Solar Turbines Inc.

William Courtney Krehbiel

Jess Lee Freeman

Steven Gene Muse

David Howard Moulton

Sindhu Penna

Jennifer Lynn Jaramillo

Manikandan Govindan

A system for coupling a first duct to a second duct configured for a gas flow with a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The system includes a first closed member and a second closed member. The first closed member is fixedly coupled to the first duct and defines an engagement surface. The second closed member is fixedly coupled to the second duct and defines a mating surface complementary to the engagement surface. The coupling of the first duct to the second duct includes one of the engagement surface and the mating surface complementarily receiving the other of the engagement surface and the mating surface such that a labyrinth interface is defined therebetween. Also, the first duct is sealed with respect to the second duct at the labyrinth interface such that a seepage of some of the gas flow through the labyrinth interface is restricted.

System for coupling ducts in gas turbine engines for power generation applications

A bearing assembly for a rotary machine is disclosed herein. The bearing assembly includes a bearing housing, a squeeze film cylinder, a damper spring, and a journal bearing. The squeeze film cylinder is located within the bearing housing. The damper spring includes a first portion, a second portion, and a spring portion. The first portion is located proximal the first end. The second portion is located proximal the second end. The spring portion extends axially between the first portion and the second portion and is located within the bearing housing.

Compact squeeze film damper bearing

A centrifugal gas compressor radial magnetic bearing () may include windings (), a lamination sleeve (), and a lamination (). The lamination () aligned with the windings () may provide for efficient operation of the radial magnetic bearing (). The centrifugal gas compressor shaft () may include a tapered region () with an adjacent shelf () for alignment with the forward surface () and taper of the lamination sleeve (). The lamination sleeve () may include one or more axial hydraulic fitting ports () for coupling the lamination sleeve () and shaft () with an interference fit.

Lamination sleeve with an axial hydraulic fitting port

Radial magnetic bearings () of a centrifugal gas compressor () may lose power and fail to support the shaft () resulting in damage to the shaft (). Auxiliary bearings () may be used to support the shaft () during such a failure. A landing guard () may be installed as a sacrificial piece between the shaft () and the auxiliary bearings (). Landing guard () includes slots () that may be used with pins () in the shaft () to prevent an angular displacement between the landing guard () and the shaft ().

Auxiliary bearing landing guard

A thrust collar () includes a central disk (), a forward wing (), and an aft wing (). The central disk () is a disk shaped hollow cylinder with a central axis (). The forward wing () and the aft wing () are thin walled hollow cylinders extending axially from an inner portion of the central disk () about the central axis () in opposite directions. The forward wing () includes a forward mounting pilot () extending radially inward from the forward wing () distal to the central disk (). The aft wing () includes an aft mounting pilot () extending radially inward from the aft wing () distal to the central disk ().

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San Marcos, CA, United States of America

William Courtney Krehbiel