Abstract: A turbine nozzle segment includes: an arcuate outer band segment; an airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending radially inward from the outer band segment, the turbine vane having a hollow interior; an impingement baffle assembly secured to the outer band so as to define an impingement cavity in cooperation with the outer band segment, wherein the impingement baffle assembly has at least one impingement hole formed therein which is arranged to direct cooling air at the outer band segment; and at least one impingement insert having at least one impingement hole formed therein disposed in the interior of the turbine vane, the impingement insert mating with an opening in the impingement baffle assembly such that the impingement baffle is isolated from direct fluid communication with the impingement cavity.

Abstract: A compressor for a gas turbine engine includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes first and second stator vanes attached to first and second vane platforms, respectively. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor blades that rotate with respect to the stator. An inner stator casing supports the first and second vane platforms and encloses the stator and the rotor. An outer stator casing encloses the inner stator casing, and a bleed cavity is disposed therebetween. At least one diffuser is disposed between the first vane platform and the second vane platform, and is configured to allow air communication between the inner stator casing and the bleed cavity. An exit opening of the diffuser is disposed within the bleed cavity at a location separate from the inner stator casing and the outer stator casing.

Abstract: A patient temperature control system and method are provided for automated temperature control according to a programmed protocol. In one aspect, at least one programmed protocol may be established for each of a plurality of patient thermal therapy phases. In turn, the temperature of a thermal exchange medium may be controlled, based at least in part, upon the programmed protocol, during each of the phases. In another aspect, a plurality of programmed protocols may be established, wherein a selected one of the protocols (e.g. selected by a user at a user interface) may be utilized for automated temperature control during patient thermal therapy. The protocol(s) may include a target patient temperature and/or a set duration for one or more of the phase of thermal therapy. Further, the protocol(s) may be user-definable and modifiable during therapy.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling a hot portion of a gas turbine engine, such as a multi-stage compressor of a gas turbine engine, by reducing an operating air temperature in a space between a seal and a blade post of adjacent stages by routing cooling air through an inlet in the vane, passing the routed cooling air through the vane, and emitting the routed cooling air into the space.

Abstract: A turbine engine having a bypass fluid conduit coupled to the turbine section includes at least one particle separator located within the bypass fluid conduit to separate particles from a bypass fluid stream prior to the bypass stream reaching the turbine section for cooling. A centrifugal separator for removing particles from a fluid stream includes an angular velocity increaser, a particle outlet, an angular velocity decreaser downstream of the angular velocity increaser, and a bend provided between the angular velocity increaser and the angular velocity decreaser.

Abstract: Gas turbine engine components are provided which utilize an insert to provide cooling air along a cooled surface of an engine component. The insert provides cooling holes or apertures which face the cool side surface of the engine component and direct cooling air onto that cool side surface. The apertures may be formed in arrays and directed at an oblique or a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the insert and may be at an angle to the surface of the engine component being cooled. An engine component assembly is provided with counterflow impingement cooling, comprising an engine component cooling surface having a cooling fluid flow path on one side and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator for removing particles from a fluid stream includes an angular velocity increaser configured to increase the angular velocity of a fluid stream, a flow splitter configured to split the fluid stream to form a concentrated-particle stream and a reduced-particle stream, and an exit conduit configured to receive the reduced-particle stream. An inducer assembly for a turbine engine includes an inducer with a flow passage having an inducer inlet and an inducer outlet in fluid communication with a turbine section of the engine, and a particle separator, which includes a particle concentrator that receives a compressed stream from a compressor section of the engine and a flow splitter. A turbine engine includes a cooling air flow circuit which supplies a fluid stream to a turbine section of the engine for cooling, a particle separator located within the cooling air flow circuit, and an inducer forming a portion of the cooling air flow circuit in fluid communication with the particle separator.

Abstract: A patient temperature control system and method are provided for automated temperature control according to a programmed protocol. In one aspect, at least one programmed protocol may be established for each of a plurality of patient thermal therapy phases. In turn, the temperature of a thermal exchange medium may be controlled, based at least in part, upon the programmed protocol, during each of the phases. In another aspect, a plurality of programmed protocols may be established, wherein a selected one of the protocols (e.g. selected by a user at a user interface) may be utilized for automated temperature control during patient thermal therapy. The protocol(s) may include a target patient temperature and/or a set duration for one or more of the phase of thermal therapy. Further, the protocol(s) may be user-definable and modifiable during therapy.

Abstract: A credit card fraud-prevention system which allows user accounts to customize a personal portfolio to monitor their individual transactions. The system allows each user account to pick a plurality of fraud-prevention criteria to monitor a payment card(s). The overall process begins with receiving payment transaction data with a remote server. A matching account is then identified for the payment transaction data by searching through a card identification information of each user account. Once the matching account is identified, the remote server then compares the payment transaction data to each fraud-prevention criteria in order to identify a met criterion. If the met criterion is not identified, then the payment transaction data is verified and sent to financial entities. If the met criterion is identified, then a predefined response of the met criterion is executed. This includes notifying the matching account about the possible fraudulent activity and requesting verification for the transaction.

