Abstract: A combustor for a combustion turbine engine that includes: a chamber defined by an outer wall and forming a channel between windows defined through the outer wall toward a forward end of the chamber and at least one fuel injector positioned toward an aft end of the chamber; and a multilayer screen filter comprising at least two layers of screen over at least a portion of the windows and at least one layer of screen over the remaining portion of the windows. The windows include a forward end and a forward portion, and an aft end and an aft portion. The multilayer screen filter is positioned over the windows such that, in operation, a supply of compressed air entering the chamber through the windows passes through at least one layer of screen. The multilayer screen filter is configured such that the aft portion of the windows include at least two layers of screen, and the forward portion of the windows includes one less layer of screen than the aft portion of the windows.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a rotor blade of a turbine engine that includes a plurality of blades mounted to a rotor shaft, comprising: a) securing a RFID tag that includes an antenna to at least one of the rotor blades; b) securing a RFID reader on a stationary surface on the turbine engine in operational proximity to the RFID tag; and c) during operation of the turbine engine, monitoring the RFID tag with the RFID reader.

Abstract: A method of operating a turbine engine, wherein the turbine engine includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a plurality of successive axially stacked stages that include a row of circumferentially spaced stator blades and circumferentially spaced rotor blades, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced injection ports disposed upstream of a first row of stator blades in the turbine; the injection ports comprising a port through which cooling air is injected into the hot-gas path of the turbine, the method comprising: configuring the stator blades in the first row of stator blades such that the circumferential position of a leading edge of one of the stator blades is located within +/?15% pitch of the first row of stator blades of the circumferential location of the injection port midpoint of at least a plurality of the injection ports.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade for a gas turbine engine including an airfoil and dovetail for mounting the airfoil along a radial axis to a rotor disk inboard of a turbine shroud, the airfoil comprising: a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall that join together at a leading edge and a trailing edge, the pressure sidewall and suction sidewall extending from a root to a tip plate; a pressure tip wall that extends radially outwardly from the tip plate, traversing from the leading edge to the trailing edge such that the pressure tip wall resides approximately adjacent to the termination of the pressure sidewall; a suction tip wall that extends radially outwardly from the tip plate, traversing from the leading edge to the trailing edge such that the suction tip wall resides approximately adjacent to the termination of the suction sidewall; and one or more tip ribs that extend substantially between the pressure tip wall and the suction tip wall.

Abstract: A metered cooling slot disposed in a wall comprising an outer surface that is exposed to a hot gas stream and an inner surface that defines an internal coolant chamber through which a coolant passes, the metered cooling slot comprising: a slot formed within the outer surface elongated in a first direction, the slot comprising a pair of spaced apart, opposing, slot surfaces and a base, the slot surfaces intersecting the outer surface to form a slot outlet opposite the base; and two or more metering apertures formed within the wall, each metering aperture intersecting the inner surface of the wall to form a metering aperture inlet and intersecting one of the pair of slot surfaces to form a metering aperture outlet; wherein: D represents the approximate diameter of at least two of the metering apertures; P represents the approximate distance between the center lines of at least two neighboring metering apertures; and P/D comprises a value within the range of about 4 to 6.

Abstract: A turbine blade that may include a tip shroud, the tip shroud having one or more cooling cavities defined therein, an airfoil, the airfoil having at least one coolant passage defined therein, and a plurality of exit apertures defined through an outer wall of at least one of the cooling cavities that, in use, may allow a pressurized coolant to exit at least one of the cooling cavities. The coolant passage may extend through the airfoil such that the coolant passage is in fluid communication with the cooling cavity. And, the plurality of exit apertures may include at least one round exit aperture and at least one non-round exit aperture.

Abstract: A turbine bucket that may include an airfoil having a tip shroud, the tip shroud having an edge; wherein the edge has a profile substantially in accordance with values of X and Y in a Cartesian coordinate system set forth in Table 1 at points 1-14, wherein X and Y represent distances that may be proportionally scaled by a common multiplier which, once scaled and connected, define the profile of the edge of the tip shroud.

Abstract: A turbine wheel hole plug that includes: 1) an approximate cylindrical body, the cylindrical body sized such that the cylindrical body fits snugly into a turbine wheel hole; 2) a first flange at a first end of the cylindrical body, the first flange being approximately cylindrical in shape and having a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the turbine wheel hole; and 3) a second flange at a second end of the cylindrical body, the second flange comprising a flared flange. The first flange and the second flange may lock the cylindrical body into a preferred position in the turbine wheel hole.

Abstract: An electrical system for connecting a wind turbine to a power grid that includes: a frequency converter that converts electric power produced by a generator of the wind turbine into electric power that is synchronized with the electric power of the power grid; a transformer that steps up the voltage for connection to the power grid, the transformer being disposed between the frequency converter and a connection to the power grid; and a grid-side crowbar circuit; wherein the grid-side crowbar circuit is configured to apply a short circuit to the electrical system upon the detection of a fault.

Abstract: A turbine blade that may include a tip shroud that comprises one or more cooling cavities formed therein. At least one of the cooling cavities may include a plurality of ribs and a first interior wall that generally opposes a second interior wall across the cooling cavity. The plurality of ribs may be configured such that some of the ribs originate at the first interior wall of the cooling cavity and extend toward the second interior wall of the cooling cavity and some of the ribs originate at the second interior wall of the cooling cavity and extend toward the first interior wall of the cooling cavity. The ribs that originate at the first interior wall of the cooling cavity and extend toward the second interior wall of the cooling cavity may be oriented and sized so that at least some of the ribs extend across at least a majority of the distance across the cooling cavity.

