Abstract: A method of detecting abnormalities including a learning phase and an inspection phase. In the learning phase, a first statistical quantity and a second statistical quantity are determined based on a first set of n-dimensional data. A second set of n-dimensional data is obtained and a bimodal distribution for a plurality of n-dimensional points in each of the second set of n-dimensional data is determined. A reference template is generated in response to the first statistical quantity, second statistical quantity and bimodal distribution. In the inspection phase, n-dimensional test data to be inspected for abnormalities is obtained and compared to the reference template to detect abnormalities.

Abstract: A method of depositing a thin membrane so that it conforms to an irregular shaped surface of a scintillator includes the steps of aligning the membrane in a desired position with respect to the irregular surface so that the membrane is in contact with at least some protruding portions of the scintillator, and drawing the membrane down over the irregular surface so that the membrane is conformingly disposed around substantially all protrusions without deforming or bending the needle-like protrusions. The membrane is drawn down by applying a substantially uniform differential pressure across the thin membrane so as to urge the membrane into conformal contact with irregular surface. An imager array fabricated with this process includes a scintillator having an irregular surface and a monolithic reflective layer disposed thereover in conformal contact with the irregular surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use with a volumetric computed tomography (CT) scanning system. In accordance with the present invention, the volumetric CT scanning system utilizes an area detector to acquire projection data. The acquired projection data is stored in memory. The projection data corresponding to groups of pixels of the detector is then rebinned to thereby reduce the amount of projection data that will be utilized in performing an initial volumetric reconstruction of the image. The reconstructed image may then be processed to identify particular regions of interest, such as a pathology. If a particular region of interest is identified, all of the projection data corresponding to the region is then used to retrospectively reconstruct a high resolution image of the region of interest. The retrospectively reconstructed high resolution image can then be processed and analyzed to further evaluate the region of interest.

Abstract: A method and catalyst system for producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst system having an effective amount of a cobalt source in the absence of a Group VIII B metal source. In various alternative embodiments, the carbonylation catalyst system can include at least one inorganic co-catalyst, as well as a halide composition and/or a base.

Abstract: A method of forming an internal channel within an article, such as a cooling channel in an air-cooled blade, vane, shroud, combustor or duct of a gas turbine engine. The method generally entails forming a substrate to have a groove recessed in its surface. A sacrificial material is then deposited in the groove to form a filler that can be preferentially removed from the groove. A permanent layer is then deposited on the surface of the substrate and over the filler, after which the filler is removed from the groove to yield the desired channel in the substrate beneath the permanent layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging an object by applying imaging energy from a source to the object such that a cone beam of imaging energy (40) that has passed through the object is detected by a detector. In contrast to known methods, direct x-ray inversion of the cone beam measurements is made, where the inversion includes a backprojection step that precedes the filtering step. The inverted cone beam measurements are backprojected on the fly, thereby reducing lag time between the end of data collection and image generation to the time required to perform a fast Fourier-based filter of the backprojected data.

Abstract: A turbine inner shroud and a turbine assembly. The turbine assembly includes a turbine stator having a longitudinal axis and having an outer shroud block with opposing and longitudinally outward facing first and second sides having open slots. A ceramic inner shroud has longitudinally inward facing hook portions which can longitudinally and radially surround a portion of the sides of the outer shroud block. In one attachment, the hook portions are engageable with, and are positioned within, the open slots.

Abstract: A method of separating methanol and dimethyl carbonate in a distillation column through extractive distillation. The extractive distillation is conducted in the presence of an extractive distillation agent which modifies the azeotropic behavior of the dimethyl carbonate/methanol mixture. A vapor side stream is removed from the distillation column.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adaptive fluoroscopic noise reduction (FNR) algorithm utilizing various data acquisition parameters to generate an estimation of the noise statistics and to predict a minimal object contrast associated with the object. The estimation of the noise statistics and the prediction of the object contrast are then utilized to adapt certain variables that are utilized by the FNR algorithm. The estimation of noise statistics and the prediction of object contrast may be adapted on a pixel-by-pixel basis by using a regional mean to obtain an adapted estimation of noise statistics and an adapted prediction of object absolute contrast. The variables of the FNR algorithm are then adapted based on the adapted noise statistics estimation and the adapted prediction of object absolute contrast.

