Abstract: A seal is provided between an inner flowpath and inner band of a turbine frame for confining cooling air channeled therebetween. The seal includes a frustoconical seal support and a radially outer seal ring integrally joined to a smaller diameter distal end of the support. A radially inner ring is fixedly joined to the inner band coaxially with the outer ring and is spaced radially inwardly thereof to define a gap therebetween sized for limiting leakage of cooling air from a chamber defined between the seal and inner flowpath.

Abstract: An annular combustor with an air fuel mixer is disclosed including a plurality of mixing tubes having a forward end and an exit end, wherein a longitudinal axis through the exit end for each mixing tube is at both an axial angle and a radial angle to the centerline axis of the mixer. A fuel injector for providing fuel to the forward end of each mixing tube, a fuel manifold in flow communication with each of the fuel injectors, and a fuel supply and control means are provided. High pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing tubes and fuel is injected into the mixing tubes from the fuel injectors, wherein the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of pollutants when the fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of the mixing tubes into the combustor and combusted. The mixing tubes preferably impart a swirl to the fuel/air mixture as it exits into the combustor.

Abstract: A turbine shroud hanger is supported from an annular outer casing and includes an annular radial flange and integral forward and aft legs at a radially inner end thereof. The legs extend axially oppositely to each other and include respective distal ends configured for supporting a plurality of arcuate shroud panels radially above a plurality of turbine rotor blades to define a tip clearance therebetween. The legs include circumferentially spaced apart forward and aft slots extending axially from the distal ends thereof toward the radial flange, and completely radially therethrough to bifurcate the legs into circumferential segments for reducing transient thermal expansion of the hanger to reduce in turn expansion of the tip clearance.

Abstract: A turbine shroud includes an annular outer casing having first and second radial flanges between which are suspended an adjoining annular shroud support and an annular shroud hanger. A plurality of shroud panels are joined to the shroud hanger and are positionable radially above turbine rotor blades to define a tip clearance therebetween. The four flanges are disposed in abutting contact with each other, and respective pluralities of circumferentially spaced apart first, second, and third recesses are disposed respectively between the casing first flange and the shroud flange, between the shroud flange and the hanger flange, and between the hanger flange and the casing second flange for providing radial flowpaths therebetween.

Abstract: An air fuel mixer having a mixing duct, a set of inner and outer counter-rotating swirlers at the upstream end of the mixing duct, and means for injecting fuel into the mixing duct is provided, wherein high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and fuel is injected into the mixing duct from the fuel nozzle by means of a plurality of non-linear fuel spokes so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of pollutants when the fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of said mixing duct into the combustor and ignited.

Abstract: A fan stator includes a split outer casing having a pair of outer rails, and a pair of key slots disposed at a splitline thereof. A plurality of standard stator vanes have outer platforms and hooks which engage the casing rails for supporting the vanes, with the vanes also having inner hooks extending from inner platforms thereof. A pair of locking stator vanes are disposed at the casing splitline and include an outer platform having outer hooks which engage the casing rails, an anti-rotation key disposed in the casing key slot, and an inner platform having first and second locking hooks extending therefrom. The first locking hook is equal in size with the first inner hooks and includes a first dam blocking the first locking hook at one end thereof, and the second locking hook is axially shorter than the second inner hooks and includes a second dam blocking the second locking hook at the same end thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provide cooling air from a compressor to hot components in a gas turbine engine. Compressed air discharged from an exit of the compressor is stratified into a main flow channeled to a combustor, and a separate bleed flow channeled to a heat exchanger. The bleed flow has an above average pressure whereas the main flow has a below average pressure. The bleed flow is cooled in the heat exchanger and channeled to hot components of the engine for cooling thereof.

Abstract: A blisk includes a disk and a plurality of inner airfoils extending radially outwardly therefrom, with each of the inner airfoils having an integral shroud support at a radially outer end thereof. A plurality of outer airfoils extend radially outwardly from respective ones of the shroud supports, and a plurality of discrete shroud segments are disposed respectively between adjacent ones of the shroud supports to collectively form an annular shroud for radially separating flow between the inner and outer airfoils. Each of the shroud segments is removably joined to only one of the adjacent shroud supports to improve manufacturing access, to allow replacability, and to allow differential movement and friction damping during operation.

Abstract: A turbine shroud includes an annular shroud support joined to an annular outer casing and spaced radially inwardly therefrom to define an annular flow duct for receiving compressor bleed air. A plurality of shroud panels are joined to the shroud support and have a radially inner surface positionable radially above turbine rotor blades to define a tip clearance therebetween. An isolation shield is joined to the shroud support radially above the panels and includes a plurality of open-ended cells facing radially outwardly in the duct toward the outer casing for inducing drag in the bleed air flowable axially through the duct to thermally isolate the shroud support from the bleed air for controlling the tip clearance.

Abstract: A turbine cooling supply circuit for a gas turbine engine is disclosed in which the flow of coolant through the engine is directed to minimize temperature rise prior to discharge into the turbine. Bleed air from an impeller stage of a compressor is channeled along a backwall thereof into a cavity disposed radially inwardly of a combustor casing. The cavity is divided by a lightweight tubular member having a circumferentially uniform contour into a non-flow zone proximate the casing and a flow zone proximate a rotor. Maintenance of a high tangential flow component in the bleed flow in the flow zone facilitates discharge of the flow through apertures in a rotor into a bore portion thereof, minimizing work input and temperature rise of the coolant.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine having improved output horsepower and a method of achieving it. The engine has, in order, a low pressure compressor, a high pressure compressor, a combustor, a high pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine. The high pressure turbine is drivingly connected to both compressors with a speed reducing gear box therebetween. An intercooler between the compressors reduces the horsepower requirement of the high pressure compressor. Flow from the combustor is sufficiently heated to enable the high pressure turbine to drive both compressors with the output horsepower of the low pressure turbine devoted to the engine load.

