Abstract: The flow of cooling fluid through core tie holes formed between the internal cooling passageways of turbine airfoils is reduced by disposing flow deflectors on the wall adjacent to the holes. The deflectors alter the local static pressure near the holes, thereby minimizing the pressure differential across the holes so as to reduce the flow of cooling fluid.

Abstract: A compressor casing is configured to surround blade tips in a compressor stage. The casing includes stall grooves with adjoining lands defining respective local gaps with the blade tips. At least one of the lands is offset to locally increase a corresponding one of the gaps larger than the nominal gap for the casing to reduce tip rubbing thereat.

Abstract: A composite shaft whose construction and fabrication enable precise placement and orientation of reinforcement fiber bundles, enable close control of runout, and eliminate a separate joining operation for attaching mechanical drive couplings. The composite shaft generally includes an inner shell, a spacing member circumscribing and contacting the inner shell, and a bundle of fibers disposed in each of a number of longitudinally-extending cavities in the spacing member. The shaft also has an outer portion that encases the fiber bundles in the spacing member. The shaft preferably includes end pieces attached to the end of the shaft and adapted as mechanical coupling features. At least the end pieces, spacing member and fiber bundles are joined in a manner that defines a metal matrix surrounding and encasing the fiber bundles.

Abstract: An igniter for a combustor of a gas turbine comprises a ground shell electrical conductor which provides the electrical ground path back to the spark source. The spark source connects to the conductor and a ground return path connects to the ground shell. Multiple ignition spark source electrical conductors are used in the single igniter. At least one insulator isolates the spark sources from each other and from the ground shell conductor. An electrical connection, typically a connector that would mate with an ignition source electrical lead having a source conductor, a ground conductor, and insulation to separate these conductors, mates with a spark source to operate the igniter.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at leading and trailing edges, and extending from root to tip. The tip includes a tip rib extending from a tip cap enclosing an internal flow channel between the sidewalls. An aligned pair of first and second holes extend through the tip cap and rib, respectively, for discharging coolant from the flow channel.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine nozzle segment includes at least two circumferentially adjacent vanes joined together along an interface between the vanes. Each of the vanes includes a hollow airfoil disposed between radially inner and outer band panels and a cooling air intake duct leading to a hollow interior of the airfoil for directing cooling air into the hollow interior. The intake duct has a duct wall protruding radially outward from the outer band panel and at least one impingement cooling hole disposed through the intake duct wall and circumferentially and radially inwardly angled. A flange portion extends circumferentially along the outer band panel and an opening in the flange portion is in fluid communication with the intake duct. The hollow airfoil, radially inner and outer band panels, intake duct wall, and flange portion are integrally formed and, preferably, integrally cast such that the vane is a single piece integrally cast vane.

Abstract: A turbine blade squealer tip includes an airfoil shaped tip cap having a squealer tip wall extending radially outwardly from and around the perimeter of the airfoil shaped tip cap to define a radially outwardly open tip cavity. The tip wall has an inboard side facing the interior of the cavity and an outboard side facing away from the cavity and the tip cap has an outer tip side on a bottom of the cavity. Thermal barrier coatings are disposed on the inboard and outboard sides of the squealer tip wall and on the outer tip side of the tip cap. One embodiment provides the tip cap with cooling holes disposed therethrough to flow cooling air into the cavity.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls extending between leading and trailing edges and from root to tip. The tip includes a floor bounding an internal cooling channel within the airfoil which channels cooling air. The airfoil tip includes a first rib adjacent the pressure sidewall, a second rib spaced therefrom to define a first slot, and a third rib adjacent the suction sidewall to define a second slot with the second rib. The tip floor includes feed holes extending between the cooling channel and the first slot for supplying cooling air therein for discharge over the second rib towards the third rib.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a plurality of internal ribs defining at least two independent serpentine cooling circuits having outer and inner serpentine portions, respectively, in different longitudinal tiers with the outer serpentine position being disposed longitudinally above the inner tier serpentine position for differentially longitudinally cooling the airfoil. The outer and inner serpentine portions include outer and inner exits and entrances wherein the outer and inner exits are positioned aft of the outer and inner entrances, respectively, so as to have a chordal flow direction aftwards from the leading edge to the trailing edge within the serpentine portions.

Abstract: A vectoring ring support and actuation apparatus is provided for transferring the side loads acting on a vectoring ring and generated by a gas turbine engine thrust vectoring nozzle to a relatively stationary portion of the engine and tilting the vectoring ring to vector the thrust of the nozzle. The apparatus includes an axially pivotable first link pivotably mounted on a relatively stationary first portion of the engine, an axially pivotable second link pivotably supported by and connected to the first link, and a vectoring ring connected to an aft end of the second link. An actuator is operably mounted between a relatively stationary second portion of the engine (spaced axially apart from the stationary first portion of the engine) and the second link to axially pivot the first link with respect. Preferably a first joint links the actuator to the second link and has at least first and second rotational degrees of freedom with corresponding first and second perpendicular axes of rotation.

