Abstract:
In a power transmission or generation apparatus having a source of heated pressurized air, the problem of achieving rapid controlled engagement of a hydraulically actuated clutch at low ambient temperatures is solved by utilizing a portion of that heated pressurized air for heating only that small control volume of hydraulic fluid within a clutch control circuit needed to achieve rapid actuation and stable control of the hydraulic clutch. Our invention is thus particularly applicable in a power transmission or generation apparatus having a gas turbine engine, or a turbocharged piston engine as the prime mover. With gas turbine engine powered units, our invention contemplates the use of compressor discharge air, rather than exhaust products for heating the hydraulic fluid. Similarly, for piston engines our invention contemplates the use of turbocharger discharge air rather than exhaust products. In one embodiment a clutch and a control circuit are provided in which the fluid volume of the control circuit is minimized, and fluid removal features are provided to effectively drain all residual fluid from a portion of the control circuit following disengagement of the clutch. On subsequent start-up from cold ambient temperatures, the drained portion of the control circuit is filled with preheated fluid prior to engagement of the clutch thus eliminating problems of slow response and controllability encountered due to cold viscous fluid in prior clutch control circuits.
Abstract:
A switched reluctance starter/generator (100) is presented which has a stator (102) mounted within a housing (104) having an outer periphery and a plurality of salient poles (130) defining an inner periphery, the salient poles further defining slots (134) therebetween. A stator cooling sleeve (136) is press fit on the outer periphery of the stator and defines a plurality of cooling channels (126) between the outer periphery of the stator and the housing. A plurality of phase windings (110) are wound on the plurality of salient poles, and phase winding retainers are positioned within the slots for securing the phase windings on the salient stator poles. The winding retainers comprise a triangular base separator, a quasi-dove-tail retaining member, and two opposing wedge shaped expanders. A rotor assembly (168) is rotatably positioned within the stator, and comprises a hollow shaft assembly (118) and a rotor core (116) having a plurality of salient poles (138) press fit on the outer periphery of the shaft. The hollow shaft assembly comprises an outer sleeve (144) and an inner cooling sleeve (142). The inner periphery of the inner cooling sleeve defines an interior void of the shaft. The outer periphery of the inner cooling sleeve is press fit on the inner periphery of the outer sleeve and defines a plurality of cooling channels (150) between the inner periphery of the outer sleeve and the outer periphery of the inner cooling sleeve. The stator windings are wound from hollow core conductors (152), and are coupled to external sources of cooling fluid and electrical energy by electrical/hydraulic terminal connectors.
Abstract:
Long thermal paths and the resulting slow response times in sealed and electrically insulated thermal sensors may be substantially reduced by insulating and sealing the sensor (26) by a method which includes the steps of providing (30) an electrostatic fluidized bed of electrically insulating resin; locating (34) the sensor (26) at the bed; coating (36) the sensor (26); removing (38) the sensor from proximity to the bed; and curing (40) to the resin to form a uniform, thin coating encapsulating the sensor (26).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for isolating electronic devices (38) from mechanical shock and thermal environments utilizes a metal outer protective shell (12 and 14) surrounding the electronic device to be protected. Interposed between the protective shell and the electronic device are a thermal insulating layer (20 and 22), a layer of phase change material (28 and 30) a layer of mechanical shock absorbent material (40).
Abstract:
A system for receiving DC input and for providing AC output is disclosed having first and second inverters (11 and 13). The first inverter (11) has an input for receiving DC input and an output for providing a first inverter output and the second inverter (13) has an input for receiving DC input and an output for providing a second inverter output. An inverter controller is connected to the first and second inverters for controlling the first and second inverters such that the first and second inverter outputs are separated in phase by a predetermined number of degrees in order to suppress harmonics in the AC output. An output circuit (15, 17, 19 and 21) is arranged to combine the first inverter output and the second inverter output into the AC output.
Abstract:
A multiple phase inductor includes a magnetic core (18) having two end pieces (30 and 32) and a plurality of legs (34, 36 and 38) extending between the end pieces to form flux paths which pass through the end pieces and the legs. Each leg includes a stack of 'I'-shaped laminations which are positioned between the end pieces to form two gaps (46, 48, 50, 56, 54, and 56) in at least one of the flux paths. A coil (12, 14, 16) is wound around each of the legs and all of the coils present substantially the same inductance to an external power circuit. By providing two gaps in each of the legs, localized heating of the turns of the coils is reduced.
Abstract:
The turbine engine (10) includes a turbine wheel (12) coupled to a compressor (14), a nozzle (16), and an annular combustor (18). The combustor (18) receives fuel from a source and air from the compressor (14) and combusts fuel and air in the combustion space to generate the gases of combustion. The turbine engine (10) also includes at least one air blast fuel injector (26) disposed in the annular outer wall (20) of the combustor (18) for injecting atomized fuel generally tangentially of the outer wall (20) outwardly of a flame zone (28) within the combustion space. The turbine engine (10) utilizes air film strips (36, 38, 40) and/or holes (20b, 22b, 24b) for cooling the combustor (18) with an air film on an inwardly facing surface of one or more of the walls (20, 22, 24) defining the combustor (18) while at the same time avoiding the filming of air onto the outer wall (20) radially outwardly of and generally axially coextensive with the flame zone (28).
Abstract:
A low airspeed alerting system for alerting the pilot of an aircraft of insufficient airspeed during a landing monitors various readily available signals representative of flight parameters of an aircraft (12) such as pitch angle (14), vertical speed (16) and true airspeed (18) and advises the pilot when the airspeed of the aircraft is approaching an airspeed (kinetic energy) that is too low with respect to the ground to maintain the aircraft flying along the desired flight path without stalling, or without action by the pilot in time to recover.
Abstract:
A ground proximity warning system (10) monitors the descent rate (14) of an aircraft and generates a warning (24) if the descent rate is excessive for the current altitude above ground (12) of the aircraft according to a predetermined relationship (18). The predetermined relationship is altered as a function of the deviation of the aircraft from the glideslope (16) to generate the warning earlier if the aircraft is below the glideslope and later if the aircraft is above the glideslope. The warning is given as a specific aural message indicating the specific flight parameters of the aircraft.
Abstract:
A ground proximity warning system (12) for use in conjunction with an automated guidance system (20) provides a warning (24) to the pilot of an aircraft on approach to a landing if the automated guidance system (20) is not coupled or is not on track. The warning system determines whether the automated guidance system is armed and monitors flight parameters such as altitude (14, 16) and localizer (22) deviation and generates a warning (24) if the automated guidance system is armed and the aircraft is too low or has excessive deviation from the localizer beam.