Selectively Adjustable Patents (Class 415/173.2)
  • Patent number: 8668438
    Abstract: A turbine assembly having a bladed turbine wheel and a turbine casing (1000), extending axially of the turbine assembly, radially outwardly surrounding the tips of the blades of the turbine wheel, the casing having at least one radially outwardly extending dummy flange (2100, 2200) off which, in axial direction, one or more cooling manifolds (1100, 1200, 1300), wrapping radially outwardly around the casing, are mounted, the or each cooling manifold being adapted to receive cooling air and to discharge the cooling air radially inwardly towards the casing, for cooling the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Rajinder Saroi
  • Publication number: 20140064937
    Abstract: A fan assembly is provided. The fan assembly includes a rotor having a hub and a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from the hub. Each rotor blade includes a blade tip at a radially distal end of each blade. The rotor blade tips define a rotor diameter. The fan assembly also includes a first cylindrical casing substantially axially aligned with the blade tips, the first casing including a first inner diameter that is greater than the rotor diameter. The fan assembly further includes a brush seal assembly coupled to the blade tip of a least one of the plurality of rotor blades, the brush seal assembly configured to contact the casing segment during a first operational mode of the fan assembly, the brush seal assembly configured to avoid contact with the casing segment during a second operational mode of the fan assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
  • Publication number: 20140033735
    Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a casing having a first casing half including first and second edge portions and a second casing half including first and second edge sections. The first edge portion is configured and disposed to be joined to the first edge section to form a first horizontal joint and the second edge portion is configured and disposed to be joined to the second edge section to form a second horizontal joint. At least one of the first edge portion and the first edge section including a first fluid passage, and at least one of the second edge portion and second edge section including a second fluid passage. The first and second fluid passages are configured and disposed to guide heated fluid along respective ones of the first and second horizontal joints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sendilkumaran Soundiramourty, Srinivasa Rao Pakkala
  • Patent number: 8636464
    Abstract: A liner for an interior surface of an engine casing, comprises a number of liner panels disposed radially outwardly of a rotatable component of the engine, such as a fan blade, and the panels are mounted on the interior surface of the casing, wherein each panel is individually adjustable, such that the clearance between the panel and the rotatable component of the engine may be varied individually for each panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Kristofer J. Bottome
  • Publication number: 20140020390
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine section has a rotor carrying a plurality of blades. The blades have airfoils which define a radially outer tip. A blade outer air seal is positioned radially outwardly of the tips of the blades. The blade outer air seal is provided by at least a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, which slide circumferentially relative to each other to adjust an inner diameter of an inner surface of the blade outer air seal segments. An actuator actuates the blade outer air seal segments to slide towards each other to control a clearance between the inner periphery of the blade outer air seal segments and the radially outer tip of the blade airfoils. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: William E. Rhoden, Peter L. Jalbert
  • Publication number: 20140017060
    Abstract: A diaphragm assembly includes a cylinder, a circular flange, and a diaphragm. The cylinder defines an axis and includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The circular flange is coaxial with the cylinder and at a greater radial distance from the axis than the cylinder. The diaphragm extends from the second end of the cylinder to the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Loc Quang Duong, Xiaolan Hu
  • Patent number: 8616827
    Abstract: A system for adjusting a clearance between blade tips of a turbine and a shroud assembly encircling the turbine in a turbine engine is disclosed herein. The system includes a first fluid passageway operable to extend from a first source of fluid at a variable pressure to a shroud assembly of a turbine engine. The first fluid passageway directs a first stream of fluid to the shroud assembly. The system also includes a first valve positioned along the first fluid passageway and moveable between open and closed configurations. The first valve is biased to the open configuration and moved to the closed configuration passively and directly by a first predetermined level of pressure of the first stream of fluid. During periods of relatively low power production of the turbine engine, the first valve is in the open configuration and moves to the closed configuration when power production of the turbine engine increases from relatively low power production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Mark O'Leary
