DONALD F BEHRINGER
Engineering in South Ashburnham, MA

4025762, May 24, 1977

Nov 21, 1975

5/634138

Anthony J. Rossi - Fitchburg MA
Donald F. Behringer - Ashburnham MA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G05B 903

2351501

In a prime mover control system, control over the prime mover is dependent, in part, upon the validity of a reference signal to the control system. Circuitry is provided between a reference signal generator and the control system whereby under normal conditions the reference signal to the control system is the same as the output of the reference signal generator. However, if the reference signal generator output becomes invalid, then a stored reference signal may be substituted for the reference signal generator output by switching from a first signal channel to an alternate second signal channel, each channel selectably interconnecting the reference signal generator and the control system. The output of the second signal channel is periodically updated to follow, with a time lag, the reference signal generator output except when an invalid reference signal generator output is detected whereupon the update of the second signal channel is frozen at a last valid reference signal which is then input into the control system.

4217617, Aug 12, 1980

Sep 22, 1978

5/944761

Anthony J. Rossi - Fitchburg MA
Richard E. Lundberg - Ashby MA
Thomas A. Fancy - Westminster MA
Donald F. Behringer - Ashburnham MA
John B. Haven - Lunenburg MA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02H 706

361 51

The disclosure sets forth trip circuitry for a rotating shaft machine which includes redundant overspeed protection and means for testing the overspeed protection circuit while the machine remains in operation. Moreover, further protective circuitry is provided for detecting a failure in the speed sensing system. The overspeed protection and the speed sensing failure circuit are each connected to a relay system which may actuate a trip servo valve to a closed position.

4227072, Oct 7, 1980

Jul 26, 1978

5/928246

Thomas A. Fancy - Westminster MA
Donald F. Behringer - Ashburnham MA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G06M 312, G06M 314

235 92CA

In the field of closed loop control systems, a reference signal input is compared with a feedback signal to provide an error signal which then initiates corrective action until the feedback signal duplicates the reference signal. Hence, the reference signal may be appreciated as the set point at which the control system should operate. The disclosure relates to a manual input reference signal circuit which may be used to input a desired reference speed signal into a control system circuit for a prime mover. Provision is made for both local and remote manual signal input and priority logic is included for selecting the most appropriate reference signal. Inhibit logic dictates the floor and ceiling for the range of prime mover operation.

4270357, Jun 2, 1981

Oct 10, 1979

6/083345

Anthony J. Rossi - Leominster MA
Donald F. Behringer - Ashburnham MA

General Electric Company - Lynn MA

F01K 1302

60660

Some power plants may produce both power and process steam as output products and may be referred to as cogeneration power plants. This type of power plant may include at least one extraction type steam turbine in order to conveniently output process steam. Sometimes the available power plant steam supply is insufficient to satisfy both load demand and process steam requirements whereupon it may be desirable to prefer load demand over process steam requirements. The present invention is a control system for electronically implementing that preference.