Kenneth W Beebe

US Patent:

6339925, Jan 22, 2002

Filed:

Nov 2, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/184684

Inventors:

Stephen Lan-Sun Hung - Waterford NY
Jeffery Alan Lovett - Jupiter FL
Kenneth Winston Beebe - Galway NY
Martin Bernard Cutrone - Cape Coral FL
Sanjay Marc Correa - Niskayuna NY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 7228

US Classification:

60 3906, 60723, 60737, 431 7

Abstract:

A hybrid combustor, for providing stable high and low levels of operation while minimizing emissions of NOx, CO, and UHCs, includes a casing having a chamber, a catalytic combustor disposed in the chamber, and a non-premixed combustor disposed in the chamber. The hybrid combustor may comprise a fuel nozzle comprising a casing having a chamber, and a body supportable in the chamber to define a passageway between the body and the casing. The passageway has an inlet for receiving a stream of air and an outlet for discharging a stream of fuel and air, and the body includes a tapering downstream portion. Desirably, flow separation of the fuel and air mixture from the body (i. e. , recirculation of the fuel and air mixture in the passageway and/or chamber) is inhibited whereby a generally uniform fuel and air mixture is provided.

US Patent:

6460345, Oct 8, 2002

Filed:

Nov 14, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/712318

Inventors:

Kenneth Winston Beebe - Galway NY
Leslie Boyd Keeling - Niskayuna NY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 726

US Classification:

60777, 60723, 60751

Abstract:

A device for conditioning the flow of hot gas in a catalytic combustor in preparation for entry into a catalytic reactor. The device is composed of at least one and most preferably two or more disks that are secured to a shroud so as to be disposed in a plane generally perpendicular to the hot gas flow direction. Each disk is composed of a plurality of small cells oriented so that flow channels therethrough are axially disposed. The cells linearize the gas flow and exert drag on the gas flow therethrough. This generates a static pressure gradient in the flow fields upstream and downstream of the honeycomb disk, which in turn causes flow adjustments so as to produce a more uniform axial flow field. This results in a more uniform fuel/air concentration distribution and velocity distribution at the catalytic reactor inlet.

US Patent:

20010049932, Dec 13, 2001

Filed:

Apr 21, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/557178

Inventors:

Kenneth Beebe - Galway NY, US

International Classification:

F23R003/30

US Classification:

060/039060, 060/737000

Abstract:

Lean premixed combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel and air is combined with lean direct injection of hydrocarbon fuel and carrier fluid such as air or inert gas or a mixture of air and inert gas into a combustor downstream of the premixed reaction zone in order to achieve extremely low levels of emissions of oxides of nitrogen at the high combustor exit temperatures required by advanced heavy duty industrial gas turbines. One or more premixing fuel nozzles are used to supply a lean mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and air to the main or primary reaction zone of a gas turbine combustor. This lean fuel/air mixture has an adiabatic flame temperature below the temperature that would result in substantial thermal NOx formation. After this low temperature reaction has been completed. Additional fuel and carrier fluid are injected into the products of combustion downstream of the main reaction zone in order to raise the temperature of the mixture to the level required to operate an advanced, high efficiency, heavy duty industrial gas turbine at high load. Formation of nitrogen oxides in the region after this secondary fuel and carrier fluid injection is minimized by partial premixing of fuel and carrier fluid prior to ignition and by minimizing the residence time between the secondary fuel injection and the turbine first stage inlet.

US Patent:

58507310, Dec 22, 1998

Filed:

Jul 17, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/896232

Inventors:

Kenneth W. Beebe - Galway NY
Stephen L. Hung - Waterford NY
Martin B. Cutrone - Niskayuna NY

Assignee:

General Electric Co. - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 726

US Classification:

60 3906

Abstract:

A combustor for a gas turbine includes a diffusion flame combustion zone, a catalytic combustion zone and a post-catalytic combustion zone. At start-up or low-load levels, fuel and compressor discharge air are supplied to the diffusion flame combustion zone to provide combustion products for the turbine. At mid-range operating conditions, the products of combustion from the diffusion flame combustion zone are mixed with additional hydrocarbon fuel for combustion in the presence of a catalyst in the catalytic combustion zone. Because the fuel/air mixture in the catalytic reactor bed is lean, the combustion reaction temperature is too low to produce thermal NO. sub. x. Under high-load conditions, a lean direct injection of fuel/air is provided in a post-catalytic combustion zone where auto ignition occurs with the reactions going to completion in the transition between the combustor and turbine section. In the post-catalytic combustion zone, the combustion temperature is low and the residence time in the transition piece is short, hence minimizing thermal NO. sub. x.

