Abstract: A micro gas turbine engine in which the turbine rotor blades are formed as an integral bladed rotor with cooling air passages formed within the blades and the rotor disk by an EDM process. an adjacent stator vane includes an air riding seal with an air cushion supplied through the vanes to provide cooling, and where the air cushion is then passed into the turbine blades and rotor disk to provide cooling for the turbine blades. With cooling of the turbine blades, higher turbine inlet temperatures for micro gas turbine engines can be produced.

Abstract: A compressor stator vane and rotor blade tip clearance control assembly in which a plurality of stator vane segments each with vanes extending inward are connected to an annular sync ring through eccentric cranks so that circumferential movement of the sync ring will produce radial displacement of the vane segments and control the clearance between the blade tips. An actuator piston is rigidly fixed to the sync ring and forms an actuator chamber with stationary actuator housing. Bleed off pressure from one of the compressor stages is used to move the actuator piston, which moves the sync ring to radially displace the vane segments.

Abstract: A large floating vertical axis wind turbine with a floating inner cylinder having rotor blades that rotate together as an assembly, and a floating outer cylinder with a central opening in which the floating inner cylinder rotates for support against tipping. Outriggers with floating devices on the ends extend out from the floating outer cylinder for additional stability. The floating inner cylinder is partially supported by a top bearing on the outer cylinder to carry some of the load from the rotor blades.

Abstract: A card seal with an annular arrangement of leaf elements, where each leaf element has a T shape with an upper ear section and a leaf section extending from the ear section. the leaf elements each include a first raised portion and a second raised portion that form a cross, the raised portions allowing for air to pass to bend ends on the leaf sections to form a floating air seal and to limit leakage flow across the leaf elements from one side to the opposite side.

Abstract: A variable inlet guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, where the guide vanes are pivotably connected to a sync ring that is contained within an annular groove within the casing so that leakage through holes in the casing is minimized. The guide vanes include a slider mechanism on one of the ends that will allow for both an axial and a rotational movement of the guide vane pin when the guide vanes pivot about a fixed pin on an opposite end of the guide vanes. A round rotary vane actuator with a height much less than a diameter is mounted outside of the casing and connects to the sync ring through a driving linkage.

Abstract: A large floating vertical axis wind turbine with a floating inner cylinder having rotor blades that rotate together as an assembly, and a floating outer cylinder with a central opening in which the floating inner cylinder rotates for support against tipping. Outriggers with floating devices on the ends extend out from the floating outer cylinder for additional stability. The floating inner cylinder is partially supported by a top bearing on the outer cylinder to carry some of the load from the rotor blades.

Abstract: A micro gas turbine engine in which the turbine rotor blades are formed as an integral bladed rotor with cooling air passages formed within the blades and the rotor disk by an EDM process. an adjacent stator vane includes an air riding seal with an air cushion supplied through the vanes to provide cooling, and where the air cushion is then passed into the turbine blades and rotor disk to provide cooling for the turbine blades. With cooling of the turbine blades, higher turbine inlet temperatures for micro gas turbine engines can be produced.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, where the shell has an airfoil shape and is formed of two shell segments with an upper shell half and a lower shell half. The upper shell half is radially supported by a tip of the spar while the lower shell half is radially loaded by an attachment so that its load is not carried by the upper shell half and the tip of the spar in order to reduce overall stress levels.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, where the shell has an airfoil shape and is formed of two shell segments with an upper shell half and a lower shell half. The upper shell half is radially supported by a tip of the spar while the lower shell half is radially loaded by an attachment so that its load is not carried by the upper shell half and the tip of the spar in order to reduce overall stress levels.

Abstract: A low pressure turbine rotor disk for a small twin spool gas turbine engine in which the rotor disk includes a forward side cavity large enough to allow for the bearing assembly that rotatably supports the rotor disk to fit within the cavity in order to shorten the axial distance between the bearings that support the inner rotor shaft on which the turbine rotor disk is secured. Minimizing the bearings spacing allows for a high critical speed for the inner rotor shaft and therefore allows for the small twin spool gas turbine engine to operate at this small scale. The turbine rotor disk also includes a plurality of axial aligned cooling air holes to allow for cooling air from the bearings to flow out from the aft end of the rotor disk. The inner surface of the cavity is an annular surface that forms a seal with knife edges extending outward from the bearing support plate also located within the cavity.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a brush seal formed between the blade tip and an outer shroud to form a seal for a blade outer air seal. The brush seal includes fibers made from a high temperature resistant material that has long wear life such as fibers of alumina-boria-silicate in order to withstand the temperature environment of a turbine rotor blade and to provide long life due to rubbing of the brush fibers on the relatively rotating brush seal surface.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade made from a spar and a shell each having an airfoil cross sectional shape and each formed from a high temperature exotic material and formed by a wire EDM process to form a thin wall shell from Molybdenum and the spar from Waspalloy or IN100 in order to form a turbine blade that requires very low amounts of cooling air while allowing for high temperature use above what nickel super alloys can be exposed to. The spar and shell are secured to the platform by a bolt passing through the widest section of the hollow spar and connected at one end to a tip cap and to the other end to the platform and root piece of the blade.

