Abstract: The disclosure relates to a unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) that includes a refrigerant loop having a condenser, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator hydraulically connected in series. An electrically driven compressor is provided to circulate a two-phase refrigerant through the refrigerant loop to transfer heat from the evaporator to the condenser. The unitary HPAC also includes a cold side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a cold side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the evaporator. The unitary HPAC further includes a hot side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a hot side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the condenser. The refrigerant loop transfer heat from the cold side chiller to the hot side chiller, thereby cooling the cold side coolant loop and heating the hot side coolant loop. The components of the unitary HPAC are mounted on a common platform.

Abstract: A sealing assembly is provided. The sealing assembly includes a foil disposed circumferentially around a rotating component and configured to provide primary sealing to the rotating component between high pressure and low pressure sides and a spring system disposed adjacent to the foil. The spring system includes a plurality of features to facilitate foil surface to follow excursions of the rotating component, wherein the plurality of features provide secondary sealing from the high pressure to the low pressure sides between the foil and a stationary component.

Abstract: An evaporator has a manifold and a plurality of refrigerant tubes extending downward in the direction of gravity from the manifold. The evaporator includes at least one PCM housing engaging the upper portion of the refrigerant tube for storing a phase change material. When operating in a first operating mode, heat is transferred from the phase change material to the refrigerant to freeze and cool the phase change material. When operating in a second operating mode, heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the frozen phase change material to condense the refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant falls downwardly through the tubes and receives heat from a flow of air to cool the air and evaporate the refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant rises upwardly back to the low pressure of the cold manifold.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a pulse detonation tool is provided for fracturing subterranean formations. The pulse detonation tool includes a pulse detonation combustor and creates an isolated zone within a wellbore. The tool generate a series of repeating supersonic shock waves that are directed into the subterranean formation to cause propagation of multiple fractures into the formation. According to another aspect of the invention, a method and system for fracturing a subterranean formation using pulse detonation is provided.

Abstract: Apparatuses useable in an offshore drilling installation close to the seabed for controlling well influx within a wellbore are provided. An apparatus includes a centralizer and flow constrictor assembly, a sensor and a controller. The centralizer and flow constrictor assembly are configured to centralize a drill string within a drill riser and regulate a return mud flow. The sensor is located close to the centralizer and flow constrictor assembly and configured to acquire values of at least one parameter related to the return mud flow. The controller is coupled to the centralizer and flow constrictor assembly and the sensor. The controller is configured to control the centralizer and flow constrictor assembly to achieve a value of a control parameter close to a predetermined value, based on the values acquired by the sensor.

Abstract: This disclosure details methods and techniques for inhibiting natural gas hydrate formation in gas conduits. In one embodiment, an article is provided which comprises (a) a gas conduit defining a gas flow channel; (b) an interior surface of the gas conduit; (c) a hydrate inhibiting coating on the interior surface, wherein the coating comprises: (i) component A, a one- or two-part room temperature vulcanizable polyorganosiloxane composition comprising a surface-treated filler, a condensation catalyst, and a crosslinking agent; and any reaction products thereof; and optionally (ii) component B, a hydrate release-enhancing proportion of at least one polyorganosiloxane comprising one or more silanol or alkoxy-silyl groups and comprising from about 10 weight percent to about 85 weight percent of at least one hydroxy-terminated or alkoxy-terminated polyoxyalkylenealkyl radical; and optionally (iii) any reaction products thereof.

Abstract: Detecting and/or mitigating the presence of particle contaminants in a MEMS device involves including MEMS structures that in normal operation are robust against the presence of particles but which can be made sensitive to that presence during a test mode prior to use, e.g.

Abstract: An air conditioning system including an evaporator having a manifold and a plurality of tubes extending downward in a vertical direction from the manifold. The evaporator defines at least one PCM tank engaging the manifold for storing a phase change material. When operating in a first operating mode, heat is transferred from the phase change material to the refrigerant to freeze and cool the phase change material. When operating in a second operating mode, heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the frozen phase change material to condense the refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant falls downwardly through the tubes and receives heat from a flow of air to cool the air and evaporate the refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant rises upwardly back to the low pressure of the cold manifold.

Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine is provided. The seal assembly includes multiple sealing device segments disposed intermediate to a stationary housing and a rotor. Each of the segments includes at least one plate and a sealing element. The seal assembly also includes multiple inter-segment gaps formed between the multiple sealing device segments. Further, for each pair of adjacent sealing device segments, at least one pair of adjacent plates includes one plate overlapping another plate at an inter-segment gap.

Abstract: A device operating in an environment includes a fiber optic sensing system having one or more fiber optic sensors disposed in the device and configured to detect one or more parameters related to the device. The parameters may include temperature, strain, pressure, vibration, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: An evaporator having a manifold and a plurality of refrigerant tubes extending downward in the direction of gravity from the manifold. The evaporator includes at least one PCM housing engaging the upper portion of the refrigerant tube for storing a phase change material. When operating in a first operating mode, heat is transferred from the phase change material to the refrigerant to freeze and cool the phase change material. When operating in a second operating mode, heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the frozen phase change material to condense the refrigerant. The condensed refrigerant falls downwardly through the tubes and receives heat from a flow of air to cool the air and evaporate the refrigerant. The evaporated refrigerant rises upwardly back to the low pressure of the cold manifold.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and a method of controlling a HVAC system that is configured to provide a perceived comfortable ambient environment to an occupant seated in a vehicle cabin. The system includes a nozzle configured to direct an air stream from the HVAC system to the location of a thermally sensitive portion of the body of the occupant. The system also includes a controller configured to determine an air stream temperature and an air stream flow rate necessary to establish the desired heat supply rate for the sensitive portion and provide a comfortable thermal environment by thermally isolating the occupant from the ambient vehicle cabin temperature. The system may include a sensor to determine the location of the sensitive portion. The nozzle may include a thermoelectric device to heat or cool the air stream.

