Described herein a bucket for use in the last stage of a steam turbine engine. The bucket includes a titanium-based alloy having a leading edge wherein the leading edge includes titania having a plurality of pores and a top sealing layer filling the plurality of pores, the sealing layer selected from the group consisting of: chromium, cobalt, nickel, polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene and polyester.

A compressor wheel that can be employed in devices such as turbochargers. The compressor wheel includes an axially extending hub having an inlet end, a shaft bore extending from the inlet end and an arcuate outer surface opposed to the shaft bore. The axially extending hub is composed of a metal and has a porous region located proximate to the arcuate outer surface of the axially extending hub. The compressor wheel also includes a blade array disposed on the arcuate outer surface of the axially extending hub. The blade array has an outer surface and an inner region. The blade array comprises a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, radially and axially extending blades disposed thereon and is composed, at least in part of a polymeric material. Polymeric material located in the inner region of the blade array extends into the porous region defined in the axially extending hub.

A solid rocket propellant grain having rocket propellant and a membrane in contact with the rocket propellant. The membrane includes a highly heat conductive pattern which affects the propellant burning rate through localized conductive heat transfer from the combustion zone and into the uncombusted propellant. Different geometries for the thermally conductive pattern produce different combustion results.

An ice liner assembly for a fan containment case for a turbofan gas turbine engine is disclosed. The disclosed ice liner assembly includes a plurality of arcuate panels arranged end to end to form a cylindrical liner that is disposed within the fan containment case and aft of the fan and abradable strip liner that circumscribes the fan. Because the plurality of arcuate panels are arranged end to end fashion, the ice liner assembly includes a plurality of splice joints, or a joint between two abutting ends of two arcuate panels. The splice joints are reinforced with molded polymeric splice support cores that are substantially lighter and less expensive than currently employed high density aluminum honeycomb core materials.

A turbofan having a dilution rate of at least 10 and including a fan having a disc provided with blades at the periphery thereof, a distance between the head of the blades and the housing of the fan being less than or equal to ten millimeters; a primary flow space and secondary flow space that are concentric; a turbine, housed in the primary flow space and in fluid communication with the fan; and a reduction mechanism coupling the turbine and the fan.

This composite-material blade formed by using a fiber-reinforced resin containing a resin and reinforcing fibers is provided with: a base material part provided on the inner surface of the composite-material blade; and a first cover part for covering the outer surface of the base material part. The base material part is formed by using a carbon fiber-reinforced resin containing a first resin and carbon fibers. The first cover part is formed from an elastic polymer fiber-reinforced resin containing a second resin and elastic polymer fibers, and has more resistance to impact than the base material part.

A compressor wheel that can be employed in devices such as turbochargers. The compressor wheel includes an axially extending hub having an inlet end, a shaft bore extending from the inlet end and an arcuate outer surface opposed to the shaft bore. The axially extending hub is composed of a metal and has a porous region located proximate to the arcuate outer surface of the axially extending hub. The compressor wheel also includes a blade array disposed on the arcuate outer surface of the axially extending hub. The blade array has an outer surface and an inner region. The blade array comprises a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, radially and axially extending blades disposed thereon and is composed, at least in part of a polymeric material. Polymeric material located in the inner region of the blade array extends into the porous region defined in the axially extending hub.

A device for chocking and retaining a dovetail root of a blade of a gas turbine engine in a corresponding axially-extending slot in the rim of a disc includes a retention body having a key portion receivable in a keyway formed in the base of the slot, and a mating portion for mating with a complementary mating portion of the root to prevent relative axial movement between the retention body and the root. The retention body has a lowered position in which the key portion is received sufficiently deeply in the keyway to allow the root to be positioned in the slot without interference from the retention body and also has a raised position in which, after the root is positioned in the slot, a part of the key portion is still received in the keyway while the mating portion mates with the complementary mating portion of the root.

A seal assembly for a turbine engine having a shaft with a rotary axis and a housing surrounding the shaft; the seal assembly being disposed between the shaft and the housing, the seal assembly comprising: an outer labyrinth seal having multiple outer fins in opposing sealing engagement with a concentric outer seal runner, one of: the outer labyrinth seal fins; and the outer seal runner, engaging the housing, and the shaft engaging an opposing one of: the outer seal runner; and the outer labyrinth seal fins; an inner labyrinth seal, disposed radially inwardly concentric to and axially overlapping the outer labyrinth seal and the outer seal runner, the inner labyrinth seal having multiple inner fins in opposing sealing engagement with a concentric inner seal runner, one of: the inner labyrinth seal fins; and the inner seal runner, engaging the housing, and the shaft engaging an opposing one of: the inner seal runner; and the inner labyrinth seal fins; and an intermediate plenum, defined between the outer fins, the inner fins, the housing and the shaft, the intermediate plenum in communication with a source of compressed gas having a supply pressure greater than an ambient pressure external to the housing and greater than an internal pressure within the housing.

Methods of bonding first structures to second structures are disclosed wherein the first and second structures are fabricated materials having different physical characteristics. For example, the first structure may be a composite fan blade and the second structure may be a composite or metallic rotor, both for use in gas turbine engines. The method includes providing the first and second structures and plating or otherwise coating a portion of the first structure with a metal to provide a metal-coated portion. The method includes applying at least one intermediate material onto the metal-coated portion of the first structure. The method further includes bonding the metal-coated portion of the first structure and the intermediate material to the second structure. The bonding is carried out using a relatively low-temperature process, such as liquid phase bonding, including TLP and PTLP bonding. Brazing is also a suitable technique, depending on the materials chosen for the first and second structures.