Abstract: An ignition lead assembly that includes a seal sub-assembly that permits the ignition lead assembly to be pressurized, thus facilitating a reduction in the formation of corona within the ignition lead assembly. The ignition lead assembly also includes an ignition cable housed within a conduit and attached at each end to a connector. The ignition cable also includes a plurality of wires encased within permeable electrical insulation. The conduit also includes an air-cooled portion and a non-air-cooled portion connected together with a coupling assembly. The seal sub-assembly prevents air pressure from decreasing within the pressurized ignition lead assembly.

Abstract: A flanged joint connection for connecting together by a bolted connection a pair of casing shells having connecting flanges. The connection reduces bearing stress concentrations adjacent fillets provided at the junction of the flange and the casing shell surface. A rectilinear edge portion is provided on a bolt head or a spacer, or both, to avoid point contact of the bolt head or spacer and the flange face or fillet. The rectilinear edge portion includes a convexly-curved surface that faces the fillet. The incidence of cracks between a bolt hole and the fillet, as well as the incidence of circumferential cracks between adjacent bolt holes is significantly reduced.

Abstract: A low pressure turbine shroud includes an arcuate backsheet having opposite mounting rails for engaging a surrounding annular case. The backsheet includes a thicker blade containment shield extending between the rails in a unitary construction. And, a honeycomb rub strip is fixedly joined to the backsheet between the rails.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine borescope plug including a retainer that facilitates extending the useful life of the borescope plug is described. The borescope plug seals a pair of opposing inspection port openings in at least two respective spaced-apart walls and maintains sealing contact despite differential thermal growth between the two walls. The borescope plug includes the retainer, a plunger, and a biasing mechanism. The plunger extends through the biasing mechanism and the retainer. The retainer contacts the cylindrical biasing mechanism and maintains its position relative to the plunger to prevent contact between the plunger and the biasing mechanism.

Abstract: A unitary interstage sealing ring for bridging and sealing the space between the blade shanks of adjacent turbine rotors in a multi-stage turbine. The sealing ring serves to confine relatively cool air conveyed to the turbine so the cooling air flows into the turbine blades for maintaining the blades at a desired temperature. The sealing ring includes a disk-shaped body member that includes a pair of axially-spaced, radially-extending arms that terminate in respective seal teeth for engagement with a stationary annular sealing member. Each of the radial arms includes an outwardly-extending axial arm that terminates in a disk engagement member for sealing engagement with the face of an adjacent turbine disk to confine cooling air within the space between the adjacent turbine disks. Additionally, one of the disk engagement members includes at least one, projection that contacts a respective turbine rotor to limit relative rotation between the sealing ring and the turbine.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a control system for controlling an engine. The control system includes a schedule memory for storing a schedule representing target values for a controlled variable. The control system also includes a processor coupled to the schedule memory. The processor receives a reference input and generates a control signal in response to the reference input and the schedule. The schedule in the schedule memory may be updated to account for engine deterioration so that accurate control is performed. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for controlling an engine. The method includes updating a schedule to account for deterioration of the engine.

Abstract: A variable inlet guide vane includes opposite pressure and suction sides extending along a chord between leading and trailing edges and in span from root to tip. The vane has a maximum thickness greater than about eight percent chord length and located less than about thirty-five percent chord length from the leading edge.

Abstract: Gas turbine engine fuel nozzles are illustrated which induce swirling to fuel flowing to the engine to facilitate reducing fuel coking. Each fuel nozzle includes an inlet, an outlet and a fuel delivery system extending therebetween. The fuel delivery system includes an inner fuel supply tube and an outer fuel supply tube. The inner fuel supply tube is concentrically aligned within the outer fuel supply tube and includes contoured fuel passageways and a center axis of symmetry. As fuel enters the contoured passageways, the fuel is accelerated locally and directed angularly with respect to the axis of symmetry.

Abstract: A control system trims a gas turbine engine in real-time to provide a desired amount of thrust. The control system includes a controller coupled to the engine for receiving inputs from the engine regarding a status of the engine. The controller includes a processor and a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor. The processor is programmed to execute control logic. An engine power schedule representing values for a controlled variable is stored in the memory.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a gas turbine engine retainer having a block, a retainer slot disposed through the block, and a shelf normal to and extending axially forward of the block below the retainer slot. A retainer wall depending radially inwardly from the block and the retainer wall has a retainer wall thickness smaller than a block thickness of the block. The shelf is disposed along a radially inner edge of the retainer wall and the retainer slot is disposed through the retainer wall along the shelf. The retainer slot is arced or curved sideways and may be rectangular in cross-section. The retainer slot may be rectangular in cross-section and the shelf may be a rectangular shelf that is rectangular in cross-section. The retainer slot may also be skewed sideways with respect to a shelf centerline extending axially down a middle of the shelf. A radially extending shelf aperture is disposed through the shelf.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine including an active clearance control system that facilitates extending a useful life of a rotor assembly in a cost effective and reliable manner is described. The engine includes at least one rotor assembly and an engine casing that extends circumferentially around the rotor assembly, such that a tip clearance is defined between the rotor assembly and the engine casing. The clearance control system includes a plurality of panels that couple to extend circumferentially around the engine. Each clearance control system panel includes a circumferential feed duct that is formed integrally with the panel.