  • Patent number: 8613590
    Abstract: An article of manufacture has a body formed in part of a first metal alloy and in part of a second metal alloy, the second metal alloy having a thermal coefficient of expansion that is less than the thermal coefficient of expansion of the first metal alloy. A BOAS segment for a gas turbine engine is disclosed wherein the formation of cracks due to thermal mechanical fatigue in the body of the disclosed BOAS segment is minimized, if not eliminated, through a unique construction of the disclosed BOAS segment, whether original equipment manufacture or a repaired blade outer air seal. A method for manufacture of a BOAS segment and a method for modifying a BOAS segment are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Philip R. Belanger, Susan M. Tholen
  • Patent number: 8613596
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique turbomachinery device, a non-limiting example of which is a gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique vane assembly for a turbomachinery device. Another embodiment is a unique seal assembly for a vane of a turbomachinery device. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for turbomachinery devices, and for vane assemblies and seal assemblies for turbomachinery devices. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Theodore J. Fritsch
  • Patent number: 8608427
    Abstract: An arrangement for optimizing the running clearance for turbomachines of the axial type, such as turbocompressors, gas turbines, and steam turbines, in particular for compressors of stationary gas turbines, by controlling the inner diameter, which is relevant to the running clearance, of at least one stator structure that surrounds a rotor blade ring, including: the stator structure has a closed, circular inner ring, a circular outer ring that is situated concentric to the inner ring at a radial distance therefrom, and a plurality of links that integrally connect the inner ring to the outer ring, the links being circumferentially inclined at a defined angle (?) to the radial direction and distributed around the circumference of the stator structure, and the arrangement includes an adjustment device for rotating the inner ring relative to the outer ring with elastic modification of the running clearance-relevant inner diameter (D) of the inner ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Böck
  • Patent number: 8585356
    Abstract: An electrode (54) in the tip (31) of a turbine or compressor blade (30), and a series of electrodes (68) in a shroud (36, 64) that surrounds a rotation path (33) of the blade tip. As the blade tip reaches each shroud electrode, a controller (74) activates an electrical potential between them that generates a plasma-induced gas flow (76) directed toward the pressure side (PS) of the airfoil. The plasma creates a seal between the blade tip and the shroud, and induces a gas flow that opposes a leakage gas flow (52) from the pressure side to the suction side (SS) of the blade over the blade tip (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Wiebe, Matthew D. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 8555477
    Abstract: A method and system for adjusting the clearance between a stator member and the tip of a rotor member in a rotor apparatus. The system comprises a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the radial position of the stator member to any one of at least two and preferably three different radial positions. The system further comprises a variable pressure chamber having a first pressure state and a second pressure state. The system is arranged for applying a force for maintaining the stator member in either one of said at least two radial positions when said chamber is in said first pressure state and for allowing the position adjustment mechanism to adjust the radial position of the stator member between said at least two positions when the chamber is in said second pressure state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Peter R Bates
  • Patent number: 8550767
    Abstract: A regulating system for a gas turbine, in particular an aircraft engine, has devices for blade-tip injection for increasing the compressor stability, these devices being activated as needed. The regulating system has devices for active clearance control, preferably in the high-pressure compressor, with which the radial clearance in the high-pressure compressor is kept in an optimum operating range, and the regulating system has a shared engine regulator for both devices. The technical problems of the prior art are avoided through the present invention, and an improved regulating system for a gas turbine, in particular an aircraft engine, is made available for active stabilization of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Horn, Klaus-Juergen Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8534996
    Abstract: A compressor stator vane and rotor blade tip clearance control assembly in which a plurality of stator vane segments each with vanes extending inward are connected to an annular sync ring through eccentric cranks so that circumferential movement of the sync ring will produce radial displacement of the vane segments and control the clearance between the blade tips. An actuator piston is rigidly fixed to the sync ring and forms an actuator chamber with stationary actuator housing. Bleed off pressure from one of the compressor stages is used to move the actuator piston, which moves the sync ring to radially displace the vane segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William W. Pankey, Jack W. Wilson, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130230389
