Abstract: An article for damping vibrations by constrained layer damping comprising: a first constraining layer; a second constraining layer; and a damping layer disposed between the first and second constraining layers, wherein the first and second constraining layers each independently comprise a fibre-reinforced composite material, wherein the first and second constraining layers each independently have a thickness from 1.5 to 5 mm, wherein the damping layer comprises a viscoelastic material, wherein the damping layer has a thickness from 1 to 10 mm and wherein the article has a thickness from 6 to 50 mm. The invention also relates to the use of said article for damping vibrations in a vehicle.

Abstract: An article for damping vibrations by constrained layer damping comprising: a first constraining layer; a second constraining layer; and a damping layer disposed between the first and second constraining layers, wherein the first and second constraining layers each independently comprise a fibre-reinforced composite material, wherein the first and second constraining layers each independently have a thickness from 1.5 to 5 mm, wherein the damping layer comprises a viscoelastic material, wherein the damping layer has a thickness from 1 to 10 mm and wherein the article has a thickness from 6 to 50 mm. The invention also relates to the use of said article for damping vibrations in a vehicle.

Abstract: A method of forming a turbine nozzle guide vane 2 for a gas turbine engine, the guide vane 2 comprising an internal cavity 14 and having internal features 16, comprises investment casting metal around a core member 30 that defines the internal cavity 14 and internal features 16 of the guide vane, removing the core member 30, and machining the guide vane 2. The process of investment casting around the core member 30 includes the step of casting at least one feature 40 external to the guide vane 2. The external feature 40 is used as a reference point to indicate the location of the internal features 16 of the guide vane 2 during the machining of the guide vane 2.

Abstract: A turbine nozzle guide vane with passages leading from a hollow core to respective seal strip slots, to deliver cooling air to abutment faces on each end of the vane.

Abstract: Memory is managed by reading a data block into a block of memory. The memory block has plural smaller memory chunks. For each memory chunk, a record is maintained of whether data stored in the memory chunk is required to be maintained. If the record indicates that data in all the memory chunks need not be maintained, the data block is deleted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing user data organized into a plurality of data records on tape is provided. User data is first accepted from a host computer. The user data is then organized into data groups independent of the record structure. Records are then assigned to data entities where each data entity has at least one data record. A group index is formed to which information pertaining to the records and/or entities contained within the group is written. Data is then stored on the tape in groups along with each associated group index.