Abstract: A circuit affixed to a moving part of an engine for sensing and processing the temperature of the part. The circuit generates a signal representative of the temperature sensed by a thermocouple (110) and amplified by an amplifier (112). A square wave oscillator (113) with a temperature sensitive capacitor (C8) varies its frequency in response to changes of a local temperature of the circuit. A chopper (114, J27) converts the output of the amplifier into an alternating current signal. The chopper is gated by the square wave oscillator and a second input is coupled to an output of the amplifier. Thus, the chopper has an output signal having a frequency representative of the local temperature and an amplitude representative of the thermocouple temperature, whereby the combined signals represent the true temperature of the part.

Abstract: A circuit assembly (34) affixed to a moving part (20) of a turbine for receiving information about a condition of the part and transmitting this information external to the engine. The circuit assembly includes a high-temperature resistant package (34A) that attaches to the part. A high temperature resistant PC board (42) supports both active and passive components of the circuit, wherein a first group of the passive components are fabricated with zero temperature coefficient of resistance and a second group of the passive components are fabricated with a positive temperature coefficient of resistance. The active components are fabricated with high temperature metallization. Connectors (40) attached to the PC board pass through a wall of the package (34A) for communication with sensors (30) on the part and with an antenna (26) for transmitting data about the condition of the part to outside the turbine.

Abstract: In a telemetry system for use in an engine, a circuit structure (34) affixed to a moving part (20) of the engine is disposed for amplifying information sensed about a condition of the part and transmitting the sensed information to a receiver external to the engine. The circuit structure is adapted for the high temperature environment of the engine and includes a differential amplifier (102, 111) having an input for receiving a signal from a sensor (101, 110) disposed on the part. A voltage controlled oscillator (104, 115) with an input coupled to the output of the amplifier produces an oscillatory signal having a frequency representative of the sensed condition. A buffer (105, 116) with an input coupled to the output of the oscillator buffers the oscillatory signal, which is then coupled to an antenna (26) for transmitting the information to the receiver.

Abstract: A method and system for heating fuel for a gas turbine engine by using excess heat energy in the engine exhaust gas to heat the fuel and returning the cooled exhaust gas back to the engine exhaust gas stream upstream of an emissions sensor is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a heat exchanger having an exhaust gas passage and a fuel passage, extracting high temperature exhaust gas from the engine exhaust gas stream and passing the high temperature exhaust gas through the exhaust gas passage. Fuel is passed through the fuel passage where excess heat energy in the high temperature exhaust gas is used to heat the fuel. The temperature of the heated fuel is controlled by controlling the flow of the high temperature exhaust gas through the exhaust gas passage.

Abstract: An intermediate component includes a first wall member, a leachable material layer, and a precursor wall member. The first wall member has an outer surface and first connecting structure. The leachable material layer is provided on the first wall member outer surface. The precursor wall member is formed adjacent to the leachable material layer from a metal powder mixed with a binder material, and includes second connecting structure.

Abstract: A component for use in a turbine engine including a first member and a second member associated with the first member. The second member includes a plurality of connecting elements extending therefrom. The connecting elements include securing portions at ends thereof that are received in corresponding cavities formed in the first member to attach the second member to the first member. The connecting elements are constructed to space apart a first surface of the second member from a first surface of the first member such that at least one cooling passage is formed between adjacent connecting elements and the first surface of the second member and the first surface of the first member.

Abstract: A fuel injector assembly for use in a turbine engine having a combustion section and a turbine section downstream from the combustion section. The fuel injector assembly includes a flow sleeve defining a pre-mixing passage of the combustion section and including a sleeve wall having a forward end proximate to a cover plate of the combustion section and an opposed aft end. An annular cavity in fluid communication with a source of fuel is formed in the sleeve wall adjacent the aft end. A fuel dispensing structure is associated with the cavity and includes at least one fuel distribution aperture for distributing fuel from the cavity to the pre-mixing passage.

Abstract: A method of forming a turbine component that includes a ceramic matrix composite-ceramic insulation composite with a vapor resistant layer is disclosed. The method includes providing an inner tool and an outer tool, wherein the inner and outer tools define a mold for forming a turbine component. A vapor resistant layer can be applied to the inner tool, and a ceramic insulation layer can be applied over the vapor resistant layer in the mold. The vapor resistant layer and the ceramic insulation layer can be partially fired to form a bisque turbine component, and the outer tool can be removed. The inner tool can include a transitory material. A layer of ceramic matrix composite material can be applied to the outside of the bisque turbine component to form a component, and the component can be fired to form a turbine component.

Abstract: A flow sleeve for use in a turbine engine including a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section downstream from the combustion section. The flow sleeve includes a sleeve wall defining a pre-mixing passage of the combustion section and has a forward end proximate to a cover plate of the combustion section and an opposed aft end. The sleeve wall includes a first wall section extending axially from the sleeve wall forward end and a second wall section extending from the first wall section between the forward and aft ends of the sleeve wall toward the aft end of the sleeve wall A cavity is formed between the first wall section and the second wall section.

Abstract: A hybrid ceramic structure and a method for protecting the hybrid ceramic structure from moisture attack in a high temperature combustion environment are provided. The structure includes a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) substrate (12). A thermal insulation material (14) is disposed on the substrate. A vapor resistant material (20) is applied through at least one surface of the hybrid ceramic structure while the hybrid ceramic structure is in a bisque condition that provides a degree of porosity to the hybrid ceramic structure so that the vapor resistant material is infiltrated through interstices available within a thickness of the hybrid ceramic structure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermal insulation article may include positioning, between opposing mold walls, a first layer comprising a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material and a second layer comprising a plurality of tiles. The method may further include moving the opposing mold walls together to compress together the first and second layers, and curing the compressed together first and second layers to produce the thermal insulation article.

