United Technologies Corporation

A method of making an electrocaloric element includes dissolving or dispersing an electrocaloric polymer in an organic solvent having a boiling point of less than 100° C. at 1 atmosphere to form a liquid composition comprising the electrocaloric polymer. A film of the liquid composition is cast on a substrate, and the organic solvent is evaporated to form a film of the electrocaloric polymer. The film is removed from the substrate and disposed between electrical conductors to form an electrocaloric element.

A method of making an electrocaloric element includes dissolving or dispersing an electrocaloric polymer in an organic solvent having a boiling point of less than 100° C. at 1 atmosphere to form a liquid composition comprising the electrocaloric polymer. A film of the liquid composition is cast on a substrate, and the organic solvent is evaporated to form a film of the electrocaloric polymer. The film is removed from the substrate and disposed between electrical conductors to form an electrocaloric element.

A seal assembly for a turbine engine extends along a center axis and includes a seal support and a seal carrier configured to translate relative the seal support. A seal is connected to the seal carrier and a spring is disposed between the seal support and the seal carrier. A spring carrier is disposed between the spring and the seal support. A first end of the spring is connected to the spring carrier and the spring carrier is connected to the seal support. The spring includes a second end disposed opposite the first end of the spring. The second end of the spring contacts the annular seal carrier.

Methods for manufacturing combustor panels of gas turbine engines and combustor panels are described. The methods include defining a particle deposit near-steady state for at least a portion of a combustor panel, the particle deposit near-steady state representative of a build-up of particles on the at least a portion of the combustor panel during use, generating a template based on the defined particle deposit near-steady state, wherein the template includes one or more augmentation elements based on the representative of build-up of particles, and forming a combustor panel based on the template, wherein the formed combustor panel includes one or more augmentation elements defined in the template.

A combustor liner for a gas turbine engine, the combustor liner including a panel configured to at least partially define a combustion chamber. The combustor liner further includes a shell configured to mount to the panel and form a gap between the panel and the shell. The panel includes a stud and a plurality of a stand-off pins proximate to the stud defining a cavity therebetween. The shell includes a plurality of angled impingement holes located away from the cavity but extending through the shell at an orientation such that cooling air passing through the angled impingement holes is directed towards the cavity between adjacent stand-off pins and at an acute angle relative to the stud.

A method of making an electrocaloric element includes forming conductive layers on opposing surfaces of a film comprising an electrocaloric material to form an electrocaloric element, wherein the forming of the conductive layers includes one or more of: vapor deposition of the conductive layers under reduced pressure for a duration of time, wherein the duration of time under reduced pressure is less than 240 minutes; vapor deposition of the conductive layers under reduced pressure for a duration of time, wherein the duration of time of exposure to conductive material deposition is less than 240 minutes; vapor deposition of the conductive layers under reduced pressure, wherein the reduced pressure is 10 −8 torr to 500 torr; or maintaining the film at a temperature of less than or equal to 200° C. during forming of the conductive layers.

A rotor assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine. This rotor assembly includes a first rotor disk, a second rotor disk, a plurality of rotor blades and a plurality of vanes. The first rotor disk is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The second rotor disk is configured to rotate about the rotational axis. The rotor blades are arranged circumferentially around the rotational axis. Each of the rotor blades is axially between and mounted to the first rotor disk and the second rotor disk. The vanes are arranged circumferentially around the rotational axis. The vanes include a first vane that is integral with the first rotor disk and projects axially to the second rotor disk.

A method of applying a protective coating with improved adhesion on an aluminum alloy component includes first pretreating the surface of a component by depositing a sacrificial protective immersion layer using a zincating or similar process. Portions of the protective immersion layer as well as portions of the underlying aluminum alloy substrate are then electrolytically etched off in an ionic liquid. A protective aluminum coating is then electrodeposited on the component in an ionic liquid.

A communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes an internal sensor system including a plurality of sensors within the communication adapter, a memory system, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive a plurality of time series data at the communication adapter from an engine control during operation of the gas turbine engine, record a plurality of internal sensor data versus time in the memory system based on the internal sensor system until an end condition is met, correlate the time series data with the internal sensor data based on an alignment in time to form an enhanced data set, and transmit the enhanced data set from the communication adapter to an offboard system based on a transmit condition.

An assembly is provided for rotational equipment. This assembly includes a stationary structure, a rotating structure, a seal element and an anti-rotation lock. The rotating structure is rotatable about an axis. The rotating structure is configured as or otherwise includes a seal land. The seal element is configured to seal a gap between the stationary structure and the seal land. The seal element extends circumferentially about the axis. The seal element axially contacts the seal land. The anti-rotation lock projects radially into the stationary structure and the seal element. The anti-rotation lock is configured to at least substantially prevent rotation of the seal element relative to the stationary structure.