Abstract: A thermoelectric heat exchanger and a thermoelectric heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) configured to provide a cooled fluid or air stream and a heated fluid or air stream. The thermoelectric heat exchanger may include a plurality thermoelectric devices (TEDs), also known as thermoelectric coolers (TECs) or Peltier coolers, in thermal communication. The thermoelectric devices may be arranged in a three dimensional array to provide compact packaging for the thermoelectric heat exchanger assembly. The thermoelectric heat exchanger may be configured to transfer thermal energy between a first thermoelectric device and a second thermoelectric device via evaporation and condensation of a working fluid or refrigerant contained within the thermoelectric heat exchanger.

Abstract: A combustor includes an end cover and a combustion chamber downstream of the end cover. The combustor further includes nozzles disposed radially in the end cover and a shroud surrounding at least one of the nozzles and extending downstream into the combustion chamber. The shroud includes an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface. A method for operating a combustor includes flowing compressed working fluid through nozzles into a combustion chamber, flowing fuel through each nozzle in a first subset of the nozzles into the combustion chamber, and igniting the fuel from each nozzle in the first subset of nozzles in the combustion chamber. In addition, the method includes extending into the combustion chamber a separate shroud around each nozzle in a second subset of the nozzles and isolating fuel to each nozzle in the second subset of nozzles.

Abstract: A system and method to eliminate hard rub and optimize a purge flow in a gas turbine is provided. The gas turbine includes a stator configured to guide a flow of an incoming gas. The gas turbine also includes a rotor configured to expand the incoming gas and extract kinetic energy from the incoming gas. The gas turbine further includes a purge flow bled from a compressor and configured to reduce a temperature of a wheel space by limiting ingestion of the incoming gas. The gas turbine also includes an angel wing disposed between the rotor and the stator and configured to act as a sealing surface between the rotor and the stator. The gas turbine further includes a fan blade disposed on a surface of the angel wing at an axial position and configured to generate a recirculation zone of the purge flow, wherein the recirculation zone is reduces a volume of successive purge flows entering the wheel space.

Abstract: A combustor includes an end cover and a combustion chamber downstream of the end cover. The combustor further includes nozzles disposed radially in the end cover and a shroud surrounding at least one of the nozzles and extending downstream into the combustion chamber. The shroud includes an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface. A method for operating a combustor includes flowing compressed working fluid through nozzles into a combustion chamber, flowing fuel through each nozzle in a first subset of the nozzles into the combustion chamber, and igniting the fuel from each nozzle in the first subset of nozzles in the combustion chamber. In addition, the method includes extending into the combustion chamber a separate shroud around each nozzle in a second subset of the nozzles and isolating fuel to each nozzle in the second subset of nozzles.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensing system comprises a housing disposed in a flow path, and a fiber optic sensor. The fiber optic sensor comprises an optical fiber secured in the housing, a Bragg grating, a light source for transmitting light to the optical fiber, and a detector for detecting light filtered by the Bragg grating of the optical fiber and monitoring wavelength changes of the detected light. The fiber is substantially perpendicular to the flow path. The housing defines an opening at an upstream side to allow flow through the flow path to exert a pressure on the optical fiber and cause a deformation of the Bragg grating.

Abstract: An internal heat exchanger assembly for an air conditioning system, having a substantial cylindrical cavity in which a helical coil tube is coaxially disposed within the cylindrical cavity. A bleed valve assembly is incorporated into the helical coiled tube, in which the bleed valve assembly is adapted to open at a predetermined differential pressure between the high pressure side and low pressure side of the internal heat exchanger. The bleed valve selectively bleeds refrigerant from the high pressure side to the low pressure side, thereby increasing the pressure and mass flow rate of the refrigerant to the suction side of a compressor to reduce or eliminate compressor rattle.

Abstract: An air conditioning system having an improved internal heat exchanger (IHX) assembly. The IHX assembly includes an elongated cavity for low pressure refrigerant flow from an evaporator and an interior tube disposed within the cavity for high pressure refrigerant flow from a condenser, and a pressure equalization passage between the low and high pressure sides. The passage is large enough to allow pressures to equalize between the condenser and evaporator while the air conditioning system is inactive, so as to prevent the pressure differential that would otherwise enable the loss of refrigerant oil from the compressor, and small enough not to effect the operation of the air conditioning system. The pressure equalization passage may be a by-pass valve assembly having a reed portion that is normally open when the air conditioning system is inactive and closed when the air conditioning system is active for maximum cooling efficiency.

Abstract: The assembly includes a pair of heat exchangers, each including an upper and lower manifold, parallel and spaced relative to one another. Tubes extend between each set of upper and lower manifolds with fins disposed between each of the tubes. A valve system controls fluid flow between the upper manifolds and the lower manifolds. The valve system is movable between a maximum cooling mode with fluid flow form the first upper manifold through both of the tubes and to said first lower manifold. A temperate mode allows fluid to flow from the first upper manifold to the first lower manifold and from the second upper manifold to the second lower manifold to prevent flash fogging. A maximum cooling mode allows fluid to flow from the second upper manifold through both of the first and second tubes to the lower manifolds.