    Abstract: A valve, for example for controlling a clearance at a tip of turbine blades, includes a piston and a supply mechanism supplying fluid under pressure to cause the piston to move inside a hollow body, and a mechanism detecting a position of the piston, including a shut-off element that moves as one with the piston and is mounted such that it can move in a fluid passage between two positions, open and closed respectively, the fluid passage connecting the supply mechanism to a pressure sensor that generates an output signal representative of the position of the piston of the valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventor: Salvatore Giannotta
  • Publication number: 20130209240
    Abstract: An adjustable blade outer air seal apparatus includes a case structure that extends circumferentially, a support ring structure mounted radially inwards of the case structure and at least one blade outer air seal segment radially adjustably mounted relative to the support ring structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 8475118
    Abstract: Within such machines as gas turbine engines it is desirable to provide close association between rotating assemblies and a rotor path arrangement to reduce leakage. However, such arrangements of rotor assemblies and rotor path arrangements are subject to thermal cycling and differentials between the respective parts can lead to rub associations. In order to allow closer thermal responses between the respective rotor path arrangement and rotor assembly, a flexible assembly is provided for a liner. A face surface is presented upon a backer plate or floating ring such that the thermal response can be tuned to the reciprocal similar effects under the same conditions of the rotor assembly. In such circumstances, closer gap control can be achieved. Furthermore, rather than requiring an entire integral casing to be overhauled, generally only the face surfaces and/or the flexible assembly will require remedial action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Mulcaire, Steven Aleksy Radomski
  • Publication number: 20130136583
    Abstract: A fluid sealing device for rotating machines having a rotor part including at least one disk carried by a rotating shaft rotating in and relatively to a stator part in the presence of a fluid is disclosed. The rotating shaft has a sealing system defining a first environment at a first pressure. The stator part has a wall in front of the disk of the stator part defining a second environment therewith containing a fluid at a second pressure. The device includes a movable ring placed between the wall of the stator part and the disk of the rotor part and has a front sealing gasket facing towards the disk. The movable ring is moved in the active position when the rotating machine is stopped to prevent the fluid passage from one environment to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: TURBODEN S.R.L.
    Inventors: Davide Colombo, Roberto Bini
  • Patent number: 8371807
    Abstract: Protection device for a stator of a turbine of the type comprising a series of annular sectors constrained to each other by means of connection means, each sector of the series of sectors comprises a first surface, suitable for contacting the stator which has at least one cavity for the cooling of the corresponding sector, and a second surface which faces a rotor of the turbine. In a rest configuration in which the turbine is not operating, the second surface of each sector has an axial section having an eccentricity with respect to the trace of the rotation axis of the turbine, whereas in an operating configuration in which the turbine is operating under regime conditions, the second surface of each sector has an axial section which is centered with the trace of the rotation axis of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Manuele Bigi, Piero Iacopetti, Vincenzo Branchetti
  • Publication number: 20130034424
    Abstract: A tip clearance control device adapted to control the clearance of a rotating aerofoil structure with a surrounding casing portion, and a method of controlling the tip clearance of a rotating aerofoil structure with a surrounding casing portion. The device includes a member operatively connected to the casing portion; the member having at least a first configuration in which the casing portion is at a first radial position and a second configuration in which the casing portion is at a second radial position, wherein the configuration of the member is controlled by magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit which includes at least one ferromagnetic element including ferromagnetic material, where the configuration of the member is responsive to the temperature of the ferromagnetic element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: John R. WEBSTER, Nicolas EVANNO, Brian HANDLEY
  • Publication number: 20130017060
    Abstract: An arrangement for heating and cooling a turbine casing of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising an inboard duct, adjacent to an inboard surface of the turbine casing, an outboard facing wall of the inboard duct having a plurality of impingement holes opening towards the inboard surface of the casing, through which temperature control fluid can pass from within the inboard duct to impinge upon the inboard surface of the turbine casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: John H. BOSWELL, Ian TIBBOTT
