Abstract: A nickel-base alloy of, in atomic percent unless otherwise stated, up to 8 percent Fe, up to 16 percent Co, between 15 and 25 percent Cr, up to 3 percent Mo, up to 2 percent W, between 3 and 5 percent Al, between 3 and 7.5 percent Nb, up to 3 percent Ta, up to 0.2 percent Ti, up to 0.5 percent C, up to 0.175 percent B, up to 0.07 percent Zr, up to 1 percent Mn, up to 1 percent Si, up to 0.2 percent Hf, the balance of Ni and incidental impurities, wherein the atomic ratio of Al to Nb is between 0.4 and 1.7, the atomic ratio of the sum of Al and Ti to Nb is between 0.4 and 1.8, and, the composition including at least 10 percent of elements from the group of Al, Nb, and Ti.

Abstract: An electrical machine is disclosed comprising a stator cavity. The stator cavity is axially divided by a distribution plate into a winding chamber containing stator windings of the electrical machine and a handling chamber. The handling chamber has one of a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and the winding chamber has the other of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet. In use fluid is passed from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet via the handling chamber, the winding chamber and an array of fluid passages in the distribution plate providing fluid communication between the handling chamber and winding chamber. The array of fluid passages comprises passages of at least two different cross-sectional areas.

Abstract: A turbine stator vane assembly comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged struts and a plurality of circumferentially arranged stator vanes. Each stator vane has a leading edge, a trailing edge and a chord length. Each strut has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord length, a pressure surface and a suction surface. The chord length of the struts is greater than the chord length of the stator vanes. The stator vanes are arranged in groups between adjacent pairs of struts and each group of stator vanes comprises a plurality of stator vanes. The circumferential spacing between adjacent struts is substantially the same and each stator vane in a group of stator vanes has a different chord length to the other stator vanes in that group of stator vanes.

Abstract: A method linear friction welds a rotor blade to a disk. The method includes: providing a linear friction welding machine having disk tooling at which a disk is mounted, and further having blade tooling at which a blade is mountable; mounting a dummy blade at blade tooling, dummy blade carrying one or more first measurement devices which interact with mounted disk to measure position of dummy blade relative to disk; adjusting position and orientation of blade tooling relative to mounted disk until first measurement devices indicate that dummy blade is in a suitable alignment with disk to start linear friction welding a blade to disk; releasing dummy blade from blade tooling and mounting a production blade thereat; and linear friction welding the production blade to the disk with the blade tooling starting at adjusted position and orientation.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a spool which rotates in use, a static structure and an air bearing, the air bearing being provided at an interface between the spool and the static structure.

Abstract: A method of controlling fuel flow for combustion in a gas turbine engine comprising a low pressure spool, a high pressure spool and a fuel metering valve is disclosed. The method comprises scheduling the fuel metering valve in dependence upon the speed of the high pressure spool.

Abstract: A computational engineering modelling tool having a point generation module arranged to read geometry data representing a domain to be modelled. The point generation module also generates point data for the domain having multiple boundary points located on a boundary of the domain and multiple further points spaced from the boundary within the domain. A point mutation module processes the point generation module output and generates automatically a plurality of alternative point data definitions for the domain in which the location of at least one point differs between each of the alternative point definitions. A blocking module discretizes the domain by creating multiple geometric blocks over the domain using a computational geometric operator wherein each point represents a vertex of at least one block. The blocking module outputs a discretized computational model of the domain and the tool scores the model according to a geometric attribute of the blocks.

Abstract: A bearing arrangement is disclosed. The bearing arrangement includes first and second bearings, with each bearing including a respective support element and a respective set of rolling elements and defining a respective load path extending through the respective support element and rolling elements. The support elements are coupled such that a load applied to either support element is transmitted through both the first and second load paths. The arrangement further includes a pair of superelastic titanium alloy elements located in the respective load paths to provide resilient movement between the bearings when a load is applied to the bearing arrangement.

Abstract: A fluid supply system for a rotary machine, the system includes a rotor assembly with an array of blades arranged to be driven about a primary axis to provide propulsive thrust in use, each blade having a longitudinal axis, the rotor assembly including a casing structure, wherein the casing structure is rotatable in unison with the blades about the primary axis; and a directional fluid intake, the intake being rotatably mounted at an outer surface of the casing structure about a second axis which is angularly offset from the primary axis and which is offset from and independent of the longitudinal axis of the blade.

Abstract: A seal segment is provided for a shroud ring of a rotor of a gas turbine engine. The seal segment is positioned, in use, radially adjacent the rotor. The seal segment includes a body portion having front and rear sides which each contain a respective slot that extends in the circumferential direction so that a respective hook formation is insertable into each slot for attaching the seal segment to the engine casing. The body portion is formed from continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite, reinforcing fibers of the composite wrapping around each slot so that, at the base of the slot, the reinforcing fibers are parallel to the surface of the body portion.

