Abstract: A control arrangement (34) for controlling the size of a gap (30) between first and second components. The control arrangement comprises first magnet means (38) to be provided on the first component, and second magnet means to be provided on the second component. The first and second magnet means are in magnetic interaction with each other across the gap (30) and the arrangement further includes control means (36) to control the size of the gap (30) the first magnet means (38) is a moveable in a first direction to cause the control means (36) to effect relative movement of the first and second components to increase the gap (30) and in a second direction to cause the control means (36) to effect relative movement of the first and second components to decrease the gap (30).

Abstract: A gas turbine engine (10) has a compressor (14) which includes a rotary stage (16) supported for rotation by a plurality of wire wound stators (34). When the stators (34) are electrically energised, they exert Maxwell type magnetic forces on a magnetically permeable ring (18) joining the tips of compressor blades (21) in the stage (16), and lift it into a position in space where it can rotate on a common axis with the turbine of the engine (10).

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing acoustic radiation which occurs during the operation of turbomachinery includes a shroud having a generally cylindrical inner surface and a coaxial rotor having a plurality of blades extending generally radially outwardly at equally spaced circumferential locations. The inner surface of the shroud is circumferentially contoured such that the tip clearance between each of said blades and the inner surface is caused to vary in a periodic manner upon rotation of said rotor. This creates a new periodic unsteady pressure field which is substantially equal to, and out of phase with, an existing periodic pressure field resulting from nonuniform inflow into the blades and results in the radiation from the turbomachinery of reduced blade rate frequency tones. The inner surface of the shroud may have a circumferential sinusoidal contour whose periodicity is an integral multiple of the number of the blades.

Abstract: A control arrangement (34) for controlling the size of a gap (30) between first and second components. The control arrangement comprises first magnet means (38) to be provided on the first component, and second magnet means to be provided on the second component. The first and second magnet means are in magnetic interaction with each other across the gap (30) and the arrangement further includes control means (36) to control the size of the gap (30) the first magnet means (38) is a moveable in a first direction to cause the control means (36) to effect relative movement of the first and second components to increase the gap (30) and in a second direction to cause the control means (36) to effect relative movement of the first and second components to decrease the gap (30).

Abstract: A method and apparatus reduces the magnitude of vibratory strain in a turbomachine component that experiences high steady state strain by, in the case of a passive embodiment, coupling a mechanical-to-electromagnetic energy converter to an interior and/or exterior surface of the component, and/or embedding the energy converter within the component, and by, in the case of an active embodiment, coupling a mechanical-to-electromagnetic energy converter to an interior and/or exterior surface of the component.

Abstract: A heater comprises a casing, which has an interior chamber. It further comprises a rotor, which is formed as an impeller on the one hand and as an eddy-current disk on the other, and a magnet support, which is equipped with permanent magnets and disposed non-rotarily in the casing and which is displaceable into an operating position in the direct neighborhood of the eddy-current disk and into a position of rest spaced therefrom. The eddy-current disk and the magnet support equipped with permanent magnets are rinsed by water.

Abstract: The motor fuel delivery unit for delivering motor fuel includes a delivery pump (11) and an electric motor (12) for driving the delivery pump (11). The delivery pump (11) includes a housing (13) provided with a pump chamber (14) and an impeller wheel (16) arranged in the pump chamber (14). The electric motor (12) includes a stator (28) provided with an armature winding (32) and a rotor (29) provided with permanent magnets (30). The electric motor (12) is brushless and consists of the impeller wheel (16) of the delivery pump (11). The stator (28) has an inner ring face consisting of a peripheral wall (143) of the pump chamber (14).

Abstract: In a device for damping blade vibrations of an axial-flow turbomachine, the ends of the rotating blades form a seal toward the flow-limiting wall of a turbine casing. A ring of permanently magnetic material is attached to this flow-limiting wall of the turbine casing in the radial direction opposite the blade ends, which ring consists of at least one or more sectional rings of the same or different magnetic polarization. The blade ends are each provided with a cover plate which is made of a material which is a good electrical conductor.

Abstract: A system that provides reliable blade damping with the capability to limit vibration in the blade tips to inconsequential amplitudes. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises configurations of stationary electromagnets placed on a turboengine in three groups of three magnets, each separated circumferentially by 120 degrees, and each being powered and controlled by one central electronics module. The module can turn on the magnetic fields when the rotor is at a known critical speed or passing through a range of speeds that are known to cause large vibrations. Each blade tip enters the magnetic field of each electromagnet which is turned on once in a complete rotation. The electromagnets are located on or embedded in the casing surrounding the blade disk assembly. The blades may be of either magnetic or nonmagnetic material, but must be able to conduct an electrical current.

Abstract: A hysteresis magnet coupling for Roots type pumps comprises a magnet plate holding member connected to either one of a pump shaft or a driving shaft, a hysteresis plate holding member connected to the other of shafts and a diaphragm of a non-magnetic material interposed between a magnetic plate and a hysteresis plate and hermetically sealed at its peripheral portion to a pump housing to prevent heat generated at the hysteresis plate from transferring to the magnet plate to thereby maintain a stabilized operation of the pump.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling rotating blade tip clearance in a turbo-machine utilizing conical tipped blades. The apparatus comprises an approximately conical blade ring mounted for axially sliding displacement in the turbo-machine cylinder. The conical blade ring encircles the tips of the rotating blades and forms a blade tip clearance therebetween. The tip clearance is controlled during operation of the turbo-machine by axially displacing the conical blade ring. Piston cylinders, actuated by pressurized fluid extracted from the turbo-machine, are used to displace the blade ring. Springs, adapted to bias the blade ring into a position of increased tip clearance, oppose the piston cylinder so that failure of the piston cylinder will not result in a loss of tip clearance.

