet is arranged to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber. The air intake and the exhaust are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and the combustion chamber is configured such that air from the air intake and fuel from the fuel inlet cyclically combust in the combustion chamber to produce exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Bae Systems PLC
    Inventors: Martyn John Hucker, Clyde Warsop, Harriet Ann Holden
  • Patent number: 8544280
    Abstract: A continuous detonation wave engine (CDWE) is disclosed. An example embodiment includes a generally annular combustion chamber dimensioned to allow a fuel mixture to detonate, a mixing chamber, and a fuel mixture channel that provides for fluid communication between the mixing chamber and the combustion chamber. At least part of the fuel mixture channel features a quenching structure dimensioned to substantially prevent detonation from spreading from the combustion chamber via the fuel mixture channel to the mixing chamber. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Frank K. Lu, Nathan L. Dunn
  • Patent number: 8539752
    Abstract: A detonation chamber and a pulse detonation combustor including a detonation chamber, wherein the detonation chamber includes a plurality of initiation obstacles and at least one injector in fluid flow communication with each of the plurality of initiation obstacles. The plurality of initiation obstacles are disposed on at least a portion of an inner surface of the detonation chamber with each of the plurality of initiation obstacles defining a low pressure region at a trailing edge. The plurality of initiation obstacles are configured to enhance a turbulence of a fluid flow and flame acceleration through the detonation chamber. The at least one injector in provides a cooling fluid flow to each of the plurality of initiation obstacles, wherein the cooling fluid flow is one of a fuel, a combination of fuels, air, or a fuel/air mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin Thomas Brumberg, Adam Rasheed, Dustin Wayne Davis
  • Patent number: 8529246
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device and a method for maintaining and operating a flame. The device has a burner, a burner attachment having an outlet geometry, wherein on a side of the burner attachment facing away from the burner, an anode is provided on one side of the outlet geometry of the burner attachment. A dielectric is provided on the other side of the outlet geometry, wherein a cathode is located in the dielectric. The device and method: do not require continuous flame monitoring; positively influence the deposition behavior of layer-forming components of the fuel gas flame; and reduce the thermal impact of the burner and the operating costs thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Innovent E.V. Technologieentwicklung
    Inventors: Bernd Gruenler, Jens Ploetner, Hans-Juergen Tiller, Christian Tiller
  • Patent number: 8438833
    Abstract: An engine contains at least one pulse detonation combustor having a combustion chamber and an exit nozzle coupled to and downstream of the combustion chamber. During operation of the at least one pulse detonation combustor a detonation occurs within the combustion chamber and at least one of a fuel fill fraction and purge fraction of the at least one pulse detonation combustor are utilized to offset a temperature peak of said detonation from a pressure peak of said detonation. The fuel fill fraction is defined as 1?purge fraction, and the purge fraction is the ratio of the purge time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor to a sum of the purge time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor and a fuel fill time of the at least one pulse detonation combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Narendra Digamber Joshi
  • Patent number: 8377151
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method for production of a renewable, combustible liquid fuel that may be used; in internal combustion engines, as a fuel source for electricity generation including turbines and fuel cells, or as a burnable heat source. This fuel is derived from set of biomolecules that are produced under nutrient limitation conditions as those found at a waste water treatment plant. More specifically this invention envisions the use of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA), especially those with monomeric residues ranging in size from C4 to C10, as a feed stream for production of a biofuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventors: Zackery Allen McMurry, James Casey Smoot
  • Publication number: 20120328994
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method for burning a burner which has NOx reduction effects and has practical value, and a device therefore; the present invention provide A method for burning a burner in a heating furnace including a step of: periodically changing at least one of a flow rate of a fuel fluid and a flow rate of an oxidizing agent fluid which are supplied to the burner while periodically changing an oxygen concentration in the oxidizing agent fluid, thereby an oxygen ratio which is calculated by dividing an amount of oxygen supplied by a theoretical necessary amount of oxygen is periodically changed, and the periodical change of the oxygen ratio is made different from the periodical change of the oxygen concentration to cause combustion in periodically vibrational conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Haneji, Kimio Iino, Yasuyuki Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki Hagihara
  • Patent number: 8302377
    Abstract: An engine contains a compressor stage, a compressor plenum, an inlet valving stage, a PDC stage, a PDC exit nozzle stage, a transition stage, a high pressure turbine stage, a turbine plenum, and a low pressure turbine stage. The PDC stage contains at least one pulse detonation combustor and each of the compressor plenum, PDC exit nozzle stage and turbine plenum contain a volume used to reduce and/or widen pressure peaks generated by the operation of the PDC stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adam Rasheed, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala
  • Publication number: 20120264070
    Abstract: The present invention is a burner system that allows ‘quasi continuous burning’ of fluids at very high temperatures by using controlled continuous pulsing explosions or detonations instead of continuous flow and thus creating pulsing pressure waves that can be easily utilised for increasing heat exchanger efficiency. After initiation the explosions or detonations are maintained by use of infrared radiation. The pulsed explosions or detonations send their shock waves directly onto the heat exchanger walls thus introducing a bigger part of energy into the heat exchanger wall then would be possible with any other method of heat exchange. In addition the kinetic energy of the negative acceleration of the mass in the explosion or detonation wave is added as additional heat introduced into the heat exchanger walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Zettner
  • Patent number: 8246751
    Abstract: The present application provides a pulsed detonation cleaning system for cleaning an enclosed structure. The pulsed detonation cleaning system may include a pulsed detonation combustor cleaner and an external fuel-air flow. The pulsed detonation combustor cleaner delivers the external fuel-air flow into the enclosed structure and ignites the external fuel-air flow to clean the enclosed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin