Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc.

Mikro Systems, Inc.

Cree Fayetteville, Inc.

Cora Schillig

David J Mitchell

Gary Brian Merrill

Ramesh Subramanian

John Fraley

Roberto Marcelo Schupbach

Bryon Western

Jie Yang

Anand A Kulkarni

Neil Hitchman

Jonathan E Shipper

Dimitrios Zois

Ching-Pang Lee

Ahmed Kamel

Kok-Mun Tham

John R Paulus

Andrew Jeremiah Burns

Gm Salam Azad

James P Williams

Edward R Roesch

Rod Waits

Stefan Lampenscherf

Vinay Jonnalagadda

Zhihong Gao

David G Sansom

Jonathan E Shipper, Jr

Bulent Acar

Ines Becker

Barrry L Allmon

Sankar Nellian

A thermal barrier coating (TBC) with depth-varying material properties is formed on a turbine component. Exemplary depth-varying material properties include physical ductility, strength and thermal resistivity that vary from the TBC layer inner to outer surface. Exemplary ways to modify physical properties include application of plural separate overlying layers of different material composition or by varying the applied material composition during the application of the TBC layer. Various embodiment described herein also apply a calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicon (CMAS)-retardant material over the TBC layer to retard reaction with or adhesion of CMAS containing combustion particulates to the TBC layer. In other embodiments the CMAS retardant material is also applied within engineered groove features (EGFs) that are formed in the TBC surface.

Turbine component thermal barrier coating with depth-varying material properties

Engineered groove features (EGFs) are formed within thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) of turbine engine components. The EGFs are advantageously aligned with likely stress zones within the TBC or randomly aligned in a convenient two-dimensional or polygonal planform pattern on the TBC surface and into the TBC layer. The EGFs localize thermal stress- or foreign object damage (FOD)-induced crack propagation within the TBC that might otherwise allow excessive TBC spallation and subsequent thermal exposure damage to the turbine component underlying substrate. Propagation of a crack is arrested when it reaches an EGF, so that it does not cross over the groove to otherwise undamaged zones of the TBC layer. In some embodiments, the EGFs are combined with engineered surface features (ESFs) that are formed in the component substrate or within intermediate layers applied between the substrate and the TBC.

Turbine component thermal barrier coating with crack isolating engineered groove features

A powder-based material system having an intrinsic and stable degree of porosity provided by hollow ceramic spheres () in a fully dense matrix (). A substrate () is formed from a metal powder (), and may be partially sintered (). A layer () of ceramic powder is arranged on the substrate including the pre-sintered hollow ceramic spheres plus a proportion of nano-sized ceramic particles effective to reduce the layer sintering temperature and to increase the sintering shrinkage of the layer to approximate that of the metal substrate during subsequent co-sintering. The substrate and layer are then co-sintered (), such as with spark plasma sintering (), at a temperature and for a duration to fully densify the ceramic powder matrix around the hollow spheres, thereby producing a metal/ceramic material system with low interface stress and with stable porosity during operational temperatures in a gas turbine engine.

Powder-based material system with stable porosity

An inductance-stable ultra high temperature circuit coupling transformer () used to transmit and receive alternating current power and/or data signals (&#x2033;). Primary (&#x2033;) and secondary (&#x2033;) windings are formed on nanostructured laminated (') primary and secondary steel cores (&#x2033;) having a Curie temperature exceeding an ultra high operating temperature. The operating range can extend from ambient to 250&#xb0; C. or to in excess of 550&#xb0; C. or up to 700&#xb0; C. with a change in inductance of less than 10% in various embodiments.

Gas turbine engine comprising an ultra high temperature circuit coupling open core transformer

A thermal barrier tile () with a braze layer () co-sintered to a ceramic layer () is brazed to a substrate () of a component for fabrication or repair of a thermal barrier coating () for example on a gas turbine ring segment (). The tile may be fabricated by disposing a first layer of a metal brazing material in a die case (); disposing a second layer of a ceramic powder on the metal brazing material; and co-sintering the two layers with spark plasma sintering to form the co-sintered ceramic/metal tile. A material property of an existing thermal barrier coating to be repaired may be determined (), and the co-sintering may be controlled () responsive to the property to produce tiles compatible with the existing thermal barrier coating in a material property such as thermal conductivity.

Method and apparatus for fabrication and repair of thermal barriers

A method of forming a ceramic layer on a metal substrate. A substrate () is formed () from a powder () of the metal, and may optionally be partially sintered (). A layer () of powdered ceramic is formed () on or applied against the substrate (). The ceramic powder may include a proportion of nano-sized particles effective to reduce the ceramic sintering temperature and to increase the sintering shrinkage of the ceramic layer to more closely match that of the metal substrate. The substrate and layer are then co-sintered () at a temperature and for a duration that densifies and bonds them, producing a metal/ceramic layered material system with low interface stress that is durable to temperature variations in a gas turbine. Spark plasma sintering () may be used to sinter and/or co-sinter substrate and layer materials that normally cannot be sintered.