  • Patent number: 8342798
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine casing including a first hook configured to mate with a second hook to support a turbine shroud about a plurality of turbine blades. The turbine casing includes a coolant circuit configured to adjust clearance between the turbine shroud and the turbine blades based on coolant flow through the coolant circuit. The coolant circuit includes a first plurality of radial coolant passages extending into the first hook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald E. Floyd, II, Henry G. Ballard, Jr., Brad Miller
  • Publication number: 20120301280
    Abstract: A turbomachine which operates at enhanced operating temperatures includes a stationary component. A rotating component includes a clearance to avoid a rubbing contact between the stationary component and the rotating component, the clearance including a first value in a stationary state of the turbomachine and a second value in a steady-state operation of the machine, wherein during a transient operating phase between the stationary state and the steady-state operation, the clearance includes a value which traverses a curve having an extreme value on account of a different time variation of a rotational speed and a thermal expansion of different components. A compensating device includes a non-linear compensation mechanism configured to reduce or compensate the extreme value during the transient operating phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Jaroslaw Leszek Szwedowicz, Alexey Mozharov, Stefan Irmisch
  • Patent number: 8317457
    Abstract: A method of operating a compressor having a row of blades for preventing a compressor stall is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of mounting a plasma generator in a casing or a shroud radially outwardly and apart from the blade tips wherein the plasma generator comprises a radially inner electrode and a radially outer electrode separated by a dielectric material; and supplying an AC potential to the radially inner electrode and the radially outer electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aspi Rustom Wadia, David Scott Clark, Ching-Pang Lee, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Gregory Scott McNulty
  • Patent number: 8317461
    Abstract: A blade outer air seal for being positioned radially outwardly of a gas turbine blade has at least one cooling air passage with a dividing wall dividing the at least one cooling air passage into two separate flow paths. The dividing wall does not extend throughout an entire length of the blade outer air seal of the first dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Susan Tholen, Paul M. Luljen
  • Patent number: 8315741
    Abstract: A system comprises a rotary apparatus, a control law and a processor. The rotary apparatus comprises a rotor and a housing forming a gas path therebetween, and the control law controls flow along the gas path. The processor comprises an output module, a plurality of temperature modules, a thermodynamic module, a comparator and an estimator. The output module generates an output signal as a function of a plurality of rotor and housing temperatures defined along the gas path, and the temperature modules determine time derivatives of the rotor and housing temperatures. The thermodynamic module models boundary conditions for the gas path, and the comparator determines errors in the boundary conditions. The estimator estimates the rotor and housing temperatures based on the time derivatives, such that the errors are minimized and the flow is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Boris Karpman, Richard P. Meisner, John L. Shade
  • Patent number: 8292571
    Abstract: An inner shell for a rotating machine including at least one segment; and at least one complementary segment in operable communication with the at least one segment, the segments forming a support structure for a shroud ring; wherein the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment are individually moved to change a set of dimensions defined by the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment. A method for controlling a dimension of the shroud ring in a rotating machine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Bradley James Miller, Kenneth Damon Black
  • Patent number: 8246297
    Abstract: An cooling arrangement for a turbine shroud provides an air stream directed from a passage extending through a radial wall to impinge on a surface in an area of a back side of the turbine shroud, the surface defining a plane which improves the attack angle of the air stream to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Kapila Jain, Marc Tardif
  • Patent number: 8240986
    Abstract: A turbine inter-stage seal with active clearance control. The inner diameter of the stator vane includes a seal support structure with a plurality of segmented seal supports each movable by an actuator located on the vane outer diameter with a plunger or push rod extending through the hollow portion of the vanes. A segmented seal arrangement, such as segmented brush seals, are secured to the underside of the seal support segments and form a complete annular seal for the inter-stage between adjacent rotor disks. A proximity probe or microwave sensor detects the brush seal clearance, and a controller regulates the brush seal clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd A. Ebert
