Tooling for removing sand from a turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006305-B2
Application number	US-201314421247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2013
Priority date	Aug 14, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

Tooling for removing sand from a turbine engine, such as an airplane turbojet, the tooling including at least one endoscopic display device including a display and a duct having light guide and image transmission device mounted therein, a suction device having a suction device connected to a suction duct fastened to the duct of a display device, and a plasma jet generator device including a plasma torch connected to gas supply and electricity power supply suitable for operating the plasma torch, the plasma torch being fastened to the duct of an above-mentioned display device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of removing sand from a turbine engine, the method comprising:
providing a tooling comprising at least one endoscopic display device comprising a display and a duct having light guide and an image transmission device mounted therein, a suction device connected to a suction duct fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the at least one endoscopic display device, and a plasma jet generator device comprising a plasma torch connected to a gas supply and an electricity power supply suitable for operating said plasma torch, said plasma torch being fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the at least one endoscopic display device, wherein the suction device and the plasma jet generator device are coupled to a single endoscopic display device so as to form a single set of tooling;
inserting the plasma torch, the duct of the suction device, and the duct of the endoscopic display device simultaneously into the turbine engine in such a manner that the torch and free ends of said ducts are situated facing a surface to be cleaned;
using the plasma torch to detach a layer of particles, from the surface to be cleaned; and
using the suction duct to suck up the previously detached particles.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface to be cleaned is a surface of a turbine disk.

3. A method of removing sand from a turbine engine, the method comprising:
providing a tooling comprising at least one endoscopic display device comprising a display and a duct having light guide and an image transmission device mounted therein, a suction device connected to a suction duct fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the at least one endoscopic display device, and a plasma jet generator device comprising a plasma torch connected to a gas supply and an electricity power supply suitable for operating said plasma torch, said plasma torch being fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the at least one endoscopic display device, wherein the tooling comprises a first set of tooling constituted by a first endoscopic display device coupled to the plasma jet generator device, and a second set of tooling constituted by a second endoscopic display device coupled to the suction device;
inserting both the plasma torch and the duct of the first endoscopic display device simultaneously in the turbine engine in such a manner that the plasma torch and a free end of said duct are situated facing a surface to be cleaned;
using the plasma torch to detach a layer of particles from the surface to be cleaned;
inserting both the suction duct and the duct of the second endoscopic display device simultaneously into the turbine engine in such a manner that ends of said ducts are situated facing the surface to be cleaned; and
using the suction duct to suck up the previously detached particles.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the surface to be cleaned is a surface of a turbine disk.

5. A tooling for removing sand from a turbine engine, the tooling comprising:
at least one endoscopic display device comprising a display and a duct having light guide and an image transmission device mounted therein,
a suction device connected to a suction duct fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the least one endoscopic display device, and
a plasma jet generator device comprising a plasma torch connected to a gas supply and an electricity power supply suitable for operating said plasma torch, said plasma torch being fastened by a common sheath to the duct of the at least one endoscopic display device.

6. The tooling according to claim 5 , comprising a first set of tooling constituted by a first endoscopic display device coupled to the plasma jet generator device, and a second set of tooling constituted by a second endoscopic display device coupled to the suction device.

7. The tooling according to claim 5 , wherein the suction device and the plasma jet generator device are coupled to a single endoscopic display device so as to form a single set of tooling.

8. The tooling according to claim 5 , wherein the plasma torch is a cold plasma torch.

Assignees

• Snecma

Inventors

• Derrien Gerard
• Wilk Sebastien

Classifications

• B08B5/04

  Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action · CPC title

• F01D25/002 Primary

  Cleaning of turbomachines · CPC title

• F02C7/30

  Preventing corrosion {or unwanted deposits} in gas-swept spaces · CPC title

• B08B9/00

  Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto · CPC title

• B08B7/0071

  by heating (B08B7/0035 takes precedence) · CPC title