Abstract: A method and system used to control a rotational speed or a torque of an output drive shaft. The output drive shaft being coupled to a turbine engine. The turbine engine including an engine core and an engine starter assembly. The engine starter assembly including an air turbine starter, an output drive shaft and an electric motor.

Abstract: Oil lubricated supercritical fluid pumps with oil separators are disclosed herein. An example pump system to pressurize a fluid within a closed loop thermal transport bus disclosed herein includes a pump housing, a duct fluidly coupled to the pump housing, a first portion of the duct to include a mixture of an oil and the supercritical fluid, a second portion of the duct to include the supercritical fluid, and a separator positioned in a third portion of the duct between the first portion of the duct and the second portion of the duct, the separator to separate the oil in the mixture from the supercritical fluid.

Abstract: Example thrust bearing apparatus includes: a thrust disk extending radially from the shaft, the thrust disk having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a bearing housing surrounding the thrust disk and the shaft, the bearing housing having a first wall facing the first side of the thrust disk and a second wall facing the second side of the thrust disk; a first thrust pad coupled to the first wall of the bearing housing, the first thrust pad including a first plurality of serrations circumferentially arranged in a first pattern along the first thrust pad; and a second thrust pad coupled to the first side of the thrust disk, the second thrust pad including a second plurality of serrations circumferentially arranged in a second pattern along the second thrust pad.

Abstract: A turbomachine comprises a high-pressure rotor shaft defining an outer surface and including a rotor seal disposed along the outer surface. A compressor discharge plenum extends annularly around the outer surface of the high-pressure rotor shaft and is at least partially formed from an inner casing assembly defining a first airflow opening. The rotor seal is configured to form a first seal against a first surface of the inner casing assembly. A pressure seal disk is coupled to the high-pressure rotor shaft. The pressure seal disk is configured to form a second seal against a second surface of the inner casing assembly. The inner casing assembly, the high-pressure rotor shaft, the rotor seal, and the pressure seal disk form a pressure chamber therebetween. The pressure chamber is in fluid communication with the compressor discharge plenum via the first airflow opening.

Abstract: A turbine engine having an engine core having a compression section, combustion section, a turbine section, and an engine drive shaft. The turbine engine includes an air turbine starter having a housing defining an air flow passage. The air turbine starter can operate in a start-up mode and a shut-down mode. The turbine engine further includes a gearbox and a drive unit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide vortex cooled secondary flow for a supercritical carbon dioxide pump are disclosed herein. An example thermal management system includes a hot secondary flow extract section fluidly coupled to an outlet of a pump system, a cooled secondary flow section fluidly coupled to the hot secondary flow extract section, the hot secondary flow extract section including a vortex tube to generate cooled secondary air flow from hot secondary flow extract air of the hot secondary flow extract section, and a bearing inlet fluidly coupled to the cooled secondary flow section, the bearing inlet positioned to route the cooled secondary flow to bearings of the pump system.

Abstract: Example bearing lubrication system and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. An example closed loop system to provide a lubricant to a fluid pump includes a lubrication flow network disposed within the fluid pump; a sensor fluidly coupled to the fluid pump to measure a condition of a fluid that is to enter the lubrication flow network; a first transport bus fluidly coupled to the lubrication flow network, the first transport bus to transport an inert gas; a controller to actuate a valve fluidly coupled to the first transport bus, the controller to transmit signals to the valve based on the condition of the fluid to cause the valve to open or close; and a separator fluidly coupled between an outlet of the fluid pump and the first transport bus, the separator to separate the fluid and the inert gas.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines an axial direction and a radial direction, and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly defining a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side and comprising a plurality of seal segments, the plurality of seal segments including a seal segment having a seal face forming a fluid bearing with the rotor, a lip, and a body, the lip extending from the body along the axial direction of the turbine engine on the high-pressure side and including an outer pressurization surface along the radial direction of the turbine engine; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a spring arrangement extending between the carrier and the first seal segment to counter a pressure on the outer pressurization surface during operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: An air turbine starter having a housing defining an interior with a primary inlet and a primary outlet to define a primary air flow path from the primary inlet to the primary outlet. A nozzle is located within the interior and has circumferentially spaced vanes. A shroud is also located within the interior and circumscribes at least a portion of the vanes. A retention mechanism constrains the axial movement of nozzle.

