Abstract: The claimed invention provides a blade vibration measuring system comprising a blade, a transmitter, a target with parallel edges located on the blade shroud and a receiver. The present invention also provides a blade adapted for measuring torsional blade vibration. Furthermore, the claimed invention provides a method for monitoring torsional blade vibration.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system for controlling the electric charge within the exhaust hood and condenser of a steam turbine by using shaft current as an indirect measurement of exhaust charge, and then adjusting the pH accordingly. The present invention uses the turbine-generator shaft 12 instead of a probe, and therefore measures the potential of the current in the shaft to the ground. This measurement 32 is then fed into a control unit 40 which adjusts the chemical feed 42 to the feedwater supply 44 of the steam turbine system.

Abstract: An attachment device for coupling one or more restrained members to a frame. In at least one embodiment, the attachment device may be configured to attach one or more turbine combustor liners to a carrier. The attachment device may include a body rotatable about an axis of rotation and including one or more arms for grasping an edge of at least one restrained member. A fastener may be coupled to the body for coupling the body to a frame. The attachment device may also include a retainer for preventing the fastener, which may be a threaded bolt, from becoming disengaged from the attachment device and traveling downstream in a turbine. An alignment device may be included for facilitating rotation of the body of the attachment device and engagement the arms with edges of retrained members. The alignment device may include an alignment indicator indicating a position of the arms.

Abstract: A turbine blade for a turbine engine having a cooling system in the turbine blade formed from at least one elongated tip cooling chamber for passing cooling fluids in close proximity to an outer surface of the tip section of a turbine blade. The cooling system may include one or more elongated tip cooling chambers positioned in the tip section of a turbine blade for receiving cooling fluids through metering slots for regulating the flow and for exhausting those fluids from the turbine blade through the pressure sidewall to be used in external film cooling applications. The elongated tip cooling chambers enable the outer wall forming the tip section to be cooled internally and externally with cooling fluids.

Abstract: Thermally insulating layer incorporating a distinguishing agent and method for inspecting the insulating layer are provided. The distinguishing agent may be used for determining a remaining thickness of the thermally insulating layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a computerized method of providing information to a customer in the power industry includes automatically receiving data representing a plurality of characteristics of a power plant device associated with a power plant of the customer based on monitoring of the power plant device, in which the data is received at a location remote from the power plant, processing the data, generating one or more outputs representative of the processed data, displaying, by a web page of a website, at least one of the outputs in response to a request by the customer, and displaying, by the web page, diagnostic information related to the displayed output.

Abstract: An attachment device for coupling one or more removable turbine components to a carrier of a turbine engine. The attachment device may include a securement structure rotatable about an axis of rotation and including one or more arms for grasping an arm extending from a support structure. A fastener may extend from the support structure and be inserted into a fastener receiving recess in the securement structure for preventing the securement structure from rotating and becoming disengaged from the support structure. The attachment device may also include a fastener retaining device for preventing the fastener, which may be a threaded bolt, from becoming disengaged from the attachment device, traveling downstream in a turbine, and damaging a turbine assembly.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to a turbine blade assembly and an associated method of manufacture. The turbine blade assembly can include: (a) a unitary structure having an airfoil and a primary root portion; (b) a separately-formed platform; and (c) a secondary root portion that cooperates with the primary root portion to define a root. The platform can be secured in place between the structure and the secondary root portion. In a preferred embodiment, the structure can be formed by casting, and the secondary root portion can be formed by powder metallurgy. Ideally, the structure is configured so as to avoid large changes in section size or to at least make such changes gradual, particularly in transitioning from the airfoil to the primary root portion. The turbine blade assembly can reduce the propensity for defects to form during the manufacturing process. Thus, higher casting yields can be realized.

Abstract: A wear determination device for determining vibration in a turbine engine component to reduce wear in a turbine engine. The wear determination device may be capable of measuring vibrations in a turbine engine component. The vibration measurement may be used to determine vibrations in a turbine engine to identify wear locations and sources of wear. The wear determination device may be configured such that multiple locations in a turbine engine may be monitored on a single turbine engine by moving the wear determination device from location to location.

Abstract: A pilot nozzle heat shield includes a generally cylindrical body having a first end for receiving a pilot nozzle. The body includes a plurality of radial retention pin cavities for receiving retention pins. A frustoconical flow tip is located at a second end of the body that includes a proximal periphery and a distal periphery. A plurality of flow jets are circumferentially spaced about the proximal periphery of the frustoconical flow tip which further includes a plurality of slots extending distally from the plurality of flow jets. The plurality of slots define a plurality of tangs and the plurality of tangs define an aperture at the distal periphery of the flow tip. At least two of the tangs are connected about the distal periphery of the flow tip and the pilot nozzle heat shield generally includes at least two sets of connected tangs.

Abstract: A steam power plant (100) implementing an improved Rankine cycle (55) wherein steam is injected (82, 96) directly into the energy addition portion of the plant, and the resulting two-phase flow is pressurized by multiphase pumps (88, 98). By relying more heavily on pump pressurization than on a temperature difference for energy injection, plant efficiency is improved over prior art designs since energy injection by pump pressurization results in less irreversibility than energy injection by temperature difference. Direct steam injection and multiphase pumping may be used to bypass the condenser (20), to replace any one or all of the feedwater heaters (24, 32, 34), and/or to provide additional high-pressure energy addition.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil support system for coupling together a turbine airfoil formed from two or more components, wherein the support system is particularly suited for use with a composite airfoil. In at least one embodiment, the turbine airfoil support system may be configured to attach shrouds to both ends of an airfoil and to maintain a compressive load on those shrouds while the airfoil is positioned in a turbine engine. Application of the compressive load to the airfoil increases the airfoil's ability to withstand tensile forces encountered during turbine engine operation.