Abstract: A turbine shroud hanger includes forward and aft radially outer hooks for mounting the hanger to an annular shroud support, and forward and aft radially inner hooks for supporting a shroud panel radially above a plurality of turbine rotor blades for controlling tip clearance therebetween. The hanger forward outer hook has a radially outer land defined by a pair of pads at distal ends of the hook, with a ridge extending circumferentially therebetween. The outer land is interrupted by a central recess extending between the pads and aft from the ridge to a distal edge of the hook. The forward outer hook has a predetermined radial height which is predeterminedly larger than the radial height of the corresponding forward slot in the shroud support for effecting an interference fit at least in part at the pair of pads to provide a seal against leakage of bleed air.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes first and second circuits disposed in a counterflow configuration for respectively channeling first and second fluids. In one embodiment, the first circuit is joined to an aircraft engine fuel tank with the first fluid or fuel being a heat sink, and the second circuit is joined to a plurality of aircraft engine oil sumps, with the second fluid or oil being cooled in the heat exchanger by the fuel. The second circuit of the heat exchanger includes first and second outlets in succession with a portion of the oil being removed prior to completion of flow through the heat exchanger and channeled to one or more of the sumps. The remaining portion of the oil in the heat exchanger is removed after completion of flow therethrough at a lower temperature than that of the first portion and is channeled to a predetermined one of the sumps for providing cooler oil thereto.

Abstract: An improved high pressure gas generator rotor for a gas turbine engine is disclosed in which a tie rod of unitary construction provides an axial compressive load across a plurality of non-bolted compressor and turbine components arranged in rotational driving arrangement, for example, by face splines and rabbets. An interim compressive load path solely through the compressor rotor portion is automatically provided upon relaxation of the operational compressive load in the rotor to maintain mechanical integrity of the compressor and facilitate assembly and maintenance activity. An anti-rotated midspan locknut on the tie rod obviates the need for additional, special tooling configured to clamp the compressor components during disassembly of the turbine.

Abstract: A seal includes a tubular body for receiving a translatable rod which extends from a cylinder through an access opening in a gas turbine engine casing. The body includes at one end thereof an integral annular land sized to surround the cylinder. At an opposite end of the body an integral grommet includes a groove extending around the perimeter thereof sized for receiving an edge of the casing defining the access opening for providing a seal therewith.

Abstract: The present invention is a variable area turbine nozzle for use in a turbine engine. The variable area turbine nozzle adjusts the positions of its vanes to insure efficient operation of the turbine engine. The vanes rotate about bearing assemblies that are air cooled to extend the operating life of the bearing assemblies. Each vane is cantilevered off journal bearings outside the outer casing which carry moment loads while ball bearings take all radial loads for ease of rotation. This design provides long running time of the turbine nozzles without frequent overhaul.

Abstract: A dual fuel mixer is disclosed having a mixing duct, a shroud surrounding the upstream end of the mixing duct having contained therein a gas fuel manifold and a liquid fuel manifold in flow communication with a gas fuel supply and a liquid fuel supply, respectively, and control means, a set of inner and outer annular counter-rotating swirlers adjacent the upstream end of the mixing duct, where at least the outer annular swirlers include hollow vanes with internal cavities and fuel passages, all of which are in fluid communication with the gas and liquid fuel manifolds to inject gas and liquid fuel into the air stream, and a hub separating the inner and outer annular swirlers to allow independent rotation thereof wherein high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and gas and/or liquid fuel is injected into the air stream from the outer annular swirler vanes so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as

Abstract: A nozzle cooling system having apparatus to overexpand the exhaust flow in a divergent section of an aircraft gas turbine engine nozzle, relative to the air in the engine nozzle's bay and a valve to allow ambient air from the bay to flow over divergent flaps and seals of the divergent section, and rapidly cool the divergent section of the nozzle for IR suppression. An area ratio control apparatus may be used to change a ratio of the nozzle exit area to the nozzle throat area to an overexpanded level that reduces static pressures along at least a longitudinally extending portion of the surfaces to below the ambient pressure of air outside the nozzle to draw the ambient air into the exhaust gas flowpath, and a valve apparatus to controllably flow the ambient air into the exhaust gas flowpath when the static pressures are below the ambient pressure.

Abstract: An improved thrust bearing assembly combines a thrust bearing with a thrust washer spacer which is attached to the trust bearing to provide a one-piece thrust bearing assembly. The spacer is made of plastic and has a variable predetermined axial thickness so as to facilitate the assembly of some automotive transmissions.

Abstract: The cage portion of a cage and roller assembly has two annular end rims joined by cross-bars around the periphery of each rim. The rims and cross-bars define multiple pockets which hold the rollers. The cross-bars are configured to contain the rollers within these pockets; in addition, coined ramp surfaces and land surfaces on the cross-bar outer surfaces extend radially outward farther than the outer surfaces of the end rims and are configured to provide improved lubrication between the outer surface of the cage and an outer raceway.