Abstract: A turbine bucket having an airfoil is disclosed. The airfoil may include a pressure side wall and a suction side wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. In addition, the airfoil may include a base and a tip disposed opposite the base. The tip may include a tip floor and pressure and suction side tip walls extending outwardly from the tip floor. Moreover, the tip may include an intermediate tip wall extending outwardly from the tip floor between the pressure and suction side tip walls. The intermediate tip wall may define a height that is less than a height of the pressure and/or suction side tip walls.

Abstract: A device for converting the kinetic energy of molecules into useful work includes an actuator configured to move within a fluid or gas due to collisions with the molecules of the fluid or gas. The actuator has dimensions that subject it to the Brownian motion of the surrounding molecules. The actuator utilizes objects having multiple surfaces where the different surfaces result in differing coefficients of restitution. The Brownian motion of surrounding molecules produce molecular impacts with the surfaces. Each surface then experiences relative differences in transferred energy from the kinetic collisions. The sum effect of the collisions produces net velocity in a desired direction. The controlled motion can be utilized in a variety of manners to perform work, such as generating electricity or transporting materials.

Abstract: A wind turbine for generating electrical energy may include a wind turbine blade including a plurality of vortex generators integrally formed in the outer surface of the blade. The vortex generator includes a first component that defines a portion of the outer surface of the blade and a second component defining the shape of the vortex generator and at least partially surrounded by the first component. A method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade includes disposing a first plurality of layers of structural material over a mold main body and a removable insert member with a shaped cavity. A shaped plug is then pressed into the shaped cavity, and a second plurality of layers of structural material is disposed over the plug and the mold main body to complete manufacture of a wind turbine blade with a vortex generator.

Abstract: A centrifugal fan is provided. The centrifugal fan is configured such that an impeller having plural blades disposed between a disk-shaped main plate and an annular shroud along a circumferential direction is accommodated 5 in a casing, and that an air suctioned from a suction opening is discharged outward in a radial direction of the impeller by a centrifugal force due to a rotation of the impeller, and thereby discharging the air from the casing. The casing includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and plural supporting struts interposed between the upper plate and the lower plate, and 10 lateral sides of the casing have only the supporting struts to form a discharge opening.

Abstract: According to typical inventive practice, a cylindrical or prolate spheroidal marine hull has two congruent contra-rotative propellers coaxially situated at or near its axial ends. Each propeller has plural blades mechanically and/or flexibly attributed with changeability of blade pitch angles and blade flap angles. A blade-pitch control system adjusts the individual blade pitch angles of both propellers. The blade-pitch control system may be electronically and/or mechanically actuated, and is capable of: (i) cyclically adjusting the blade pitch angles of the two propellers so as to select two respective blade-tip-path planes, each characterized by a direction of thrust that is associated with the blade flap angles and is generally perpendicular to the blade-tip-path plane; (ii) collectively adjusting the blade pitch angles of the two propellers so as to select two respective magnitudes of thrust.

Abstract: The present application provides a compartmentalized cooling system for providing a cooling flow in a turbine with a flow of combustion gases therein. The compartmentalized cooling system may include a turbine nozzle and a cooling baffle. The turbine nozzle may include an airfoil insert and a nozzle outer sidewall. The cooling baffle may include a high pressure cooling passage in communication with the airfoil insert in a first circuit and an impingement plate positioned about the nozzle outer sidewall in a second circuit.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a bearing, an outer assembly disposed about an axis and having an angled perimeter, and an inner assembly supporting the bearing and having a surface angled to slide against and attach to the angled perimeter as the bearing is aligned with the axis.

Abstract: A blade (1) for a tail anti-torque device of a helicopter, said device comprising a ducted rotor (13). The blade (1) has an assembly of sections, a leading edge (2) and a trailing edge (3); a stacking line (4) of the profiles extending at a distance lying in the range 25% to 50% of the chord (C). The stacking line (4) presents a shape that is curved having successively from the root (5) to the end (6) of the blade a back sweep, a forward sweep, and a last back sweep; and a chord (C) that becomes larger going towards the end (6) of the blade (1) over at least the end profile (1a).

Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes an impeller having a plurality of impeller blades coupled to an impeller hub body, wherein each impeller blade is sculpted having a nonlinear profile extending from a hub intersect surface of the impeller blade to a shroud intersect surface of the impeller blade.

Abstract: The present application provides an inner nozzle platform. The inner nozzle platform may include a platform cavity, an impingement plenum positioned within the platform cavity, a retention plate positioned on a first side of the impingement plenum, and a compliant seal positioned on a second side of the impingement plenum.

Abstract: A steam seal system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the steam seal system includes: a low pressure steam turbine positioned on a shaft; a pair of end packings surrounding the shaft, each of the pair of end packings located proximate an axial end of the low pressure steam turbine along the shaft; and an pair of extraction conduits fluidly connected to the low pressure steam turbine and the shaft, the pair of extraction conduits connected to the shaft at a location axially outward of the pair of end packings and the low pressure steam turbine.

Abstract: A stationary vane assembly for a turbine engine including an inner casing and at least two angular sectors forming a high-pressure guide vane assembly, each angular sector including a fastening tab for fastening the angular sector on the casing. The stationary vane assembly including a ring of abradable material fixed on the casing, on the side of a mobile vane assembly using a plurality of screw-nut assemblies, the stationary vane assembly also including radial retaining pins for the angular sectors introduced into first bores formed in the fastening tabs and in the mounting clip, the bores having axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the mounting clip being fixed on the casing by the same screw-nut assemblies as those fixing the ring of abradable material support on the casing.

Abstract: A wear indication system for use in turbine engines to measure the rate of gap closure between a seal holder and a rotor disk in a compressor blade assembly is disclosed. The wear indication system may include a support system capable of supporting a wear indicator formed from a relatively soft wear material without enabling the wear indicator to shift position or to fall out. One or more wear pins may be releasably attached to a compression plate with a seal holder. The seal holder may restrain the wear pin in position in an interference fit. During turbine engine operation, the wear pin is used to determine the rate of gap closing between a rotor disk and a seal holder precisely so that gas turbine engine repair can be scheduled and proper actions be taken to prevent rubbing between rotating and stationary parts of a compressor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal pump assembly with at least one impeller, with a suction union, which is situated on the entry side of the impeller, and with a pressure union, which is situated on the exit side of the impeller. A flow sensor and at least one guidance element are arranged in a conduit section, which is formed by the suction union and/or by the pressure union. The guidance element is suitable for influencing the flow prevailing in the conduit section.