Abstract: A rotary machine includes a stator and a rotor configured to rotate with respect to the stator. The rotor is arranged with the stator at a rotor-stator interface and defines a rotor face. The rotary machine also includes a seal assembly at the rotor-stator interface. The seal assembly includes a seal rotor, a seal stator, a seal slider, and a seal defined by a rotor face of the seal rotor and a slider face of the seal slider. Further, the seal assembly includes a flexible joint connected between the slider face and a primary seal body of the seal slider. The flexible joint is configured to locally decouple movement of the slider face from the seal slider to allow the slider face to track movement of the rotor apart from the primary seal body.

Abstract: An air turbine starter (ATS) for starting an engine, having a stator including a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet and a rotor including a turbine member defining a rotating axis and having a set of blades at least partially disposed within the flow path. The ATS further including a bearing support structure disposed between the rotor and the stator comprising a first bearing support having a first stiffness (K1) and a second bearing support having a second stiffness (K2).

Abstract: A dome-deflector assembly for a combustor of a gas turbine includes a dome portion having a dome-side swirler opening therethrough, and a deflector portion having a deflector-side swirler opening therethrough. The dome portion and the deflector portion are connected together to form a dome-deflector cavity therebetween. The deflector portion includes a first-side surface and a second-side surface, the second-side surface being arranged within the dome-deflector cavity, and the second-side surface including a plurality of stress-relief contours arranged in a pattern about the deflector-side swirler opening.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a plurality of fan blades configured to rotate about a longitudinal centerline axis of the turbine engine, a pitch actuator configured to control a pitch angle of each of the plurality of fan blades, a sensor assembly configured to detect a holding torque of the plurality of fan blades, and a controller configured to monitor propeller whirl in the plurality of fan blades by detecting the holding torque. The sensor assembly includes a first sensor coupled to the pitch actuator and configured to detect the holding torque of all of the plurality of fan blades and a second sensor coupled to the pitch actuator and configured to detect the holding torque of at least one fan blade of the plurality of fan blades. The pitch actuator is configured to take a corrective action when propeller whirl is detected outside of a predetermined limit.

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: Disclosed herein are example variable flowpath casings for blade tip clearance control. An example casing for a turbine engine includes a first annular substrate extending along an axial direction, the first annular substrate defining a cavity at a radially inward surface of the first annular substrate, a second annular substrate positioned at least partially within the cavity of the first annular substrate, and a tension belt extending circumferentially around a periphery of the second annular substrate.

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 liner assembly for a combustor. The liner assembly includes a liner defining a combustion chamber of the combustor. The liner includes a looped section at a forward end of the liner. The looped section includes one or more bends such that the looped section forms a compliant joint and vibrations are dampened through the liner downstream of the looped section.

Abstract: Example variable bleed valve assemblies for a gas turbine engine are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a variable bleed valve port extending radially outward from a main flow path of a gas turbine engine, a door positioned at an exit of the variable bleed valve port, the door including perforations, a damper coupled to the door, the damper including a resonator adjacent to the perforations of the door, the resonator defining an internal volume based on a resonant frequency of the variable bleed valve port.

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: A self-cleaning conduit for a hydrocarbon fluid. The conduit includes a tube and a mesh. The tube has an interior surface defining a flow passage for the hydrocarbon fluid. The mesh is positioned within the flow passage to abut the interior surface and movable along the interior surface to break-up deposits on the interior surface. The mesh is characterized by a mesh activation parameter (MAP) from one ten thousandths to six tenths.

Abstract: A lubrication system for a turbine engine having one or more rotating components. The lubrication system includes a primary reservoir that stores a lubricant therein. A primary lubrication system supplies the lubricant from the primary reservoir to the one or more rotating components during normal operation of the turbine engine. An auxiliary lubrication system includes an auxiliary reservoir in fluid communication with the primary reservoir and the one or more rotating components. The auxiliary reservoir receives the lubricant from the primary reservoir and is positioned at substantially a six o'clock position of the turbine engine. The auxiliary lubrication system supplies the lubricant from the auxiliary reservoir to the one or more rotating components based on at least one of a pressure of the lubricant in the primary lubrication system, a pressure of fuel in the turbine engine, or a pressure of hydraulics of the turbine engine.

Abstract: Bearing assemblies for a turbomachine include a first race statically coupled to a fixed engine housing, a second race coupled to a rotating shaft, a bearing cage disposed between the first race and the second race, and at least one bearing element disposed in the bearing cage. The bearing cage can include inlet channels to allow air to flow into the bearing cage and outlet channels that allow the air and lubricant mixture in the bearing cage to vent into adjacent compartments of the turbomachine. During operation, the inlet channels actively direct an airflow into the bearing cage. In the bearing cage, the air mixes with lubricant, and the air and lubricant mixture is expelled from the bearing cage through the outlet channels, thereby reducing dwell time of lubricant in the bearing assembly.

Abstract: A seal assembly for a rotary machine. The seal assembly includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor is rotatable about a rotational axis and has a rotor seal face. The stator has a stator seal face. The stator seal face is positioned opposite the rotor seal face and faces the rotor seal face with a gap therebetween. A portion of one of the rotor and the stator is formed of (i) a shape memory alloy or (ii) a first metal and a second metal with the second metal having a coefficient of thermal expansion different from the first metal. The seal assembly is characterized by a seal clearance compliance ratio (SCCR) from 20% to 90%.

Abstract: Separators for use with gas turbine engines are disclosed herein. An example cabin bleed system disclosed herein includes a bleed line coupled to a gas turbine engine, a separator defining a cavity fluidly coupled to the bleed line, the separator including a first ring including a first opening fluidly coupled to the cavity. a second ring surrounding the first ring, the second ring including a second opening fluidly coupled to a cabin of an aircraft, and a filter disposed in a fluid pathway extending between the first opening and the second opening.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed to improve fan operability control using smart materials. An engine comprising an engine surface in an airflow path, a sensor positioned on the engine surface, and a smart-material-based feature positioned on the engine surface, the smart-material-based feature triggered to modify the airflow path when the sensor outputs an indication of a detected deviation from a reference value of an operating parameter of the engine.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a gearbox assembly of a gas turbine engine includes at least one mounting member configured to mount a gear of the gearbox assembly to a component of the gas turbine engine, the at least one mounting member characterized by a lateral impedance parameter, a bending impedance parameter, and a torsional impedance parameter. A gas turbine engine includes the mounting assembly. The at least one mounting member may be a flex mount, a fan frame, or a flex coupling. The gas turbine engine includes an electric power system including at least one electric machine. The electric power system includes a plurality of power converters and a plurality of power distribution management units. At least two of the plurality of power converters or the plurality of power distribution management units are integrated together in a single housing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are example variable flowpath casings for blade tip clearance control. An example casing for a turbine engine includes a first annular substrate extending along an axial direction; a second annular substrate positioned radially inward relative to the first annular substrate, the second annular substrate movably coupled to the first annular substrate; and an actuator coupled to the second annular substrate such that a force applied by the actuator moves the second annular substrate relative to the first annular substrate to adjust a tip clearance.

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.