Abstract: A 3D MR image is acquired before injection of a contrast agent and an enhanced 3D image is acquired after injection of the contrast agent. The two images are registered and then subtracted to remove background and to highlight lesion voxels. Lesion objects are identified by connecting contiguous lesion objects. Volume and surface area of any continuous lesion object in a discrete digital image are then calculated. Malignant lesions are identified by determining the ratio of volume to surface area for each lesion object. Malignant tumors are identified when this ratio drops below a preset threshold.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for radially positioning a brush seal relative to a rotor provides a main seal segment having a slot open toward the rotor and an interior ledge facing away from the rotor, a brush seal segment in the slot and having an exterior shoulder facing toward the rotor and overlying the interior ledge such that the brush seal segment can move radially relative to the main seal segment and rotor and the exterior shoulder can move toward and away from the interior ledge, a shim disposed and establishing a minimum spacing between the interior ledge and the exterior shoulder, and set screws tightened into spaced threaded holes in the main seal segment forcing the exterior shoulder against the shim and to the minimum spacing from the interior ledge so as to prevent radial floating of the brush seal segment in the slot.

Abstract: In a casting furnace employing a liquid metal bath to allow directional solidification of an article from a melt, and a method of operating such a furnace, a system is provided for lowering the mold from within a heating chamber into a liquid metal bath situated immediately beneath the heating chamber. An automated system is provided for automatically maintaining the level of the liquid metal bath at a relatively constant position immediately beneath the heating chamber, wherein simultaneously upon the level of the bath having risen due to immersion of the mold within the bath, the bath is lowered to thereby permit the level of the liquid metal bath to be maintained in a substantially fixed position.

Abstract: An MRI system performs a cardiac gated scan of a moving coronary artery using preparatory pulse sequences and two-dimensional EPI (echo planar imaging) pulse sequences. The preparatory pulse sequence saturates spin magnetization in regions surrounding a slice which contains the coronary artery at one point in time during each cardiac cycle. The EPI imaging pulse sequence is performed later in the cardiac cycle after the coronary artery has moved and a two-dimensional image is reconstructed by projecting NMR signals from a volume within which the coronary artery moves during the cardiac cycle.

Abstract: A method for applying a wear coating on a surface of a substrate is described. A foil of the wear coating is first attached to the substrate surface, and then fused to the surface, e.g., by brazing. The wear coating may be formed from a carbide-type material. The substrate is very often a superalloy material, e.g., a component of a turbine engine. A method for repairing a worn or damaged wear coating applied over a substrate is also described, along with related articles of manufacture.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of repair material. The repair material is ductile and readily mechanically deformed and can be used in the repair of turbine components. The process comprises providing a directionally solidified material, cold-swaging the directionally solidified material, and heat treating the cold-swaged material into the repair material. The repair material, after the steps of cold-swaging and heat treatment, comprises a microstructure that is essentially free from cracks, for repairing the turbine component. The invention also sets forth methods for repair of articles, such as turbine components, using the repair material, and a turbine component repaired using the repair material.

Abstract: A method for coating a surface of a substrate includes providing a substrate having a surface, coating the surface with a foam suspension containing a powder suspended in a foam to form a coating on the surface, wherein the coating has an activator; and subjecting the substrate to a diffusion treatment.

Abstract: A method of generating quality matrices indicating a relationship between critical to quality characteristics and key control parameters for levels of a process. A plurality of rows of a first matrix are designated as critical to quality characteristics and a plurality of columns of the first matrix are designated as key control parameters. Each critical to quality characteristic is assigned a critical to quality weight. An interaction weight is assigned between at least one critical to quality characteristic and at least one key control parameter. A score is then generated for at least one key control parameter in response to said critical to quality weight and said interaction weight.

Abstract: A patient surface is registered with a model surface based on curvature by acquiring patient range data and determining the curvature of the patient surface based on the range data. The patient surface is generated and shaded based on the curvature. A model surface is generated from image data and processed to determine the curvature of the model surface. The model surface is shaded to represent the curvature. The shaded patient surface and the shaded model surface are aligned in registration with each other by manipulating the patient surface and/or the model surface until the curvature features coincide.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided which utilize a circular tomosynthesis system to collect 2-D x-ray projection radiograph data of an object being evaluated. The collected data is then transformed into a form suitable for cone beam volumetric computed tomography (cone beam VCT) reconstruction. Once the data has been transformed, a cone beam VCT reconstruction algorithm may be utilized to reconstruct a 3-D image of the object.

Abstract: A method for minimizing time error uses a drift-susceptible time clock at the receiver carried by an asset to be tracked in a high-accuracy reduced-order GPS asset localization system. Long-term accuracy of the time clock is maintained by periodically re-synchronizing the clock with the master GPS time clock so that absolute asset time clock errors are kept below a known limit over the wide temperature ranges expected in the asset tracking application. This is accomplished with only a short GPS signal reception time; i.e., GPS frame synchronization and time-stamp decoding are not needed, and the asset position ambiguity associated with using GPS data-bit or code-bit edges as signal time references is eliminated.