Elliott Energy Systems, Inc.

Outboard Marine Corporation

William F Beacom

Arthur Gray Manchester

This is a method for fabricating non rotating stator vanes that can be configured into a fixed stator vane or dam by forming a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending from the peripheral edge(s) of an annular portion which portion is sacrificial in that after assembly it is removed. Assembling the vanes so that they are sandwiched between side plates and securing them in place. Thereafter removing the sacrificial portion. In one embodiment the vanes can be on the outer peripheral edge, in another embodiment the vanes can be on the inner peripheral edge or in a third embodiment the vanes can be on both edges. After assembly the fluid flowing between vanes are bounded by the side faces of the side plates. Hence in operation, fluid is bounded by adjacent vanes and the side plates. The vanes/side plates made by this method can also be formed in a linear configuration.

Method of fabricating vanes

Vanes of the type for directing a fluid radially are fabricated by forming the vanes integrally to a support structure made from a sacrificial material which is removed in assembly so that the vanes are supported for operative use. In one embodiment, the vanes are formed in the dams of an annular burner by preforming the vanes supported to a disk; the vanes and disk apparatus is fitted to side plates which are then brazed together and the disk portion and complementary side plate portions are removed, for defining the dam that is affixed to the liner of the annular combustor. Other configurations are contemplated that are tailored to fit the intended embodiment. The vane and support portion made from a sacrificial material constitute an apparatus of this invention.

Vane and method of construction thereof

Computerized system and method for controlling a plurality of internal combustion engines are provided. The system includes a respective speed sensor coupled to a corresponding engine to supply a respective speed sensor signal indicative of each engine's speed. The system further includes an electronic control unit coupled to receive each respective speed sensor signal. The control unit in turn includes a comparator module configured to compare each speed sensor signal relative to one another and supply a comparator output signal based on the magnitude of any differences between the engine speed signals. A processor module is responsive to the comparator output signal to adjust one or more engine operational parameters of one or more of the plurality of engines. The one or more engine operational parameters are responsive to respective control signals from the control unit to affect engine speed to reduce the magnitude of the engine speed differences so as to maintain each engine speed within a predefined range from one another.

Growing community of inventors

Jupiter, FL, United States of America

William F Beacom