Abstract: A method of making a shroud assembly by: forming a shroud frame consisting of a one-piece hook and rail assembly which includes a first rail and a second rail disposed at lateral edges and a first support and a second support connected to the first rail and the second rail, the first and second rails and the first and second supports being integrally joined to one another and defining a central aperture therebetween; joining a metallic backsheet to the shroud frame covering the central aperture; and attaching a honeycomb rubs strip to the metallic backsheet via an upper edge of the honeycomb seal structure.

Abstract: A turbine comprising a first turbine component being of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. A second turbine component being of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, said second turbine component adjacent said first turbine component. A space between said first and second turbine components. A seal assembly sealing said space, wherein at least a portion of said seal assembly has a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially similar to at least one of said first or second turbine components to thereby maintain a seal in said space during thermal expansion or contraction of said first and second turbine components.

Abstract: Active clearance control systems for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example active clearance control system may include a generally circumferentially mounted spray tube comprising a plurality of impingement holes arranged to impinge thermal control air on a clearance control component of a case; a rigid mounting assembly substantially rigidly coupling the spray tube to the case; and/or a sliding mounting assembly coupling the spray tube to the case while permitting limited relative movement between the spray tube and the case in a direction generally parallel with an engine axis. The sliding mount may be coupled to the case generally axially forward of the rigid mount. A ratio of the stand-off distance to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 8. A ratio of the arc spacing to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 15.

Abstract: A turbine shroud apparatus for a gas turbine engine having a centerline axis includes: a shroud segment having: an arcuate body extending axially between forward and aft ends and laterally between opposed end faces, wherein each of the end faces includes seal slots formed therein; and an arcuate stationary seal member mounted to the body; a turbine vane disposed axially aft of the shroud segment; and a casing surrounding the shroud segment and the turbine vane; wherein the turbine vane is mounted to the case so as to bear against the stationary seal member, compressing it and forcing the shroud segment radially outward against the casing.

Abstract: A turbine shroud assembly comprises a honeycomb rub strip, a metallic backsheet disposed along an upper edge of said honeycomb seal structure, a shroud frame having a first rail and a second rail disposed at lateral edges of said metallic backsheet, a first support and a second support connected to the first rail and the second rail, a spline extending axially in the first rail and the second rail along laterally outer surfaces of the first rail and the second rail and, a spline seal having a first edge and a second opposite edge, the first edge disposed in each of the spline grooves and the second opposite edge being capable of positioning in an adjacent shroud assembly.

Abstract: A turbine comprising a first turbine component being of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. A second turbine component being of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion, said second turbine component adjacent said first turbine component. A space between said first and second turbine components. A seal assembly sealing said space, wherein at least a portion of said seal assembly has a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially similar to at least one of said first or second turbine components to thereby maintain a seal in said space during thermal expansion or contraction of said first and second turbine components.

Abstract: A turbine shroud apparatus for a gas turbine engine having a centerline axis includes: a shroud segment having: an arcuate body extending axially between forward and aft ends and laterally between opposed end faces, wherein each of the end faces includes seal slots formed therein; and an arcuate stationary seal member mounted to the body; a turbine vane disposed axially aft of the shroud segment; and a casing surrounding the shroud segment and the turbine vane; wherein the turbine vane is mounted to the case so as to bear against the stationary seal member, compressing it and forcing the shroud segment radially outward against the casing.

Abstract: Active clearance control systems for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example active clearance control system may include a generally circumferentially mounted spray tube comprising a plurality of impingement holes arranged to impinge thermal control air on a clearance control component of a case; a rigid mounting assembly substantially rigidly coupling the spray tube to the case; and/or a sliding mounting assembly coupling the spray tube to the case while permitting limited relative movement between the spray tube and the case in a direction generally parallel with an engine axis. The sliding mount may be coupled to the case generally axially forward of the rigid mount. A ratio of the stand-off distance to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 8. A ratio of the arc spacing to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 15.

Abstract: High bleed flow muffling systems are disclosed. Example muffling devices according to at least some aspects of the present disclosure may include a first orifice plate and a second orifice plate at least partially defining a plenum arranged to receive the flow of a compressible fluid. The first orifice plate and the second orifice plate may be arranged to produce cross-impinging flow such that flow through the orifices of the first orifice plate into the plenum is directed at the wall of the second orifice plate and such that flow through the orifices of the second orifice plate is directed at the wall of the first orifice plate. Some example embodiments may include an inlet flow restrictor disposed upstream of the first and second orifice plates.

Abstract: The present invention provides an air-oil separator comprising a first region having a mixture of air and oil, a second region wherein separation of at least some of the oil from the air-oil mixture occurs and at least one multi-directional injector plug located on a rotating component in flow communication with the first region and the second region, the multi-directional injector plug having a discharge head that is oriented such that at least a part of the air-oil mixture discharged therefrom has a component of velocity that is tangential to the direction of rotation of the rotating component.

Abstract: The present invention provides an air-oil separator comprising a first region having a mixture of air and oil, a second region wherein separation of at least some of the oil from the air-oil mixture occurs and at least one multi-directional injector plug located on a rotating component in flow communication with the first region and the second region, the multi-directional injector plug having a discharge head that is oriented such that at least a part of the air-oil mixture discharged therefrom has a component of velocity that is tangential to the direction of rotation of the rotating component.