A method of reducing rotor bow in a high pressure rotor of a gas turbine engine that has in axial flow a low pressure rotor and a high pressure rotor. The method involves storing bleed air from the gas turbine engine when the engine is running to provide stored pneumatic energy; and using that stored pneumatic energy after the engine has been shut-down to rotate the high pressure rotor at a speed and for a duration that reduces rotor bow. A gas turbine engine wherein rotor bow in the high pressure rotor after engine shut-down has been reduced by carrying out the aforesaid method is also disclosed.

A system for determining eccentricity of a turbine shell and a turbine rotor of a gas turbine includes a laser module with a microprocessor having coupled thereto a wireless network chip, a laser sensor, an inclination sensor, and a power supply. The laser sensor transmits a laser toward the turbine shell as the rotor spins at slow speed and to receive a reflected laser from the turbine shell, thereby defining a path length indicative of a distance between the laser module and the turbine shell for each of a series of points disposed circumferentially around the turbine shell. The system further includes a bracket configured to hold the laser module proximate to a turbine blade; a base station that produces a wireless network near the turbine shell and that receives distance measurements from the laser module for each of the series of points; and a server for processing the distance measurements into an eccentricity plot.

A method for controlling a gap minimization for an adjustable gap between a rotor and a housing of a gas turbine carried out on the basis of a correlation extracted from simulation data. If the actual value (P.sub.I) lies below the lower threshold (P.sub.U), the gap minimization is deactivated, whereas if the actual value lies above the upper threshold (P.sub.O), the gap minimization is activated. The gap minimization is activated between the thresholds (P.sub.U, P.sub.O) if the actual value lies above the threshold (P.sub.G) but is deactivated if the actual value (P.sub.I) lies below the threshold (P.sub.G).

A position deviation calculated by a subtractor of a vacuum pump is input to the PIDs of three modes. The first PID is a PID controller for a high-bias mode, the second PID is a PID controller for a high-rigidity mode, and the third PID is a PID controller for a low-rigidity mode. The output signal of the third PID is extracted as a change of an indicator current for each clock of a PWM frequency and then the mean value of a change of an indicator current for several clocks is determined in a calculating unit. At this point, a switching control unit performs an operation on whether the mean value of the averaged change of the indicator current is larger than a preset redetermined value and then according to the result, an value is outputted in the range of 0 to 1 from the switching control unit.

A method for controlling a gap minimization for an adjustable gap between a rotor and a housing of a gas turbine carried out on the basis of a correlation extracted from simulation data. If the actual value (P.sub.I) lies below the lower threshold (P.sub.U), the gap minimization is deactivated, whereas if the actual value lies above the upper threshold (P.sub.O), the gap minimization is activated. The gap minimization is activated between the thresholds (P.sub.U, P.sub.O) if the actual value lies above the threshold (P.sub.G) but is deactivated if the actual value (P.sub.I) lies below the threshold (P.sub.G).

A method of manufacturing an aerodynamic element with an edge is provided. The method includes producing the aerodynamic element with an initial condition, cooling the aerodynamic element, generating a predefined number of data points sufficient to characterize contours of the edge and comparing the data points to a nominal condition to derive transformation parameters applicable to cutting toolpaths to adapt the cutting toolpaths to the initial condition.

A thrust-sensing assembly for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes a spacer and a retaining ring. The spacer includes an outer frusto-conical portion and an inner ring. The outer frusto-conical portion includes an axial row of a plurality of slots. Each slot of the plurality of slots includes a first rounded end, a second rounded end, a first side-face, and a second side face that faces the first side-face. The retaining ring includes a plurality of axial extensions with distal ends that are in contact with the outer frusto-conical portion of the spacer.

A dry gas seal for sealing the shaft of a turbomachinery, provided with means for the continuous health monitoring of the dry gas seal comprising one or more sensors adapted to measure strains and/or loads induced to the primary ring of the dry gas seal and/or strains induced to one or more of the elastic elements coupled to the primary ring and/or adapted to measure displacements of the primary ring or of an element coupled to the primary ring, for an early detection of failure of the seal, thus enabling main failures early detection capability and proactive maintenance actions.

A turbine system may include several air lines that extend from a compressor to a turbine, and the air lines may have valves. Additionally, the turbine system may also include several sensors that are coupled to the valves, several actuators that are coupled to the valves, and a controller that can send a command to set a valve position of one of the valves based at least partially on a valve position of another valve.

A method for operating a gas turbine plant having a compressor and a turbine, where a limit value of a guide blade adjustment for the compressor of the gas turbine is identified depending on at least one drive shaft speed of the gas turbine plant. For the at least one drive shaft speed, a maximum allowable turbine entry temperature corresponding to the limit value of the guide vane adjustment for the compressor or a maximum allowable temperature for the turbine of the gas turbine, which is dependent on the turbine entry temperature, is identified. The gas turbine is operated in consideration of the identified maximum allowable turbine entry temperature or the identified maximum allowable temperature.