General Electric Company

Joseph P Smith, Jr

John C Richards

Dana D Freberg

Robert L Mentzer

The invention concerns a system for distributing fluid pressure to several fluidic motors from a common location. At the common location, a source pipe, which acts as the source of fluid pressure, travels past, and couples with, each pipe in a group of receiver pipes in sequence. Pressure in the source pipe is controlled so that the pressure is proper for each receiver pipe with which the source pipe couples. The receiver pipes connect with fluidic motors. Accordingly, a single control apparatus, located near the source pipe, is used and the pressure and flow from the source pipe is time-multiplexed and transmitted to the fluidic motors.

Fluidic multiplexer for fluid servomotors in a gas turbine engine

Fluidic multiplexer

A timing valve is responsive to certain hydraulic rotor speed input signals so as to schedule increased temperatures of air to a turbine shroud support in accordance with the thermal time constants of the rotor. Clearance between the rotor and the shroud is thereby minimized during both transient and steady-state operating conditions. Temperatures are incrementally increased by selectively combining air from the compressor fifth and ninth stage bleed manifolds. Under certain operating conditions, the timing valve is pre-empted and air is provided at a predetermined temperature level as a function of rotor speed only.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Joseph P Smith, Jr