  • Patent number: 8221061
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-spool gas turbine engine including an HP turbine stator ring and an exterior wall of the transition channel between the HP and LP stages, a first enclosure for controlling the stator ring, and a second enclosure for distributing air for blowing the exterior wall of the transition channel. The engine is characterized in that the two enclosures are placed in communication via an orifice controlled by a valve adapted to be open when the pressure P1 in the first enclosure is greater than the pressure P2 in the second enclosure, and closed when P1<P2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Aurelien Rene-Pierre Massot, Philippe Jean-Pierre Pabion, Sebastien Jean Laurent Prestel, Jean-Luc Soupizon
  • Publication number: 20120167584
    Abstract: A turbine engine including a controller controlling clearance between tips of moving blades of a high-pressure turbine and an outer casing surrounding the blades, by cooling the outer casing by the impact of air taken from a high-pressure compressor stage of the engine, and by electric heating of top and bottom portions of the outer casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventor: Vincent Philippot
  • Patent number: 8186945
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a turbine clearance controller. The turbine clearance controller is configured to independently adjust clearances of a plurality of shroud segments about a plurality of blades via first and second magnets opposite from one another in fixed and movable portions of each shroud segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shubhra Bhatnagar, Chakrakody Girish Shastry
  • Patent number: 8177476
    Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes a magnetic actuator configured to adjust a radial clearance between a housing and rotary blades via translational movement along a rotational axis. The system includes a controller configured to engage the magnetic actuator to adjust the radial clearance in response to feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Andrew, James M. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 8177474
    Abstract: A method of detecting rubs during operation of a turbomachine comprising at least one rotating object having a tip and a shelf is provided. The method includes generating signals representative of a sensed parameter and processing the signals to generate height versus time data for the tip. The height of the tip corresponds to the distance between the tip and the shelf. The method further includes monitoring the height versus time data, in order to determine whether a change in the height data exceeds a threshold value, and detecting a rub of the rotating object(s) on a second object, when the change in the height data exceeds the threshold value. A rub detection system for a turbomachine and a turbine engine system with rub detection are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Emad Andarawis Andarawis, William Lee Herron, Samhita Dasgupta, John Harry Down, Mahadevan Balasubramaniam, David So Keung Chan, David Walter Parry
  • Patent number: 8152441
    Abstract: A reengineered undershot waterwheel adapted to capture unutilized hydrokinetic energy is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the blades, partitions, and shafts of the waterwheel are composed of engineered plastics and composites for improved operation and longevity. In other embodiments, the waterwheel may be fixed, floating, partially or fully submerged, mounted vertically or horizontally, and will operate in deep and shallow flowing water sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Ray Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8137056
    Abstract: An impingement cooled structure includes a plurality of shroud members disposed in a circumferential direction to constitute a ring-shaped shroud surrounding a hot gas stream, and a shroud cover mounted on radial outside faces of the shroud members to form a cavity therebetween. The shroud cover has a first impingement cooling hole which communicates with the cavity and allows cooling air to be jetted to an inside thereof so as to cool an inner surface of the cavity by impingement. The shroud members each has a hole fin. The hole fin divides the cavity into a plurality of sub-cavities. Further, the hole fin has a second impingement cooling hole which allows the cooling air having flowed through the first impingement cooling hole to be jetted obliquely toward a bottom surface of the sub-cavity adjacent thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: IHI Corporation, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Shu Fujimoto, Youji Ohkita, Yoshitaka Fukuyama, Takashi Yamane, Masahiro Matsushita, Toyoaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8133003
    Abstract: Disclosed is a seal for a turbomachine including at least one fixed component located proximate to a rotating component of the turbomachine defining a clearance therebetween. At least one magnet is located at the at least one fixed component. The at least one magnet is, when activated, capable of moving the at least one fixed component thereby adjusting the clearance between the fixed component and the rotating component. Further disclosed is a turbomachine utilizing the seal and a method for adjusting a position of at least one fixed component of a turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Alan Davi, David Andrew Stasenko
