Abstract: A turbocharger for an internal combustion engine, the turbocharger being supported by hydrostatic bearings in both a radial and an axial direction by a compressed air supplied from a compressor of the turbocharger and boosted in pressure by a separate boost pump to a high enough pressure to support the rotor of the turbocharger.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade of the spar and shell construction, where a one piece shell is secured to a hollow spar using a plurality of chordwise extending shear ties that are cast into a space formed between the shell interior and the spar exterior. A fill pipe is inserted into the hollow spar and is used to deliver the liquid retainer material to the hard to reach slots formed in which the shear ties solidify.

Abstract: A process for testing a full-sized aircraft or full-sized gas turbine engine in a wind tunnel and includes the steps of securing a full-sized aircraft or engine in a wind tunnel for testing; filling an underground storage reservoir with compressed air; passing pre-treated compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through the wind tunnel for testing of the full-sized aircraft or engine; connecting an outlet of the wind tunnel to an ejector; and, passing compressed air from the underground storage reservoir through the ejector to decrease the exit pressure at the wind tunnel during testing of the full-sized aircraft or engine. The step of pre-treating compressed air from the underground storage reservoir includes preheating the compressed air; and, passing the higher temperature compressed air into the wind tunnel.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a main serpentine flow cooling circuit extending from a leading edge region to a trailing edge region, and a mini serpentine flow cooling circuit in the blade tip region connected between the first and second legs of the main serpentine flow circuit. Exit slots in the trailing edge region are connected to the last leg of the main serpentine flow circuit and to the mini serpentine flow circuit to provide cooling for the trailing edge region.

Abstract: A process of forming an air cooled turbine airfoil using a metal additive process, where the airfoil is formed by first producing a ceramic core having an internal cooling circuit shape, and then building up the airfoil over the ceramic core. The ceramic core is then leached away, and the outer surface of the airfoil is machined to remove rough surfaces formed by the metal additive process.

Abstract: A floating air riding seal for a gas turbine engine with a rotor and a stator, an annular piston chamber with an axial moveable annular piston assembly within the annular piston chamber formed in the stator, an annular cavity formed on the annular piston assembly that faces a seal surface on the rotor, where the axial moveable annular piston includes an inlet scoop on a side opposite to the annular cavity that scoops up the swirling cooling air and directs the cooling air to the annular cavity to form an air cushion with the seal surface of the rotor.

Abstract: A process for testing a combustor or a compressor of a gas turbine engine, where a large volume of compressed air is stored in a large reservoir of at least 10,000 m3 such as an underground storage cavern, compressed air from the storage reservoir is passed through an air turbine to drive a compressor to produce high pressure and temperature compressed air, and where the compressed air can be discharged into a combustor and burned with a fuel for testing of the combustor under simulated conditions of a real gas turbine engine.

Abstract: The present invention is an industrial gas turbine engine with a circulating fluidized bed cooling system to provide cooling to certain parts of the engine such as a transition duct or a stator vane. The circulating fluidized bed cooling system can be used to cool a stator vane, a casing, or any stationary part of the engine. A circulating fluidized bed cooling system uses very fine particles that pass along with a cooling fluid such as cooling air and provide for a much higher heat transfer coefficient than does turbulent flow cooling air because of the particles. The fine particles produce conduction cooling from the hot surface to the particles that are then carried along in the circulating fluid flow to another location where the heat picked up by the particles is then transferred out from the particles.

Abstract: An air riding seal between a rotor and a stator in a turbine of a gas turbine engine, where an annular piston is movable in an axial direction within a housing that extends from the stator, and a bellows is secured to the annular piston to form a flexible air passageway from a compressed air inlet through the annular piston and into a cushion cavity that forms an air riding seal between the annular piston and the rotor sealing surface. In another embodiment, a flexible seal secured to and extending from the annular piston forms a sealing surface between the annular piston chamber and the annular piston to provide a seal and allow for axial movement.