Abstract: A cooling system for a turbine blade of a turbine engine having a leading edge impingement cooling channel in series with one or more pressure and suction side impingement cooling channels. The turbine blade may include a double outer wall with impingement cooling channels positioned between the walls. The impingement cooling channels may be adapted to match heat localized loads and hot side gas pressures across the turbine blade to maximize the efficiency of the cooling system.

Abstract: A fastening system has at least one peripheral spring and at least one peripherally expandable bushing, with the peripheral spring being at least partially enclosed within the peripherally expandable bushing. The peripheral spring and peripherally expandable bushing each contain axial openings for receiving an elongated fastening member to secure two dissimilar structures together. The peripheral spring can be a spring bushing. The spring bushing can comprise a series of radially outwardly bowed ribs joined at one end by a fixed hoop. The axial spring can be a spring washer. The peripherally expandable bushing can be a split bushing.

Abstract: A composite material (10) formed of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material (12) protected by a ceramic insulating material (14). The constituent parts of the insulating material are selected to avoid degradation of the CMC material when the two layers are co-processed. The CMC material is processed to a predetermined state of shrinkage before wet insulating material is applied against the CMC material. The two materials are then co-fired together, with the relative amount of shrinkage between the two materials during the firing step being affected by the amount of pre-shrinkage of the CMC material during the bisque firing step. The shrinkage of the two materials during the co-firing step may be matched to minimize shrinkage stresses, or a predetermined amount of prestress between the materials may be achieved. An aluminum hydroxyl chloride binder material (24) may be used in the insulating material in order to avoid degradation of the fabric (28) of the CMC material during the co-firing step.

Abstract: A ceramic thermal barrier coating material (10) containing nano-sized features is predicted to exhibit improved high temperature performance than a comparable material containing fewer of such features. In a coating deposited by an APS process, the nano-sized features may be intersplat columns (32). In a coating deposited by an EB-PVD process, the nano-sized features may be a mixed oxide layer (22) formed of nano-sized mixed oxide particles, or nano-sized alumina projections (24) extending across the interface from the mixed oxide layer into the insulating material layer (20). Alternatively, the nano-sized features may be secondary columnar grains (36) extending laterally from primary columnar grains (34) in a columnar-grained ceramic material.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to an acoustic resonator with improved impingement cooling effectiveness. The resonator includes a plate with an inside face and an outside face. A plurality of passages extend through the plate. The resonator includes a side wall that extends from and about the plate. A plurality of cooling tubes are attached to the resonator plate such that an inner passage of each cooling tube is in fluid communication with a respective passage in the resonator plate. The resonator can be secured to a surface of a turbine engine combustor component to define a closed cavity. The ends of the cooling tubes are spaced from the surface. Thus, a coolant can enter the passages in the plate and can be directed to the surface so as to impingement cool the surface. The cooling tubes can minimize coolant loss by dispersion in the cavity.

Abstract: A cooling system for a turbine blade of a turbine engine having a bifurcated mid-chord cooling chamber for reducing the temperature of the blade. The bifurcated mid-chord cooling chamber may be formed from a pressure side serpentine cooling channel and a suction side serpentine cooling channel. The pressure side and suction side serpentine cooling channels may flow counter to each other, thereby yielding a more uniform temperature distribution than conventional serpentine cooling channels.

Abstract: A system and method for early detection of a failure of a gas turbine engine airfoil (10), such as but not restricted to a burn through of the airfoil outer skin (12). A sensor (52) provides a signal (54) responsive to a condition of fluid flowing through an outer cooling chamber (24) of the airfoil. A detected change in the condition of the fluid is correlated to a failure of the airfoil, which for example can be detected by measuring the static fluid pressure. An increase in the static pressure of fluid in the outer cooling chamber may indicate a breach in the region of the leading edge of the airfoil. A decrease in the static pressure of fluid in the outer cooling chamber may indicate a breach along other portions of the profile of the airfoil outer skin. Both pressure and temperature parameters of the fluid may be measured and coincident changes thereof correlated to a condition of failure of the airfoil.

Abstract: A thermal barrier layer (20) is formed by exposing an oxide ceramic material to a thermal regiment to create a surface heat affected zone effective to protect an underlying structural layer (18) of the material. The heat affected surface layer exhibits a lower strength and higher thermal conductivity than the underlying load-carrying material; however, it retains a sufficiently low thermal conductivity to function as an effective thermal barrier coating. Importantly, because the degraded material retains the same composition and thermal expansion characteristics as the underlying material, the thermal barrier layer remains integrally connected in graded fashion with the underlying material without an interface boundary there between.

Abstract: A gas turbine cycle that utilizes the vaporization of liquefied natural gas as an intercooler in an open loop gas turbine system. The system provides an increase in gas turbine cycle efficiencies while providing a convenient system for vaporizing liquefied natural gas. The systems and methods of the present invention permit the vaporization of liquefied natural gas using air that has been compressed in a first compressor, with the resulting cooled air being easier to compress and/or having fewer contaminants therein for compression in a second compressor. As the air is easier to compress, less energy is needed to operate the second compressor, thereby increasing the efficiency of the system. Additionally, unlike prior art systems that use water as an intercooler, no additional equipment is needed to cool the vaporized natural gas, such as cooling towers.