US Patent:

50473816, Sep 10, 1991

Filed:

Nov 21, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/273537

Inventors:

Kenneth W. Beebe - Galway NY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

B01J 2104
B01J 2106
B01J 2312
B01J 2340

US Classification:

502304

Abstract:

A laminated oxidation resistant catalyst element includes a metal alloy substrate such as a steel foil coated with a noble metal such as platinum. A ceramic washcoat such as alumina is applied over the noble metal and a catalyst is applied with the washcoat or individually during a subsequent application step. The noble metal prevents oxygen from contacting the metal substrate thereby preventing its degradation by oxidation reactions. The catalyst element is particularly suited for use in a catalytic reactor bed of an industrial gas turbine.

US Patent:

61160148, Sep 12, 2000

Filed:

Jun 5, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/462639

Inventors:

Ralph A. Dalla Betta - Mountain View CA
James C. Schlatter - Palo Alto CA
Martin Bernard Cutrone - Niskayuna NY
Kenneth Winston Beebe - Galway NY

Assignee:

Catalytica, Inc. - Mountain View CA
Tanaka Kikinzoku K.K. - Tokyo
General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 300
F23R 340

US Classification:

60 3906

Abstract:

A support structure for securing a catalyst structure comprising a multiplicity of longitudinally disposed channels for passage of a flowing gas mixture within a reactor, said support structure being comprised of a monolithic open celled or honeycomb-like structure formed by thin strips or ribs of high temperature resistant metal or ceramic which abuts against one end of the catalyst structure, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the catalyst structure to essentially cover an end face (at either the inlet end or outlet end or both) of the catalyst structure with the support structure being secured on its periphery to the reactor wall. The strips or ribs making up the support structure are bonded together to form a unitary structure having cellular openings at least as large as the catalyst structure channel openings. The cellular openings in the support structure are also positioned to be in fluid communication with the channels of the catalyst structure thus affording essentially unaltered gas flow from the catalyst structure through the support structure.

US Patent:

58264299, Oct 27, 1998

Filed:

Dec 22, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/575809

Inventors:

Kenneth W. Beebe - Galway NY
Stephen L. Hung - Waterford NY
Martin B. Cutrone - Niskayuna NY

Assignee:

General Electric Co. - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 100
F02G 300

US Classification:

60723

Abstract:

A combustor for a gas turbine includes a diffusion flame combustion zone, a catalytic combustion zone and a post-catalytic combustion zone. At start-up or low-load levels, fuel and compressor discharge air are supplied to the diffusion flame combustion zone to provide combustion products for the turbine. At mid-range operating conditions, the products of combustion from the diffusion flame combustion zone are mixed with additional hydrocarbon fuel for combustion in the presence of a catalyst in the catalytic combustion zone. Because the fuel/air mixture in the catalytic reactor bed is lean, the combustion reaction temperature is too low to produce thermal NO. sub. x. Under high-load conditions, a lean direct injection of fuel/air is provided in a post-catalytic combustion zone where auto ignition occurs with the reactions going to completion in the transition between the combustor and turbine section. In the post-catalytic combustion zone, the combustion temperature is low and the residence time in the transition piece is short, hence minimizing thermal NO. sub. x.

US Patent:

49660012, Oct 30, 1990

Filed:

Dec 12, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/283103

Inventors:

Kenneth W. Beebe - Galway NY

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

F02C 322
F02C 722

US Classification:

60737

Abstract:

A fuel gas injector for a gas turbine engine employs a plurality of closely spaced parallel venturi tubes disposed in a pair of spaced-apart header plates. The venturi tubes are brazed to the header plates and the perimeters of the header plates are sealed to form a plenum into which pressurized gaseous fuel is supplied. Orifices lead from the plenum to throats of the venturi tubes thereby injecting the gaseous fuel at right angles into the high-velocity air stream existing at the the throats of the venturi tubes. High shear is imposed on the injected fuel for providing complete mixing with the air. The high air velocity in the throats of the venturi tubes avoids flashback and flameholding. The combined flow from the plurality of venturi tubes mixes downstream thereof to provide a uniform velocity and fuel-air mixture across the flow field. This flow field is suitable for use in a catalyst bed which may be disposed downstream of the venturi tubes.