General Electric Company

Mark Stewart Schroder

Gregory Scot Corman

Christopher Grace

Donald E Woodmansee

Kevin Leon Bruce

Toby George Darkins, Jr

Douglas Frank Beadie

John Joseph Lipinski

Randall Richard Good

David Leach

David Edward Bulman

David Joseph Mitchell

Thomas Edward Wickert

Thomas Edward Johnson

Anthony John Dean

Paul Stephen DiMascio

Ronald Ralph Cairo

Todd Garrett Wetzel

Daniel Gene Dunn

Larry W Plemmons

Iain Robertson Kellock

Mark Allan Hadley

Edward Lee McGrath

Thomas Raymond Farrell

Brendan F Sexton

Jeffrey John Butkiewicz

Scott Francis Johnson

Robert Paul Ziegler

Kenneth Lorenzo Parks

Cedric Chow

Chris Basil Jiomacas

Mark Joseph Steffen

Michael James O'Connor

Andrew William Miller

James Anthony Stumpf

Ronald Phillip Nimmer

Jeffrey Richard Lucas

Sergey Anatolyevich Tikhonovsky

A method relating to pricing under a contractual service agreement between a customer and a service provider, where the service provider provides maintenance services on a generating unit for a fee. An output of the generating unit is produced by a generator to which the generating unit is operably connected. The method comprising: determining a usage period for the generating unit; monitoring the output of the generating unit during the usage period and, therefrom, designating an output level for the generating unit for the usage period; calculating the fee for the usage period pursuant to a variable pricing plan, the variable pricing plan comprising a price for calculating the fee that varies depending on the designated output level of generating unit for the usage period; and billing the calculated fee to the customer.

Methods and systems related to calculating equpment consumption rates for power plant maintenance and service

A power plant control system determines an augmented operating parameter set point responsive to a life cycle cost (LCC) objective function responsive to a LCC model. The augmented operating parameter value may be responsive to an initial set point determined by a controls model and a performance indicator determined by a performance model. The power plant may include a thermal generator, such as a gas turbine or other fuel-burning generator, and the operating parameter may include firing temperature, fuel flow rate, steam pressure/temperature/flow rate, and/or another suitable operating parameter. An offer curve is generated responsive to the augmented operating parameter.

Power plant operation enhancement

A system for augmenting gas turbine power output includes a compressed air supply, and a compressed air storage plenum in fluid communication with the compressed air supply. The compressed air storage plenum is configured to store a compressed air from the compressed air supply for later use. The system further includes an inlet plenum sealingly coupled to an inlet of the gas turbine. The inlet plenum is in fluid communication with the compressed air storage plenum so as to route the compressed air from the compressed air storage plenum into the inlet of the compressor during augmented operation of the gas turbine.

System and method for augmenting gas turbine power output

In one embodiment, a component for a power generation system includes an interior volume for containing steam condensate or gas turbine exhaust gas. A phase change material is disposed around an external surface of the combined cycle power generation system component.

Combined cycle system employing phase change material

Methods and apparatus for a mounting assembly for a liner of a gas turbine engine combustor are provided. The combustor includes a combustor liner and a radially outer annular flow sleeve. The mounting assembly includes an inner ring surrounding a radially outer surface of the liner and including a plurality of axially extending fingers. The mounting assembly also includes a radially outer ring coupled to the inner ring through a plurality of spacers that extend radially from a radially outer surface of the inner ring to the outer ring.

Methods and apparatus for radially compliant component mounting

A method of assembling a fluid compression system includes coupling at least one first compression apparatus to a first platform. The method also includes coupling at least one drive apparatus to one of the first platform and a second platform. The method further includes coupling the first platform to the second platform. The at least one second compression apparatus is coupled in series flow communication with the at least one first compression apparatus.

Modular air compression apparatus with separate platform arrangement

A combustor has a flow sleeve and a flow liner defining a generally axial flow direction of compressor discharge air toward combustor burners. A casing is secured to the forward end of the flow sleeve defining an annular plenum along the interior of the flow sleeve. Openings through the flow sleeve supply compressor discharge air into the plenum where the air changes direction for flow through apertures into and generally coaxially with the free air stream. The axial injection minimizes or eliminates energy losses due to cross flow injection within the axial air stream while continuing to cool the liner.

