Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Sachin R Shinde

Anand A Kulkarni

David J Mitchell

Ramesh Subramanian

Christopher W Ross

Andrew G Green

Kai Kadau

Phillip W Gravett

Santosh Narasimhachary

Sankar Narayanan

Daniel R Leggett

Santosh B Narasimhachary

A method for estimating life of a component includes obtaining fracture data corresponding to a component. The fracture data includes a first dataset corresponding to a threshold region where the crack in the component is dormant below a fatigue threshold. The method further includes determining initial estimates of parameters of a crack growth rate model and parameters of temperature models corresponding to the crack growth rate model based on the fracture data. The method also includes computing optimized parameters of temperature models corresponding to the crack growth rate model, and a scatter parameter via simulation of a joint optimization method using the initial estimates. The method includes determining a cumulative distribution function based on the optimized parameters and the scatter parameter and estimating life of the component based on the cumulative distribution function.

System, apparatus, and method for estimating life of components

A sealing band arrangement for a gas turbine including first and second adjoining rotor disks separated by a gap wherein the first rotor disk includes an aperture. The sealing band arrangement includes at least one seal strip segment located within the gap, wherein the seal strip segment includes a first mating surface. The sealing band arrangement further includes a block having a locking section located within the aperture to stop circumferential movement of the seal strip segment relative to the first and second disks. A tapered pin element extends through the seal strip segment and the block. The tapered pin element is friction welded to both the seal strip segment and the block to attach the block to the first mating surface of the seal strip segment.

Gas turbine rotor sealing band arrangement having a friction welded pin element

A system () is provided for sealing a gap () between a transition exit frame () and a vane rail () at a turbine inlet (). The system includes a seal () with a compliant seal member having a generally u-shaped profile to provide a sealing function in an axial direction. The compliant seal member includes a U-shaped inner sheet () securely pressed within a U-shaped outer sheet (). The outer and inner sheets include spaced-apart segments () in a lateral direction which are spaced-apart by misaligned slots () to block passage of air there through. The system may also include wear resistant material () interposed between the seal and the vane rail. A lateral gap between adjacent exit frames may include a plurality of ribs defining valleys and tips, with crushable material disposed between the valleys and tips.

System for sealing a gap between a transition and a turbine

A wear sensor () installed on a surface area () of a component () subject to wear from an opposing surface (). The sensor has a proximal portion (A,A,A) and a distal portion (C,C,C) relative to a wear starting position (). An electrical circuit () measures an electrical characteristic such as resistance of the sensor, which changes with progressive reduction of the sensor from the proximal portion to the distal portion during a widening reduction wear of the surface from the starting position. The measuring circuit quantifies the electrical changes to derive a wear depth based on a known geometry of the wear depth per wear width. In this manner, wear depth may be measured with a surface mounted sensor.

Sensor for quantifying widening reduction wear on a surface

A structure and method for instrumenting a component for monitoring wear in a coating. The method includes depositing a first thin layer of electrically insulating material, depositing a thin electrically conductive layer over the first electrically insulating layer, depositing a second thin layer of electrically insulating material over the electrically conductive layer. An overlying thickness of the coating material is deposited over the second thin layer of electrically insulating material. The thicknesses of the insulating and conducting layers is controlled to be small enough such that the overlying coating surface exposed to mechanical wear retains a desired degree of smoothness without the necessity for a separate planarization step.

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Oviedo, FL, United States of America

Sachin R Shinde