Abstract: A marker pulse discriminator monitor that enables filtering of partial discharge pulses for monitoring the condition of a generator in a power plant system. The monitor detects partial discharge pulses emanating from the generator and includes a plurality of first modules connected to respective isophase buses adjacent to the generator. Each of the first modules generate a marker pulse in response to a partial discharge pulse. The monitor also includes an analyzer unit connected to the isophase buses adjacent to a step-up transformer. The analyzer unit receives each partial discharge pulse and each marker pulse and determines a differential value corresponding to a difference between a time of arrival of a partial discharge pulse and a time of arrival of a corresponding marker pulse to identify partial discharge pulses originating at the generator and to identify the isophase bus associated with the corresponding partial discharge pulse.

Abstract: A process (20) of producing an abradable thermal barrier coating (38) with a uniformly distributed solid lubricant (46) such as for gas turbine shroud ring segments. A mixture of a ceramic precursor powder (23) and a solid lubricant precursor powder in a liquid (22) is injected (28) into a thermal jet (32), such as one generated by a plasma gun (30). The precursor powders (23, 24) are dissolved or suspended in the liquid, forming a uniform spray mix (34) that is atomized in the thermal jet (32). The resulting spray mix (34) is directed toward a substrate (36), producing layers (39a-39c) of overlapping adherent ceramic splats (42) surrounded generally uniformly by an amount of solid lubricant (46) sufficient to increase abradability of the layers to a given degree, and thus protect turbine blade tips from damage during adjacent rotation with zero clearance.

Abstract: A combustor basket (20) is provided comprising a generally tubular wall (22) defining a cavity (24) and a liner (26) of a ceramic matrix composite material disposed within the cavity (24), wherein an interference fit exists between an outer surface (34) of the liner (26) located in the cavity (24) and an inner surface (28) of the generally tubular wall (22). Advantageously, the novel combustor basket (20) greatly reduces the amount of air or other medium needed to cool the combustor basket body and increases the maximum allowable flame temperature that the combustor basket (20) can withstand. A method of manufacturing the combustor basket (20) is also provided.

Abstract: A stitching geometry and method for selective interlaminar reinforcement of a CMC wall (20A). The CMC wall is formed of ceramic fiber layers (22) individually infused with a ceramic matrix, stacked, and at least partially cured. A row of holes is formed in the wall, and a ceramic fiber thread (25) is infused with a wet ceramic matrix and passed through the holes to form stitches (28, 30, 31). The stitches are then cured, causing them to shrink more than any remaining wall shrinkage, thus tensioning the stitches and compressing the wall laminae together. The stitches may have through-wall portions (30, 31) that are angled differently in different wall areas as a function of interlaminar shear over interlaminar tension, optimizing wall reinforcement locally depending on magnitude and direction of shear. Alternate rows of stitches (54, 56) may have offsets in a stitch direction (34) and/or different through-wall angles (A1, A2).

Abstract: A gas turbine combustor having a Helmholtz resonator in a post-swirler homogenization zone upstream of the combustor zone. Embodiments of the present invention provide Helmholtz resonators that include cavities that occupy a remainder of a post-swirler homogenization zone, which also includes at least one flow-directing structure that passes a fuel/oxidizer mixture from a main swirler assembly into a combustion zone of a combustor. Thus, an open annular region of the combustor is converted into a multi-purpose zone that includes at least one Helmholtz resonator.

Abstract: A fuel electrode anode (18) for a solid oxide fuel cell is made by presenting a solid oxide fuel cell having an electrolyte surface (15), mixing copper powder with solid oxide electrolyte in a mixing step (24, 44) to provide a spray feedstock (30,50) which is fed into a plasma jet (32, 52) of a plasma torch to melt the spray feed stock and propel it onto an electrolyte starface (34, 54) where the spray feed stock flattens into lamellae layer upon solidification, where the layer (38. 59) is an anode coating with greater than 35 vol. % based on solids volume.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (400) is made having a tubular, elongated, hollow, active section (445) which has a cross-section containing an air electrode (452) a fuel electrode (454) and solid oxide electrolyte (456) between them, where the fuel cell transitions into at least one inactive section (460) with a flattened parallel sided cross-section (462, 468) each cross-section having channels (472, 474, 476) in them which smoothly communicate with each other at an interface section (458).

Abstract: A fluid cooled fastener assembly for use in a high temperature environment and a method of fluid cooling a fastener assembly are provided. The fastener has a coolant passage extending axially through the fastener and a coolant collector coupled to an end of the fastener. The coolant collector includes a collector opening configured to capture a portion of a cooling fluid flowing past the coolant collector and a contoured passage in communication with the collector opening and the passage in the fastener. The contoured passage is configured to accelerate the cooling fluid captured by the coolant collector and to direct it into the coolant passage in the fastener.

Abstract: A method is provided for restoring a near-wall channeled gas turbine engine component (100, 200) which has been exposed to engine operation. In a representative embodiment, a cooling channel (102) of the component (100) is filled with a polymer that solidifies to form a preform material (110) in the cooling channel (102). Then existing outer wall layers (106, 108) of the component (100) are removed, thereby exposing in part the preform material (110). New outer wall layers (106-N, 108-N) are applied over the component (100), and this may be done while a cooling flow is also applied to the component (100). Then the preform material (110) is removed without destroying the new outer wall layers (106-N, 108-N). The new outer wall layers (106-N, 108-N) may be applied by HVOF processes or by other methods.