Abstract: A die package for forging a central disc structure having a plurality of integrally formed appendages extending radially outwardly therefrom includes a circumferential array of abutting die segments defining a central cavity within the array and appendage forming cavities between the segments. Each die segment has a locating hole in its upper surface, and an annular support member overlies the holes and has a plurality of locating holes therein, one hole corresponding to each hole in said die segments. A non-metallic rod, such as a glass rod, is disposed tightly within and extends between each pair of aligned holes, thereby locating the die segments accurately relative to each other and to a central axis of the die package. The rods are shearable at elevated temperatures to enable radial movement of the die segments after forging for releasing the forged component from the die package.

Abstract: A fuel gas stream for a fuel cell is humidified by a recirculating hot liquid water stream using the heat of condensation from the humidified stream as the heat to vaporize the liquid water. Humidification is accomplished by directly contacting the liquid water with the dry gas stream in a saturator to evaporate a small portion of the water. The recirculating liquid water is reheated by direct contact with the humidified gas stream in a condenser, wherein water is condensed into the liquid stream. Between the steps of humidifying and condensing water from the gas stream it passes through the fuel cell and additional water, in the form of steam, is added thereto.

Abstract: A component, such as a turbine disk, made from a metal or metal alloy which has been processed to display superplastic properties at elevated temperatures, is diffusion bonded to a component or components, such as turbine blades, made from another metal or metal alloy, by disposing the components in a press with the surfaces to be bonded in mating contact. Moisture and oxygen are removed from between the surfaces. Heat and pressure are then applied, such as by forging at an elevated temperature or by hot isostatic pressing, to cause superplastic deformation of at least one of the components at the bonding surfaces. The heat and pressure are held sufficiently long to diffusion bond the surfaces. The new integral assembly is then heat treated to obtain desired properties. Consistently good diffusion bonds are achieved by this method.

Abstract: Apparatus for increasing the twist of blades of an integrally bladed rotor comprise a plurality of pairs of opposed, aligned blade formers, slideably disposed in guide channels on opposite sides of the blades to be twisted. The rotor and twisting apparatus is heated and the opposed formers are forced toward each other. The blade disposed between each pair of formers is sandwiched between the ends of the formers. The ends of the formers are specially shaped such that the blades are reshaped or twisted to the desired final contour.

Abstract: A system for detecting the failure of a control system and its object includes a mathematical model of the control system and its object which continuously predicts the output of the object. An error signal is continuously calculated which is the difference between the model output and the actual output of the object. Error signals exceeding a predetermined minimum value or deadband are integrated; but the integral is reset to zero whenever the error signal value falls within a predetermined range indicative of normal steady state operating tolerances. If the value of the integral reaches a specified level before being reset to zero, a failure signal is triggered. This failure detection system can be made sensitive to relatively small error signals without triggering a false failure signal if the small error was the result of only a temporary problem or due to inaccuracies in model simulation.

Abstract: A sheet metal seal for sealing the gap between adjacent blade platforms in a rotor assembly fits within a pair of spaced apart slots on the underside of one of the platforms and is trapped in position by a lug disposed between the slots and which passes through a hole in the seal. The seal is attached to the blade prior to its assembly in the disk. A portion of the seal overhangs the edge of the platform to which it is attached and, when the blade is inserted into the disk, the extended portion of the seal overlies the underside surface of the adjacent blade platform. This seal is preliminarily shaped to the contour of those portions of the underside surfaces of the platforms against which they are to bear during rotation of the assembly.

Abstract: A seal between co-rotating, opposed annular surfaces of interconnected elements comprises a multi-filament wire rope disposed within an annular groove formed at the interface between the two surfaces, the groove being wedge-shaped in cross-section, one side of the wedge being formed by each element. The wire rope is forced into sealing relationship with the groove surfaces along its entire length by centrifugal forces. The multi-filament wire rope has improved sealing capability over solid, single filament wire seals of the prior art. The seal is particularly well suited for use in the hot turbine section of a gas turbine engine and is resistent to damage and failures due to multiple engine cycles.

Abstract: Adjacent cylindrical bearings disposed within a wall are prevented from rotating and moving axially by a sheet metal tablock which simultaneously engages a slot in the external surfaces of each bearing. A cap fits around each bearing, and a flange on each cap overlies the tablock. Tab ends of the tablock are folded over the flange and trap the tablock in position.

Abstract: A flammable fluid carrying tube has one of its ends disposed within a tube coupling which is adjacent a hot surface of the gas turbine engine. A flammable fluid deflector is disposed between the coupling and the hot surface for deflecting, away from the hot surface, any fluid which may leak from the coupling. The deflector includes an axially extending portion disposed against the tube outer surface adjacent the coupling, the axially extending portion including a circumferentially extending tab which fits into a corresponding slot in an arcuate positioning sleeve which is bonded to that surface of the tube facing away from the hot engine surface and which positions the deflector axially and circumferentially. A standard clamp secures the deflector to the tube. The deflector may be used with virtually any standard coupling and replaces expensive concentric tube designs which utilize special couplings and dual seals for redundancy.

Abstract: A one-piece cylindrical drum of a drum rotor has a plurality of enlarged, axially spaced-apart, annular rim portions through which axial blade root slots are machined. The slots are curved along their length about an axis located radially outwardly of the rim. The rotor is preferably made from a plurality of bonded together cylinder-like sections. After bonding the sections together the curved blade root slots are machined using a circular broach.

