Abstract: A connector assembly (12) for electrically and mechanically connecting via bolting, the top and bottom stator coil sections (14, 16) of an electrical generator comprising at least one pair of stator coil sections (14, 16) having spaced apart upper coil headers (18, 20) and lower coil headers (22, 24), each comprising a conductive material to provide at least two parallel paths for passing respective flows of electric current; first and second connectors (26, 28) including respective couplers (36, 38, 40, 42) for connecting the headers (18, 20, 22, 24), wherein the first and second connectors (26, 28) are electrically and mechanically isolated from one another via an air gap (34) therebetween so that none of the couplers (36, 38, 40, 42) bridge the air gap (34) and thereby allow relative movement between the first and second connectors (26, 28).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a substrate (16) with a ceramic thermal barrier coating (28, 32). The interface between layers of the coating contains an engineered surface roughness (12, 24) to enhance the mechanical integrity of the bond there between. The surface roughness is formed in a surface of a mold (10,20) and is infused by a subsequently cast layer of material (16, 28). The substrate may be partially sintered (76) prior to application of the coating layer(s) and the coated substrate and coating layer(s) may be co-sintered to form a fully coherent strain-free interlayer.

Abstract: A pump system includes a centrifugal pump having an impeller, a first inlet arranged to receive a first flow of liquid, a second inlet arranged to receive a flow of gas at a first pressure, the gas being soluble in the liquid, and an outlet arranged to discharge a second flow of liquid that contains the flow of gas solubilized therein. An injection pump has an inlet arranged to receive the second flow of liquid. The injection pump is operable to increase the pressure of the second flow of liquid to produce a high-pressure flow of liquid, and includes a discharge arranged to discharge the high-pressure flow of liquid.

Abstract: A method of braze repair for a superalloy material component. Following a brazing operation on the superalloy material, the component is subjected to an isostatic solution treatment, followed by a rapid cool down to ambient temperature under pressure The conditions of the isostatic solution treatment combined with the cool down at pressure function to both reduce porosity in the component and to solution treat the superalloy material, thereby optimizing superalloy properties without reintroducing porosity in the braze.

Abstract: A sensing system is provided. The sensing system includes a processor, a sensor node, a plurality of sensors, a power source and a controller. The sensor node is operably connected to the processor on an industrial side and to the sensors on a sensor side. The sensors each measure a parameter of the sensing system and transmit the parameter to the processor via the sensor node. The power source delivers power to the processor. The controller is in operable communication with the processor. The sensor node, disposed in close proximity to the sensors, converts a data protocol for each of the sensors to a different industrial protocol and transmits the converted data through a communication port via the industrial data protocol to the processor. The processor then collects the measurements of each parameter of the plurality of sensors, analyses the measurements and transmits the analyzed data to the controller.

Abstract: A braze tape (12) useful with superalloy materials. In one embodiment, the tape includes a layer (14) containing superalloy powder (22) in a binder (24), and a layer (16) containing boron and silicon free braze material powder (32) in a binder, joined together by a layer (18) of double-sided adhesive fluorocarbon polymer tape, such as a double-sided adhesive polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon® tape (46).

Abstract: A combined cycle power plant and a method for operating a combined cycle power plant are presented. The combined cycle power plant includes a condensate recirculation pump to recirculate flow medium from downstream of a condensate preheater system to upstream of the condensate preheater system. An adequate flow temperature at the upstream of the condensate preheater system may be maintained to prevent acid gas dew point corrosion. The condensate recirculation pump may use a venturi effect to convert a high pressure of a condensate supplied by a condensate extraction pump to a suction pressure for the recirculation.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine component (50, 100, 150, 160, 174, 206, 236), including: a surface (54) subject to loss caused by a wear instrument during operation of the component in a gas turbine engine and a performance feature (80, 82, 102, 152, 162, 172, 200, 230) associated with the surface. The surface and the performance feature interact in a manner that changes with the loss such that a change in performance of the gas turbine engine resulting from the loss is mitigated.

Abstract: A hyper-redundant monitoring system and a gas turbine including the hyper-redundant monitoring system are provided. The hyper-redundant monitoring system includes a processor, a sensor node operably connected to the processor. The sensor node includes a plurality of sensors disposed in close proximity to one another such that a single parameter is measured by each of the plurality of sensors and each sensor is configured to transmit the parameter. The system also includes a power source and a controller in operable communication with the processor. The single parameter is output by each of the sensors and transmitted to the processor which collects the output parameters, analyzes the output parameters, and transmits analyzed data to the controller.

Abstract: A turbine blade having an airfoil portion includes a first ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component having a first outer surface and a second ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component having a second outer surface. The second CMC component is positioned adjacent the first CMC component such that the first outer surface and the second outer surface align with one another and at least partially define the airfoil portion. A ceramic bead is at least partially formed at an interface between the first CMC component and the second CMC component. The formation of the bead melts a portion of the first CMC component and the second CMC component, such that the ceramic bead, the first CMC component, and the second CMC component become a single contiguous component and the bead fixedly attaches the first CMC component and the second CMC component.

