Abstract: An improved exhaust gas NO.sub.x removal system removes NO.sub.x from exhaust gas through a catalytic reduction process making use of ammonia or its precursor as a reducing agent. The system includes a vaporizer in which ammonia or its precursor is vaporized, and one or a plurality of nozzles provided in a flue upstream of an NO.sub.x removal catalyst layer. The number of nozzles corresponds to a cross-sectional area of the same flue. These nozzles eject the ammonia or its precursor, vaporized by superheated steam within the vaporizer, into the flue. The superheated steam to be used in the vaporizer for evaporating ammonia or its precursor can be taken from the exhaust gas boiler itself in which NO.sub.x removal is to be effected.

Abstract: A lock has a shaft coupled to a flexible shaft which synchronizes hydraulic actuators of a translating cowl thrust reverser. The shaft is provided with a rotary brake comprising axially movable rotating and fixed discs urged together by a spring. The rotating discs are rotationally fixed to an armature of a solenoid which, when actuated, releases the rotary brake to allow the shaft to rotate and the thrust reverser to be deployed or stowed.

Abstract: A composite/metal hybrid rocket motor case made by rolling sheets of continuous, unidirectional fiber reinforcement pre-impregnated with an uncured, thermoset or thermoplastic resin about the mandrel using a tube rolling machine to form a liner having discontinuous layers of fiber reinforcement. The liner is inserted into a metal shell configured with elongated slots. A mold is placed around the shell with a bladder placed within the liner. The bladder within the mold is then pressurized to force the liner against the metal shell while the contents of the mold are heated. As the liner cures, it bonds to the shell. Fins, launch lugs, domes and bulkheads may be attached to the metal shell by known attachment methods.

Abstract: A gas turbine having internally cooled thermal barrier coated turbine blades is disclosed. The turbine blades are made from an alloy substrate exhibiting a low coefficient of thermal expansion, an intermediate bond coating and an exterior ceramic coating. Cooling fluid is supplied from the shaft of the compressor where it flows into and out of the turbine blade. Thermal barrier coated turbine blades result in more efficient gas turbine designs.

Abstract: A turbine frame includes first and second coaxially disposed rings having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts extending therebetween. A plurality of clevises join respective first ends of the struts to the first ring for removably joining the struts thereto. Each of the clevises includes a base removably fixedly joined to the first ring, and a pair of legs extending away from the base and spaced apart to define a U-shaped clevis slot receiving the strut first end. The strut first end is removably fixedly joined to the clevis legs by a pair of expansion bolts. The clevis base includes a central aperture aligned with a first port in the first ring for providing access therethrough.

Abstract: A power generation system comprising a gas turbine, a steam turbine and a generator are mounted on a foundation in substantial axial alignment and connected by a single shaft. A thrust bearing is located on the shaft in one of the gas turbine and steam turbine. Whichever of the gas turbine and steam turbine contains the thrust bearing is flexibly secured to the foundation, and the other of the gas turbine and the steam turbine, as well as the generator, are rigidly secured to the foundation. A pair of rigid tie rods also extend between the steam and gas turbines, parallel to the shaft, to maintain a predetermined axial distance between the turbines, while allowing relative movement in a plane perpendicular to the shaft.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine annular combustor (16) has a bulkhead (19) at its upstream end which is protected by an annular array of heatshields (32). Each of the heatshields (32) is spaced apart from the bulkhead (19) by flanges (37, 38,39,40) on the upstream heatshield face. Cooling air entry apertures (47) provided in the bulkhead (19) direct cooling air into the space (36) between the bulkhead (19) and each heatshield (32). The flanges (37,38,39,40) direct the cooling air so that some flows towards a fuel burner aperture (35) in the center of each heatshield (32) while the remainder flows towards the heatshield (32) edges.

Abstract: A thrust reverser for a turbofan engine is disclosed in which the pressure of the gases passing through the cold flow air duct act on a downstream segment of the thrust reverser door so that the door is normally biased toward its closed, forward thrust position. This positively eliminates any possibility of the thrust reverser door inadvertently opening into its reverse thrust position. The thrust reverser according to the present invention is thus self-closing regardless of the position and/or functioning of the typical closing and locking mechanisms. The thrust reverser door assembly has internal and external doors separately pivotally attached to the turbofan housing so as to each be movable between closed, forward thrust positions, and opened, reverse thrust positions. A single actuating mechanism may be utilized to move both of the internal and external doors between their respective closed and opened positions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a clip for securing a segmented panel, such as that of a combustor liner for a gas turbine engine, to the outer shell of the combustor, a clip characterized by having two distinctly different spring rates depending on the magnitude of the load which the clip must support.

Abstract: A fuel shroud system has a chamber for draining leaked fuel. The chamber is partly defined by a drain can and a sealing ferrule having a spherical sealing ferrule/drain can interface. The spherical interface allows rotation of the drain can relative to the sealing ferrule about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ferrule, thereby facilitating installation of the drain can. The sealing ferrule also includes an anti-torquing nut to enable the sealing ferrule to be held rigid while the swivel nut is being torqued, thereby preventing torsional static preloads from being applied to the piping system during installation.

