Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can he designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: Controlled-debris elements inhibit the formation of a fibrous/particulate debris bed that unduly increases the pressure head loss through the perforated plates of strainers in a nuclear power plant emergency core cooling system. In a loss of cooling accident, pumps draw cooling water through the plates, which retain on their surfaces fibrous material in the circulating water to prevent it from reaching the pumps while permitting entrained particulate matter to pass through the perforations. The controlled-debris elements have a specific gravity substantially the same as the circulating water so they are entrained in the cooling water that is drawn toward the strainers and intimately intermix with the fibrous and particulate matter in the cooling water. The elements are configured to provide open structures in the bed formed on the plate surfaces to distribute fibers in the flow away from the surface and maintain cavities between the elements for the particulates.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A lift-driven wind turbine has a turbine rotor with blades mounted to the turbine shaft by two struts hinged to the shaft and each blade to form a four-bar linkage. The blades' airfoil cross section generates lift that rotates the blades around the axis in the presence of a prevailing wind. The airfoil chord forms a geometric angle of attack ?G relative to the tangent of the blade path and the struts orient the blades with an outward tilt angle ?. The turbine is designed with values of ?G and ? that cause the lift generated by each blade to have an upward component that supports the blade against the force of gravity and a mean radially inward component that substantially balances centrifugal forces on the blade. Wind turbines designed according to the principles disclosed herein facilitate the construction of free-floating utility scale wind turbines for deep water installations.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: Controlled-debris elements inhibit the formation of a fibrous/particulate debris bed that unduly increases the pressure head loss through the perforated plates of strainers in a nuclear power plant emergency core cooling system. In a loss of cooling accident, pumps draw cooling water through the plates, which retain on their surfaces fibrous material in the circulating water to prevent it from reaching the pumps while permitting entrained particulate matter to pass through the perforations. The controlled-debris elements have a specific gravity substantially the same as the circulating water so they are entrained in the cooling water that is drawn toward the strainers and intimately intermix with the fibrous and particulate matter in the cooling water. The elements are configured to provide open structures in the bed formed on the plate surfaces to distribute fibers in the flow away from the surface and maintain cavities between the elements for the particulates.

Abstract: A wind-driven power generating system with a hybrid wind turbine mounted on a floating platform that heels relative to horizontal in the presence of a prevailing wind. The hybrid turbine has a turbine rotor with at least two rotor blades, each mounted to a turbine shaft by at least one strut, and the system is configured so that the shaft forms a predetermined non-zero operating heel angle relative to vertical in the presence of a prevailing wind at a predetermined velocity. The blades and struts are airfoils with predetermined aerodynamic characteristics that generate lift forces with components in the direction of rotation around the shaft of the blades and struts at the operating heel angle to drive an electrical generator carried by the platform. The system can be designed to generate maximum power at the predetermined heel angle or essentially constant power over a range of heel angles.

Abstract: A lift-driven wind turbine has a turbine rotor with blades mounted to the turbine shaft by two struts hinged to the shaft and each blade to form a four-bar linkage. The blades' airfoil cross section generates lift that rotates the blades around the axis in the presence of a prevailing wind. The airfoil chord forms a geometric angle of attack ?G relative to the tangent of the blade path and the struts orient the blades with an outward tilt angle ?. The turbine is designed with values of ?G and ? that cause the lift generated by each blade to have an upward component that supports the blade against the force of gravity and a mean radially inward component that substantially balances centrifugal forces on the blade. Wind turbines designed according to the principles disclosed herein facilitate the construction of free-floating utility scale wind turbines for deep water installations.

Abstract: A lift-driven wind turbine has a turbine rotor with blades mounted to the turbine shaft by two struts hinged to the shaft and each blade to form a four-bar linkage. The blades' airfoil cross section generates lift that rotates the blades around the axis in the presence of a prevailing wind. The airfoil chord forms a geometric angle of attack ?G relative to the tangent of the blade path and the struts orient the blades with an outward tilt angle ?. The turbine is designed with values of ?G and ? that cause the lift generated by each blade to have an upward component that supports the blade against the force of gravity and a mean radially inward component that substantially balances centrifugal forces on the blade. Wind turbines designed according to the principles disclosed herein facilitate the construction of free-floating utility scale wind turbines for deep water installations.

Abstract: Flow induced vibration (FIV) at the slip joint between a nuclear reactor jet pump mixer and diffuser is suppressed without installing additional parts or altering the jet pump construction. The disclosed method determines a relationship between reactor operating conditions that trigger FIV and the magnitude of a mixer/diffuser transverse contact load. A mathematical analysis on a representative jet pump configuration determines the quantitative relationship between mixer/diffuser cold positions and their positions when the reactor is operating. Thus, a prediction can be made as to whether an installed jet pump will experience FIV, and the mixer and diffuser can be positioned by a mixer adjustment tool when the reactor is cold to provide the necessary operational transverse contact load. Alternatively, a contact load measuring tool directly measures the magnitude and direction of the cold mixer/diffuser transverse contact load to determine if FIV will be suppressed when the reactor is operating.