Abstract: An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.

Abstract: A system and a method for removing debris from a flow path of a cooling flow is provided. The system includes a turbine including at least one airfoil. A cooling flow is communicated to cooling holes via piping that includes a dead leg debris extractor in order to cool the airfoil. The dead leg debris extractor includes a means to capture and retain debris from the cooling flow continuously during online operation of the turbine.

Abstract: A method for repairing a stator core of a generator is presented. The stator core includes laminations grouped into packs. A ventilation spacer is disposed between adjacent packs. Laminations are separated from each other by insulation layers. The ventilation spacer is removed between adjacent packs having a damaged insulation layer between the laminations to locally loosen the laminations in the adjacent packs which allows the damaged insulation layer between the laminations to be repaired. A new ventilation spacer is reinstalled between the adjacent packs where the ventilation spacer being removed to retighten the laminations in the adjacent packs after completion of the repair. The new ventilation spacer is adhesively secured between the adjacent packs.

Abstract: A method for forming an impact weld used in an additive manufacturing process is provided. The method includes providing a metallic material for impact welding to a substrate. The metallic material is propelled toward the substrate with a sufficient velocity to form an impact weld for welding the metallic material to the substrate. Further, the method includes traversing the substrate in a direction relative to a direction from which the metallic material is propelled and repeating the propelling so that a layer of additive material is deposited on the substrate as desired. In addition, a method for forming an impact welding used in an additive manufacturing process via discharge actuated arrangement is provided.

Abstract: A false tooth assembly for a generator stator core is presented. The false tooth assembly has a tapered shape including multiple tapered false tooth pieces. The multiple tapered false tooth pieces are installed into a damaged area in a tooth of a lamination of the stator core such that a wide end of the false tooth assembly is disposed into a wide opening of the damaged area and a narrow end of the false tooth assembly is flushed with a narrow opening of the damaged area at a tip of the tooth. The tapered shape of the false tooth assembly enables the false tooth assembly to fill the entire damaged area and to lock the false tooth assembly into the damaged area. The false tooth assembly can be used to repair stator core in any region of the stator core including step iron region without being dislodged during generator operation.

Abstract: An assembly and a method for connecting ends of generator stator coils with a manifold are presented. The assembly includes an adapter having a sleeve connection conduit connected to a sleeve of the manifold and two hose connection conduits. Two hoses are connected between the two hose connection conduits and end of top stator coil and end of bottom stator coil respectively. The adapter provides two separate coolant flow paths from one sleeve of the manifold to the top stator coil and the bottom stator coil through two hoses. The assembly provides a simple modification to resolve connection issues between generator stator coils and manifold during stator coil rewinding as well as a possibility to monitor coolant temperatures of top and bottom stator coils independently.

Abstract: Systems and methods for additively manufacturing or repairing a component from a base material. The system may include an inoculation source to direct inoculation materials and a laser metal deposition (LMD) system to direct laser energy during laser processing of additive materials deposited in a melt pool on the base material. The LMD system includes a laser energy source configured to direct laser energy towards the base material and inoculation materials to form the melt pool thereon and to process the deposited additive materials and inoculation materials to form layers on the base material upon solidification.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine having a turbine blade tip clearance control system for increasing the efficiency of the engine by reducing the gap between turbine blade tips and radially outward ring segments is disclosed. The turbine blade tip clearance control system may include one or more clearance control bands positioned radially outward of inner surfaces of ring segments and bearing against at least one outer surface of the ring segments to limit radial movement of the ring segments. During operation, the clearance control band limits radial movement of the ring segments, and the turbine blade tips do not have a pinch point during start-up transient conditions. In addition, the smallest gap during turbine engine operation may be found at steady state operation of the gas turbine engine. Thus, the clearance control system can set the gap between turbine blade tips and ring segments to be zero at steady state operation.

Abstract: A generator grounding module selectively mountable to a support bracket and selectively engageable with a rotor includes a plate member movable along a mounting axis to selectively attach the generator grounding module to the support bracket, the plate member movable between a first position and a second position in which the plate member is substantially fixed with respect to the support bracket. A mounting block is movable along the mounting axis with respect to the plate member, a grounding strap is coupled to the mounting block and is movable between a disengaged position and an engaged position in which the grounding strap contacts the rotor, and a biasing assembly is connected to the plate member and the mounting block and operable to bias the mounting block along the mounting axis toward the plate member, wherein the plate member is fixedly attached to the support bracket when in the second position and the biasing assembly biases the grounding strap into the engaged position.

Abstract: A tool system for tightening a retrightenable wedge system in a slot of a generator stator core is presented. The tool system includes a carriage assembly and a wedge tool assembly that is pivotally coupled to the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly includes motorized drives that axially moves the tool system along the slot and holds the tool system on the slot at an axial position. The wedge tool assembly includes a torqueing socket to tighten the retightenable wedge assembly in the slot. The torqueing socket is driven by a worm gear arrangement.