Abstract: A quick response gasifier spool for an automotive gas turbine engine has a shaft with a turbine wheel connected on one end thereof with a row of turbine blades driven by motive fluid from an engine combustor and further has a low inertia centrifugal compressor impeller with a low mass hub secured to the opposite end of the shaft. The impeller has a plurality of separate, free formed blades each having a root segment integrally formed with the hub; the blades including spaced apart radial tip portions joined by a continuous ring of span splitter elements located on the radial extent of each of the blades to prevent flutter between adjacent free blade radial tips and wherein each element of the continuous ring includes a leading edge and a trailing edge joined by a curved segment located along a flow streamline path between each of the individual blades.

Abstract: A turbo machine rotor assembly which includes a turbine wheel having moving blade covers or connecting pieces connected to adjacent moving turbine blades. Each of the moving turbine blades includes a first ledge and second ledge at a leading edge and trailing edge side portions, respectively, of the tip of the blade with the first and second ledge portions extending substantially in tangential directions of the turbine wheel but in opposite directions to each other. One of the first and second ledges is provided with a through hole or aperture extending radially of the turbine wheel. The moving blade cover or connecting piece is provided with a pair of spaced pins receivable in the apertures of the first and second ledges for connecting the first ledge of one moving turbine blade and the second ledge of an adjacent moving turbine blade in such a manner that the upper surface of the cover contacts with the lower surfaces of the first and second ledges.

Abstract: The annular array of radially extending blades on the rotor of a rotary fluid machine are tied together at generally their mid portions by interlocking separate tying members and projection pairs, wherein each projection pair includes facing projections on adjacent blades of the array. The tying members and projections have mating bearing surfaces that will provide a tangential force as a result of wedging produced by the centrifugal force acting upon the tying members during rotation of the rotor at rated speed, without restraining individual twisting of the blades about their radial extent.

Abstract: A self-supporting, self-locating seal having a central portion and a pair of end segments so designed as to fit within the mid span joint formed between adjacent turbine engine blades. Because of the design of the seal, the seal is held securely in position simply by its geometry and the centrifugal forces applied thereto during turbine engine operation.