System and method for in situ repair of gas turbine engine casing clearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10213883-B2
Application number	US-201615049182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for repairing an abradable material coated on a casing of a gas turbine engine. The system includes an articulating guide configured to fit into an access port of the gas turbine engine. Further, the articulating guide has a proximal end and a distal end. The system also includes a repair tool configured at a distal end of the articulating guide. The repair tool includes a body having a proximal end and a shaped distal end, with the shaped distal end extending away from the body. Thus, the shaped distal body is configured to trench out an area of the abradable material comprising a defect. The system also includes a filler material for filling the trenched out area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for repairing an abradable material coated on a casing of a gas turbine engine, the system comprising: an articulating guide configured to fit into an access port of the gas turbine engine, the articulating guide comprising a proximal end and a distal end; a repair tool configured at a distal end of the articulating guide, the repair tool comprising a body having a proximal end and a shaped distal end, the shaped distal end extending away from the body and configured to trench out an area of the abradable material comprising a defect; and a filler material for filling the trenched out area, wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a resin obtained by room-temperature vulcanization (RTV), rubber, aluminum-bronze with polyester, aluminum-silicone with polyester, or alloy Y and LUCITE.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaped distal end comprises sharpened edges configured to cut the abradable material.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the abradable material comprises at least one of a resin obtained by room-temperature vulcanization (RTV), rubber, aluminum-bronze with polyester, aluminum-silicone with polyester, or alloy Y and LUCITE.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises at least one of a fan casing or a compressor casing of the gas turbine engine.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shaped distal end comprises a varying cross-section having a first portion and second portion, wherein the first portion comprises a larger cross-sectional area than the second portion.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the shaped distal end comprises at least one of an I-shaped cross-section, a T-shaped cross-section, a V-shaped cross-section, or an L-shaped cross-section.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the repair tool comprises a wire.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one of a heating element or a vibration element configured to heat or vibrate the wire.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the heated wire is configured to heat the abradable material as the shaped distal end trenches out the area of the abradable material comprising the defect.

10. A method for repairing an abradable material coated on a casing of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising: inserting an articulating guide into an access port of the gas turbine engine, the articulating guide having a repair tool at a distal end thereof; positioning the repair tool near a defect of the abradable material, the repair tool having a body with a proximal end and a shaped distal end, the shaped distal end extending away from the body; plunging the shaped distal end into the abradable material at the defect so as to trench out the defect, thereby forming a trenched out area; and filling the trenched out area with a filler material, wherein the filler material comprises at least one of a resin obtained by room-temperature vulcanization (RTV), rubber, aluminum-bronze with polyester, aluminum-silicone with polyester, or alloy Y and LUCITE.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising after plunging the shaped distal end into the abradable material, dragging the repair tool through the abradable material.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising after plunging the shaped distal end into the abradable material, rotating the repair tool in place in the abradable material.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the shaped distal end comprises at least one of an I-shaped cross-section, a T-shaped cross-section, or an L-shaped cross-section.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the shaped distal end comprises sharpened edges configured to cut the abradable material when plunging the shaped distal end into the abradable material.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the abradable material comprises a least one of a resin obtained by room-temperature vulcanization (RTV), rubber, aluminum-bronze with polyester, aluminum-silicone with polyester, or alloy Y and LUCITE.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the casing comprises at least one of a fan casing or a compressor casing of the gas turbine engine.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the body of the repair tool comprises a wire.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
heating, via a heating element, the wire of the repair tool,
heating, via the heated wire, the abradable material as the shaped distal end is plunged into the abradable material.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Roberts Herbert Chidsey
• Diwinsky David Scott

Classifications

• F01D25/24 Primary

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F05D2300/15

  Rare earth metals, i.e. Sc, Y, lanthanides · CPC title

• B29C2073/266

  for cutting out an undercut for anchoring the repairing material · CPC title

• F05D2300/173

  Aluminium alloys, e.g. AlCuMgPb · CPC title

• F05D2300/431

  Rubber · CPC title