Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite component including reinforcing a composite structure by providing a composite structure with a plurality of holes provided therein, and positioning a reinforcement rod in each of the holes. The reinforcement rods are dimensioned to protrude from the holes. The reinforcement rods are cropped to a desired length after the rods have been positioned in the holes.

Abstract: A rigid panel is disclosed which has elongate elements embedded therein. The elongate elements may be electrical wires. The rigid panel has a supporting splint embedded therein which is placed between the elongate elements and a rigid structural layer so as to provide protection to the rigid structural layer from the effects of the elongate elements.

Abstract: A compressor stage of a gas turbine engine is provided. The compressor stage has a circumferential row of static vanes and a radially outer casing. Each vane has a radially outer and forwardly projecting front tenon which on build of the compressor stage is received into a first recess of the casing. Each vane also has a radially outer and rearwardly projecting rear tenon which on build of the compressor stage is received into a second recess of the casing. Each vane further has a baulking tab adjacent one of the front and the rear tenons. The casing has a respective baulking land adjacent the recess into which the other of the front and the rear tenons is received. The baulking tab and the baulking land are configured such that if the vane is attempted to be installed in the stage back-to-front, the baulking tab interferes with the baulking land to prevent completion of the build of the compressor stage.

Abstract: There is disclosed a turboshaft engine having principal rotational axis and comprising power turbine, tail bearing housing and exhaust collector arranged in axial flow series along said axis. The tail bearing housing has radially central region defining flow chamber for cooling air; and an annular duct defined around the central region and which forms at least part of exhaust flow passage for the flow of exhaust gases from the power turbine to the exhaust collector. The flow chamber is provided in fluid communication with said exhaust collector via at least one exhaust port formed in the tail bearing housing such that the flow of exhaust gases along said exhaust collector during operation of the engine educes flow of cooling air through the central flow chamber by drawing air through the or each exhaust port and into the exhaust collector. A related method of operating a turboshaft engine is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating a metal article which tapers towards an edge. A compressive force is applied to a treatment region of the article to generate an edge region of compressive residual stress adjacent the edge, and the treatment region is spaced apart from the edge region by an intermediate region.

Abstract: A fluid conduit for a gas turbine engine. The conduit includes a superelastic material such as TNTZ or Ti2448. The conduit is installed such that at least part of the conduit is subject to a stress which lies in one of a superelastic and a plastic region of the material in use.

Abstract: A transmission system for transmitting a change of speed between two rotating shafts, includes a planetary gear box having a sun gear arranged for rotation with a first shaft travelling at a first speed. Planet gears contained within a ring gear are arranged to orbit the sun gear when the sun gear rotates and the ring gear is in a fixed position. Each planet gear is mounted for rotation on a centrifugal carrier. An output carrier includes a body having arms and the arms are each aligned with an axis of rotation of a planet gear and held to the centrifugal carrier by one or more supports extending in a radial plane. An output shaft extends from the body in coaxial alignment with the input shaft. A connector which is stiff in a radial dimension but flexible under torsional load is arranged between the output carrier and the centrifugal carrier.

Abstract: A unison ring assembly comprises a backing plate, and a plurality of pocket-forming portions. The backing plate is formed as an annular disc, with the annular disc being planar in a radial plane of the unison ring assembly. The plurality of pocket-forming portions are equi-spaced circumferentially around the axis of the unison ring assembly, and each of the plurality of pocket-forming portions is attached to the backing plate to form a corresponding radially extending pocket.

Abstract: There is disclosed a liner element in the form of an impingement/effusion tile for a gas turbine combustor having a structural wall. The liner element has a unitary construction defining a cooling side and combustion side, and a plurality of effusion holes extending between a cooling side surface of the element and a combustion side surface of the element. The liner element is configured to be affixed to the structural wall of a combustor with its cooling side surface spaced from the structural wall to define a chamber between the cooling side surface and the structural wall, and the liner element further includes integrally formed and internally threaded protuberances on its cooling side, the protuberances being arranged to engage the structural wall.

Abstract: A vibropeening apparatus comprises a main frame, an enclosure receivable within the main frame, a rotary drive mechanism, and an article to be vibropeened. The enclosure defines an internal volume, the internal volume accommodating a vibropeening bed. The article is positioned within the internal volume, and the rotary drive mechanism is to configured to impart a rotary motion to the enclosure within the main frame.

