Steam Powered Patents (Class 73/112.02)
  • Patent number: 11886157
    Abstract: Operational optimization of an industrial plant that implements steam and power systems and that includes multiple equipment including a cogeneration system and a steam turbine includes, for each equipment, a computer system receives, during operation of each equipment, measured operational physical parameter values output by the equipment during operation. The computer system determines mass balance and energy balance parameters associated with the equipment using the received operational physical parameter values. The computer system validates an operation of the equipment using the determined mass balance and energy balance parameters. After validating mass balance and energy balance parameters for all the equipment, the computer system determines mass balance and energy balance parameters associated with the industrial plant using the parameters for each equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mana Mohammed Al-Owaidh, Abdulrahman M. Hazazi, Solomon C. Oji
  • Patent number: 9016114
    Abstract: A method of measuring a steam turbine according to an embodiment has: installing a measuring device into the inside of the steam turbine through an inspection hole or a manhole of the steam turbine or an inspection hole or a manhole of a condenser connected to the steam turbine, when the steam turbine is halted; and measuring a position and a dimension of an axial key or a center key of the steam turbine by using the measuring device, without opening a turbine casing of the steam turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasunori Ono, Tetsuya Yamanaka, Kentaro Takagi
  • Publication number: 20140373610
    Abstract: Inspection systems for a gas turbine engine (20) are provided. The inspection systems may comprise an inspection port (106), a bore-scope plug (100), a seal seat (108) and a seal (110A/110B). The bore-scope plug (100) may comprise a shaft (102A/102B) having a uniform or stepped profile. The seal (110A/110B) may be a multi-part seal (110A) or a piston seal (110B). Moreover, the bore-scope plug (100) may be configured to support, carry, and/or stabilize one or more internal structures such as, for example, a mid-turbine frame vane 82. In various embodiments, the inspection systems described herein may provide for increased inspection efficiency during development, qualification, maintenance, and event inspections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: David T. Feindel, Steven D. Porter
  • Patent number: 8756939
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention have the technical effect of automatically testing an overspeed protection system of a powerplant machine comprising at least one shaft. An embodiment of the present invention may automatically test the overspeed protection system while the powerplant machine is decelerating from full-speed-no-load (FSNL). Another embodiment of the present invention may automatically test the overspeed protection system of the powerplant machine while the powerplant machine is accelerating to FSNL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frederick William Block, Richard Lee Nichols, Joseph Robert Law, Bret Stephen Dalton, George Allen Ellis
  • Publication number: 20140095111
    Abstract: A bypass arrangement superheats wet exhaust steam in a steam turbine power plant using inlet or supply steam. Measurements of the bypassed steam, turbine inlet, and turbine exhaust conditions are then used to determine exhaust enthalpy of the turbine, which may then be used to determine a performance characteristic of the steam turbine, such as efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Christopher Michael Tomaso
  • Publication number: 20140026650
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting rubbing and/or contact points on machines with rotating parts. The rotating parts form an electrical coaxial system with respect to the stationary parts of such a machine, in which system electrical voltage pulses are propagated at a characteristic speed because of the small distance between the rotating and the stationary part. Short electrical voltage pulses and/or continuous alternating voltage signals are applied between the rotating part and the stationary part, an electrical connection occurring between the rotating and the stationary part at a rubbing and/or contact point. In order to locate this rubbing and/or contact point as a point of electrical discontinuity, the period of time until the reflected pulses arrive is measured along the path of propagation of the electrical voltage pulses and/or of the continuous alternating voltage signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Maximilian HOBELSBERGER, Ken Yves Haffner, Etienne Louis Laprais, Peter Broch
  • Publication number: 20130233064
    Abstract: A method of measuring a steam turbine according to an embodiment has: installing a measuring device into the inside of the steam turbine through an inspection hole or a manhole of the steam turbine or an inspection hole or a manhole of a condenser connected to the steam turbine, when the steam turbine is halted; and measuring a position and a dimension of an axial key or a center key of the steam turbine by using the measuring device, without opening a turbine casing of the steam turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yasunori ONO, Tetsuya YAMANAKA, Kentaro TAKAGI
