Abstract: A blade wheel of a turbomachine, which blade wheel has a multiplicity of blades which are suitable and provided for extending radially in a flow path of the turbomachine, wherein the blades form a blade entry angle and a blade exit angle. Provision is made whereby the blade wheel forms N blocks of blades, where N?2, wherein the blades of a block have in each case the same blade entry angle and the same blade exit angle, and the blades of at least two mutually adjacent blocks have a different blade entry angle and/or a different blade exit angle. According to a further aspect of the invention, partial gaps that the blades form in relation to an adjacent flow path boundary are varied in mutually adjacent blocks.

Abstract: A stage for a gas turbine engine, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radially extending aerofoils, includes a plurality of annulus fillers to bridge the spaces between adjacent aerofoils to define an inner wall of a flow annulus through the stage. Each annulus filler has opposing side faces which are spaced circumferentially from the adjacent blades and which correspond in profile therewith, and resilient seal strips each including a stiffener are mounted adjacent the opposing side faces of the annulus fillers to seal the gaps between the annulus fillers and the aerofoils. The stiffeners have three-dimensional curvature. Claims are also included to the annulus filler and to the seal strip.

Abstract: A cooled aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine has a hollow trailing edge region in which bridging members interconnect the convex and concave flanks of the blade. The bridging members are each provided with angled cooling passages which are in operation exposed to a cooling air flow and direct that flow onto the internal surfaces of the convex and concave flanks so as to provide impingement cooling thereof.

Abstract: An anti lock braking system for a vehicle includes transducers acoustically coupled to a non-rotating member of the wheel assembly and adapted to provide an electrical output signal dependent upon the degree of acoustic emission activity in the non-rotating member. A detector is adpated to analyze when the electrical output signal which corresponds to the= acoustic emission activity in the non-rotating member falls to zero when brake pads are in frictional contact with the confronting surface of the wheel. The detector is adpted to send a feedback signal to a control device which controls the pressure applied to the wheel by the brake pads. Preferably the detector measures the instantaneous change of electrical output signal as a funtcion of the pressure applied by the brake pad.

Abstract: The cooling air from the nozzle guide vanes of a gas turbine engine is discharged from one or both platforms to discourage leakage flow between rotating and static components of the engine.In the case of the outboard platform the cooling air is discharged towards the engine casing to flow through the clearance between the shroud of the engine casing and the shroud of the turbine blades. This arrangement reduces the leakage flow of gas from the main gas stream and assists in reducing casing temperatures.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine nozzle guide vane has "barrelled" shape, producing an "hourglass" shaped passage between adjacent vanes. These shapes promote radial pressure gradients which reduce secondary flaws in the motive gas passages.

Abstract: A vectorable exhaust nozzle 17 for a gas turbine engine comprises a fixed duct 21 and a cowl 22 pivotably attached to the duct 21 to facilitate rotation of the cowl 22 about a horizontal axis transverse to the exhaust stream issuing from the duct 21. The nozzle 17 further comprises a flap 23 pivotably attached to the lower downstream edge of the duct 21 for rotation about a second horizontal axis transverse to the exhaust stream and an actuation means 28 for rotating the cowl 22 and flap 23. The cowl 22 and flap 23 communicate via at least one link member 24. The actuation means 28 rotates the cowl 22 which, by way of the link members 24, rotates the flap 23 in the same direction. The nozzle 17 defined by the sidewalls 22a and the interconnecting curved wall 22b of the cowl 22 and the downstream edge of the flap 23, is thus vectored from a direction facing rearwards to a direction facing downwards.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine has platformless blades and the inner wall of the compressed air annulus is made up of separate annulus members bridging the spaces between pairs of adjacent blades. The invention provides salient feet on the annulus members which are fitted through the narrow necks of re-entrant grooves in a direction radially inwardly of the rotor disc. Wedges are slid between feet and the walls of the grooves to prevent removal of the feet and therefore the annulus members in a reciprocal direction.