Abstract: A high temperature fuel cell generator (10) having a housing (12) containing a top air feed plenum (80), a bottom fuel inlet (54), a fuel reaction generator chamber (62) containing fuel cells (42) and a reacted fuel-reacted air combustion chamber (38) above the fuel reaction generator chamber (62), where inlet air (14) can be heated internally within the housing in at least one interior heat transfer zone/block (92) located between the reacted fuel-reacted air combustion chamber (38) and the air feed plenum (80).

Abstract: The present invention comprises a U-bolt connector for connecting pairs of stator coil headers 2 with ball headers 6 comprising, a U-bolt 16, top capping pieces 18,20, bottom capping pieces 20, 21, a variable piece 24, and a tightening mechanism 26. The top capping pieces 18,20 secure one ball connector in the pair of stator coil headers and the bottom capping pieces 20, 21 secure another ball connector in the pair of stator coil headers, while the variable piece 24 is disposed between the top capping pieces and the bottom capping pieces. The U-bolt 16 embraces the top capping pieces 18,20, the bottom capping pieces 20, 21 and the variable piece 24, where the tightening mechanism 26 holds the U-bolt tightly to the top capping pieces, the bottom capping pieces and the variable piece and is located at the end of the U-bolt.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a vane assembly formed by a forward airfoil segment and an aft airfoil segment. The aft segment is made of metal and can define the trailing edge of the vane assembly. The forward segment can be made of ceramic, CMC or metal. The forward and aft segments cannot be directly joined to each other because of differences in their rates of thermal expansion and contraction. The forward and aft segments can be positioned substantially proximate to each other so as to form a gap therebetween. In one embodiment, the gap can be substantially sealed by providing a coupling insert or leaf springs in the gap. A separate metal aft segment can take advantage of the beneficial thermal properties of the metal to improve cooling efficiency at the trailing edge without limiting the rest of the vane to being made out of metal.

Abstract: A method (20) of fabricating a large component such as a gas turbine or compressor disk (32) from segregation-prone materials such as Alloy 706 or Alloy 718 when the size of the ingot required is larger than the size that can be predictably formed without segregations using known triple melt processes. A sound inner core ingot (12) is formed (22) to a first diameter (D1), such as by using a triple melt process including vacuum induction melting (VIM), electroslag remelting (ESR), and vacuum arc remelting (VAR). Material is than added (26) to the outer surface (16) of the core ingot to increase its size to a dimension (D2) required for the forging operation (28). A powder metallurgy or spray deposition process may be used to apply the added material. The added material may have properties that are different than those of the core ingot and may be of graded composition across its depth. This process overcomes ingot size limitations for segregation-prone materials.

Abstract: A gas turbine combustor (10) comprises a main swirler assembly (400) comprising an annulus casting (410) itself comprising a modified downstream end (418) fitted into an reversed-edge base plate (450) that comprises an opening (453) defined by a lip (452) oriented upstream. The lip (452) comprises an upstream surface (457), an outboard surface (458) and an inboard surface (459). In certain embodiments the modified downstream end (418) has a shape to fit against the upstream surface (457) and the outboard surface (458) so as to increase the natural frequency of the main swirler assembly (400) to above the natural frequency of the combustion in the gas turbine combustor (10).

Abstract: A hybrid structure (50) and method of manufacturing the same including a structural ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material (42) coated with a layer of ceramic insulating tiles (24). Individual ceramic tiles are attached to a surface (22) of a mold (20). The exterior surface (32) of the tiles may be subjected to a mechanical process such as machining with the mold in place to provide mechanical support for the tiles. A layer of CMC material is then applied to bond the tiles and the CMC material together into a hybrid structure. The mold may include a fugitive material portion (26) to facilitate removal of the mold when the hybrid structure has a complex shape. Tiles located in different regions of the structure may have different compositions and/or dimensions. The gaps between adjacent tiles may be filled from the outside before the CMC material is applied or from the inside after the mold is removed.

Abstract: A transition duct (40) for a gas turbine engine (10) incorporating a combination of cooling structures that provide active cooling in selected regions of the duct while avoiding cooling of highly stressed regions of the duct. In one embodiment, a panel (74) formed as part of the transition duct includes some subsurface cooling holes (92) that extend under a central portion of a stiffening rib (90) attached to the panel and some subsurface cooling holes (94) that have a truncated length so as to avoid extending under a rib end (45). Effusion cooling holes (88) used to cool a side subpanel (48) of the panel may have a distribution that reduces to zero approaching a double bend region (48) of the panel. An upstream subpanel (76) of the panel may be actively cooled only when the panel is located on an extrados of the transition duct.

Abstract: A power generating system (20) includes a generator (22) and a combustion turbine (24) for driving the generator (22). The combustion turbine (24) may have a combustion turbine air inlet (30) for receiving an inlet airflow (25). The power generating system (20) may include an evaporative water cooler (26) or fogging evaporative system (26?) for cooling inlet airflow (25), and an inlet airflow temperature sensor (28) proximate or within the combustion turbine air inlet (30). The inlet airflow temperature sensor (28) may sense a drybulb temperature of the inlet airflow (25) proximate the air inlet (30). A controller (47?) is provided for controlling the cooling of inlet airflow (25) across transient load conditions of the power generating system (20?). This control may be based upon the sensed drybulb temperature used to calculate an approach temperature with respect to the inlet airflow (25?) that is compared to an approach temperature setpoint based on load.