Abstract: A topping combustor is provided for a gas turbine power plant in which the combustion air from the compressor section of the gas turbine is heated in an indirect heat exchanger disposed in a solid fuel fired furnace. The compressed air from the compressor section flows through an annular passage enclosing the combustor inner shell on its way to the furnace, thereby cooling the inner shell. A burner comprised of a fuel distributor plate assembly having a plurality of fuel nozzles mounted therein is disposed in the inner vessel. Further compressed and cooled air from the compressor section flows through the plate assembly and mixes with a conventional fuel supplied to the fuel nozzles. A plurality of holes are formed in the plate assembly which distribute the combustion air around the nozzles. The high combustion air temperature and low gas velocity downstream of the plate assembly allow stable combustion to occur at ultra-lean fuel/air ratios, thereby minimizing the formation of NO.sub.x.

Abstract: An aircraft turbofan engine and method of operation effect variable specific thrust. The engine includes a fan disposed in a fan casing and a booster compressor disposed in a first flow splitter and powered by a core engine. A second flow splitter is disposed inside the fan casing and defines fan outer and inner ducts. The booster compressor includes at least one stage of rotor blades each having a shroud and an integral rotor flade extending radially outwardly therefrom into the fan inner duct. The fan outer duct includes a variable area first exhaust nozzle disposed at an aft end of the fan casing and is positionable in a first position to permit shifting of a portion of the fan air from the outer duct to the inner duct for flow between the flades to vary specific thrust of the engine.

Abstract: An array of chutes is permanently mounted within the flowpath of an exhaust nozzle of an aircraft jet engine for entraining and mixing ambient air with the exhaust gas so as to reduce the noise level of aircraft, particularly during take-off. In order to provide good engine performance during all modes of jet engine operation, a convergent-divergent flap assembly is arranged downstream from the chutes for controlling the nozzle throat and exit areas when the chutes are closed.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor liner having conventional dilution holes disposed therethrough and multi-hole film cooling holes to provide a cooling film on the hot side of the liner is provided with generally rectangular film starting apertures disposed downstream, with respect to the predetermined cooling film flow direction, of the dilution holes in predetermined otherwise cooling film dry areas on the hot side of the combustor liner. In one embodiment the multi-hole film cooling holes and the rectangular film starting apertures are angled sharply in the downstream direction and angled in a circumferential direction which generally coincides with a predetermined swirl angle of the flow along the surface of the liner within the combustion zone.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine annular combustor having a bulkhead at its upstream which is thermally protected by an annular array of heat shields. Each heat shield is provided with integral flanges which space apart the heat shields and bulkhead to define chambers therebetween. Apertures in the bulkhead direct cooling air into the chambers at positions adjacent the outer peripheries of the heat shields. The cooling air flows generally inwards within each chamber before being exhausted therefrom.

Abstract: A ducted fan gas turbine engine (10) is provided with an electric motor starter unit (16). The oil lubrication system of the engine (10) is so arranged that during engine starting, the heat generated by the starter unit (16) is used to heat up the oil in the system. This reduces the viscosity of the oil, thereby facilitating easy engine starting under very cold conditions.

Abstract: A heat exchange apparatus to heat hydrocarbon liquid fuel that is particularly useful for a combustion system and method of operation that by fuel in a heat exchanger and avoids undesirable thermal fuel deposits that would otherwise reduce the effectiveness of the heat exchanger. The invention provides a means to mix a relatively large amount of non-condensable gas with the fuel prior to gasification heating thus reducing the residence time of the fuel adjacent to the hot surface. The non-condensable gas may be air, a cryogenic such as methane, or a chemical fraction of the gasified fuel which by itself does of promote the formation of significant amounts of gums or coke deposits.

Abstract: An aerodynamically efficient flow transfer device having a means to transfer flow from a static element to a rotor element such that the end of the exit flow is substantially parallel to an exit plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor and substantially tangential to the operational rotational direction of the rotor. The preferred embodiment provides a cooling air flow transfer apparatus, between a stationary compressor and turbine rotor, having an inducer which includes cooling air flow holes or passages that are acutely angled in a tangential manner to the rotational direction of the rotor. The passages include a cylindrical section leading to a downstream flared outlet in the form of an open channel that has a back wall with a portion that curves to be parallel to the exit plane of the inducer at the channel's end.

Abstract: A combustor dome assembly is provided with a single continuous annular dome plate having at least one circumferential row of spaced openings therethrough, a swirl cup assembly attached to each of the dome plate openings, and inner and outer cowls connected to the radially inner and outer ends of the dome plate. A ferrule located immediately upstream of the swirl cup assembly acts as an interface between a fuel nozzle and the swirl cup assembly. An integral cowl plate/ferrule retainer is located immediately upstream of and connected to the swirl cup assembly, where the ferrule retainer portion retains the ferrule while allowing it to float radially therewithin and the cowl plate portion includes flanges which extend beyond the outer diameter of the swirl cup to provide blockage in addition to that provided by the inner and outer cowls.

Abstract: A reverse flow annular combustor is provided having downstream wall comprised of a shroud covering the outer surface of the outer transition liner. The shroud abuts the transition liner at a plurality of points to define a plurality of passages between the shroud and the liner. The passages receiving cooling through the shroud at its radial inner end and expel the cooling air through the liner at its outer radial portion and into the hot gas in the combustor. Thus, the air used to cool the liner is also used for dilution mixing with the combustion gas.