Abstract: A tower assembly for use with a modular tower is provided. The tower assembly includes a plurality of assembly panels each including a pair of opposing circumferential edges, and, a plurality of connectors for use in coupling adjacent assembly panels of the plurality of assembly panels to one another, each connector of the plurality of connectors including an outer flange, an inner flange, and a spacer extending therebetween, the outer flange is spaced a distance from the inner flange such that a first slot and a second slot are defined between the outer and inner flanges, each of the first and the second slots is sized to receive one of the assembly panel circumferential edges therein to enable the adjacent assembly panels to be coupled to one another.

Abstract: The present application provides an aerodynamic seal assembly for use with a turbo-machine. The aerodynamic seal assembly may include a number of springs, a shoe connected to the springs, and a secondary seal positioned about the springs and the shoe.

Abstract: A structural section for a tower mast and a method for manufacturing the section. The section comprises a sheet comprising a first end, a second end and a body disposed between the first end and the second end. A plurality of profiles are formed within the body, each profile comprising a deformation offset from the body. A fastener is configured to contact the first end to the second end to facilitate forming the body about a longitudinal axis and facilitate radially positioning the plurality of profiles around the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A wind turbine lattice tower structure includes a plurality of structural members connected together to define an open lattice tower, with the structural members including vertical leg members and diagonal braces extending between the vertical leg members. Pairs of the diagonal braces form cross braces having an intersection point therebetween. A damping bolt connection assembly is provides at the intersection point of the cross braces and is configured to attach the cross braces together at the intersection point while providing for relative movement of each individual cross brace along a defined longitudinal section of the other respective cross brace.

Abstract: A tower assembly for use with a modular tower is provided. The tower assembly includes a plurality of assembly panels each including a pair of opposing circumferential edges, and, a plurality of connectors for use in coupling adjacent assembly panels of the plurality of assembly panels to one another, each connector of the plurality of connectors including an outer flange, an inner flange, and a spacer extending therebetween, the outer flange is spaced a distance from the inner flange such that a first slot and a second slot are defined between the outer and inner flanges, each of the first and the second slots is sized to receive one of the assembly panel circumferential edges therein to enable the adjacent assembly panels to be coupled to one another.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade had a suction side surface and a pressure side surface. A plurality of vortex elements are formed on at least one of the suction side or the pressure side surfaces. The vortex elements have an upwardly inclined wind face and a downwardly inclined slip face, with the wind face and slip face meeting at a generally open-ended U-shaped ridge that defines side horns. The side horns decrease in height from a forward most portion of the ridge to the suction side surface or pressure side surface.

Abstract: A composite section including a concentric arrangement of inner and outer laminates having an interstice therebetween is provided. Both the inner and outer laminates include a matrix material and a fabric layer. A plurality of tubes having an inner cavity, are situated in the interstice of the inner and outer laminates. A reinforcing material is disposed in the interstice and along the length of the concentric arrangement unoccupied by the plurality of tubes to create a composite section. A plurality of tension members are threaded though the plurality of tubes to provide post tensioning to each of the composite sections. The components are easily transported and assembled to form composite sections to provide cost effective on-site tower formation. Also provided is an apparatus to form the inner and outer laminates and a method of formation of the composite section.

Abstract: A pump assembly comprises a centrifugal pump configured to pump a multiphase fluid, a suction conduit in fluid communication with the centrifugal pump, and a discharge conduit in fluid communication with the centrifugal pump. The pump further comprises an eductor comprising one or more motive nozzles disposed within the suction conduit. Wherein the one or more motive nozzles are configured to introduce a motive fluid into the suction conduit and toward the centrifugal pump along a suction direction roughly co-directional with the suction conduit toward the centrifugal pump. A method and a pump assembly for pumping a multiphase fluid are also presented.

Abstract: A rotary machine comprises a housing, a rotor that is rotatably disposed within the housing and having an axis about which the rotor may spin, and a seal disposed upon the housing. The seal comprises a support disposed on the housing and a plurality of flexible non-metallic bristles that extend from the housing and engage the rotor, such that the seal provides a barrier to fluid flow between a first region located in a first axial direction from the seal and a second region located in an opposite axial direction from the first region. The first region is filled with a bearing liquid and the second region is filled with a process fluid.

