Abstract: A system for automated condition assessment of a turbine component is provided. The system includes a partially enclosed photobox and a controller. The partially enclosed photobox includes a configurable rotational table adapted to carry the turbine component, at least one wall perpendicular to and abutting a horizontal platform upon which the rotational table is carried. The photobox also includes a plurality of cameras configured to be automatically positioned at locations surrounding the turbine component and capture images of the turbine component. The controller communicates with each of the cameras to respectively control the positioning of each camera in order to capture a desired view of the turbine component. At least one of the cameras is an infrared camera configured to perform flash thermography capturing a thermographic image of a portion of the turbine component. The thermographic image is used to assess the condition of the turbine component.

Abstract: A blackbody material application system for a turbine. The system includes a blackbody material supply and a moveable hose connected to the blackbody material supply wherein the hose sprays blackbody material onto a selected area within the turbine. The system also includes a rotatable bracket that holds the hose, wherein rotation of the bracket moves the hose toward the selected area within the turbine to enable application of the blackbody material onto the selected area. In addition, the system includes a motor for rotating the bracket and a moveable arm that holds the bracket wherein the bracket is inserted through an opening in the turbine and movement of the arm enables positioning of the bracket and hose in relative close proximity to the selected area suitable for spraying blackbody material onto the selected area.

Abstract: A flash thermography device for generating an infrared image of a turbine component located inside a turbine. The device includes a flash enclosure having an aperture. A flash source is located in the aperture wherein the flash source generates a light pulse that heats the turbine component. The device also includes an infrared sensor for detecting thermal energy radiated by the turbine component wherein the radiated thermal energy is transmitted through the aperture to the infrared sensor to enable generation of an infrared image of the turbine component. Further, the device includes moveable arm that holds the flash enclosure and infrared sensor wherein the arm is inserted through an opening in the turbine to enable positioning of the flash source and infrared sensor in close proximity to the turbine component.

Abstract: A metallic coating or alloy is provided. The metallic coating or alloly includes iron, chromium, aluminum, tantalum, and nickel and contains no rhenium. The presence of tantalum and iron and the absence of rhenium are effective to increase a ?/?? transition temperature of the alloy. A component including the metallic coating or alloy is also provided.

Abstract: A flash thermography device for generating an infrared image of a turbine component located inside a turbine. The device includes a flash enclosure having an aperture. A flash source is located in the aperture wherein the flash source generates a light pulse that heats the turbine component. The device also includes an infrared sensor for detecting thermal energy radiated by the turbine component wherein the radiated thermal energy is transmitted through the aperture to the infrared sensor to enable generation of an infrared image of the turbine component.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gas turbine engine component (10) and the component so formed. The method includes: stacking a plurality of CMC layers (16) along a metal core (30) to form a stack of disconnected CMC layers, wherein adjacent edge faces (46) of the layers define a surface (44); additively depositing ceramic material (14) to only selected portions of the surface (44) to bond together at least some of the layers at their respective edge faces; and selecting locations for the depositing of the ceramic material to achieve a predetermined mechanical characteristic of the resulting component.

Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable tracking intermix of writes and un-map commands across power cycles. In one aspect, the method includes (1) receiving, at a storage device, a plurality of commands from a host, the storage device including non-volatile memory, (2) maintaining a log corresponding to write commands and un-map commands from the host, (3) maintaining a mapping table in volatile memory, the mapping table used to translate logical addresses to physical addresses, (4) saving the mapping table, on a scheduled basis that is independent of the un-map commands, to the non-volatile memory of the storage device, (5) saving the log to the non-volatile memory, and (6) upon power up of the storage device, rebuilding the mapping table from the saved mapping table in the non-volatile memory of the storage device and from the saved log in the non-volatile memory of the storage device.

Abstract: A separable computing system according to one example include a display portion and a base portion where base portion firmware updates are provided.

Abstract: The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable heuristic aware garbage collection in storage systems (e.g., non-volatile data storage systems using one or more flash memory devices). In one aspect, a time parameter (e.g., dwell time) and/or heuristics (e.g., error count, error rate, number of reads, number of times programmed, etc.) are used in a garbage collection scheme. For example, in some implementations, the method of garbage collection for a storage medium in a storage system includes (1) determining a time parameter for a block in the storage medium, and (2) in accordance with a determination that the time parameter for the block is greater than a first threshold time, enabling garbage collection of the block.

Abstract: A method, including: laser heating heat-source material (18) disposed in ceramic material (16); and sintering the ceramic material using heat energy generated in the heat-source material by the laser heating to form sintered ceramic (32) having inconsistencies (40) caused by the heat-source material.

