Abstract: A centrifugal pump comprises an impeller which rotates at the center of a volute casing. The open side of the casing is closed by means of a wear plate which is fixed relative to the casing and which has a central inlet opening. The impeller includes a rear plate and a plurality of curved blades radiating from an open central portion of the rear plate. An annular plate is fixed to the outermost edges of the blades at the inlet side of the impeller. A cylindrical sleeve extends in an axial direction from near the inner edge of the annular plate through the opening in the wear plate. The annular plate and sleeve protect the edge of the wear plate and impede grit and sand entering between the annular plate and around the opening and the wear plate causing wear when the pump is used to pump slurry containing grit or sand.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump has a casing with a cylindrical shell surrounding a volute-type inner section which is formed with a hollow radial extension for admission of fluid into a nipple of the shell. The extension forms part of or constitutes a separable sealing device between a passage of the inner section and a passage of the shell. The inner section is suspended in the shell by one or more pipes which are coaxial with the rotor and/or by one or more projections which extend radially from the inner section and abut against the internal surface of the shell or extend into recesses provided therefor in the internal surface of the shell.

Abstract: A gas turbine, in which the rotor (9) of the power stage (5) is supported by a hollow shaft (10) in a cantilever fashion. The hollow shaft (10) has a pair of forged hollow frustoconical ends (11, 12) made of case-hardened and milled steel supported by bearings (19, 20, 20') and connected together by a hollow central tube (13). A stud (15) extends through and from the hollow shaft (10) and has threaded ends (15', 15"). The threaded end (15') releasably secures one end of the hollow shaft (20) into a correspondingly threaded portion (16) of the rotor (9) and the threaded end (15") is threaded into a nut (17) which cooperates with the other end of the hollow shaft (10) to releasably tighten the one end of the hollow shaft (10) to the rotor (9) and place the stud (15) under tension.

Abstract: A fuel gasifying burner including a combustion cylinder, a rotary shaft extending into the combustion cylinder through its open base, a frustoconical rotary gasifying member connected to the rotary shaft and formed at a lower end of its wall with a bent portion extending outwardly and having at its peripheral end a liquid fuel scattering end, and an inner gasifying member located inside the rotary gasifying member to form a unit therewith and having connected to a lower end of its wall a fuel air-mixture gas diffusing wall extending outwardly a greater distance than the bent portion of the rotary gasifying member. The inner gasifying member is formed at its forward end with an air supply opening communicated through an air passage with an air blowing chamber. An annular flame ejecting upright wall is formed contiguous with a fuel-air mixture gas diffusing wall and provided at its end with a liquid fuel rescattering portion.

Abstract: A draft tube for discharging fluid from a hydraulic turbine is disclosed as having a draft tube wall surrounding a discharge passage which diverges from a turbine runner to a discharge opening. The draft tube includes a first region downstream of the runner which has a rate of divergence less than that at which boundary layer separation occurs. A second region, downstream from the first region, has a rate of divergence greater than that at which boundary layer separation normally occurs. The draft tube wall surrounding the second region is provided with a plurality of orifices. A plurality of nozzles are provided on the draft tube wall surrounding the first region. Piping connects the orifices with fluid inlets of the nozzles. The nozzles have fluid outlets which communicate with the discharge passage in the first region and open away from the turbine runner. Fluid along the wall in the second region passes through the orifices and piping and into the nozzles.

Abstract: A coolable airfoil 10 for rotary machines is disclosed. The airfoil has a passage 54 extending spanwisely through the leading edge region 26 of the blade. The passage has a plurality of trip strips 68 canted toward the direction flow. Each trip strip includes a vortex generator integrally formed with the trip strip which is spaced from the wall of the airfoil. In one embodiment, a plurality of trip strips each having an integral vortex generator are disposed in the passageway and at least one of the vortex generators is of greater height than the remaining vortex generators.

Abstract: A pump for pumping fragile articles including fish and glasses without damage includes a rotary pump having a plain disc impeller disposed in a substantially cylindrical chamber of a housing with an inlet into, or coaxial of, the impeller into the housing and an outlet from the periphery of the chamber, with the rotor arranged to provide a substantially unobstructed passage between the inlet past the rotor to the outlet of the pump. The method includes pumping fragile articles in a fluid medium by means of a disc impeller pump having an unobstructed passageway between the inlet and outlet of the pump.

Abstract: An open circuit liquid cooled gas turbine in which a coolant passes through the turbine blades and is expelled at the tips thereof. The coolant is recaptured by providing ports in the turbine casing in radial alignment with the turbine blades whereby fluid expelled radially is received by the ports. A trough is provided in the turbine casing axially displaced downstream from the turbine blades to recapture coolant that is blown by the ports due to the differential pressure in the turbine.

Abstract: A multistage hydraulic machine which includes a housing, a main shaft mounted in the housing, a high-pressure stage and low-pressure stage runner firmly secured to the main shaft wherein the housing has formed therein a plurality of runner chambers enclosing each of the runners, respectively, of the high-pressure and the low-pressure stage, a return passage communicating with the runner chambers of the high-pressure and low-pressure stages, a high-pressure stage, outer back chamber, a high-pressure stage, inner back chamber and a high-pressure stage, side chamber all of which are located within the runner chamber enclosing the high-pressure stage runner, a low-pressure stage, side pressure chamber located within the runner chamber enclosing the low-pressure stage runner, a mechanism for communicating the high-pressure stage, inner back chamber with the return passage, and a mechanism for respectively communicating the low-pressure stage, side pressure chamber with the return passage.

