Abstract: In one or more embodiments a system of foldable shears is provided, comprising a pair of shearing blades, each blade having a sharp side and a blunt side. The blades are connected to handles via a hinge, and the handles have one side that is straighter and another side that is more rounded or irregularly shaped. One of the blades includes a backward facing hook on the blade's blunt side. Additionally, the blunt side may have partially sharpened serrations or other features. The blades can fold about the hinge for easier transport and storage and the shears are configured so that the hook does not extend past the handles when folded to prevent catching the hook on anything or damaging any nearby equipment.

Abstract: An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for scalable group synthesis receives a group definition, applies a sub-set of conditions to the group definition to form a conditioned group definition, receives a set of entities and populates group membership using the received set of entities and the conditioned group definition, wherein each member responds in the affirmative to the sub-set of conditions.

Abstract: An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for scalable group synthesis receives a group definition, applies a sub-set of conditions to the group definition to form a conditioned group definition, receives a set of entities and populates group membership using the received set of entities and the conditioned group definition, wherein each member responds in the affirmative to the sub-set of conditions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine. The steam turbine includes a retention portion having a stacked rotor section. The steam turbine further includes a first shaft end disposed at a first end of the retention portion. The steam turbine yet further includes a second shaft end disposed at a second end of the retention portion that is opposite to the first end of the retention portion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a stator assembly for a steam turbine. The stator assembly includes a stacked stator section and a retention device. The stacked stator section has a plurality of adjacently disposed stator plates. The retention device retains the adjacent stator plates proximate to each other.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine including a stacked rotor section having rotor plates. The rotor plates include a main body portion having a plate shape and a first axial face and a second axial face opposite to the first axial face. The rotor plates also include an airfoil base surface at an outer radial edge of the main body portion. The rotor plates further include buckets which extend radially outward from the airfoil base surface. And the rotor plates yet further include a seal disposed to prevent steam exposure to the first and second axial faces.

Abstract: The application may further describe a seal guard in a turbine where the turbine include a plurality of circumferentially spaced nozzles, a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine blades that each include a blade cover, and an opening defined by a trailing edge of the nozzles and a leading edge of the blade covers. The seal guard may include an upstream axial fin positioned at the trailing edge of the nozzles that extends in a downstream direction across at least part of the opening or a downstream axial fin positioned at a leading edge of a blade cover that extends in an upstream direction across at least part of the opening.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a stator assembly for a steam turbine. The stator assembly includes a stacked stator section and a retention device. The stacked stator section has a plurality of adjacently disposed stator plates. The retention device retains the adjacent stator plates proximate to each other.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine. The steam turbine includes a retention portion having a stacked rotor section. The steam turbine further includes a first shaft end disposed at a first end of the retention portion. The steam turbine yet further includes a second shaft end disposed at a second end of the retention portion that is opposite to the first end of the retention portion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotor assembly for a steam turbine including a stacked rotor section having rotor plates. The rotor plates include a main body portion having a plate shape and a first axial face and a second axial face opposite to the first axial face. The rotor plates also include an airfoil base surface at an outer radial edge of the main body portion. The rotor plates further include buckets which extend radially outward from the airfoil base surface. And the rotor plates yet further include a seal disposed to prevent steam exposure to the first and second axial faces.

Abstract: Integrated nozzle and bucket wheels for turbine stator and rotor components, respectively, include a three hundred sixty degree wheel formed from a single piece of stock material. The nozzle wheels include radially inner portions formed to include a plurality of nozzles, while the bucket wheels are each formed to include a plurality of buckets. The nozzle and bucket wheels may be split into plural arcuate segments.

Abstract: An integrated nozzle wheel for a turbine stator component includes a three hundred sixty degree wheel formed from a single piece of stock material, a radially inner portion of the wheel machined to include a plurality of nozzles, each having an airfoil portion and a radially inner tip shroud portion; a radially outer portion of the wheel machined to include one or more assembly features.

Abstract: The steampath for a steam turbine includes stacked stator rings each mounting inwardly directed nozzles and stacked rotor wheels each mounting outwardly directed buckets mounting blades. By alternately stacking the stator rings and rotor wheels, the nozzles and buckets of the various stages are interdigitated to form a steampath. Each bucket includes a blade and a root received in a generally complementary shaped groove on a wheel.

Abstract: A seal between rotary and stationary turbine components includes an abradable coating on the surface of the stationary component between axially spaced caulked-in seal strips. The rotatable component includes a plurality of axially spaced teeth interdigitated with the teeth of the stationary component and engaging the abradable coating on the stationary component in the cold condition of the turbine. The teeth on the stationary component have larger clearances to prevent mushrooming of the tips in the event of a transient condition. By utilizing caulked-in teeth, a larger number of seal teeth are provided for the same axial extent as compared with conventional labyrinth seal teeth.