  • Patent number: 8126628
    Abstract: A method and system adjusts blade tip clearance between rotating aircraft gas turbine engine blade tips and a surrounding shroud in anticipation of and before an engine command that changes an engine rotational speed. The method may include determining when to begin adjusting the tip clearance by expanding or contracting the shroud before the engine command and may be based on monitored aircraft and/or aircraft crew data indicative of the engine. The aircraft and/or aircraft crew data may include communications between aircraft crew and air traffic control authorities or air traffic control surrogates. Determining when to begin adjusting the tip clearance may include using learning algorithms which may use the aircraft gas turbine engine's operating experience and/or operating experience of other jet engines on an aircraft containing the aircraft gas turbine engine and/or on other aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Brock Estel Osborn, Donald Lee Gardner, Rafael Jose Ruiz, William Lee Herron
  • Patent number: 8113768
    Abstract: A mid-turbine frame assembly includes a mid-turbine frame, a ring structure and a plurality of actuated struts. The ring structure surrounds the mid-turbine frame, and has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The actuated struts connect the ring structure to the mid-turbine frame. The actuated struts are strain actuated so that the actuated struts reposition the ring structure in response to a strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Nagendra Somanath, Keshava B. Kumar, Christopher M. Dye
  • Patent number: 8100627
    Abstract: An impeller fixing mechanism is provided in a centrifugal pump for immobilizing the impeller, relative to the pump shaft and drive shaft of the pump, while effecting repairs to the pump, thereby eliminating much of the labor-intensive need for realigning the pump shaft and drive shaft and assuring accurate positioning of the impeller relative to the pump shaft. A method for effecting repairs of centrifugal pumps employs use of the impeller fixing mechanism of the invention to immobilize the impeller relative to the pump shaft, thereby facilitating the repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Vulco, S.A.
    Inventor: Ricardo Abarca Melo
  • Patent number: 8092153
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a plurality of radial struts in a bypass duct. At least one strut has a scoop incorporated with the fairing of the strut and in communication with an air passage of an engine secondary air system. The scoop faces a bypass air flow to scoop a portion of the bypass air flow using available dynamic pressure in the bypass duct. Scooped air may be provided, for example, to an active tip clearance control apparatus in a long duct turbofan engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Steven Strecker, Hong-Wei Hui
  • Patent number: 8052155
    Abstract: A seal (1) includes a first component (7) and second component (9), the first component including a first material having a high thermal and oxidation and wear resistance, and the second component (9) including a second material that is different from the first material and has a high spring load maintenance. The seal (1) is applied to a combustion chamber for a gas turbine, where the first component (7) extends between the casing wall of the combustion chamber and adjacent liner segments (4). The spring load of the second component (9) provides a seal also in the case of vibrations in a combustion chamber. The lifetime of the seal (1) is increased due to the individual materials, which are optimally chosen for the functions of high thermal and wear resistance and spring load maintenance respectively. The seal is further applied to the sealing between adjacent stationary blade platforms in gas turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Graham Amos, Ian William Boston, Kennet W. Cornett, Jonas Hurter, Dominick Gregory More, Markus Stemann, Alexander Zagorskiy
  • Patent number: 8047763
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for improving a turbine's thermal response during transient and steady state operating conditions in which the flow of cooling fluid in the turbine's casing is caused to be asymmetrical relative to the horizontal and vertical symmetry planes of the casing so that the turbine's cooling symmetry planes are rotated relative to its geometric symmetry planes and thereby the heat transfer at locations in the casing with increased mass is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kenneth Damon Black
  • Patent number: 8011883
    Abstract: A method for controlling blade tip clearance within a gas turbine engine includes a compressor having at least one first rotor assembly, wherein the blade tips in each of at least one first rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between the blade tips and the blade seal surfaces; a turbine having at least one second rotor assembly, wherein the blade tips in each of at least one second rotor assembly has a mating geometry with at least one of at least one blade seal surfaces, and a clearance distance extending between the blade tips and the blade seal surfaces; providing an actuator selectively operable to move at least one rotor assembly relative to the shroud; providing an electronic engine controller having a control logic for operating the actuator; and moving at least one first rotor assemblies and at least one second rotor assembly relative to the shroud using the actuator at a response rate according to the control l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, J. Walter Smith