Abstract: An integrally bladed bimetallic rotor for high temperature operation having airfoils with good stress rupture and creep strength and a hub with high tensile strength and good low cycle fatigue resistance is made from a preform of two concentric cylinders of different superalloy metals metallurgically bonded to each other at their interface, both materials being in such a condition that they exhibit superplastic behavior at a certain, controlled strain rate and temperature without incurring substantial grain growth. The metal of the outer cylinder is selected such that it has a lower gamma prime solvus temperature than the metal of the inner cylinder. The preform is isothermally forged at the controlled strain rate and temperature to form the airfoils from the alloy of the outer cylinder and to form the hub from the alloy of the inner cylinder. A sharp, reproducible interface is created between the two alloys.

Abstract: A first gas produced or supplied at a first location is reacted (combined) with a selected reactant in a reversible chemical reaction to produce a gaseous reaction product which is converted to liquid-form and conveyed, as a liquid, to a second location remote from the first location, whereupon it is converted back to its original gaseous constituents in a chemical reaction the reverse of the initial reaction. The regenerated first gas, now at the second location, is separated from the regenerated reactant which is returned to the first location to be used again.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a stage of turbine exhaust exit guide vanes is supported at their outer ends by attachment to the outer turbine exhaust case in a manner permitting upstream and downstream rocking of the vanes, while the inner vane ends engage the upstream end of a sheet metal fairing which defines the radially inner surface of the exhaust gas flow path. The fairing is cantilever supported at its downstream end and is spaced radially outwardly from the inner turbine exhaust case. The inner vane ends are free to move radially relative to the fairing which provides only axial support therefor. Hollow struts disposed immediately downstream of the guide vanes extend between the inner and outer exhaust cases and pass through openings in the fairing which is preferably corrugated in the axial direction to reduce vibration.

Abstract: A plurality of circumferentially spaced apart oil scoops are designed to capture oil being slung from an inner shaft across an annulus to an outer shaft which rotates in a direction opposite to the inner shaft. The scoops rotate with and are a part of the outer shaft assembly. The scoops, in one embodiment, are defined by opposed spaced apart wall surfaces oriented substantially parallel to the relative velocity vector of the jets of oil as they travel outwardly from the inner shaft across the annulus. Splashing of the oil as it is picked up by the scoops is minimized by this invention.

Abstract: A first half of a split inner race for a bearing includes axial grooves in its inner circumferential surface which carry oil across an axially extending lip to an annular trough disposed radially outwardly thereof in the other half of the bearing race, the lip overhanging the trough. The trough feeds axial passageways which carry the oil to the far side of the said other race half, such as for cooling a seal plate adjacent to the bearing. The first race half also includes second axial grooves along its inner circumferential surface which are intersected by radial slots in the inner race at the interface between the race halves. Oil flowing in these second axial grooves does not reach the annular trough in the second race half, but instead is flung radially outwardly to the rolling elements via the radial slots.

Abstract: A variable area exhaust nozzle has primary, axially movable flaps tied to an inner unison ring having a box-like cross section and axially movable external flaps tied to an outer unison ring of box-like cross section. The inner and outer rings are concentric, radially aligned, and separated by an engine case. The rings are interconnected by a plurality of pins extending radially from within the outer ring box section to within the inner ring box section through axially extending slots in the case between them. The pins are attached to the rings in a manner preventing relative axial movement therebetween and permitting relative radial movement. When one of the rings is actuated in an axial direction, the other moves axially therewith, the axial actuation force being transmitted by the interconnecting pins. The pins also resist the overturning moment on the rings caused by loads on the nozzle flaps.

Abstract: To produce metal powders by rotary atomization molten metal is poured onto the surface of a spinning disk. The central portion of the disk is ceramic. Onto the upper surface of the ceramic portion is bonded a protective layer of metal compatible with the molten metal to be poured. The molten metal is poured directly onto this metal layer which prevents contact with the ceramic. The metal of the protective layer is selected such that proper atomization and no significant contamination of the atomized metal occurs during a run.

Abstract: Concentric, counterrotating shafts include means for bringing oil from within the inner shaft across an annular gap between the two shafts into oil scoops which rotate with the outer shaft. To minimize the splashing of oil as it travels across the annular gap between the two shafts a plurality of separate, circumferentially spaced apart oil compartments are disposed around the outer circumference of the inner shaft and rotate therewith. Oil from within the inner shaft travels radially outwardly through passageways in the shaft into the oil compartments whereupon the radial velocity of the oil is reduced to zero. The oil leaves the compartment through outlets and is slung across the gap between the shafts whereupon it is captured by oil scoops and is fed to its final destination, such as to a bearing race disposed radially outwardly of the outer shaft.

Abstract: A three dimensional converging/diverging nozzle assembly includes upstream converging nozzle flaps pivotally connected to an inner unison ring, diverging nozzle flaps pivotally connected to the downstream ends of the converging flaps, and external connectors pivotally connected at their downstream ends to the downstream ends of the diverging flaps and at their upstream ends to an outer unison ring. The outer unison ring is interconnected to the inner unison ring such that axial translation of either unison ring results in axial translation of the other unison ring, but at a different rate of speed. In one embodiment the unison rings are interconnected by a cam track and linkage arrangement.

Abstract: The upstream ends of the flaps of a variable area nozzle are pivotally connected to an axially translatable unison ring. Apparatus is associated with the flaps to cause the flaps to rotate as the unison ring is translated to vary the area of the nozzle. The unison ring includes a balance surface fixed relative thereto which is subject to a net pressure load in the downstream direction thereby reducing the force which an actuator must exert to move the unison ring or to hold the unison ring in fixed position. Preferably the balance surface is an annular surface which extends radially inwardly and has a radially inner edge to which the upstream ends of the flaps are pivotally attached.