Abstract: A gas turbine engine component assembly is provided. The gas turbine engine component assembly comprising: a first component having a first surface and a second surface; a threaded stud including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the threaded stud extending from the second surface of the first component; and a faired body operably secured to the threaded stud, wherein the faired body is shaped to redirect the airflow in a lateral direction parallel to the second surface of the first component such that a cross flow is generated.

Abstract: A Hall effect thruster is provided having one or more components fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques. Additive manufacturing can be used to fabricate the propellant distributor and the discharge channel of the thruster. The propellant distributor can be separated from the anode of the thruster and can form the base of the discharge channel. The discharge channel can be detachably connected to the propellant distributor using one of a threaded connection or a snap-fit connection. The discharge channel can have an annular shape and electromagnets and magnetic poles can be placed in the surrounding areas of the discharge channel.

Abstract: Propulsion systems, such as electrospray thrusters, may include an electrically actuated valve to permit a selective flow of propellant to a thruster. The valve may be located and arranged such that it physically separates a propellant, such as a source of ions, from a thruster of the propulsion system. In some embodiments, the application of a voltage potential to the valve may wet a plurality of through holes formed in the valve with the propellant such that the propellant flows through the valve to the thruster. After the valve has been opened, the propulsion system may be operated normally.

Abstract: A system and method for supplying compressed air from an auxiliary power unit to a main engine starter motor. The inlet guide vanes are controlled using either first or second inlet guide vane control logic and the surge control valve is controlled using either first or second surge control valve control logic. When the first inlet guide vane control logic is used, the inlet guide vanes are positioned based on a demand signal, when the second inlet guide vane control logic is used, the inlet guide vanes are positioned based on a demand schedule, when the first surge control valve logic is used, the surge control valve can be commanded to repeatedly move to only a fully-closed position and a fully-open position, and when the second surge control valve logic is used, the surge control valve can be commanded to the fully-closed position only when maximum flow is commanded.

Abstract: A magnetic nozzle having a converging/diverging contour shape that converts the thermal energy of a propellant into directed kinetic energy, but uses magnetic fields instead of a physical boundary to direct the flow of particles.

Abstract: The first solid propellant is formed to have a columnar shape so as for a combustion surface to move to a first direction, and to have an end surface exposed to a combustion space. The surface of first solid propellant except for the end surface is covered with a barrier membrane. The position of combustion surface in the first direction is detected by a position sensor device in an always-on measurement or a fixed-point measurement. Based on the detected result, the consumption amount of the first solid propellant is estimated.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a system that includes an engine having a shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation, an engine controller configured to control the engine, an electric machine mechanically coupled to the shaft of the engine, and an electrical controller. The engine controller is configured to control the engine using control techniques configured for a mechanical device having a target moment of inertia around the axis of rotation. The electric machine has an actual moment of inertia around the axis of rotation that is different from the target moment of inertia. To supplement control of the engine due to the difference in moments of inertia, the electrical controller is configured to receive a rotational speed of the shaft, determine a torque for the shaft based on the speed of the shaft, and control the electric machine to apply the torque to the shaft.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a CPU which executes an input step of receiving an input of a measurement value of a target parameter at a first time, in which noise is superimposed on a true value of the target parameter, a calculation step of calculating a variation amount of the measurement value of the target parameter at the first time, based on a maximum likelihood estimate of the target parameter at a second time and calculating a maximum likelihood estimate of the variation amount, and an output step of outputting a value obtained by adding the maximum likelihood estimate of the variation amount to the maximum likelihood estimate of the target parameter at the second time, as a maximum likelihood estimate of the target parameter at the first time.

Abstract: A thruster control device has an opening degree estimating section and an opening degree control section. The opening degree estimating section calculates an estimated opening degree of a valve showing a rate at which the valve is opened, based on a balance of an acting force applied to a valve element of the valve to adjust a quantity of combustion gas to be ejected from a thruster and a fluid force applied to the valve element by the ejected combustion gas. The opening degree control section determines a target opening degree based on the estimated opening degree to control the opening degree of the valve.

Abstract: A full authority digital engine controller (FADEC) based system is also disclosed. The system includes a processor, and a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the FADEC to perform operations. The operations may include measuring a first temperature at a first sensor disposed at a first known location of an engine, measuring a second temperature at a second sensor disposed at a second known location of the engine, and estimating at least one of a stress or a strain of a part or component in the engine based on the first temperature and the second temperature. The system may control fuel flow and/or other engine effectors during a thrust transient to limit the estimated stress or the estimated strain of the component from exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In a cowl for a nozzle, an internal wall has a cross-section with a determined abscissa on the axis defining a neck line on the internal wall. The cowl has, downstream of the determined abscissa, indentations in the trailing edge which delimit chevrons distributed in the circumferential direction. The internal wall of the cowl diverges radially towards the interior, in a second axial half-plane passing through the tip of a chevron, from the upstream tangent on the point of the neck line in the second axial half-plane, and the lines defining the internal wall of the cowl in any axial half-plane do not have a turning point downstream of the determined abscissa of the neck line.