Abstract: A reinforcement system and a method for reinforcing a tower of a wind turbine are disclosed. The method includes providing a tower, the tower comprising at least one generally cylindrical tower section, the at least one tower section having an exterior wall and an interior wall defining a height and a thickness therebetween. The method further includes performing a structural analysis of the tower to identify potential load limiting locations and, after performing the structural analysis, mounting at least one reinforcing member to the interior wall of the at least one tower section to reinforce the at least one tower section at the potential load limiting locations.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade had a suction side surface and a pressure side surface. A plurality of vortex elements are formed on at least one of the suction side or the pressure side surfaces. The vortex elements have an upwardly inclined wind face and a downwardly inclined slip face, with the wind face and slip face meeting at a generally open-ended U-shaped ridge that defines side horns. The side horns decrease in height from a forward most portion of the ridge to the suction side surface or pressure side surface.

Abstract: A lattice tower for use with a wind turbine. The lattice tower includes at least one support extending from a supporting surface. At least one cross-support member is coupled to the support to form the lattice tower. A reinforcement assembly is coupled to the support to transfer at least a portion of a bending load and a torsional load induced to the support to the reinforcement assembly to facilitate reducing a local distortion of the support.

Abstract: A pressure balance seal includes a sealing surface facing an inward radial direction, and a stator interface comprising at least one surface interfacing with a stator. The pressure balance seal further includes a friction reducing feature. The friction reducing feature includes a cavity on the sealing surface. The cavity is configured to receive a fluid such that a normal force acting on the pressure balance seal is counterbalanced by a force generated by a pressure of the fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides, in one aspect, a brush seal comprising brush seal bristles made up of component brush seal filaments. The component brush seal filaments comprise a polyether ketone comprising structural units derived from a diaryl ketone and a diphenolic compound and having a glass transition temperature in excess of 100° C. In a particular embodiment, the component brush seal filaments comprise PEEK. The novel brush seals provided by the present invention present a number of advantages over conventional non-metallic brush seals comprising KEVLAR filaments, such as enhanced friction characteristics and greater stability to fluid lubricants comprising groups reactive with the amide moieties present in aramid filaments such as KEVLAR.

Abstract: A compliant foil seal comprises a bottom foil configured to be located circumferentially around at least a portion of a rotor, and one or more upper foils configured to cooperate with a stator to position the bottom foil to compliantly face the rotor and be located between the stator and the rotor. A compliant foil seal assembly and a rotary machine are also presented.

Abstract: In a gas turbine having a compressor discharge casing, a cooling circuit diverts compressor discharge air toward a high pressure packing (HPP) circuit. The cooling circuit includes an inlet pipe that receives compressor discharge air. One or several cooled cooling air pipes are in fluid communication with the inlet pipe via a pipe manifold, which distributes the discharge air across the cooled cooling air pipes. A seal is disposed upstream of an entrance to the HPP circuit to limit flow into the HPP circuit, and a second seal is disposed downstream of the HPP circuit at turbine wheelspace to limit ingestion and thus the purge flow air required. The circuit serves to reduce required purge flow in the HPP circuit so that an amount of compressor discharge air can be put back to the main flow path, thereby improving turbine performance.

Abstract: An abradable seal is provided to improve turbine performance by physically reducing the clearance between a flange portion of the nozzle and an opposed angel wing/seal plate member of the bucket. The provision of an abradable seal also mitigates angel wing/seal plate tooth or fin wear by providing for abradable contact without metal to metal hard rub.

Abstract: A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer.

Abstract: A sealing assembly is provided. The sealing assembly includes a foil disposed circumferentially around a rotating component and configured to provide primary sealing to the rotating component between high pressure and low pressure sides and a spring system disposed adjacent to the foil. The spring system includes a plurality of features to facilitate foil surface to follow excursions of the rotating component, wherein the plurality of features provide secondary sealing from the high pressure to the low pressure sides between the foil and a stationary component.

Abstract: An abradable seal is provided to improve turbine performance by physically reducing the clearance between a flange portion of the nozzle and an opposed angel wing/seal plate member of the bucket. The provision of an abradable seal also mitigates angel wing/seal plate tooth or fin wear by providing for abradable contact without metal to metal hard rub.