Abstract: A method of operating a filtration system that filters flue gas, which includes particulate matter and a gaseous pollutant. The filtration system may include a fabric filter, which is cleaned with periodic pulse cleanings, a discharge electrode upstream of the fabric filter, which imparts an electric charge to at least some of the particulate matter before the particulate matter collects on the fabric filter, a sorbent, which is injected into the flue gas upstream of the fabric filter and absorbs at least some of the gaseous pollutant, and a fan, which draws the flue gas through the fabric filter. The filtration system may have a pulse cleaning interval setting that may be manipulated by an operator of the filtration system. The pulse cleaning interval setting may be the time between the pulse cleanings.

Abstract: The present application further describes a turbine blade that may include an airfoil, a tip shroud that is positioned at one end of the turbine blade, a coolant passage that extends through the airfoil to the tip shroud, and a continuous cooling cavity that is defined within the tip shroud and that is in fluid communication with the coolant passage. The continuous cooling cavity may form a labyrinth cooling circuit within the tip shroud.

Abstract: A circumferentially extending brush seal positioned between static and rotary components of a machine and, during operation of the machine, the brush seal having a higher pressure region at an upstream side and a lower pressure region at a downstream side. The brush seal may include a plurality of bristles forming a bristle pack carried by the static component and cantilevered toward the rotary component such that tips of at least some of the bristles engage the rotary component. The brush seal further may include a pressure plate and a bristle pack backing plate. The bristle backing plate may include a plurality of radially extending and circumferentially spaced slots opening through opposite sides thereof. The slots may be disposed on an inner radial edge and an outer radial edge of the bristle backing plate.

Abstract: A method for plugging a turbine wheel hole in a turbine wheel. The method may include the steps of: 1) obtaining a turbine wheel hole plug that includes an approximate cylindrical body, a first flange at a first end of the body, and a hollow cylinder at the second end of the body, wherein the body, the first flange and the hollow cylinder are sized such that: a) the cylindrical body fits snuggly into the turbine wheel hole; b) the first flange comprises a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the turbine wheel hole; and c) the hollow cylinder protrudes from one end of the turbine wheel hole when the turbine wheel hole plug is inserted into the other end of the turbine wheel hole until the first flange abuts the turbine wheel; 2) positioning the turbine wheel hole plug into the turbine wheel hole; and 3) deforming the hollow cylinder so that the hollow cylinder flares outward.

Abstract: A support arrangement for a diaphragm segment in a turbine casing that includes: 1) a support bar joined to a diaphragm segment; 2) a turbine casing comprising a vertical wall and a horizontal shoulder, wherein a portion of the horizontal shoulder underlies the support bar; 3) a cut out area defined by the vertical wall and an outer edge of the support bar; and 4) a shim interposed between the horizontal shoulder and the support bar. The cut out area may be a size that allows the shim to pass through.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a turbine that may include: (1) a nozzle blade having inner and outer sidewalls and, in part, defining a flowpath upon assembly into the turbine; (2) an outer ring; (3) a flowsplitter having a horizontal extension; (4) an interface between the outer ring and the outer sidewall having at least one of (i) a male/female interface or (ii) a radial interlock; and (5) an interface between the horizontal extension and the inner sidewall having at least one of (i) the male/female interface or (ii) the radial interlock. In some embodiments, one of the interface between the outer ring and the outer sidewall and the interface between the horizontal extension and the inner sidewall comprises a weld and one of the interface between the outer ring and the outer sidewall and the interface between the horizontal extension and the inner sidewall is weld free.

Abstract: A system for reducing fouling and improving efficiency in a coal-fired power plant that may include: 1) an analyzer grid, the analyzer grid including a plurality of sensors that measure gas characteristics through an approximate cross section of a flow through a boiler of the coal-fired power plant; 2) a plurality of air injectors with enhanced controllability; 3) means for analyzing the measurements of the gas characteristics; and 4) means for controlling the air injectors with enhanced controllability. The analysis of the measurements of the gas characteristics may include analyzing the measurements to determine zones of non-homogeneous flow.

Abstract: A particulate filtration system for removing particulates suspended in a fluid that includes: 1) a filter element; 2) a pre-collector body component operably connected to the filter element and capable of receiving an electrical charge to attract and remove particles suspended in the fluid; and 3) means for cooling the pre-collector body component. The means for cooling the pre-collector body component may include a convective cooling channel through which a coolant flows. The system may further include a discharge electrode spaced apart from the pre-collector body component. The discharge electrode may be capable of receiving an electrical charge causing a difference in the electronic potential between the pre-collector body component and the discharge electrode.

Abstract: A system in a steam turbine for removing water droplets from the flowpath of a steam turbine that may include a groove for collecting water droplets, and a plurality of moisture removal holes originating within the groove. The groove may run in a circumferential manner around an outer sidewall of the steam turbine, be axially positioned upstream and in close proximity to the leading edge of a nozzle, and have a gradual slope at a leading edge and a steep wall at a trailing edge. The moisture removal holes may be a channel through the outer sidewall through which the water droplets that collect in the groove may flow.

Abstract: A method of operating a turbine, the method including the steps of: 1) gathering measured creep data for a blade while the turbine operates at different operating temperatures, the measured creep data comprising at least a measured creep rate for the blade (wherein the different operating temperatures include at least a first operating temperature and a second operating temperature); and 2) given the measured creep data for the blade while the turbine operated at the first operating temperature and the measured creep data for the blade while the turbine operated at the second operating temperature, determining whether operating the turbine at the first operating temperature or the second operating temperature is more economically efficient.