General Electric Company

Power Distribution Systems Development LLC

Joseph M Guentert

Ching-Pang Lee

Wenfeng Lu

Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj

Steven Robert Brassfield

John Peter Heyward

Todd Stephen Heffron

James Robert Bailey

Baolan Shi

Andrew David Farmer

Mitchell E Iles

Systems and methods for transformer cooling by vertical airflow are described. One embodiment of an air transfer unit includes an assembly frame that includes an interior portion and defines a lateral side, an upper side, and a lower side, where the assembly frame includes a length that is substantially the same as a width of a plurality of cooling fins on a transformer. Some embodiments include a plurality of air directing apparatuses that are positioned in the interior portion and are aligned along the length of the assembly frame, where the plurality of air directing apparatuses receive airflow from the lateral side and direct the airflow vertically through the upper side to further cool the plurality of cooling fins. Similarly, some embodiments include an exhaust screen that is coupled to the upper side, wherein the exhaust screen further consolidates the airflow vertically toward the plurality of cooling fins.

Systems and methods for transformer cooling by vertical airflow

Systems and methods for liquid heat exchange for transformers are described. One embodiment of a fluid heat exchanger includes a transformer inlet port that is coupled to a transformer chamber and receives a dielectric fluid from the transformer chamber. Also included are a cooling fluid inlet for receiving a cooling fluid and a finned heat sink that includes a fluid communicator. The fluid communicator may receive, at a first chamber, the dielectric fluid from the transformer inlet port and directs the dielectric fluid across a first plurality of cooling fins. The fluid communicator may receive, at a second chamber, the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid inlet and may direct the cooling fluid across a second plurality of fins, where the fluid communicator separates the first chamber from the second chamber with a solid divider.

Systems and methods for liquid heat exchange for transformers

A method facilitates the assembly of a gas turbine engine. The method of assembly comprises providing a turbine nozzle including an inner band, an outer band, at least one vane extending between the inner and outer bands, and at least one leading edge fillet extending between the at least one vane and at least one of the inner and outer bands, wherein a leading edge of the at least one vane is downstream from the leading edges of the inner and outer bands, and coupling the turbine nozzle within the gas turbine engine such that the leading edge fillet is configured to facilitate minimizing vortex formation along the vane leading edge adjacent at least one of the inner and outer bands.

Methods and apparatus for assembling turbine engines

A method for orienting cooling holes of a nozzle singlet for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a nozzle singlet having an inner band, an outer band, and at least one airfoil extending therebetween. The method also includes orienting at least one first row of cooling holes an angle with respect to at least one second row of cooling holes. The orientation of the at least one first row and the at least one second row provides a cooling hole pattern that accommodates a change in the airfoil angle without reorienting the cooling hole pattern.

Method and apparatus for fabricating a nozzle segment for use with turbine engines

A method for assembling a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a turbine nozzle including an outer band and an inner band, wherein each band includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a body extending therebetween. At least one of the outer band and the inner band has at least one radial tab extending outward therefrom. The method also includes coupling at least one seal between at least one of the radial tabs extending from the outer band and the inner band and a respective leading edge of the outer and inner band. The method also includes positioning at least one non-planar seal support against at least one portion of the seal.

A turbine airfoil may be a rotating blade having a single platform, or a stationary nozzle having a pair of platforms. The airfoil body has pressure and suction sidewalls extending between leading and trailing edges. A compound fillet is disposed between the airfoil body and at least one of the platforms. The compound fillet includes a concave first fillet having a first radius, and a concave second fillet having a second, greater radius. The second fillet extends from the leading edge downstream along the suction sidewall and terminates at a point upstream of the trailing edge. The second fillet may also extend downstream from the leading edge along the pressure sidewall.

Turbine airfoil with variable and compound fillet

A gas turbine engine nozzle segment and process for producing such a nozzle segment to exhibit improved durability and aerodynamic performance. The process produces a nozzle segment having at least one vane between and interconnecting a pair of platforms. The nozzle segment is cast from a gamma prime-strengthened nickel-base superalloy, on whose surface is thermal sprayed an environmental coating formed of a MCrAlX-type coating material. The surface of the environmental coating is then worked to cause the coating to have a surface finish of less than 2.0 micrometers Ra. Cooling holes are then drilled in the nozzle segment, after which an oxidation-resistant coating is applied on the smoothed surface of the nozzle segment so as to maintain an outermost surface on the nozzle segment having surface finish of less than 2.0 micrometers Ra.

Gas turbine nozzle segment and process therefor

A turbine nozzle includes a hollow vane joined to opposite inner and outer bands. The inner band includes a forward lip under the leading edge of the vane, an aft lip under the trailing edge of the vane, and a mounting flange spaced therebetween. An impingement bore extends obliquely and aft from the base of the mounting flange under a corner of the inner band toward the aft lip for impingement cooling thereof.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Joseph M Guentert