  • Patent number: 8401760
    Abstract: A system and method of monitoring oil consumption in a gas turbine engine system are provided. When the gas turbine engine is not running the reservoir oil level, reservoir oil temperature, and reservoir attitude are sensed. The current gas turbine engine system oil quantity is determined based on at least the sensed reservoir oil level, the sensed reservoir oil temperature, and the sensed reservoir attitude. When a predetermined event has occurred, an average gas turbine engine system oil quantity is automatically calculated. The gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate is determined from a plurality of the average oil quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Payne, Harold Riley
  • Patent number: 8387444
    Abstract: An improved method of inspecting the tubes of a steam generator of a nuclear reactor involves modeling the steam generator and comparing signals of a tube from an eddy current sensor with aspects of the model to determine whether further analysis is required. The model can advantageously include exception data with regard to particular regions of interest (ROIs) of particular tubes that is based upon historic data collected from the steam generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventor: Qui V. Le
  • Patent number: 8342009
    Abstract: A method of more accurately measuring steam turbine efficiency is disclosed in which the sealing steam in the steam turbine is re-routed so that a more accurate measure of steam turbine efficiency can be made. Some of the steam entering a turbine goes into the turbine's end pack and then mixes with the steam that goes through the turbine. Piping is added from one of the end pack line's to the condenser. This added line has a valve, pressure, temperature and flow measuring devices. As the valve is opened, the amount of flow going to the end pack line allowing the end pack steam mix with the steam that goes through the turbine is reduced. As the flow in this line is reduced the measured temperature at the turbine exhaust will also decrease. The amount that the valve is opened is increased until either the exhaust temperature has reached a minimum, or the enthalpy in the pipe changes from the initial enthalpy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Peter John Murphy
  • Publication number: 20120285227
    Abstract: A method of more accurately measuring steam turbine efficiency is disclosed in which the sealing steam in the steam turbine is re-routed so that a more accurate measure of steam turbine efficiency can be made. Some of the steam entering a turbine goes into the turbine's end pack and then mixes with the steam that goes through the turbine. Piping is added from one of the end pack line's to the condenser. This added line has a valve, pressure, temperature and flow measuring devices. As the valve is opened, the amount of flow going to the end pack line allowing the end pack steam mix with the steam that goes through the turbine is reduced. As the flow in this line is reduced the measured temperature at the turbine exhaust will also decrease. The amount that the valve is opened is increased until either the exhaust temperature has reached a minimum, or the enthalpy in the pipe changes from the initial enthalpy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Peter John Murphy
  • Patent number: 8240913
    Abstract: A device includes a stationary, rotary component, and a fiber optic sensing system. The fiber optic sensing system includes a cable having one or more fiber optic sensors disposed on the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof. The fiber optic sensing system is configured to detect one or more first parameters including temperature, strain, pressure, vibration, torque; or combinations thereof related to the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof. The one or more first parameters is used to determine one or more second parameters including thermal expansion, clearance, fluid flow rate variation, condensation, fluid leakage, thermal loss, life, thermal stress, or combinations thereof related to the stationary component, the rotary component, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Danian Zheng, Norman Arnold Turnquist, Peter John Eisenzopf, Kevin Thomas McCarthy, Hua Xia, Roy Paul Swintek
  • Publication number: 20120198811
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a power generation system that includes a steam turbine that is coupled to a gas turbine engine. The method includes calculating, by a control system, a gas turbine engine power output that is based at least in part on a predefined power generation system power output and a predefined steam turbine power output. The power generation system is operated to generate a power output that is approximately equal to the predefined power generation system power output. A signal indicative of a sensed operating power output of the gas turbine engine is transmitted from a sensor to the control system. A condition of the steam turbine is determined based at least in part on the sensed operating gas turbine engine power output and the calculated gas turbine engine power output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Jay Lynn Johnson, Edward Arthur Dewhurst, Charles Scott Sealing, Justin Aden Spade