Abstract: A method of characterizing mechanical and thermal growth of a rotor tip clearance arrangement and a method of controlling such an arrangement. The characterization method comprising constructing a finite element model and calibration cases; run the model for the calibration cases to obtain displacements; and calculating component growth therefrom. The growth is characterized and scaled for the operating conditions. The clearance is calculated in a time step from the growths and input to a control arrangement for subsequent time steps.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a component having an internal cavity is described. The method includes; defining an external geometry of the component, defining a core geometry of the component; using an additive layer manufacturing method, building the component from a plurality of layers laid on a first plane; wherein the core geometry includes a main core passage having a first end wall and a second end wall and is divided by one or more dividing walls, the dividing walls and end walls each having a common profile and wherein the profile includes an incline to the first plane.

Abstract: A fuel spray nozzle comprises a fuel passage (1) having at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The outlet is configured for accelerating fuel exiting the fuel passage into a jet. An air swirler (3) is arranged outboard of the fuel passage and converges to a single outlet chamber (5) adjacent the fuel passage outlet(s). The air swirler (3) can be nominally concentrically arranged but have some freedom to move axially or radially or change its angular position. The fuel passage outlets may be arranged symmetrically in an annular configuration. An air passage may be arranged axially within the annular array of fuel passage outlets.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for a gas turbine engine (10) comprises; a pilot fuel injector section (22, 23) and a main airblast fuel injector section (25, 26, 27, 28, 29), the main airblast fuel injector section having an aft end (29) facing a combustion chamber (30). A surface of the injection system exposed to air flow through an injection system is non-axisymmetric or non-planar in a reference circumferential plane and/or is configured to generate controlled and varying acoustic impedance at or adjacent the aft end where, in use, the air flow collides with an oncoming acoustic wave.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an assembly for the improved connection or termination of one or more minerally insulated cables, the assembly comprising an electrically insulating plate comprising one or more channels to accommodate and support one or more inward cables; one or more channels to accommodate and support one or more outward cables; one or more recesses to accommodate one or more electrical components; one or more terminal studs arranged to connect said at least one inward and outward cable; and a protective cover comprising one or more protective plates locatable over the electrically insulating plate and cables and further comprising one or more recesses located so as to provide access to each of the one or more terminal studs.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly for the electrical connection of one or more minerally insulated cables (11), the assembly comprising a pot seal arrangement (10) arranged in use to connect the minerally insulated cable (11) to a connector (22); at least one cable alignment plate (21, 31); and, a backshell (20) shaped so as to contain the pot seal (10) and cable alignment plate (21); the cable alignment plate (21) and pot seal (10) being arranged so as to locate within the backshell (20) such that in use, connecting the backshell (20) to the connector (22) forces the backshell (20), cable alignment plate (21) and pot seal (10) into a cooperative engagement.

Abstract: A hydraulic seal arrangement including first and second rotatable components, the first defining a first annular trough defined by radially inwardly extending first and second walls, the second component defining a radially outwardly extending web between the walls. The first component includes a second trough defined by the second wall and a third wall axially spaced from the second, the second trough defining an open radially inner end defined by a radially inner end of the second wall such that the first and second annular troughs fluidly communicate around the circumference of the first component via the inner end of the second wall. At a first circumferential position, the second wall of the first component defines a second trough oil inlet providing further fluid communication between the first and second troughs and at a second circumferential position, the third wall of the first component defines a second trough oil outlet.

Abstract: A drive shaft assembly comprising a first shaft and a second shaft is disclosed. The second shaft is axially translatable from an engaged configuration with the first shaft at one limit of its travel to a disengaged configuration from the first shaft at the opposite limit of its travel. Engagement of the first and second shafts is via cooperating helical splines provided thereon. The helical splines give rise to a disengaging axial force on the second shaft in a fault condition in which a driving torque is applied from one of the first and second shafts to the helical splines in a rotational direction tending to unscrew the helical splines. Consequently when the second shaft is in the engaged configuration the disengaging axial force translates the second shaft to the disengaged configuration.

Abstract: A method of determining the axial load on load-sharing thrust bearings including: providing first and second thrust bearings, each including an inner race and an outer race supported by at least one resilient element; applying a test axial load to each of the first and second thrust bearings to elastically deform the at least one resilient element so as to axially displace the outer race; determining the test axial displacement of each outer race to obtain calibration data comprising values of axial load versus axial displacement; applying an in-service axial load to the first and second thrust bearings to elastically deform the resilient elements so as to axially displace the respective outer races; measuring the in-service axial displacement of each outer race; and based on the measured in-service axial displacements, inferring from the calibration data the values of the in-service axial loads on the first and second thrust bearings.

Abstract: A composite component comprising a plurality of plies and a plurality of pins extending transversely to the plies, wherein the pins comprise a magnetic material. A magnetic field generator is configured to generate a magnetic field through a thickness direction of the component; and a sensor is provided for detecting a change in magnetic flux indicative of delamination of the plies.