Abstract: A field deployable, portable structured light measurement (SLM) apparatus, together with a structured light measurement process to manage part to part variation in production and in the field, to support both rotor airfoil mistuning and rotor airfoil repair limits.

Abstract: Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for removing contaminant ions from water within an aquifer. The devices, systems, methods employ an elecrokinetic driving force to induce the migration of charged species towards electrodes, where they can be concentrated and removed from the aquifer. In this way, the devices, systems, methods described herein can be used to economically remediate groundwater contaminated with charged species.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having a first assembly with a first radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a first portion of an intramedullary implant or canal in a bone, and a second assembly having a second radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a second portion of the intramedullary implant or canal. The surgical instrument may also include a third radio-opaque portion providing an alignment feature to provide a fluoroscopic planar check for the surgical instrument.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for an axi-centrifugal compressor in a gas turbine engine for a business aviation or rotorcraft propulsion unit. The compressor includes an axial compressor section operable to affect a first pressure ratio along the flow path between a compressor inlet and a first section exit, and a centrifugal compressor section operable to affect a second pressure ratio along the flow path between a second section inlet and the compressor exit. The pressure rise across the axial and centrifugal compressor section is configured to have a tuning factor is in a range between 2.8 and 4.5 and a loading factor in a range between 0.6 and 0.8.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having a first assembly with a first radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a first portion of an intramedullary implant or canal in a bone, and a second assembly having a second radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a second portion of the intramedullary implant or canal. The surgical instrument may also include a third radio-opaque portion providing an alignment feature to provide a fluoroscopic planar check for the surgical instrument.

Abstract: A rotor blade comprises a mount and a blade that extends from the mount along a radial axis. The leading edge includes an indent segment. The leading edge has a leading edge radial length measured along the radial axis. The indent segment has an indent radial length measured along the radial axis. The indent segment has an indent depth. A first ratio of the indent radial length to the leading edge radial length is at most 0.5. A second ratio of the indent depth to the indent radial length is at least 0.05.

Abstract: Various surgical devices and methods are disclosed herein. Also disclosed is multi-component prosthesis, which can be used as an ankle prosthesis. One of the disclosed surgical alignment systems includes a guide arm, a ratchet arm frame configured to be coupled slidably to the guide arm, a ratchet arm configured to be coupled to the ratchet arm frame, and a sagittal sizing guide body configured to be coupled to the ratchet arm. The sagittal sizing guide body includes a first radiopaque object disposed at a first position and a second radiopaque object disposed at a second position that is spaced apart from the first position.

Abstract: A compressor for a turbine engine includes a shroud having a grooved section including a plurality of groove segments extending radially into a shroud surface. A rotor assembly rotatably supported in the shroud includes a rotor hub and a plurality of rotor blades. Each rotor blade extends radially from the rotor hub and terminates at a blade tip, which is spaced from the shroud surface by a tip gap and defines a non-constant clearance region between a leading edge position and a medial chord position along the blade chord at the minimum tip clearance. The rotor blades generate an aft axial fluid flow through the shroud and the grooved section is formed in the shroud surface upstream of the medial chord position within the non-constant clearance region for resisting a reverse axial fluid flow through the tip gap when the compressor section is operated at near stall conditions.

Abstract: Methods are provided for improving performance of a gas turbine engine comprising a component having a rotor mounted in a rotor casing and having rotor blades. A tip sweep is applied to a leading edge of one or more rotor blades each having a pressure sidewall and a circumferentially opposing suction sidewall extending in a radial direction between a root and a tip and in an axial direction between the leading edge and a trailing edge. One or more blade geometric design parameters are adjusted. A rotor casing treatment is applied to the rotor casing over at least one of the one or more rotor blades. The applying and adjusting steps are performed during design of the rotor and cause a measured stall margin to substantially match a required stall margin with an increase in efficiency of the component.

Abstract: Variable vane devices containing rotationally-driven translating vane structures are provided, as are methods for fabricating variable vane devices. In one embodiment, the variable vane device includes a flow assembly having a centerline, an annular flow passage extending through the flow assembly, cam mechanisms, and rotationally-driven translating vane structures coupled to the flow assembly and rotatable relative thereto. The translating vane structures include vane bodies positioned within the annular flow passage and angularly spaced about the centerline. During operation of the variable vane device, the cam mechanisms adjust translational positions of the vane bodies within the annular flow passage in conjunction with rotation of the translating vane structures relative to the flow assembly.