Abstract: A flash thermography device for generating an infrared image of each of a plurality of rotating turbine components located inside a turbine. The device includes an infrared sensor for detecting thermal energy radiated by each component. The device also includes a borescope having a viewing end located on a longitudinal axis of the borescope. The borescope is positioned in an inspection port to locate the viewing end inside the turbine such that at least one component is within a field of view of the viewing end. In addition, the device includes a flash source that generates a plurality of light pulses corresponding to the number of components that rotate during a single rotation of the rotor, wherein the light pulses are oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal. Thermal energy radiated from each component is transmitted through the borescope to the infrared sensor to enable generation infrared images.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing process, including: selectively-heating a layer of powder (18) to form a solid deposit layer (10) having a solid deposit (28), where the solid deposit layer constitutes part (24) of a component, via a selective laser heating process; propagating ultrasonic energy waves (50, 60) through the solid deposit prior to completion of the component by using a wave generating laser (40) set apart from a surface (44) of the solid deposit to direct a wave-generating laser beam (42) at the surface; detecting propagated ultrasonic energy waves (62); assessing the propagated ultrasonic waves for information about a physical characteristic of the solid deposit; and forming another solid deposit layer (80) in response to the information obtained about the solid deposit.

Abstract: A flash thermography device for generating an infrared image of a turbine component located inside a turbine, wherein the turbine includes at least one inspection port. The device includes a flash source that generates a light pulse that heats the turbine component and an infrared sensor for detecting thermal energy radiated by the turbine component. The device also includes a borescope having a sensor end, a viewing end that includes the flash source and an interior hollow that extends between the sensor and viewing ends. The borescope is positioned in the inspection port such that the viewing end is located inside the turbine. Thermal energy radiated from the turbine component is transmitted through the hollow to the infrared sensor to enable generation of the infrared image. The device further includes a reflector located on the viewing end that directs the light pulse toward the turbine component and a flash power supply for energizing the flash source.

Abstract: A bond coating having high corrosion and oxidation resistance and good compatibility with a thermal barrier coating is disclosed. The bond coating may be an optimized NiCrAlY material with additional materials that eliminates the presence of beta phase for oxidation by replacing the beta phase with a gamma/gamma prime system. The bond coating may also decrease the presence of phases that are detrimental to the mechanical and oxidation properties of the system, such as the sigma and BCC chromium phases. The bond coating may also have a gamma/gamma prime transition temperature that is about 400 degrees Celsius higher than conventional bond coatings, which enables local stresses to be reduced.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade (10), including a base portion (12) having a cast wall, and a tip portion (14) attached to the base portion and having a wall (60) formed by an additive manufacturing process. The tip portion wall may be formed to be solid and less than 2 mm in thickness, or it may be corrugated and be greater than 2 mm in thickness. Openings (80) defining the wall corrugations may be semi-circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, or elliptical in cross-sectional shape. The resulting blade has lower tip mass while retaining adequate mechanical properties. The tip portion may be formed to have a directionally solidified grain structure on a base portion having an equiaxed grain structure.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a superalloy compound component is provided. The component includes a first component portion primarily consisting of a first superalloy and a second component portion primarily consisting of a second superalloy or of a refractory metal. The method includes using Spark Plasma Sintering for forming the superalloy compound component.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring and quantifying progression of a structural anomaly, such as crack, over a surface of a component (12) in a high temperature environment of a combustion turbine engine The apparatus may include an electrically-insulating layer (14) formed at least over a portion of the surface of the component of the combustion turbine engine. At least a first detection leg (16) may be disposed on the electrically-insulating layer The first detection leg may be adapted to operate under a desired sensing modality from a bi-modal sensing scheme, such as may be implemented in one sensing modality by way of monitoring changes of an electrical parameter in an electrical circuit formed by the detection leg The sensing scheme may also be implemented by way of imaging radiance energy emitted by the detection leg.

Abstract: A self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit (50) including a power element (44) and a sensing element (46) that is powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment The circuit also includes a transmitting element (48) powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location (33, 55) remote from the circuit The power element, sensing element and transmitting element of the circuit are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration formed on a substrate (57) component exposed to operating temperatures at or exceeding 650° C.

Abstract: Systems, methods and/or devices are used to enable tracking intermix of writes and un-map commands across power cycles. In one aspect, the method includes (1) receiving, at a storage device, a plurality of commands from a host, the storage device including non-volatile memory, (2) maintaining a log corresponding to write commands and un-map commands from the host, (3) maintaining a mapping table in volatile memory, the mapping table used to translate logical addresses to physical addresses, (4) saving the mapping table, on a scheduled basis that is independent of the un-map commands, to the non-volatile memory of the storage device, (5) saving the log to the non-volatile memory, and (6) upon power up of the storage device, rebuilding the mapping table from the saved mapping table in the non-volatile memory of the storage device and from the saved log in the non-volatile memory of the storage device.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus (10) including: a container (12) configured to bound a bed of powdered metal material; a fluidization arrangement (18) configured to fluidize the bed of powered material; an articulation mechanism (40) disposed within the container and configured to support and to rotate a component (38) about at least one horizontal axis; and an energy beam (34) configured to selectively scan portions (36) of a surface of the bed of powdered metal material to melt or sinter the selectively scanned portions onto the component.