Abstract: Conical motors for use with pumps are disclosed. Examples disclosed herein include an electric motor including a conical rotor, a first end of the conical rotor having a first diameter and a second end of the conical rotor having a second diameter, the second diameter different from the first diameter, and a conical stator aligned to the conical rotor.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a rotor, a stator, and a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator. The seal assembly includes seal segment. The seal segment includes a seal face that is configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor. A lift channel extends within the seal segment from an opening on the seal face. The turbine engine further includes a spring assembly disposed within the lift channel. The spring assembly including a biasing element and a piston element coupled to the biasing element. The lift channel includes a lift volume portion extending is between the opening and the piston element. The piston element is movable within the lift channel based on a pressure within the fluid bearing to adjust a size of the lift volume portion.

Abstract: A turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine defines a radial direction and includes: a rotor; a stator comprising a carrier; a seal assembly disposed between the rotor and the stator, the seal assembly comprising a first seal segment, the seal segment having a seal face configured to form a fluid bearing with the rotor; and a seal support assembly, the seal support assembly comprising a prestressed spring assembly extending from the seal segment for biasing the seal segment along the radial direction.

Abstract: A method and system used to control a rotational speed or a torque of an output drive shaft. The output drive shaft being coupled to a turbine engine. The turbine engine including an engine core and an engine starter assembly. The engine starter assembly including an air turbine starter, an output drive shaft and an electric motor.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to dynamically support axial thrust in pumps. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a first thrust pad, a second thrust pad, and a thrust disc between the first thrust pad and the second thrust pad, the thrust disc including a first side adjacent to the first thrust pad. a second side adjacent to the second thrust pad, an outer surface, a first channel extending between the outer surface to the first side, and a second channel extending between the outer surface of the thrust disc to the second side.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to power thermal management systems with heat of a working fluid therein. Example thermal management system include: a thermal transport bus loop fluidly coupled to at least one heat source exchanger and at least one heat sink exchanger; a turbomachine including a turbine and a compressor, the turbine and compressor rotatably interlocked via a shaft, the compressor coupled to the thermal transport bus loop, the turbine including an inlet and an outlet, the inlet connected to a first point of the thermal transport bus loop via a first flowline, the outlet connected to a second point of the thermal transport bus loop via a second flowline; and a control valve coupled to the first flowline, the control valve to adjust a mass flowrate of the heat exchange fluid in the first flowline based on a speed of the shaft.

Abstract: Bearings with grooves and methods of producing the same are disclosed. Examples disclosed herein include a bearing having a bearing surface with a groove, the bearing positioned adjacent to a shaft, the groove facing the shaft, and a negative thermal expansion (NTE) material positioned in the groove, the NTE material at least partially filling the groove.

Abstract: An air turbine starter that includes a housing. The housing can circumscribe a turbine coupled that is coupled to a gear train in a gear box via a drive shaft. The gear train can couple to an output shaft via at least a carrier. The air turbine starter can include at least a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly to rotatably support the drive shaft and the output shaft.

Abstract: Example bearing lubrication system and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. An example closed loop system to provide a lubricant to a fluid pump includes a lubrication flow network disposed within the fluid pump; a sensor fluidly coupled to the fluid pump to measure a condition of a fluid that is to enter the lubrication flow network; a first transport bus fluidly coupled to the lubrication flow network, the first transport bus to transport an inert gas; a controller to actuate a valve fluidly coupled to the first transport bus, the controller to transmit signals to the valve based on the condition of the fluid to cause the valve to open or close; and a separator fluidly coupled between an outlet of the fluid pump and the first transport bus, the separator to separate the fluid and the inert gas.

Abstract: An air turbine starter for starting an engine, comprising a housing having an interior surface defining an interior, at least one turbine member rotatably mounted within the interior about a rotational axis, and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, and a containment structure radially overlying and circumferentially surrounding the at least one turbine member extending between an outer surface and an inner surface to define a radial direction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to maintain a state of a fluid in a system are disclosed. An example system includes a pump including a primary inlet, a primary outlet, and a secondary inlet, at least one injector including a first inlet, a second inlet, and at least one outlet, a third conduit coupled to a first conduit upstream of the primary inlet and coupled to the at least one injector at the first inlet to deliver the fluid, a fourth conduit coupled to a second conduit downstream of the primary outlet and coupled to the at least one injector at the second inlet to deliver the fluid, and a fifth conduit coupled to the at least one injector at the at least one outlet to receive the fluid and coupled to the pump at the secondary inlet.