Abstract: Multistage gas turbine engine (GTE) compressors having optimized stall enhancement feature (SEF) configurations are provided, as are methods for the production thereof. The multistage GTE compressor includes a series of axial compressor stages each containing a rotor mounted to a shaft of a gas turbine engine. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps or processes of selecting a plurality of engine speeds distributed across an operational speed range of the gas turbine engine, identifying one or more stall limiting rotors at each of the selected engine speeds, establishing an SEF configuration in which SEFs are integrated into the multistage GTE compressor at selected locations corresponding to the stall limiting rotors, and producing the multistage GTE compressor in accordance with the optimized SEF configuration.

Abstract: An automated test equipment (ATE) system includes a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track; a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circle; and a clock/sync connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each instrument utilizes the CRC to coordinate its testing process with another instrument.

Abstract: An automated test equipment (ATE) system includes a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track; a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circle; and a clock/sync connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each instrument utilizes the CRC to coordinate its testing process with another instrument.

Abstract: An automated test equipment (ATE) system includes a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track; a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circle; and a clock/sync connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each instrument utilizes the CRC to coordinate its testing process with another instrument.

Abstract: An automated test equipment (ATE) system includes a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track; a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circle; and a clock/sync connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each instrument utilizes the CRC to coordinate its testing process with another instrument.

Abstract: Systems and methods for motion capture are disclosed. In one arrangement a plurality of cameras are provided and a processing unit is configured to perform processing using image data from each of the plurality of cameras. Each of the cameras comprises an accelerometer and the processing unit is configured to perform processing that is dependent on an output from the accelerometers. In another arrangement each of the cameras comprises a temperature sensor and the processing unit is configured to perform processing that is dependent on an output from the temperature sensors.

Abstract: A rotary introducer is provided for introducing a trackable element and/or contaminant onto a flow path of a food-transit system without adjusting a flow-rate. The introducer comprises an inlet and an outlet which is communicable with a food-transit conduit; and a pair of rotatable driving/drivable members. In a trackable-element receiving condition, the inlet is open to receive a trackable element in the device cavity, and the outlet is closed by at least one of the driving/drivable member. However, in a discharge condition, the outlet is open such that a trackable-element discharge force is directed radially inwardly through the outlet to discharge the trackable element from the device cavity, thus enabling outlet to close. A food-transit system using the rotary introducer and a method of introducing a trackable element and/or contaminant into food-transit system without adjusting a flow-rate of foodstuffs therethrough are also provided.

Abstract: Various surgical devices and methods are disclosed herein. Also disclosed is multi-component prosthesis, which can be used as an ankle prosthesis. One of the disclosed surgical alignment systems includes a guide arm, a ratchet arm frame configured to be coupled slidably to the guide arm, a ratchet arm configured to be coupled to the ratchet arm frame, and a sagittal sizing guide body configured to be coupled to the ratchet arm. The sagittal sizing guide body includes a first radiopaque object disposed at a first position and a second radiopaque object disposed at a second position that is spaced apart from the first position.

Abstract: Variable stator vane assemblies and stator vanes thereof having a local swept leading edge are provided. The variable stator vane comprises an airfoil disposed between spaced apart inner and outer buttons centered about a rotational axis. The inner and outer buttons each have a button forward edge portion. The airfoil includes leading and trailing edges, pressure and suction sides, and a root and a tip. The leading edge, at least a portion of which extends forward of the buttons, includes a local forward sweep at the root, thereby forming a locally swept root of the leading edge thereat. The button forward edge portion of the inner button is substantially vertically aligned with the locally swept leading edge root. Methods are also provided for minimizing endwall leakage in the variable stator vane assembly using the same.

Abstract: Multistage gas turbine engine (GTE) compressors having optimized stall enhancement feature (SEF) configurations are provided, as are methods for the production thereof. The multistage GTE compressor includes a series of axial compressor stages each containing a rotor mounted to a shaft of a gas turbine engine. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps or processes of selecting a plurality of engine speeds distributed across an operational speed range of the gas turbine engine, identifying one or more stall limiting rotors at each of the selected engine speeds, establishing an SEF configuration in which SEFs are integrated into the multistage GTE compressor at selected locations corresponding to the stall limiting rotors, and producing the multistage GTE compressor in accordance with the optimized SEF configuration.