General Electric Company

Jeffrey Lynn Myers

Thomas Froats Broderick

Douglas Melton Carper

Ely E Halila

Francois Laurent Giguere

Thomas J Dunyak

Paul Raymond Phaneuf

Peter Brian Haley

Earl D Deaton

William Francis Bergeron

Robert W Aho

Thomas Caudwell Straub

A method and testing apparatus including first and second load adjusting mechanisms for cyclically applying and reducing first and second tensile loads on a specimen and first and second controllers connected to the first and second load adjusting mechanisms for independently cycling the loads which are additive. Cycling the first and second loads for peak loading and over-peak loading the specimen respectively and controlling first and second loading rates and first and second dwell periods of first and second cycles for peak loading and over-peak loading respectively. The second load adjusting mechanism may include an inflatable over-peak device resting on a plate mounted to a frame of the apparatus. The device includes a hollow housing for supporting the second load, an inflatable bladder within the housing, and a bladder lower portion extending out of an opening at a bottom of the housing when the bladder is inflated.

Apparatus and method for over-peak loading for creep-rupture testing

A system is disclosed for testing components comprising a loading system capable of applying and reducing mechanical loads on a test specimen, the loading system comprising a fluidic mechanical muscle coupled to a lever arm, the fluidic mechanical muscle having a sheath and a bladder disposed within the sheath and a control system that controls the operation of the fluidic mechanical muscle. An apparatus is disclosed comprising a frame, a lever arm associated with the frame, a fluidic mechanical muscle coupled to the lever arm, the fluidic mechanical muscle having a sheath and a bladder disposed within the sheath; and a control system that controls the operation of the fluidic mechanical muscle.

Apparatus and system for cyclic testing

A control system is disclosed for controlling a mechanical test comprising a flow control valve that controls a fluidic mechanical muscle having a sheath and a bladder disposed within the sheath, and a servo-controller that controls the operation of the flow control valve based on an output signal from a master controller based on an input signal corresponding to a desired test profile. A method of controlling a component test is disclosed comprising the steps of programming a test profile in a logic controller, supplying a signal to a master controller, supplying a signal from the master controller to a servo-controller, and controlling the flow of a fluid into a fluidic mechanical muscle having a sheath and a bladder disposed within the sheath for applying and reducing mechanical loads on a test specimen.

System and method for cyclic testing

A system for producing mechanical motion is provided. The system includes an actuator having a first end, a second end, and a radially expandable bladder assembly extending therebetween, and a source of pressurized fluid external to said actuator. The bladder assembly further includes an inner cavity. In addition, a substantially fixed-volume reservoir positioned within the cavity is provided, wherein the bladder assembly is configured to expand in a radial direction and contract in an axial direction when a volume of fluid is introduced from the reservoir into the inner cavity.

Actuator and method for producing mechanical motion

A system which cyclically applies and reduces a load on a test specimen to thereby subject the test specimen to tensile testing, wherein the system comprises a fluidic mechanical muscle that contracts and extends in length to cyclically apply and reduce the load. This system can use an apparatus comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a load adjusting section associated with the frame and having a fluidic mechanical muscle that contracts and extends in length to cyclically apply and reduce a load; (c) a load train section associated with the frame for subjecting a test specimen to the load; and (d) a lever arm associated with the frame and having load train end adjacent and connected or attached to or otherwise associated with the load train section and a load adjusting end adjacent to and connected or attached to or otherwise associated with the load adjusting section, the lever arm being configured to apply and reduce the load from the loading adjusting section to the load train section. The system and apparatus can be used in a method comprising the following steps: (a) providing a test specimen; and (b) cyclically applying and reducing a load on the test specimen to thereby subject the test specimen to tensile testing, wherein the cyclical application and reduction of the load is caused by the contraction and extension of a fluidic mechanical muscle associated with the load. The system or apparatus can also comprise a mechanism for decoupling at least a portion of the load from the test specimen when the load is reduced.

System, apparatus and method for testing under applied and reduced loads

The present invention is a BLISK airfoil heat treating apparatus and method for heat treating the leading and/or trailing edge section(s) of a BLISK airfoil using the BLISK airfoil heat treating apparatus. The apparatus comprises a pair of hingedly connected heat treating shells, each shell having a cavity for receiving an airfoil edge section requiring heat treatment. A resistive heating element is positioned with the shells to heat the cavities.

Localized heat treating apparatus for blisk airfoils

A system which cyclically applies and reduces a load on a test specimen and which can use an apparatus comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a load adjusting section having a fluidic mechanical muscle that contracts and extends in length to cyclically apply and reduce a load; (c) a load train section frame for subjecting a test specimen to the load; and (d) a lever arm configured to apply and reduce the load from the loading adjusting section to the load train section. The system and apparatus can be used in a method for cyclically applying and reducing a load on a test specimen to thereby subject the test specimen to tensile testing and can also comprise a mechanism for decoupling at least a portion of the load from the test specimen when the load is reduced.

A plurality of gas turbine components or other articles are manufactured from a plurality of metallic-alloy workpieces using a manufacturing apparatus having a metalworking apparatus, and an annealing apparatus wherein the individual workpieces are annealed by single-workpiece annealing and not by large-batch annealing. A workpiece flow of the plurality of workpieces is established sequentially through the metalworking apparatus and the annealing apparatus.

Method for manufacturing articles using a semi-continuous flow of workpieces through metal working and annealing apparatus

A gripping system for use in uniaxial testing of test specimens at elevated temperatures, typically above 900.degree.-1000.degree. F. The uniaxial mechanical testing is typically tensile testing conducted on high temperature engineering materials which operate under severe conditions at elevated temperatures. The gripping system includes a gripping element having a first section adapted to contact the test specimen wherein a heater is received in the second section for heating the gripping surface. The heater is designed to heat the gripping surface and the test specimen to the desired temperature.

Hot grip assembly

Disclosed herein are probes for mounting on an extensometer used in conjunction with a materials testing machine, and can be used in high temperature applications. Each probe includes a probe shaft with a tip and a probe support body mounted to a hollow shield tube over the probe shaft. The probe support body includes a tipped segment which is biased toward the tip of the probe shaft. A longitudinal axis passes through the tips and tipped segment, respectively. The hollow shield tube mounted over the probe shaft is made of a high temperature material having a low thermal conductivity coefficient. The sleeve prevents excessive temperature transients from affecting the probe shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Madison Township, OH, United States of America

Jeffrey Lynn Myers