Abstract: A self-sealing impingement cooling tube comprises a perimeter wall (51) defining a first end (54) and a second end (53), for example these may be a trailing edge and leading edge ends of an aerofoil. First and second wall sections extend from the first end (54) to the second end, the first and second wall sections joining at the first end. An adjustable gap (53) resides between the wall sections at the second end. One or both of the first and second wall sections is resiliently deformable such that the first and second wall sections can be positioned closer together and the adjustable gap (53) simultaneously reduced whereby to enable the tube to be inserted into a cavity which has a dimension smaller than the distance between the first and second wall sections when the perimeter wall (51) is not under load.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprising a two-part rotor formed of a first rotor part and a second rotor part. The first rotor part includes a conical section and is mounted to a shaft of the machine. The second rotor part has a bore including a complementary conical section. The second rotor part is configured to displace axially between a first state, in which it is engaged with the first rotor part to form the rotor of the electrical machine, and a second state, in which it is axially disengaged from the first rotor part. Also a clutch having an engaged state and a disengaged state. When the clutch is in one of its states the second rotor part is in its first state and switching the clutch to the other of its states axially displaces the second rotor part to its second state.

Abstract: A process for producing Co, Al alloyed NdFeB nanoparticles, by a microwave assisted combustion process, followed by a reduction diffusion process, includes the steps of: preparing a first solution of boric acid dissolved in 4 N HNO3, dissolving iron nitrate nonahydrate, neodymium nitrate hexahydrate, cobalt nitrate hexahydrate, aluminium nitrate, the first solution in deionized water to form a second solution, adding glycine to the second solution in a molar ratio of 1:1 to form a third solution, subjecting the third solution to microwave radiation, thereby forming an first powder of NdFeCoAlB oxides, mixing the first powder with calcium hydride in a mass ratio of 1:1.1 (NdFeCoAlB oxides:CaH2) to form a second powder, compacted into a powder block, annealing the second powder in a vacuum furnace, washing the annealed second powder with a solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; and vacuum drying the second powder.

Abstract: A method of recambering an aerofoil section. A position on one of the surfaces that intersects with a passage shock between adjacent aerofoils is determined and then projected as a shock position onto the camber line. A shock region encompassing the shock position and extending in a chordal direction towards the leading and trailing edges is defined. The camber line is recalculated in an upstream region using semi-inverse design. The camber line is extrapolated across the shock region to match a geometric criterion. The camber line is recalculated in a downstream region using semi-inverse design.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making an object comprising repeatedly selectively depositing a material by controlling one or more deposition areas using a deposition control plate comprising one or more apertures and selectively melting the selectively deposited material.

Abstract: A thermal barrier coated metallic article includes a platinum-group metal enriched outer layer on the article. The surface of the outer layer has a microstructure including a plurality of projections extending away from the metallic article. A thin adherent layer of oxide is formed on the outer layer of the metallic article. A ceramic coating is provided on the oxide layer on the surface on and around the projections. The ceramic coating includes a plurality of columnar ceramic grains which extend through the full thickness of the ceramic coating. The grains are arranged in clusters separated by gaps. The grains deposited around the projections are generally blocked. The projections reduce the stress in the ceramic coating near the interface with the adherent layer of oxide and also reduce the stress in the adherent layer of oxide and hence increase the working life of the thermal barrier coating system.

Abstract: Unison ring system includes first unison ring portion, second unison ring portion, and bearing. Second unison ring portion is co-axial with first unison ring portion. First unison ring portion includes first unison ring and first bearing location portion and second unison ring portion includes second unison ring and second bearing location portion. First bearing location portion is co-axial with first unison ring and projects axially from first unison ring, while second bearing location portion is co-axial with second unison ring and projects axially from second unison ring. First bearing location portion includes outwardly opening groove, and second bearing location portion includes inwardly opening groove. First unison ring portion and second unison ring portion positioned with first bearing location portion being concentric with second bearing location portion defining annular cavity there between.

Abstract: A method locates and maintains a core in fixed space relationship within the interior of a shell mold. The method provides at least one pin extending into the core with at least one axial end of the pin protruding from the core. A wax pattern having an outer surface is formed by encasing the core and at least one protruding axial end of the pin in wax such that at least one protruding axial end of the pin terminates at the outer surface of the wax pattern. A shell mold is formed around the wax pattern such that, upon removal of the wax pattern, and in a subsequent casting process for production of hollow metal components, at least one protruding axial end of the pin abuts the shell mold, thus fixing the pin and maintaining a position of the core relative to the mold. The protruding axial end of the pin has an enlarged head.

Abstract: A noise attenuation panel for a bleed flow is presented that causes a total pressure loss of the bleed flow before it is exhausted. The total pressure loss results from at least two regions in which the flow area contracts and then rapidly expands, with the rapid expansion causing mixing and turbulence rather than full total pressure recovery. This reduced pressure means that when the flow is exhausted into a flow (which may be the bypass flow of a gas turbine engine), its energy, and thus its noise, are reduced.

Abstract: A method of open-switch fault detection in a two-level voltage source power converter comprises the steps of: i. acquiring the waveforms of three-phase alternating current of the two-level voltage source power converter; ii. calculating at least a first time derivative of each acquired waveform; and iii. using the at least first time derivatives to determine whether an open-switch fault is present in the two-level voltage source power converter.