  • Patent number: 8132448
    Abstract: A steam turbine test facility 1 includes a test steam turbine 2 which simulates the behavior of a real steam turbines 11 included in the steam turbine plant 10, and a motor-generator 4 connected to the test steam turbine 2. A control unit 5 included in the motor-generator 4 controls the motor-generator 4 to change the rotational speed of the test steam turbine 2 based on an arbitrarily set speed change pattern. The speed change pattern is set such that the test steam turbine 2 in the load disconnection state simulates a time-profile of the rotational speed of the steam turbines 11 with the load disconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tateki Nakamura, Takeshi Kudo, Naoaki Shibashita
  • Publication number: 20110311352
    Abstract: The disclosure refers to a method and apparatus for checking the bearing alignment of a rotor of a gas turbine or steam turbine having a rotor with a radial offset and a radial offset surface and in a bearing shell, which supports the rotor, with a radial, at least in sections, end surface, wherein the radial offset surface and the radial end surface face the free end of the rotor. The radial offset is arranged in the bearing shell and offset towards the free end of the rotor. The degree of offset in the axial direction with regard to the rotor is measured at least two different circumferential positions around the rotor periphery in order to determine the alignment of the rotor. Differences in the degree of offset at different circumferential positions are used as measurement for the bearing alignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Eduard BRÜHWILER, Marc RAUCH
  • Patent number: 8074500
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for calculating carbon dioxide emission of a steam turbine CHP plant, and according to the method of calculating carbon dioxide emission of the present invention, the total fuel emission of a plant is calculated. The total greenhouse gas emission is calculated from the total fuel consumption. System thermal efficiency is calculated from the total fuel consumption. Fuel consumption for thermal generation is calculated from the system thermal efficiency. Fuel consumption for power generation is calculated from the system thermal efficiency. Power generation efficiency is calculated from the fuel consumption for power generation. The total carbon dioxide emission in thermal generation is calculated from the fuel consumption for thermal generation. The total carbon dioxide emission in power generation is calculated from the fuel consumption for power generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
    Inventors: Seok Hun Kang, Dae Hun Chung
  • Patent number: 8069708
    Abstract: A method for determining the life cycle of a power station component is provided. The method includes the following steps: definition of a first characteristic for the life cycle of a power station component at a constant output, definition of a second characteristic for the life cycle of the power station component at a variable output, definition of a first equivalence rule as a function from an actual time parameter, definition of a second equivalence rule wherein the pre-defined operation of the power station component at the variable output in accordance with a plurality of second characteristics is depicted, determination of the numbers of first and second characteristics that are generated during the actual operation of the power station, determination of the sum of the numbers of first and second characteristics, and assessment of the life cycle of the power station component using the determined sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ulrich Kunze, Arno Römpke
  • Publication number: 20110232258
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention have the technical effect of automatically testing an overspeed protection system associated with multiple powerplant machines of a powerplant. An embodiment of the present invention may automatically test the overspeed protection system while at least one of the powerplant machines is in the process of shutting down. Another embodiment of the present invention may automatically test the overspeed protection system by adjusting the speed of a shaft while at least one of the powerplant machines operates at full-speed-no-load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Frederick William Block, Richard Lee Nichols, George Allen Ellis, Steven Michael Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20110072821
    Abstract: A control device for a quick-closing valve of a steam turbine including a relief valve for reducing a hydraulic pressure opening the quick-closing valve, and a relief valve control valve arrangement having at least three valves which are hydraulically interconnected with the relief valve in such a way that the relief valve does not close the quick-closing valve unless at least two valves of the relief valve control valve arrangement are switched to a quick-closing position. The system includes a test control valve arrangement for selectively reducing and increasing the hydraulic pressure opening the quick-closing valve when the relief valve is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: MAN Diesel & Turbo SE