Abstract: A system for controlling a gas turbine, includes a control system for providing control signals to a gas turbine; a tuning system for providing tuning signals, a modelling system for generating virtual measurement signals, the virtual measurement signals being based on the control signals and the tuning signals; a sensor diagnostics system for diagnosing at least one sensor measurement signal and outputting control system reconfiguration signals to the control system and tuner system reconfiguration signals to the tuning system, the tuning signals being based at least on the tuner system reconfiguration signals, the control signals being based on the at least one sensor measurement signal, the virtual measurement signals and the control system reconfiguration signals.

Abstract: Propulsion assembly comprising: an inner casing (13); an outer casing (3); an inter-duct casing (15) delimiting a primary duct (12) between the inner casing (13) and an outer wall (14), and a secondary duct (16) between the outer casing (3) and an outer wall (17); a fan capable of generating an air flow (24) circulating from downstream to upstream in the secondary duct (16); the assembly further comprising: at least one duct (27) for bleeding air from said flow (24), this bleed duct (27) comprising an inlet port (28) in the outer wall (17) and an outlet port (29) in the inner wall (14); an outer flap (30) movable between an open position and a closed position of the inlet port (28); an inner flap (31) movable between an open position and a closed position of the outlet port (29).

Abstract: A finely distributed combustion system for a gas turbine engine is provided. A combustor body may extend along a longitudinal axis. A premixer space may be formed within the combustor body to premix air and fuel. The premixer space is in communication with an array of finely distributed perforations arranged in a wall of the combustor body to eject an array of premixed main flamelets throughout a contour of the combustor body between the upstream base of the combustor body and the downstream base of the combustor body. The array of finely distributed perforations—potentially comprising thousands or even hundreds of thousands of perforations spatially distributed on a miniaturized scale—for ejecting the premixed main flamelets is technically advantageous compared to conventional distributed combustion systems, where injection of relatively longer main flames occurs just at a few discrete axial locations.

Abstract: A catalyst chamber with a catalyst bed embedded therein for a monopropellant thruster of a rocket engine. The catalyst chamber comprises an inlet having a first cross-sectional area through which a propellant can be introduced into the catalyst chamber and an outlet having a second cross-sectional area through which the propellant and/or resulting reaction products can be introduced into a combustion chamber of the thruster. The outlet is connected to the inlet via a catalyst volume of the catalyst chamber. At least one helical wall member is arranged within the catalyst chamber and is dividing the catalyst volume into two or more segments such that an effective length of the catalyst bed of each segment passed through by the propellant and/or its reaction products is larger than a geometrical length of the catalyst chamber defined between the inlet and the outlet along a direction of extension of the catalyst chamber.

Abstract: A method for starting and operating a NMHC fueled gas turbine combined cycle power plant includes injecting gaseous NMHC fuel into a gaseous NMHC fuel treatment system, injecting at least one of auxiliary steam, HRSG steam, or HRSG water into the gaseous NMHC fuel treatment system, and mixing the at least one of auxiliary steam, HRSG steam, or HRSG water with the gaseous NMHC fuel in the NMHC fuel treatment system to form a gaseous NMHC fuel mixture. The method further includes injecting the gaseous NMHC fuel mixture into a gaseous NMHC fuel distribution system, and providing the gaseous NMHC fuel mixture through the gaseous NMHC fuel distribution system to a combustor of the NMHC fueled gas turbine.

Abstract: A heat shield panel for a gas turbine engine combustor is disclosed. The heat shield panel includes a hot side defining a first surface having an outer perimeter, a cold side defining a second surface spaced from the first surface and a plurality of holes, each hole including a central axis having vector components defined by a common vector.

Abstract: A Fiber-fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (FPPT) utilizes a motor to feed PTFE fiber to its discharge region, enabling high PPT propellant throughput and variable exposed fuel area. A highly parallel ceramic capacitor bank lowers system specific mass. Impulse bits (I-bits) from 0.057-0.241 mN-s have been measured on a thrust stand with a specific impulse (Isp) of 900-2400 s, representing an enhancement from state-of-the-art PPT technology. A 1 U (10 cm×10 cm×10 cm, or 1 liter) volume FPPT thruster package will provide 2900-7700 N-s total impulse, enabling 0.6-1.6 km/s delta-V for a 5 kg CubeSat. A 1 U design variation with 590 g propellant enables as much as ˜10,000 N-s and a delta-V of 2 km/s for a 5 kg CubeSat. Increasing the form factor to 2U increases propellant mass to 1.4 kg and delta-V to 10.7 km/s for an 8 kg CubeSat.

Abstract: A mobile fracking system and methods may include a gas turbine housed at least partially inside a trailer and an exhaust attenuation system configured to receive exhaust gas from the gas turbine. The exhaust attenuation system may include a lower elongated plenum configured to receive exhaust gas from the gas turbine and an upper noise attenuation system that is movably connected relative to a distal end of the lower elongated plenum.

Abstract: An oil thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes a control system operable to selectively heat oil in the oil system with the heater system greater than a predetermined temperature prior to engine start. A method of starting a gas turbine engine includes sensing an oil temperature with respect to a predetermined oil temperature for engine start; and heating the oil to the predetermined oil temperature for engine start in response to the oil temperature being less than the predetermined oil temperature.