Abstract: A connector arrangement and techniques are provided for reducing eddy current losses and/or skin effects while enabling more readily serviceable series and phase connections between the coil ends 12 and 18 of a generator stator 10. This may be achieved by providing a connecting structure 24 that enables two parallel electrically conductive paths 26 and 28 that are electrically insulated from one another for passing a respective flow of electric current between the coil ends.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for installing a stator core into a power generator 1 that comprises assembling the stator core inside of a container 60, and then moving the container to the power generator. The container is horizontally aligned with the power generator, and the stator core is transferred from the container to the power generator.

Abstract: A stator core module assembly (20) is provided which is adapted to be mounted to at least one structural element (16, 18) coupled to a stator frame (10). The stator core module assembly comprises a stator core module (22) adapted to form part of a stator core (21) and at least one keybar (32A, 32B) having a length less than a width of the stator core. The keybar may be coupled to the stator core module. The stator core module assembly further comprises at least one attachment member (34) for coupling the keybar to the structural element coupled to the stator frame.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention provides for a method for checking the alignment of a stator core that comprises placing a laser source 14 and a target 18 a given distance apart on a stator core 10 and activating the laser such that the laser strikes the target. Then measuring on the target where the laser strikes, and interpreting the measurement to determine any misalignment of the stator core in the given distance.

Abstract: A trailing edge attachment for a composite turbine airfoil. The trailing edge attachment may include an attachment device for attaching the trailing edge attachment to the airfoil. The attachment device may include a plurality of pins extending through the attachment device and into the trailing edge blade. The trailing edge attachment may also include a spanwise cooling channel for feeding a plurality of cooling channels extending between a leading edge of the trailing edge attachment and a trailing edge of the attachment device. The attachment device may be configured to place the leading edge of the composite airfoil in compression, thereby increasing the strength of the composite airfoil.

Abstract: A conformable layer (14) for inhibiting electrical discharge between vent tubes (16) and strands (12) in an inner-cooled coil (5). The conformable layer comprises a resistive inner core (24) and a conductive strip (20) wrapped in a conductive outer wrap (26). The conductive strip (20) is electrically connected to the strands (12) at one end of the coil (5) and left to electrically float at the other end. In this configuration, the conformable layer (14) reduces voltage buildup between the vent tubes (16) and the strands (12) to help prevent electrical damage to the coil (5).

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment apparatus (20) for reducing the concentration of NOx, HC and CO in an exhaust gas stream (18) such as produced by a gas turbine engine (12) of a power generating station (10). The treatment apparatus includes a multifunction catalytic element (26) having an upstream reducing-only portion (28) and a downstream reducing-plus-oxidizing portion (30) that is located downstream of an ammonia injection apparatus (24). The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx is promoted in the upstream portion of the catalytic element by the injection of ammonia in excess of the stoichiometric concentration, with the resulting ammonia slip being oxidized in the downstream portion of the catalytic element. Any additional NOx generated by the oxidation of the ammonia is further reduced in the downstream portion before being passed to the atmosphere (22).

Abstract: A system (10) for removing water from a flue gas (12) includes a heat exchanger (16) for receiving a flow of heat exchanging fluid and the flue gas (12). An absorber (40) may have a gas inlet (41) for receiving the flue gas (12) from the heat exchanger (16), an inlet (45) for receiving a desiccant solution and a media (42) receiving the desiccant solution for providing surface area contact between the flue gas (12) and the desiccant solution A dual cooler (26) may include a first side (27) through which a heat exchanging fluid and the desiccant solution may be directed for cooling. Valving (72) may be provided for alternating a flow of the heat exchanging fluid and a flow of the desiccant solution through the first side (27) of the dual cooler (26).

Abstract: A ceramic article having improved interlaminar strength and a method of forming the article. The article may be a ceramic matrix composite article. The methods of forming the articles increase the interlaminar strength of the article by forming indentations in the article during processing. The indentations may be tabs that are formed such that they provide one or more beneficial features for ceramic articles, such as CMC articles and hybrid structures. The tabs may be any of a variety of shapes, orientations, spacings, and combinations. In an alternative embodiment, the indentations are formed by pulling one or more fibers from one side of the ceramic layer to the other side. The articles have increased surface area, which helps to increase the bonding strength between the ceramic layer and any thermal barrier coating layer and/or ceramic core in the ceramic article.

Abstract: A cooling system for a hybrid power system that includes an engine employs an engine cooling circuit to deliver coolant to the engine, the engine cooling circuit including a radiator and a main fan to draw air through the radiator. When the hybrid power system further includes an inverter, then the inverter is cooled via an inverter cooling circuit that is formulated as one portion of the cooling system to deliver coolant to the inverter, the inverter cooling circuit including a heat exchanger located such that the main fan draws air through the heat exchanger when the main fan is active. The cooling system also includes a secondary fan to selectively draw air though the heat exchanger during operation of an inverter cooling circuit coolant pump.

Abstract: A barrier structure (302) blocks exit of spring clip fragments (317) that may break off from a spring clip assembly disposed between a gas turbine engine combustor (300) and a transition piece component (360). The barrier structure (302) may additionally comprise an aspect (326) effective to restrict a spring clip's (310, 311) radially inward compression, thereby reducing or eliminating damage to the spring clip (310, 311) during shipping and handling. The barrier structure (302) additionally may comprise an aspect (330) to restrict access by a human hand to the free ends (318) of the spring clips (310, 311). This aspect (330) reduces or eliminates the undesired lifting of the compressor by grabbing the spring clips (310, 311) during combustor transport, installation or removal. Accordingly, barrier structure embodiments are provided that reduce stress on spring clips, and that prevent the exit of spring clips from a containment space partly formed by the barrier structure.