Abstract: A turbine engine rotor includes two bolted, coaxial sections. One of the sections carries blades engaged by their roots in through broachings. The axial force exerted on the blades by the centrifugal operating component due to the inclination of the broaching is not transmitted to the bolts joining the two sections as a result of a mounting where the flanges are joined at their rear faces. The blades abut against the flange of the other of the sections. The invention is more particularly applicable to highly curved, so-called large chord blades of a turbine engine fan and the other of the sections is then a low pressure compressor drum.

Abstract: A pump rotor for displacing fluids includes a cover and a bottom part having blades. Both the bottom part and the cover are formed by injection molding of thermoplastic materials, preferably reinforced by fillers. The bottom part and the cover are joined together by welding. The walls of the bottom part and cover are sufficiently thin to replace similar metal parts and to provide maximum benefit of the skin effect resulting from the specific surface qualities of the molded material forming the bottom part and the cover. A mold for molding the bottom part and the cover is equipped with a cap which is angularly and vertically adjustable making it possible for a balancing weight to be fitted on the molded parts. The balancing weight is also angularly adjustable and has an adjustable mass.

Abstract: A blower fan assembly is provided which includes a blower housing, an exhaust port having an air passage connected to the housing and an impeller assembly rotatably received within the housing. A sound attenuator is also provided to be received in the exhaust port. The attenuator includes at least one edge which extends into the housing to provide a gradual cutoff point. Air moving ahead of the rotating impeller vanes is partially redirected through the exhaust port by the attenuator. Remaining air is directed over and around the attenuator and is forced out of the housing at the cutoff point created where the exhaust port joins the housing. The redirection of air alleviates compression/decompression at the cutoffs thereby reducing the pulsing noise associated therewith.

Abstract: A high power, closed cycle photolytic atomic iodine laser system having a high molecular weight gas as a laser fuel and which requires a high velocity flow of the laser fuel, the laser fuel to be in a selected low pressure range, and the laser fuel to be of very high purity. The laser system has a turbo-molecular blower for circulating the laser fuel. The turbo-molecular blower provides the high velocity flow, the selected low pressure through the laser gain cell, and a high compression ratio. The velocity is in a range of about 1 m/s to 100 m/s, the compression ratio being in a range from about 10:1 to 1000:1, the selected low pressure in a range of about 5 to 60 Torr, and the turbo-molecular blower not contaminating the laser fuel of the closed cycle fuel system by the use of ferrofluidic rotary seals. The turbo-molecular blower has a blower assembly that provides a continuous, high velocity and pressurized gas flow.

Abstract: A variable pitch fan for a helicopter equipped with a NOTAR.TM. mechanical antitorque directional control system comprises a plurality of blade assemblies. Each blade assembly includes a blade portion, which is molded from a blended material which includes fiber reinforced polypropylene. A key to the invention is the use of long fibers, having a length of at least approximately one-half inch, for reinforcement, the long fibers providing for about twice the pull-out strength of short or chopped fibers. Another key aspect of the invention is the use of a blowing agent in the blended material, which serves to reduce weight and warpage by creating a foamed structure having a variable density, the structure retaining considerable strength because of the fiber reinforcement. The blade portion is molded about a spar which has holes therethrough, the holes providing a mechanical interlock between the blade and the spar.

Abstract: In a process for operating a fluid flow engine, a conditioning medium is conducted through the rotor, which consists of several shaft parts (1, 2) welded together; this medium is capable of evening out the temperature difference established between the stator (3) and the rotor in the transient operating ranges, depending on whether heating or cooling of the rotor is suited to the characteristic curve of the stator temperature course.

Abstract: In a rotary turbine having inlets for mixtures of gas and liquid, and a rotary shaft, the combination comprising a separator to receive the mixture of gas and liquid, and to separate the mixture into a stream of gas and a stream of liquid; first structure to receive the stream of gas for generating torque exerted on the shaft; the separator including a rotating surface to receive the stream of liquid to form a liquid layer, and for generating torque exerted on the shaft; there being generally radial outflow passages for the separated liquid stream, and liquid nozzles terminating liquid outflow passages to pass the liquid stream and to convert the induced pressures of the radial outflow of the liquid to velocity of liquid jets, and to convert the reaction forces of the liquid jets to shaft power. Gas nozzles may be provided to receive the separated gas stream which is centrifugally pressurized and expanded through the gas nozzles to produce gas jets directed to produce torque acting on the shaft.

Abstract: A wind turbine for converting wind energy to useable energy having a plurality of overlapping sail members. The sail members extend radially outward from a vertically disposed shaft in three columns positioned equidistantly around the shaft. The overlapping sail members hang downwardly in a naturally biased, vertical orientation so as to block rotational movement of each other in one direction. This configuration allows the wind to engage with the sail members on one side of the shaft to rotate the shaft, and blow past the sail members on the other side of the shaft. Rotation of the cylinder is thus achieved while wind resistance is greatly minimized, regardless of the wind direction. A generator can be rotatably intercoupled with the cylinder to thereby convert the kinetic energy of rotation to useable energy. Each sail member is preferably positioned such that a gap resides between the sail member and the shaft, the gap being at least as wide as the sail member.

Abstract: Each fan blade of a fan blade assembly for a ducted fan gas turbine engine is provided with a key which cooperates with the fan blade root and fan hub to axially lock the fan blade to the fan hub. Each key is deformable under excessive axial loading of its associated fan blade to minimize damage to the fan hub.