  • Patent number: 8001792
    Abstract: Apparatus for channeling combustion gases to a turbine in a gas turbine engine. The engine has a compressor for providing compressed air, a combustor for combusting fuel with the compressed air to provide combustion gases, and a radial inflow turbine having an inlet configured to receive the combustion gases. The turbine is rotatable about an axis for expanding the combustion gases to produce work. The apparatus includes a subassembly of plurality of nozzle guide vanes fixed between a pair of spaced apart, ring-shaped sidewalls. A pair of spaced apart supports is configured to position the subassembly therebetween, concentric with the axis, and adjacent the turbine inlet. The apparatus further includes a plurality of bolt assemblies extending axially through the pair of supports, apertures in the sidewalls, and holes in the guide vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: OPRA Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Marek Dvorak, R. Jan Mowill
  • Publication number: 20110103939
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbine shell that is configured to retain a turbine rotor shroud adjacent to a turbine rotor blade. A heat pipe has a first end in thermal communication with the turbine shell and a second end extending outwardly of the shell. A heating/cooling system is in thermal communication with the second end of the heat pipe and has a thermal medium configurable to exchange thermal energy with the second end of the heat pipe. The thermal medium is configurable to remove thermal energy from the second end of the heat pipe to remove thermal energy from the turbine shell and is configurable to add thermal energy to the second end of the heat pipe to add thermal energy to the turbine shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, Yang Liu
  • Publication number: 20110070072
    Abstract: A tip clearance control mechanism for a rotary machine adapted for reducing leakage flows, and minimizing tip vortex size and penetration into main flow that will improve turbine efficiency. The tip clearance control mechanism includes inventive arrangements of a rotating shroud and a shape of the shroud, teeth of various shapes and locations on the rotating shroud, and one or more stator teeth of various shapes and locations on a stationary shroud or casing wall configurations providing comparable tip clearance control. The reduction in leakage flow is a function of how these components are assembled together, which defines a clearance passage between the rotating shroud and the stationary shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventor: Moorthi Subramaniyan
  • Patent number: 7891938
    Abstract: A multi sensor clearance probe with at least longitudinally and transversely spaced apart first and second sensors operable to measure first and second distances respectively between the sensors and a longitudinally spaced apart rotating rotor. The sensors being operable to measure blade tip clearances between radially outer turbine blade tips and an annular stator shroud circumscribing the blade tips. The blade tips may be squealer tips and the sensors operable to measure the distances between the sensors and tops of squealer tip walls and outwardly facing walls within cavities of the squealer tips. The probe may be operably connected to a controller for sending signals to the controller indicating the first and second distances for controlling an air valve used for active clearance control. Two or more of the probe may be used to determine rotor centerline offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Lee Herron, Robert Joseph Albers, Rafael Jose Ruiz, Samhita Dasgupta
  • Publication number: 20110027068
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine casing including a first hook configured to mate with a second hook to support a turbine shroud about a plurality of turbine blades. The turbine casing includes a coolant circuit configured to adjust clearance between the turbine shroud and the turbine blades based on coolant flow through the coolant circuit. The coolant circuit includes a first plurality of radial coolant passages extending into the first hook.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald E. Floyd, II, Henry G. Ballard, JR., Brad Miller
  • Publication number: 20100303615
    Abstract: This hydraulic machine has a wheel (2) mounted to move in rotation relative to a stationary structure (9) and about a stationary axis, said wheel being designed to pass a forced flow of water therethrough. At least one leak limiter device (100) for limiting water leaks is disposed between the wheel (2) and the stationary structure (9), said device defining operating clearance (J) between the wheel and the stationary structure. Said leak limiter device (100) has at least one deformable and/or movable member (103) that is deformable and/or movable in a radial direction (F1) relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel, while the wheel is rotating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: ALSTOM HYDRO FRANCE
    Inventors: Yves Bouvet, Jean-Francois Bertea