Abstract: A hydrostatic bearing system utilizing ferromagnetic fluid exclusively as working fluid including that used for sealing for preventing the ferromagnetic fluid itself from escaping outside the bearing. In order to accomplish the objects and function, the hydrostatic bearing system proposed here comprises, in addition to ordinary parts or components used in the conventional type, a fluid chamber for containing the ferromagnetic fluid as a working fluid, a circulating passage, at least a recovery groove for collecting the fluid squeezed out of the fluid chamber, a magnetic seal to prevent the fluid from escaping and at least an impelling device to forcibly deliver the ferromagnetic fluid at a predetermined pressure and flow rate. The impelling device can be constructed utilizing a shifting magnetic field, or multilayered rings fabricated of piezo-electric components, or of impelling cylinders having axially lengthenee or reduced in length.

Abstract: The centrifugal pump has a pump rotor unit which is housed within an impeller chamber and which is driven by a permanent magnet coupling having magnetic pole units and pole shoes outside the impeller chamber. The pole shoes define a gap into which an annular part of an end cover of the pump housing projects and into which a magnetizable annular part of the pump rotor unit projects to complete the magnetic flux circuit.

Abstract: A magnetic drive pump for use as a vehicle coolant pump. A fluid housing fixed to the engine block as an impeller mounted on the outside of a cylindrical support integrally stamped into a front wall of the housing. A pulley has a central hub that is rotatably mounted within the cylindrical support, coaxial with the impeller bearing. A web of the pulley and the impeller both face the housing front wall in closely spaced, parallel relation, with opposed matching magnetic drive elements. The structure is particularly simple and compact, and needs no cartridge or bearing seal.

Abstract: A turbo-molecular pump has passive magnetic bearings which are radially stable but axially unstable and mechanical thrust bearings acting axially, the magnetic bearings and the stator forming a structural unit movable axially within the pump housing and connected to an element adjustably supporting one thrust bearing while the other thrust bearing is fixed to the housing with control gear being provided for adjusting the structural unit relative to the housing and the thrust bearing relative to the structural unit in dependence on force sensing devices.

Abstract: A plurality of selected fixed hydraulic geometry turbine generators are programmed for operation at rated efficiencies by interrupting flow to the turbines under control of a programmable power controller receiving water level, flow and power monitoring inputs. The turbines selected are of discreet sizes simultaneously operative only under maximum flow conditions of the hydropower source, and otherwise operated in accordance with an optimum duty schedule to match varying flow conditions.

Abstract: Separating apparatus comprises a rotor having a plurality of impeller blades rotatably mounted in a support housing. In the normal course of apparatus use, fluid flow occurs through opposed rotor open ends. Drive motor elements for rotating the rotor are mounted partly in the rotor and partly in the surrounding casing whereby the rotor may be driven without the necessity of a drive shaft attached to the rotor, and the opposed rotor ends remain unobstructed.In one rotor embodiment, fluid enters the opposed rotor ends and is discharged radially by the rotor blades. In a second embodiment the fluid enters one rotor end and is discharged along an axial path from the opposite end.

Abstract: An improved automatic fuel shutoff system is provided for a turbine type power plant which incorporates (1) sensing means responsive to a preselected abnormal engine operating condition for initially cutting off fuel flow to the engine and (2) latching means for maintaining the cutoff until engine conditions favorable for a normal restart are obtained.

Abstract: A speed control system for a fluid driven prime mover, for example, a turbine wherein the speed of the prime mover is controlled by the positioning of at least one fluid inlet valve. The inlet valve is positioned by a valve operator responsive to an output voltage from the speed control system. The output voltage is directly proportional to the phase difference (error) between a variable reference digital pulse train input representing a desired speed and a feedback digital pulse train input representing the actual prime mover speed. During steady-state operation, prime mover load changes will first cause a phase difference between the reference input and the feedback input whereupon a corrective output voltage is immediately applied to the inlet valve operator prior to the occurrence of an actual speed error.

Abstract: A sealed pump having a rotor and a stator and including an electromagnetic system comprising magnet means and a coil mounted on the rotor and stator and arranged such that a voltage is induced in the coil when the rotor rotates eccentrically, with the said voltage depending on the eccentricity.

Abstract: A control circuit arrangement for a gas turbine engine has first and second identical control circuits which are responsive to groups of input signals to provide nominally identical first and second output signals. It is arranged that input signals to the first control circuit are nominally identical with corresponding input signals to the second control circuit. Means are provided, responsive to malfunction of either one of the first and second control circuits, to render the malfunctioning circuit inoperative and to render the other of the control circuits operative. A third control circuit is responsive to at least one pair of corresponding input signals to the first and second circuits, to provide a third output signal to the engine. The first, second and third output signals do not control the engine reheat system, and the arrangement may include a fourth control circuit for controlling this reheat system.