Abstract: A first control assembly is provided operative to supply gas from a supply of gas under pressure to the inlet of a centrifugal liquid pump at increasing and decreasing rates responsive to decreases and increases in the pressure of liquid discharge from the pump. The first control assembly includes spring structure for closing an associated air flow controlling valve member which is yieldingly biased toward the open position by the pressure of liquid discharged from the pump and a second control assembly is provided operative to increase and decrease the loading of the aforementioned spring structure responsive to increases and decreases in demand for liquid being discharged from the pump.

Abstract: A multistage hydraulic machine in which respective pressure stages are connected in series through return passages and the highest and lowest pressure stages are provided with movable guide vanes the degrees of openings of which are variable is controlled in load adjustment or in response to the change of a static head under a steady operation condition by controlling the degrees of openings of the movable guide vanes of the highest and lowest pressure stages in accordance with several modes.

Abstract: An annular beam 46 which is hollow and which extends circumferentially about an annular flow path 22, 24 for working medium gases is disclosed. The annular beam supports and positions both a shroud 42 and a fabric 44 for containing particles having axial and radial velocity. The annular beam has a first wall 48 and a second wall 50. The second wall is spaced radially from the first wall. A plurality of annular plates 52 extending circumferentially about the interior of the beam. The plates are attached to the first wall and to the second wall. In one detailed embodiment the annular plates have a C-shaped cross section formed of a circumferentially extending rib 58 and two axially oriented legs 60, 62. The radial height of the rib is many times greater than the radial height of the legs. A method of fabricating the annular beam is disclosed.

Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine consists of a housing having a boundary wall and a gas contacting skin, the wall and skin being in segmented form. The skin consists of a thin metal sheet attached to the boundary wall, and a ceramic gas contacting coating. The skin is impingement cooled by cooling air flowing through apertures in the boundary wall, and the cooling air exhausts into the gas flow through passages.The use of a thin metal sheet with a ceramic coating promotes favorable temperature gradients in the skin enabling the coating to run at optimum conditions for maximum cooling effect.

Abstract: Owing to a new design of the partition wall (vortex former) of the novel type tangential blower, there is achieved an improvement of the pressure-volume characteristic and a reduction of the noise development.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine bearing support structure comprises a central hub which carries a bearing and which is supported by a plurality of spokes from a ring member. The majority of the spokes are radially extending so that each is perpendicular to an imaginary tangent at its point of intersection with the ring member. However, two of the spokes are not perpendicular but are inclined so that compressive loading on the spokes results in partial rotation of the central hub, thereby leading to compressive loads in the non-inclined spokes being partially relieved by localised bending.

Abstract: A device that regulates an outlet valve on a self-discharging centrifugal drum which diverts the closure fluid from a closure compartment that moves the piston valve from a closure position while the solids space is being partly or completely emptied, has, in addition to a supply line that supplies closure fluid to the closure compartment, an operating-fluid line in which a compressed air-controlled operating-fluid meter is positioned downstream of one shut-off and upstream of another shut-off. The meter consists of a housing divided by a tightly stretched and flexible diaphragm into two compartments, one that can be altered in capacity and that accepts operating fluid and a second that can be pressurized. This system ensures that a precise volume of operating fluid will be supplied to the outlet valve and determines the amount of solids to be removed.

Abstract: A circumferentially extending structure 30 for containing particles having an axial component and a radial component of velocity is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a support structure 46 and a fabric 44 wrapped under tension about the support structure such that the installed length of the fabric is greater than the free length of the fabric. In one particular embodiment the fabric is coated with a layer of epoxy resin such that the resin penetrates only the top layer of the fabric to form a shield 95 which protects the containment fabric from injury. A method for forming the circumferentially extending structure is disclosed which includes the steps of forming a support structure and wrapping a fabric about the support structure under a preload to cause an elongation of the fabric and tension in the fabric in the installed condition.

Abstract: A rotor shaft assembly for use in turbochargers includes a metal shaft having a generally cylindrical female cavity therein concentrically distributed about the axis thereof; and a solid hubbed ceramic turbine wheel having a male stub shaft insertable into the female cavity. The axis of the male stub shafted ceramic turbine is coextensive with the axis of the shaft and the stub shaft is mated with the female receptacle and joined by an adhesive. A turbocharger includes a rotor-shaft assembly of the above-described type, in which the metal to ceramic adhesive joint is located in the turbocharger center housing.

Abstract: In order to damp possible vibration of a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine, the blade has a hollow tip portion with an internal surface extending across the direction of the centrifugal field on the blade. A weight comprising e.g. Silicon Nitride or Carbide is caused by centrifugal force to bear on this surface. Relative motion and hence friction between the weight and the surface serves to damp vibration of the blade.

Abstract: A high-temperature, extremely high-speed ceramet composite blade comprising a ceramic blade jacket seated from above on a metallic core having a crossweb near its upper end for securing the jacket on the core by one or more metallic retaining pins extending through the crossweb and secured to the core. A head on each bolt is located within a chamber formed above the cross-web and surrounded by the radially projecting end of the blade jacket. A porous abradable coating is secured to the head of the bolt and substantially fills the chamber. The coating projects slightly beyond the end of the blade jacket and is supplied and permeated with cooling air via a cooling duct extending through the retaining pin and metallic core.