Abstract: A method for assembling a turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine facilitates improving cooling efficiency of the turbine nozzle. The method includes providing a hollow doublet including a leading airfoil and a trailing airfoil coupled by at least one platform, wherein each airfoil includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall that extend between a respective leading and trailing edge. The method also includes inserting an insert into at least one of the airfoils, wherein the insert includes a first sidewall including a first plurality of cooling openings that extending therethrough, and a second sidewall including a second plurality of cooling openings extending therethrough, and wherein the first plurality of cooling openings facilitate more airfoil vane sidewall cooling than the second plurality of cooling openings.

Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine including a pilot fuel injection assembly that includes a replaceable heat shield is described. The pilot fuel injection assembly also includes a fuel stem and a mixer divider. The fuel stem includes a first end, a second end, and a body extending therebetween. An alignment slot is defined within a portion of the interface between the fuel stem body and the second end. The mixer divider is attached to the fuel stem second end and the heat shield is removably coupled to the mixer divider with a plurality of transfer tubes.

Abstract: A turbine nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes a hollow airfoil vane including a first wall, a second wall, and a plurality of pins extending therebetween. The nozzle also includes at least one row of turbulators. The first and second walls are connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge. The first wall includes a plurality of slots extending towards the trailing edge, and the row of turbulators are substantially radially-aligned and extend between the plurality of slot and the pins.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a nozzle for a gas turbine engine facilitates extending a useful life of the nozzles. The nozzle includes an airfoil. The method includes forming the airfoil to include a suction side and a pressure side connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge, forming a plurality of slots in the pressure side of the airfoil extending towards the trailing edge, and extending a plurality of pins arranged in rows between the airfoil suction and pressure sides, such that at each of a first row of pins has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional area, wherein the first row of pins is between the remaining rows of pins and the airfoil pressure side slots.

Abstract: A nozzle for a gas turbine engine that includes an air circuit, a water circuit, and a swirler that facilitate reducing erosion within the nozzle is described. The air circuit is formed by a first conduit that extends along the nozzle. The water circuit is formed by a second conduit that also extends along the nozzle and is radially inward from the first conduit. Each circuit is in flow communication with a discharge opening. An air swirler adjacent the discharge opening discharges air into water spray exiting the water circuit to facilitate evaporating the water to lower engine operating temperatures.

Abstract: A fuel control system for a gas turbine engine includes logic that is used to facilitate enhanced compressor stall margin when the engine is operating in potential icing conditions is described. The fuel control system is coupled to at least one fuel regulator within the engine, and receives input from a plurality of sensors coupled to the engine. More specifically, the system receives input from environmental sensors, as well as inputs representing compressor inlet temperature, compressor discharge pressure, and corrected core engine speed. Furthermore, the fuel control system also receives input from the other engine fuel regulators.

Abstract: A power kit assembly for an adjustable chair that provides power to a height adjustment mechanism to enable a chair to be adjusted electrically in a cost effective and reliable manner is described. The chair includes a limit switch that limits an amount of movement of the height adjustment mechanism. The power kit assembly includes a battery pack electrically and removably coupled to an electric motor and to the limit switch. The electric motor is coupled to the height adjustment mechanism. The battery pack includes at least one battery cell and a housing. The battery cells are axially-aligned within the battery pack housing and extend between first and second ends of the housing. The battery cells are also rechargeable.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor rotor assembly which directs air at a sufficient pressure and temperature to a downstream turbine for cooling. The compressor assembly includes a compressor including an impeller and a cooling circuit. The impeller includes an exit, an inlet, and a body extending therebetween. The impeller body includes a first opening positioned a distance from the impeller exit. The cooling circuit extends between the compressor and the turbine and is in flow communication with the impeller opening.

Abstract: A centerbody for a gas turbine engine includes a thermal control system which minimizes the thermal stresses between the centerbody and at least one stiffener. The centerbody stiffener extends radially inward from a centerbody shell. A cavity is defined within each centerbody stiffener. The thermal control system includes a plurality of openings circumferentially disposed around the centerbody. Each opening extends through the centerbody shell into each cavity. The openings include pairs of entrance openings and exit openings which permit circumferential flow to develop within the centerbody cavity.

Abstract: A brazed X-ray target includes a metallic cap and a graphite back including a nonlinear record groove attached thereto along a stepped surface. An upper corner joint of the stepped surface is distanced from a cap outer edge and a focal track where the maximum heat is generated during use of the target. The graphite back is extended outward toward the cap outer edge to increase a thermal storage of the graphite, and a recess is formed into the cap to maintain a selected moment of inertia of the target and thereby maintain the rotordynamics of a given X-ray tube.