Axial flow sleeve for a turbine combustor and methods of introducing flow sleeve air

A gas turbine combustor includes a substantially cylindrical combustor liner located substantially concentrically within a flow sleeve, the combustor liner composed through a ceramic matrix composite material, a forward end of the combustor liner provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged bolt holes. An inner metal ring is located about an outside surface of the forward end of the combustor liner, the inner metal ring provided with a second plurality of circumferentially spaced bolt holes, with a plurality of bolts extending through the first and second pluralities of bolt holes and secured by self-locking nuts. An outer metal ring is spaced radially outwardly of the inner metal ring, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced struts extending between the inner and outer rings.

Bolting configuration for joining ceramic combustor liner to metal mounting attachments

A shroud support method and apparatus for a ceramic component of a gas turbine having: an outer shroud block having a coupling to a casing of the gas turbine; a spring mass damper attached to the outer shroud block and including a spring biased piston extending through said outer shroud block, wherein the spring mass damper applies a load to the ceramic component; and the ceramic component has a forward flange and an aft flange each attachable to the outer shroud block.

Support apparatus and method for ceramic matrix composite turbine bucket shroud

A shroud support apparatus for a ceramic component of a gas turbine having: an outer shroud block having a coupling to a casing of the gas turbine; a spring mass damper attached to the outer shroud block and including a spring biased piston extending through said outer shroud block, wherein the spring mass damper applies a load to the ceramic component; and the ceramic component has a forward flange and an aft flange each attachable to the outer shroud block.

The damper system includes a ceramic composite shroud in part defining the hot gas path of a turbine and a spring-biased piston and damper block which bears against the backside surface of the shroud to tune the vibratory response of the shroud relative to pressure pulses of the hot gas path in a manner to avoid near or resonant frequency response. The damper block has projections specifically located to bear against the shroud to dampen the frequency response of the shroud and provide a thermal insulating layer between the shroud and the damper block.

Spring mass damper system for turbine shrouds

A method for securing a nozzle for a turbine is provided. The nozzle includes an airfoil having a suction side and a pressure side connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge such that a cooling cavity is defined within the airfoil, the airfoil extending between an inner band and an outer band. The method includes extending at least one member through the airfoil, and at least one of the inner band and the outer band. The method further includes securing the nozzle assembly in position with at least one fastener such that the at least one member is coupled adjacent to at least one of the inner band and the outer band.

Methods and apparatus for securing multi-piece nozzle assemblies

A gas turbine having a metallic outer shroud and a ceramic inner shroud. The ceramic inner shroud being secured to the outer shroud by hooks carried on the outer shroud. The hooks on the outer shroud being coated with TBC. A pin and spring system being provided to hold the ceramic inner shroud against the forward hook of the outer shroud. An anti-rotation pin being provided to trap the aft bend of the ceramic inner shroud against the aft hook of the outer shroud. The gas turbine further including a damping spring and pin system, disposed between a heat shield, within the outer shroud, and the ceramic inner shroud, to provide damping of the inner shroud.

Ceramic turbine shroud

A high temperature gas turbine component includes an inner core made of a monolithic ceramic material embedded within an outer CMC shell. The inner core may be formed with a through hole, blind hole, wear pads and the like. A method of making the bushing includes the steps of a) forming an inner core of silicon nitride or silicon carbide; and b) applying a ceramic matrix composite material over substantially all of the inner core.

Monolithic ceramic attachment bushing incorporated into a ceramic matrix composite component and related method

A bucket tip clearance control system forms part of a turbomachinery apparatus including a casing, an outer shroud coupled with the casing, and an inner shroud coupled with the outer shroud. The tip clearance control system includes a flow circuit for a thermal medium defining a flow path within the outer shroud. A thermal medium source delivers the thermal medium to the flow circuit in a predefined condition according to operating parameters of the turbomachinery apparatus. The temperature of the outer shroud is controlled according to the predefined condition of the thermal medium. By accurately controlling the temperature of the outer shroud, bucket tip clearance can be controlled and optimized during all of the various operation stages of turbomachinery.

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Greenville, SC, United States of America

Mark Stewart Schroder