Abstract: A fan device for dissipating heat from an electronic component includes a base having a number of upward extending fins. The fins on the side portions are higher than the middle fins. A board is secured above the shorter fins and engaged between the higher fins, and includes a number of orifices for air circulation purposes. The board includes a support engaged in an opening and coupled to the board for securing a fan. Alternatively, the board may be engaged on top of the higher fins, or, the fins may have identical height and include a depression formed in the middle portion for engagement with the fan.

Abstract: Turbomachinery rotor component, which may be a disk or drum rotor, having an annular rim disposed about a centerline for securing the blades to the rotor and that is subject to a tensile stress field due to centrifugal and thermal growth induced forces generated by the rotor when the rotor is rotating. An annular channel slot is cut around the rim, has outer annular overhanging rails, and has at least one stress riser in the form of a three sided slot cut in the radial direction through one of the rails. A region around rounded corners of the stress riser has deep compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening and extends inward from a laser shocked surface of the component encompassed by the region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an air box throttle assembly for improved characterization of a combustion system in which an arrangement of three air shutters is used to maintain a fairly constant air to fuel ratio as the combustion system is driven from low fire to high fire. A high fire shutter and a main air shutter each comprise two vanes and are rotatably mounted within an air intake box for a combustion system. A low fire shutter is provided with a single vane and is fixed above the main air shutter. The high fire shutter is the principal regulator of large volumes of air entering the combustion system when operating at high fire. At high fire, the main air shutter is fully open and low fire shutter has little effect on the flow of air through the air intake box. Low fire shutter is the principal regulator of small volumes of air entering the combustion system when operating at low fire.

Abstract: A track mounting fixture for an electric fan includes a sliding member adapted to be mounted in a track lighting fixture and constructed to retain an electric fan. Contact members on the sliding member contact conductive strips within a channel on the track member and supply power to the fan at any desired position along the channel length. The fan position may be adjusted easily by sliding the sliding member along the channel and by pivoting the fan about a joint on the sliding member.

Abstract: Deflecting vanes, confronting the blades of the impeller-inducer, and fixed in the housing, inhibit the formation of a vortex upstream of the impeller-inducer. Too, the vanes direct the recirculation flow back into the central zone of the pump. The impeller-inducer is force-fed by its own recirculation.

Abstract: A compressor or turbine blade having its tip coated with a zirconium-based oxide having a plurality of macrocracks extending at least 100 microns through the coating and the process used to produce such a coating.

Abstract: Gas turbine blades 14 are slid axially into disc 12 with a retention tang 22 on each abutting the disc. An axially extending space 28 between blade platforms 26 and the disc receives elongated strip 30. With prebent end 34 resiliently held against the disc the opposite end 36 is bent radially outward against the roots of adjacent blades. A bow 38 biases the blades outwardly, deterring vibration.

Abstract: A rotary turbine including a source of a pressurized medium and a rotor assembly. In one embodiment, the rotor assembly includes first and second rotors, and the surface of each rotor is substantially smooth. The pressurized medium flows between the rotors, turning the rotors. The smooth rotor surfaces do not cause substantial turbulence in the medium. Accordingly, the exit velocity of the pressurized medium is maintained at a substantial higher level than if the rotors included blades or other protrusions extending outwardly.

Abstract: A mechanical device which converts the wind energy into rotational mechanical energy has a cross-wind-axis rotor structure, having multiple, orientable blades around its periphery, mounted parallel to the rotor axis. Each blade is interconnected with an orientable stabilizer mounted on the same rotor radial line as the blade, at a smaller radius, so that during rotation, the blade and the stabilizer are able to pivot simultaneously and essentially parallel to each other, in the course of aligning themselves, into a pitch angle, where the opposing pitching moments created by the aerodynamic lift forces over the blade and the stabilizer, equilibrate each other, and where the aerodynamic lift forces are the optimum to induce the necessary torque to spin up the rotor.

Abstract: A coolable airfoil for use in gas turbine engine component such as a turbine blade or vane is provided with a radially extending airfoil having an outer wall surrounding at least one radially extending cavity and extending chordwise through at least a portion of the airfoil. The outer wall has ribs disposed on an inner surface of the outer wall and cooling passages formed between the outer wall and an insert disposed in the cavity against and in abutting sealing relationship with the ribs, wherein the outer wall is formed from two radially and chordwise extending sections, preferably suction and pressure side sections, bonded together while the insert was disposed inside the cavity. The insert provides an inner wall surrounding a hollow chamber generally conforming to the cavity the insert is disposed in and the insert includes a spring to force the inner wall out against the ribs during the bonding process.

Abstract: A ceiling fan blade slip cover composed of a fitted case which is dimensioned to generally conform to the shape of a ceiling fan blade, wherein the mouth of the fitted case is closable about the arm of the ceiling fan blade. The mouth is used to install and remove the ceiling fan blade slip cover with respect to its respective ceiling fan blade. In this regard, it is preferred for the mouth to be provided with an elastic gather, and/or be provided with a releasable fastener, such as for example a VELCRO (trademark of Velcro, U.S.A.) type hook and loop fastener. A preferred material for the fitted case is a fabric having a selected color, pattern or other indicia thereupon which harmoniously matches the decor of the room. Other materials may be used, such as for example a sheet plastic or leather material. In the event a nonventilative material is used for the fitted case, one or more longitudinal slits are provided at the top side and a lateral slit is provided at each outboard corner thereof.