Abstract: A bearing support includes a hollow cone diverging between a forward bearing seat and an aft mounting flange. The cone includes an integral annular fuse sized in thickness to fail in shear under abnormal imbalance load transfer between a gas turbine engine fan supported by a bearing in the forward seat and a fan frame mounted to the aft flange.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor disk has a number of annular hubs circumscribed about a centerline and each of the hubs is connected to a disk rim by a web. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart circular arc dovetail slots are disposed through the rim. Circumferentially extending annular burst slots extend radially through the rim into the dovetail slots between each adjacent pair of the webs. The fan blades have circular arc dovetail roots disposed within the circumferentially spaced apart circular arc dovetail slots. A one piece spinner attached to a forward extension of the disk at a location between a tip and an axially aft spinner end of the spinner. Non-integral platforms circumferentially disposed between the fan blades. A booster spool is connected to the rotor disk by a mounting plate therebetween and the platforms are radially retained to the disk and mounting plates by pins through holes in mounting lugs depending radially inwardly from the platforms.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine including a bearing centering sub-assembly that facilitates reduces an effect of radial forces transmitted to a bearing assembly is described. The bearing assembly supports a rotor shaft with a rolling element positioned radially inward from an outer race. The bearing centering sub-assembly is coupled to the outer race and includes a plurality of first springs and a plurality of second springs extending circumferentially in rows. Each first springs is coupled between a second spring and the outer race such that each first spring is radially aligned with respect to each second spring.

Abstract: A vibration detector. A machine, such as a gas turbine engine, contains a rotor bearing and a gear. A nearby sensor produces a train of pulses as teeth of the gear travel past. The frequency of the pulse train indicates rotational speed of the rotor. In addition, vibration of the rotor causes the gear to orbit about another center. The orbiting causes amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, or both, in the pulse train. Detection of the modulation indicates the presence of vibration. Thus, a single pulse train, produced by a single sensor, is used to indicate both speed, and the presence of vibration.

Abstract: A retainer for non-rotatably retaining a conduit member that extends through an opening in a casing wall. The retainer has an annular top wall that includes an inner periphery having inwardly extending projections to engage the outer surface of the conduit member. Additionally, the retainer includes a depending skirt that extends from the outer periphery of the top wall. A pair of outwardly extending straps extend from the skirt and include bolt holes for enabling the retainer to be bolted relative to the casing wall. The retainer limits axial outward movement of the conduit member and also diffuses and deflects any leakage air that passes around the conduit member to avoid impingement of the leakage air against the structural components and accessories that are positioned outside the engine casing.

Abstract: An annular turbine frame has ring disposed coaxially about an axial centerline axis and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart ports. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts are joined radially to the ring by devises on the ring. Each strut has radially opposite first and second ends, and a through channel extending therebetween. Each of the channels is aligned with a corresponding one of the ports. Each of the ports has a port counterbore though a radially outer portion of the port forming a shoulder in the port. A seal is disposed within the port counterbore between the shoulder and the strut.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine including a bearing assembly and a damper sub-assembly that facilitate reducing dynamic motion to the rotor assembly is described. The bearing assembly includes rolling elements positioned between a paired race. The rotor assembly includes a rotor shaft supported by the bearing assembly. The damper sub-assembly is radially outward from the bearing assembly adjacent a sump housing, and includes a damper insert. A predetermined preload force is applied to the rolling elements. An outer race of the bearing assembly distorts to substantially match a distortion pattern of the damper insert.

Abstract: A pipe connection includes a longitudinally extending first pipe portion having an annular first flange at a first distal end of the first pipe and a longitudinally extending second pipe portion having an annular second flange at a second distal end of the second pipe. One of the flanges is a male flange and the other of the flanges is a female flange. The male flange has a ring shaped male wall longitudinally extending from a longitudinally facing flat surface of the male flange. The female flange has a ring shaped female wall longitudinally extending from a longitudinally facing first flat surface of the female flange. The male and female walls are shaped and sized such that the male wall is received within the female wall. A detent is formed from, in, and extending radially away from a first one of the walls toward a second one of the walls. A notch extends radially into the second one of the walls and is sized and shaped to receive the detent therein.

Abstract: A bend die assembly retrofits compressible flanges to permit the flanges to be reinstalled around tubes to form a sealing contact. The bend die assembly includes a base and a bend die. The base includes a first body portion that couples to a second body portion to define a cavity. The bend die includes a base portion, a body portion, and a head portion, and is received within the base cavity. The bend die head portion receives the compressible flange and includes a plurality of expandable segments contoured to substantially conform to a contour of the compressible seal.