Abstract: A replacement method facilitates replacing of a portion of a nuggeted combustor liner within a gas turbine engine combustor in a cost-effective and reliable manner. The combustor includes a combustion zone that is defined by an inner and an outer liner. The inner and outer liners each include a series of panels and a plurality of nuggets formed by adjacent panels. The method includes the steps of cutting between an outer surface and an inner surface of at least one liner panel through at least one nugget, removing at least one panel that is adjacent the area of the liner that was cut, and installing a replacement panel into the combustor for each panel that was removed from the combustor.

Abstract: An apparatus is coupled to a gas turbine engine that includes a plurality of engine cavity drains. The apparatus includes a manifold block and a lower seal plate. The manifold block includes a plurality of indicators, and is coupled to the gas turbine engine such that each indicator is in flow communication with a respective engine drain. The lower seal plate is coupled to the manifold block.

Abstract: A method for sensing and reacting to jet engine fan speed in excess of a fan speed computed from an aircraft throttle input is disclosed. Engine fan speeds are detected by adding test conditions to a main central processing unit (CPU) and adding test conditions to an independent overspeed module to provide additional protection from main CPU computational errors. Interpretation of sensor data relating to engine speed may initiate a modeling routine for sensor data. Comparison of measured/computed sensor data to desired conditions using logic and data tables is a used. If an anomaly is detected, engine fuel cutback devices are engaged.

Abstract: A method for increasing efficiency of operation of trains includes operating a plurality of trains as a moving sequence and regulating distances between the trains to eliminate distances in excess of safe minimum distances between the trains. Distance between a preceding train and a following train is regulated by varying speed of the following train to minimize an excess distance between the two trains. A safe minimum distance includes a safe braking distance for the following train. In a further embodiment the safe braking distance is determined based on train weight distribution. Distributed weight is determined using measurements of train position, speed, acceleration and tractive effort to estimate forces affecting the train. The forces are related to one another to obtain a matrix equation expressing the forces in terms of car weight and train weight. The equation is solved to determine car weight and train weight.

Abstract: A pillow supports a person's head while the person sleeps on their side and does not induce any pressure to a person's face. The pillow includes a body which has a first body portion and a second body portion extending from the first body portion. The first body portion is substantially rectangular-shaped and provides a base for the second body portion. The second body portion defines at least one recess and is positioned such that a plurality of recesses extend from the sides of the pillow towards a lower section of the second body portion.

Abstract: A replacement method facilitates replacing of a portion of a combustor liner within a gas turbine engine combustor in a cost-effective and reliable manner. The combustor includes a combustion zone that is defined by an inner and an outer liner. The inner and outer liners each include a series of panels and a plurality of nuggets formed by adjacent panels. The method includes the steps of cutting between an outer surface and an inner surface of at least one liner panel, removing at least one panel that is adjacent the area of the liner that was cut, and installing a replacement panel into the combustor for each panel that was removed from the combustor.

Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip plate, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall. The first sidewall extends in radial span between an airfoil root and the tip plate. Furthermore, the first sidewall defines a pressure side of the airfoil. The second sidewall is connected to the first sidewall at the leading and trailing edges, and extends in radial span between the airfoil root and the tip plate. The second sidewall defines a suction side of the airfoil. The tip plate includes at least one groove that extends substantially between the first and second sidewalls.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of operating a turbo-charged diesel locomotive engine to facilitate controlling pressure in an engine cylinder is provided. The method includes determining an allowable peak firing pressure for the turbo-charged diesel engine, determining an actual peak firing pressure, and comparing the allowable peak firing pressure to actual peak firing pressure to control the operation of the turbocharger for controlling peak firing pressure. The apparatus includes a diesel engine including an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, an electronic fuel controller, a turbo-charger, and a motor-generator coupled to the turbocharger and operable to at least one of increase turbocharger rotational speed, decrease turbocharger rotational speed, and maintain turbocharger rotational speed, and a controller including a first input corresponding intake manifold air pressure and a second input corresponding to fuel injection timing for the engine and including as an output a motor-generator configuration signal.

Abstract: A turbine blade assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a turbine platform including contoured edges. The turbine blade assembly includes a platform, a turbine airfoil extending radially outward from the platform, a shank that extends radially inward from the platform, and a dovetail extending from the shank. The platform includes a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a pressure edge and an opposite suction edge, the pressure edge including a plurality of arcs extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, the suction edge including a plurality of arcs extending between the leading and trailing edges.

Abstract: A radiation detector includes a top gate thin film transistor (TFT) including a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, a TFT dielectric layer, a TFT semiconductive layer, and a TFT intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer. The radiation detector also includes a capacitor including a first electrode, a second electrode substantially coplanar with the gate electrode, and a capacitor dielectric, the capacitor dielectric including a capacitor dielectric layer substantially coplanar with the TFT dielectric layer, a capacitor semiconductive layer substantially coplanar with the TFT semiconductive layer, and a capacitor a-Si layer substantially coplanar with the TFT a-Si layer.