An integrally bladed rotor (IBR) for a gas turbine engine is provided. The IBR includes a hub, rotor blades that include a test blade, and at least one heating element. Each rotor blade has an airfoil with leading and trailing edges, suction side and pressure side surfaces, and a base end. The airfoil of the test blade includes at least one slot defining a void in the airfoil. The slot extends a lengthwise distance into the airfoil along a direction generally between the leading and trailing edges of the airfoil and terminates at a slot end surface. The airfoil includes at least one internal cavity extending lengthwise from the slot end surface. The heating element is disposed in the internal cavity and selectively produces thermal energy sufficient to heat the airfoil material proximate the internal cavity to a temperature at which the airfoil mechanical strength properties are decreased.

During a stage (E0) of starting the turbine engine, the method of the invention comprises: an open-loop generating step (E10) of generating a fuel flow rate command (WF_OL) from at least one pre-established relationship; and a closed-loop monitoring step (E20-E30) of monitoring at least one operating parameter of the turbine engine selected from: a rate of acceleration (dN2/dt) of a compressor of the turbine engine; and a temperature (EGT) at the outlet from a turbine of the turbine engine; this monitoring step comprising maintaining (E30) the operating parameter in a determined range of values by using at least one corrector network (R1, R2, R3) associated with the parameter and suitable for delivering a signal for correcting the open-loop generated fuel flow rate command so as to maintain the operating parameter in the determined range of values.

In one embodiment, a plant control apparatus is configured to control a power generating plant that includes a gas turbine configured to be driven by a gas, an exhaust heat recovery boiler configured to generate steam by using heat of an exhaust gas from the gas turbine, a temperature reducing apparatus configured to cool, through a cooling medium, the steam generated by the exhaust heat recovery boiler, and a steam turbine configured to be driven by the steam cooled by the temperature reducing apparatus. The plant control apparatus includes an output controller configured to control output of the gas turbine, and a temperature reduction controller configured to control a cooling operation of the steam by the temperature reducing apparatus while the output controller controls the output of the gas turbine.

A turbine control unit and method for controlling a turbine, in particular for controlling the start-up of a turbine, the unit being designed as a cascade controller having a master controller and an inner controller, the master controller being a thermal stress controller for the components subjected to thermal stress.

A thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine includes a transcowl movable between a stowed position, a deployed position and a partially deployed position between the stowed position and the deployed position by at least one actuator. The system includes a temperature sensor and at least one resistance sensor. The thrust reverser system includes a controller, having a processor, that: outputs one or more control signals to move the transcowl to the partially deployed position; determines whether a temperature associated with the transcowl exceeds a temperature threshold; outputs one or more control signals to move the transcowl from the partially deployed position to the stowed position; determines whether the transcowl has encountered resistance; and based on the determination, outputs one or more control signals to stop a movement of the transcowl and outputs the one or more control signals to move the transcowl to the partially deployed position.

An aeroderivative gas turbine provided with a casing, a compressor including a rotor mounted on a generator shaft supported for rotation in the casing, a high pressure turbine arranged in the casing and with a rotor mounted on the generator shaft for co-rotation with the compressor rotor, a combustor, a power turbine arranged in the casing and including a rotor mounted on a turbine shaft to drive a load, wherein a thermal insulation coating is present to reduce heat dispersion through the casing.

A system and method for adaptively controlling a cooldown cycle of an auxiliary power unit (APU) that is operating and rotating at a rotational speed includes reducing the rotational speed of the APU to a predetermined cooldown speed magnitude that ensures combustor inlet temperature has reached a predetermined temperature value, determining, based on one or more of operational parameters of the APU, when a lean blowout of the APU is either imminent or has occurred, and when a lean blowout is imminent or has occurred, varying one or more parameters associated with the shutdown/cooldown cycle.

A gas turbine engine according to a first embodiment, having a case; a core within the case; an exhaust nozzle that is fluidly coupled to the case; a duct having a duct outlet that is fluidly coupled to the exhaust nozzle and a duct body extending from the duct outlet to a duct inlet; an air/oil cooler having an airflow outlet disposed at the duct inlet and a cooler body extending from the airflow outlet to an airflow inlet; and an airflow control baffle disposed at one of: the duct inlet; the duct outlet; and the airflow inlet of the cooler, wherein the airflow control baffle is configured to open when oil temperature in the engine is above a first threshold and close when the oil temperature is below a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold.

A method for detecting damage during the operation of a gas turbine, including the following steps: calculating an average value of individual temperature measurement values over a defined sampling time period from an ensemble of temperature sensors in or on the gas turbine; calculating the individual temperature differences between the average value and the individual temperature measurement values over the defined sampling time period; calculating the individual temperature differences for successive sampling time periods over a defined time interval; creating a first distribution by dividing the temperature differences associated with a temperature sensor for the defined time interval into temperature difference intervals; comparing the first distribution with a second distribution of temperature differences likewise divided into temperature difference intervals; and producing an operation signal on the basis of a negative result of the comparison.

Systems and methods for adjusting an operating parameter of a machine based on an operating state of a component of the machine are provided. A method may be implemented by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the machine and includes determining that a performance of the machine has degraded. The method further includes selecting a predetermined adjustment to the operating parameter, wherein the selected predetermined adjustment reduces an effect of the operating state of the component on the performance of the machine, and operating the machine using the selected predetermined adjustment to the operating parameter.