Abstract: A small gas turbine engine that operates at high rotational speeds and includes a rotor shaft that is supported on both ends by ball bearings. The aft end ball bearings includes an outer race mounted to the support structure in such a way that axial displacement of the outer race is allowed to prevent axial loads from damaging the ball bearing. The outer race of each bearing is supported by an O-ring to provide damping to the bearings. The O-ring is centered on the outer race, and the outer race is formed thicker than the inner race to provide for a better hoop surface. The outer race in the aft end is preloaded with a coil spring to maintain a load on the bearing during all phases of operation of the engine. The bearings are coated with a dry lubricant to eliminate the need for a liquid lubricant and its supply system.

Abstract: A variable inlet guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, where the guide vanes are pivotably connected to a sync ring that is contained within an annular groove within the casing so that leakage through holes in the casing is minimized. The guide vanes include a slider mechanism on one of the ends that will allow for both an axial and a rotational movement of the guide vane pin when the guide vanes pivot about a fixed pin on an opposite end of the guide vanes. a round rotary vane actuator with a height much less than a diameter is mounted outside of the casing and connects to the sync ring through a driving linkage.

Abstract: A bearingless floating wind turbine has a tall narrow main support structure with a center of buoyancy located well above the center of gravity to provide stability to the wind turbine while supported for rotation in a body of water, a vertical axis turbine blade extends from the main support structure and rotates together under a wind, and a non-rotating shaft extends through the main support structure with a vertical axis direct drive generator connected between the main support structure and the non-rotating shaft to produce electricity when the main support structure rotates. An anchor line connected to the non-rotating shaft prevents the floating wind turbine from drifting in a body of water.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating electric current from a vibrating blade exposed to a fluid flow. in one embodiment, a plurality of blades are secured within a tail cone of a steam turbine and each blade includes a magnet and a coil associated with the magnet to produce electric current in the coil when the magnet moves across the coil. Each blade is designed to have a natural frequency so that the blade will resonate under the influence of the exhaust flow from the turbine in the tail cone. Abutment members are mounted on the blade or the fixed support to limit the range of motion of the vibrating blade so that it does not exceed the fatigue limit. The blades are made from a low damping material such as titanium so that a low frequency is produced.

Abstract: A blade for a rotor of a gas turbine engine is constructed with a spar and shell configuration. The spar is constructed in an integral unit or multi-portions and includes a first wall adjacent to the pressure side and a second wall adjacent to the suction side, a tip portion extending in the spanwise direction and extending beyond the first wall and the second wall and a root portion extending longitudinally, an attachment portion having a central opening for receiving the root portion and a platform portion. The root portion fits into the central opening and is secured therein by a pin extending transversely through the attachment and the root portion. The shell fits over the spar and is supported thereto by a plurality of complementary hooks extending from the spar and shell. The ends of the shell fit into grooves formed on the tip portion and the platform. The shell is made from a high temperature resistant material, such as Molybdenum or Niobium, and is formed from a wire EDM process.

Abstract: A turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine, where the turbine blade is made from a spar and shell construction in which a thin walled shell is held in place between the blade tip and the platform by only a mechanical fastener without using any bonding, welding or brazing. The spar is connected to an attachment by a tie bolt, and a separate platform is secured, over the attachment t in which the shell is held against. This provides for a thermally free platform and shell connection. With this arrangement, the shell is held under compression within the 2% yield stress range such that the turbine blade shell can have an infinite life. Also, the turbine blade is much lighter than prior art blades. As a result, the spar and shell blade produces less stress on the rotor disk during engine operation.

Abstract: A high temperature heat exchanger for use with a small gas turbine engine to produce a combined cycle power plant, where the heat exchanger includes ceramic heat exchange tubes of SiC that are tightly fitted to the heat exchanger so that no welds or brazing is used and prevent any thermal stresses between the tubes and the heat exchanger end plates or baffle plates. The heat exchanger includes an inner casing and an outer casing with the heat exchange tubes extending through the heat exchanger between the two casings, and the gas turbine engine operating in the space within the inner casing. The tubes are tightly fitted in holes within the end plates and baffle plates, and a molybdenum disulfide coating is used to form a seal.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, where the shell has an airfoil shape and is formed of two shell segments with an upper shell half and a lower shell half. The upper shell half is radially supported by a tip of the spar while the lower shell half is radially loaded by an attachment so that its load is not carried by the upper shell half and the tip of the spar in order to reduce overall stress levels.