Abstract: Flow induced vibration (FIV) at the slip joint between a nuclear reactor jet pump mixer and diffuser is suppressed without installing additional parts or altering the jet pump construction. The disclosed method determines a relationship between reactor operating conditions that trigger FIV and the magnitude of a mixer/diffuser transverse contact load. A mathematical analysis on a representative jet pump configuration determines the quantitative relationship between mixer/diffuser cold positions and their positions when the reactor is operating. Thus, a prediction can be made as to whether an installed jet pump will experience FIV, and the mixer and diffuser can be positioned by a mixer adjustment tool when the reactor is cold to provide the necessary operational transverse contact load. Alternatively, a contact load measuring tool directly measures the magnitude and direction of the cold mixer/diffuser transverse contact load to determine if FIV will be suppressed when the reactor is operating.

Abstract: Flow induced vibration (FIV) at the slip joint between a nuclear reactor jet pump mixer and diffuser is suppressed without installing additional parts or altering the jet pump construction. The disclosed method determines a relationship between reactor operating conditions that trigger FIV and the magnitude of a mixer/diffuser transverse contact load. A mathematical analysis on a representative jet pump configuration determines the quantitative relationship between mixer/diffuser cold positions and their positions when the reactor is operating. Thus, a prediction can be made as to whether an installed jet pump will experience FIV, and the mixer and diffuser can be positioned by a mixer adjustment tool when the reactor is cold to provide the necessary operational transverse contact load. Alternatively, a contact load measuring tool directly measures the magnitude and direction of the cold mixer/diffuser transverse contact load to determine if FIV will be suppressed when the reactor is operating.

Abstract: A flow control device generates counter-rotating vortices in the boundary layer of the flow in a supersonic inlet diffuser for an aircraft turbine engine. The flow control device comprises a flap attached to the duct wall for selective deployment, wherein it extends into the boundary layer, and retraction, wherein it lies substantially flush with the duct wall. In one embodiment an actuating mechanism comprising one or more shape-memory alloy wires moves the flap between two stable positions. In another embodiment the deployment height of the flap can be controlled as desired, preferably using a shape-memory alloy actuating mechanism. Typically, an array of plural flow control devices is disposed in the inlet duct for selective actuation according to a predetermined schedule.

Abstract: A flow control device generates counter-rotating vortices in the boundary layer of the flow in a supersonic inlet diffuser for an aircraft turbine engine. The flow control device comprises a flap attached to the duct wall for selective deployment, wherein it extends into the boundary layer, and retraction, wherein it lies substantially flush with the duct wall. In one embodiment an actuating mechanism comprising one or more shape-memory alloy wires moves the flap between two stable positions. In another embodiment the deployment height of the flap can be controlled as desired, preferably using a shape-memory alloy actuating mechanism. Typically, an array of plural flow control devices is disposed in the inlet duct for selective actuation according to a predetermined schedule.

Abstract: A strainer for an emergency core cooling system (ECCS) in a nuclear power plant comprises a perforated strainer element that is immersed in a reservoir of cooling water, which is drawn through the strainer element into the emergency core cooling system. The side of the strainer element in contact with the cooling water has a contoured configuration for disrupting the formation of a flat bed of fibrous material that can trap small particulate material intended to pass through the strainer element. Incorporating this strainer element into an ECCS strainer enables the strainer to be made more compact, because the debris bed need not be spread over an unduly large area to prevent excessive head loss from the debris load in the event of a reactor loss of coolant accident. The strainer also incorporates a modular construction that uses individual strainer disc modules. Each disc module includes a perforated first disc part having a central opening and a perforated second disc part also having a central opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for attenuating acoustic resonance generated by flow over a cavity in a surface comprises a plurality of flat flaps proximate to an upstream edge of the cavity. The flaps are disposed in an array spaced in a width direction of the cavity edge, and are oscillated by the flow in two degrees of freedom solely by the flow, independent of an actuation mechanism. Each flap includes a first hinge generally coextensive with the surface for enabling oscillation in a first degree of freedom and a second hinge orthogonal to the first hinge and forming a tab for enabling oscillation in a second degree of freedom. The hinges are constructed with torsional spring constants that provide predetermined oscillation frequencies and magnitudes. The apparatus can include a deployment mechanism for moving each flap between a stowed position wherein it is generally flush with the surface and a deployed position wherein the flap can be oscillated by the flow.