Material system of co-sintered metal and ceramic layers

A voltage regulator circuitry () adapted to operate in a high-temperature environment of a turbine engine is provided. The voltage regulator may include a constant current source () including a first semiconductor switch () and a first resistor () connected between a gate terminal (G) and a source terminal (S) of the first semiconductor switch. A second resistor () is connected to the gate terminal of the first semiconductor switch () and to an electrical ground (). The constant current source is coupled to generate a voltage reference across the second resistorA source follower output stagemay include a second semiconductor switch () and a third resistor () connected between the electrical ground and a source terminal of the second semiconductor switch. The generated voltage reference is applied to a gating terminal of the second semiconductor switch ().

Voltage regulator circuitry operable in a high temperature environment of a turbine engine

Turbine and compressor casing abradable component embodiments for turbine engines, with composite grooves and vertically projecting rows of ridges in planform patterns, establishing upper and lower wear zones. The lower wear zone reduces, redirects and/or blocks blade tip downstream airflow leakage, while the upper wear zone is optimized to minimize blade tip gap and wear by being more easily abradable than the lower zone. An elongated first ridge in the lower wear zone terminates in a continuous surface plateau. A plurality of second ridges or nibs, separated by grooves, project from the plateau, forming the upper wear zone. Each of the second ridges has a planform cross section smaller than the plateau planform cross section and a height smaller than the first ridge height. Some embodiments of the second ridges have spacing, planform cross sections, heights and separating groove dimensions selected for shearing when contacted by turbine blade tips.

Turbine abradable layer with progressive wear zone having a frangible or pixelated nib surface

A circuitry adapted to operate in a high-temperature environment of a turbine engine is provided. A relatively high-gain differential amplifier () may have an input terminal coupled to receive a voltage indicative of a sensed parameter of a component () of the turbine engine. A hybrid load circuitry may be coupled to the differential amplifier. A voltage regulator circuitry () may be coupled to power the differential amplifier. The differential amplifier, the hybrid load circuitry and the voltage regulator circuitry may each be disposed in the high-temperature environment of the turbine engine.

Electronic circuitry for high-temperature environments

A circuitry () adapted to operate in a high-temperature environment of a turbine engine is provided. The circuitry may include a differential amplifier () having an input terminal () coupled to a sensing element to receive a voltage indicative of a sensed parameter. A hybrid load circuitry () may be AC-coupled to the differential amplifier. The hybrid load circuitry may include a resistor-capacitor circuit () arranged to provide a path to an AC signal component with respect to the drain terminal of the switch (e.g.,) of a differential pair of semiconductor switches, which receives the voltage indicative of the sensed parameter.

Hybrid load differential amplifier operable in a high temperature environment of a turbine engine

Chopper circuitry may be adapted to operate in a high-temperature environment of a turbine. A first semiconductor switch () may have a first terminal coupled to receive a first output signal from a first leg () of a differential amplifier (). A second switch () may have a first terminal coupled thru a first resistive element (R) to a second terminal of the first semiconductor switch. The first terminal of the second semiconductor switch may be coupled to receive thru a second resistive element (R) a second output signal from a second leg () of the amplifier. Switches () may be responsive to a switching control signal to respective gate terminals of the switches to supply an output signal, which alternates in correspondence with a frequency of the switching control signal from a first amplitude level to a second amplitude level, which effectively provides a doubling amplification factor.

Chopper circuitry operable in a high temperature environment of a turbine engine

A double-sided adhesive metal-based tape for use as contacting aid for SOFC fuel cells is provided. The double-sided metal-based adhesive tape is suitable for simplifying the construction of cell bundles. The double-sided metal-based adhesive tape is used for electrical contacting of the cell connector with the anode and for electrical contacting of the interconnector of the fuel cells with the cell connector. A method for producing the double-sided adhesive metal-base tape is also provided.

Aid for electrical contacting of high-temperature fuel cells and method for production thereof

A telemetry system for use in a combustion turbine engine () having a compressor (), a combustor and a turbine () and includes a sensor () in connection with a turbine blade () or vane (). A transmitter assembly () includes a telemetry transmitter circuit/transceiver may be affixed on a turbine blade () or seal plate () proximate the turbine blade with a first connecting material () deposited on the turbine blade () for routing electronic data signals, indicative of a condition of the turbine blade (), from the sensor () to the telemetry transmitter circuit/transceiver. An induction power system for powering the telemetry transmitter circuit/transceiver may include a rotating data antenna () affixed to the seal plate () with an electrical connection () between the telemetry transmitting circuit/transceiver for routing electronic data signals from the telemetry transmitter circuit/transceiver to the rotating data antenna ().

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Orlando, FL, United States of America

Cora Schillig