Abstract: Assembly of the combustor dome in a gas turbine engine is facilitated by providing a self-fixturing configuration. The combustor dome assembly is made up of a dome plate having a plurality of swirler assemblies mounted therein. Each swirler assembly is provided with a locating pin that extends between the dome plate and the swirler assembly for positioning the swirler assembly with respect to the dome plate without the use of fixturing tools. Preferably, the swirler assembly includes a swirl cup and an outlet sleeve mounted in the dome plate. The locating pin is pressed into a hole formed in the swirl cup. One end of the pin is received in a slot formed in the dome plate, and the other end of the pin is received in a slot formed in the outlet sleeve. Thus, the locating pin sets the circumferential orientation of the swirler assembly in relation to the dome plate.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine drive shaft includes a tubular main shaft and an annular end fitting disposed coaxially therewith. The shaft and fitting have corresponding ends abutting at a joint. An annular collar surrounds the shaft and fitting over the joint and is bonded thereto for carrying torsional, tensile, and bending loads across the joint. In this way, a composite main shaft may be joined to a monolithic end fitting.

Abstract: A method for determining the appropriate hole parameters to achieve the desired airflow in a swirler with as-cast air jet holes includes the steps of determining the desired airflow through the holes and selecting a hole angle for the holes. Next, the ratio of the hole exit area to the hole inlet area is calculated based on the desired airflow and the selected hole angle using a regression equation. Then a value is determined for either of the hole exit area or the hole inlet area, and the other area is calculated from the known ratio. Once the hole angle, hole exit area and hole inlet area have been determined, then a swirler can be cast with as-cast holes using these hole parameters.

Abstract: Multi-hole film cooling of combustor liners is enhanced by providing clustered groups of cooling holes in areas of the liners that would otherwise experience a loss of cooling film effectiveness. The combustor liner is made up of a shell having first and second groups of cooling holes formed therein. The cooling holes of the second group are more closely spaced than the cooling holes of the first group. The second group of cooling holes is located on an area of the shell where the cooling film effectiveness is degraded. Preferred locations include a region of the shell that is subjected to swirl impingement and a spot immediately downstream of a large opening in the shell such as a dilution hole, a borescope hole or an igniter port hole.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine airfoil includes an airfoil outer wall having widthwise spaced apart pressure and suction sidewall sections extending chordally between leading and trailing edges of the airfoil and extending longitudinally from a base to a tip. Inside the airfoil is at least one internal cooling circuit having a plurality of longitudinally extending circuit channels between longitudinally extending internal ribs extending widthwise between the pressure and suction sidewall sections and a longitudinally extending first sidewall film cooling chamber positioned between one of the sidewall sections and a first inner wall bounding the cooling circuit. Sidewall film cooling holes extend through the pressure sidewall section from the first sidewall film cooling chamber.

Abstract: A tool for removing a shim from a dovetail of a fan blade for a turbine engine rotor includes a clip and a handle. The clip includes a release edge configured to engage a flared lip of a dovetail shim. The handle extends from the clip and contacts the exterior surface of the shim. When the handle and the clip are rotated about a longitudinal axis of the handle, the release edge separates the flared lip of the shim from the dovetail and the handle applies a downward force to easily remove the shim from the dovetail.

Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes ceramic outer and inner bands, with a ceramic vane forward segment integrally joined thereto. A ceramic vane aft segment has opposite ends trapped in complementary sockets in the bands.

Abstract: Three vectoring ring support and actuation apparatuses are disposed in an equi-angular manner circumferentially about the engine casing. Each of the vectoring ring support and actuation apparatuses includes a vectoring ring means to transfer side loads from the vectoring ring to the engine casing, a vectoring ring translation means for allowing the ring to be translated, and a support pivoting means and ring gimballing means to allow the vectoring ring attitude adjustments by a set of linear actuators. The vectoring ring support apparatus transfers side loads acting on a vectoring ring and generated by a gas turbine engine thrust vectoring nozzle to a relatively stationary portion of the engine and allows tilting of the vectoring ring to vector the thrust of the nozzle.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine carburetor includes a fuel injector and a cooperating air swirler for injecting fuel and air into a combustor. The fuel injector includes a hollow body joined to a supporting stem for receiving fuel therein for flow through an injector tip slidingly mounted to the injector body for movement relative thereto. The air swirler surrounds the injector tip and is spaced form the injector body to define an air inlet, and is spaced from the injector tip to define an air outlet. A spring operatively engages the injector body and the injector tip and is preloaded for biasing the injector tip to an initial position. The spring is sized so that increasing pressure of the fuel in the injector body further loads the spring for moving the injector tip from the initial position to a displaced position, with movement of the injector tip modulating airflow through the swirler for in-turn modulating the ratio of discharged fuel and air.

Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes inner and outer bands having respective air inlets. A plurality of hollow vanes are integrally joined to the bands in flow communication with the inlets. Each vane includes first and second cooling channels extending between the bands which are separated by an inclined septum which converges the two channels away from the corresponding inlets for reducing pressure drop as the cooling air is discharged.