    Inventors: Christian Potten, Holger Hennecke
  • Publication number: 20100206058
    Abstract: A method for determining the life cycle of a power station component is provided. The method includes the following steps: definition of a first characteristic for the life cycle of a power station component at a constant output, definition of a second characteristic for the life cycle of the power station component at a variable output, definition of a first equivalence rule as a function from an actual time parameter, definition of a second equivalence rule wherein the pre-defined operation of the power station component at the variable output in accordance with a plurality of second characteristics is depicted, determination of the numbers of first and second characteristics that are generated during the actual operation of the power station, determination of the sum of the numbers of first and second characteristics, and assessment of the life cycle of the power station component using the determined sum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Ulrich Kunze, Arno Römpke
  • Publication number: 20100162802
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a steam turbine test facility including a test steam turbine, in which the behavior of an actual steam turbine can be precisely simulated and the efficiency of performance test can be improved. A steam turbine test facility 1 includes a test steam turbine 2 which simulates the behavior of a real steam turbines 11 included in the steam turbine plant 10, and a motor-generator 4 connected to the test steam turbine 2. A control unit 5 included in the motor-generator 4 controls the motor-generator 4 to change the rotational speed of the test steam turbine 2 based on an arbitrarily set speed change pattern. The speed change pattern is set such that the test steam turbine 2 in the load disconnection state simulates a time-profile of the rotational speed of the steam turbines 11 with the load disconnected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tateki NAKAMURA, Takeshi KUDO, Naoaki SHIBASHITA
  • Publication number: 20090293596
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for inspecting especially a gas turbine installation or steam turbine installation. According to said method, an actual condition of a component of the turbine installation is determined using a suitable system, the determined actual condition is compared with a predetermined desired condition of the component, and the result of comparison between the actual condition and the desired condition is used to determine whether an overall inspection of the turbine installation is required. The component is a guide vane whose angular position in relation to the direction of influx is the actual condition to be determined. The actual condition is determined by means of an imaging device. The invention also relates to a turbine inspection system for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Ulrich Ehehalt, Scarlett Fajardo-Reina, Daniel Grundei, Harald Harders, Stefan Krause, Martin Krompietz, Andreas Lüttenberg, Christoph Pels Leusden, Wilhelm Scheitdtmann, Eckart Schumann, Thomas-Dieter Tenrahm, Dirk Trenaman
  • Patent number: 7461544
    Abstract: A method of detecting water induction in a steam turbine that may include the steps of: measuring the temperature of one of the steam lines of the steam turbine at regular intervals; recording the temperature measurements; and determining, from the recorded temperature measurements, whether there has been a sharp decrease followed by a gradual rise in the temperature of the steam line. The method further may include the steps of calculating the rate of change of the decrease in temperature of the steam line and the rate of change of the increase in temperature of the steam line. The sharp decrease followed by a gradual rise in the temperature of the steam line may include a decrease in temperature followed by an increase in temperature wherein the rate of change of the decrease in temperature exceeds the rate of change of the rise in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jitendra Kumar, Abhay S. Kant, Vivek V. Badami, Peter J Elsenzopf, Nicholas Giannakopoulos
  • Patent number: 7448259
    Abstract: An indicator device is for sensing a valve of a fluid machine including a casing having an interior chamber, a valve controlling flow into the interior chamber, and a rotatable shaft configured to displace the valve between open and closed positions when the shaft moves between first and second angular positions. A first indicator member, preferably a pinion gear, is coupled with the shaft such that angular movement of the shaft angularly displaces the first member. A second indicator member, preferably a rack gear, is coupled with the first member such that the angular displacement of the first member linearly displaces the second member. The second member linear displacement is generally proportional to angular displacement of the first member. Further, a sensor is configured to sense at least one of linear displacement and linear position of the second indicator member so as to sense the position of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventor: Alan B. Cole