Method and device for cleaning a jet engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247033-B2
Application number	US-201715399763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A nozzle installation includes at least one nozzle configured for introducing cleaning media containing solids into a jet engine, and for a rotationally fixed connection to a shaft of a turbofan of a jet engine. The at least one nozzle has a swivel coupling to which a line connection is connectable. A flexible hose forms a connection of a nozzle-side outlet of the swivel coupling to an inlet of the at least one nozzle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nozzle installation comprising:
at least one nozzle configured for introducing a cleaning medium containing solids into a jet engine,
a swivel coupling to which a line connection is connectable, the swivel coupling having an inlet and a nozzle-side outlet which is diametrically opposite the inlet such that the cleaning medium will flow straight through the swivel coupling during a cleaning operation, and
a flexible hose which forms a connection of the nozzle-side outlet of the swivel coupling to an inlet of the at least one nozzle,
wherein the nozzle installation is configured to have a rotationally fixed connection to a shaft of a turbofan of the jet engine such that the swivel coupling is axially spaced apart from the rotationally fixed connection by 0.2 to 2 m.

2. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein guiding of the cleaning medium from the inlet of the at least one nozzle to an exit of the at least one nozzle is configured so as to be substantially in a straight line.

3. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle installation is configured for introducing the cleaning medium into compressor stages of the jet engine.

4. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle installation has flat-jet nozzles.

5. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein a radial spacing of an exit of the at least one nozzle from a rotation axis of the swivel coupling is 200 to 800 mm.

6. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein a main exit direction of the at least one nozzle is obliquely inward towards the axis of rotation of the engine and in relation to the rotation axis of the jet engine encloses an angle which is 10 to 30°.

7. The nozzle installation of claim 1 , wherein a compressor of the jet engine includes a flow duct having a first convex curvature at a radially-inward side of the flow duct and a second convex curvature at a radially-outward side of the flow duct, the first convex curvature being disposed in front of the second convex curvature in a flow direction of the flow duct;
wherein a main exit direction of the at least one nozzle in relation to a rotation axis of the swivel coupling encloses an angle which is between β and α;
wherein β is the angle between the rotation axis of the swivel coupling and a first straight line which runs as a tangent on the first and second convex curvatures; and
wherein α is the angle between the rotation axis of the engine and a second straight line which runs as a tangent on a periphery of an inlet of the compressor at the radially-outward side of the flow duct, and on the first convex curvature which is disposed behind the inlet in the flow direction of the flow duct.

8. The nozzle installation according to claim 7 , wherein an exit of the at least one nozzle is disposed at a radial spacing from the rotation axis of the swivel coupling which lies between radial spacings of intersection points of the first and the second straight lines with a radial plane at which the exit of the at least one nozzle is disposed.

9. The nozzle installation according to claim 1 , wherein the swivel coupling is axially spaced apart from the rotationally fixed connection by 0.5 to 2 m.

10. The nozzle installation according to claim 9 , wherein the swivel coupling is axially spaced apart from the rotationally fixed connection by 0.75 to 1.25 m.

11. An assembly comprising:
a jet engine; and
the nozzle installation of claim 1 ,
wherein the nozzle installation is disposed such that the at least one nozzle thereof is directed toward an inlet of the jet engine such that the cleaning medium can make its way into the jet engine.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein a main exit direction of the at least one nozzle in relation to the rotation axis of the jet engine encloses an angle of 10 to 30°.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein an exit of the at least one nozzle is disposed at a radial spacing from the rotation axis of the engine which corresponds to 0.5 to 1.2 times the radius of an entry opening of a first compressor stage that is directed upstream.

14. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein a compressor of the jet engine includes a flow duct having a first convex curvature at a radially-inward side of the flow duct and a second convex curvature at a radially-outward side of the flow duct, the first convex curvature being disposed in front of the second curvature in a flow direction of the flow duct;
wherein a main exit direction of the at least one nozzle in relation to the rotation axis of the jet engine encloses an angle which is between β and α;
wherein β is the angle between the rotation axis of the jet engine and a first straight line which runs as a tangent on the first and second convex curvatures;
wherein α is the angle between the rotation axis of the jet engine and a second straight line which runs as a tangent on a periphery of an inlet of the compressor at the radially-outward side of the flow duct, and on the first convex curvature which is disposed behind the inlet in the flow direction of the flow duct; and
wherein the exit of the at least one nozzle is disposed at a radial spacing from the rotation axis of the engine which lies between radial spacings of intersection points of the first and the second straight lines with a radial plane at which the exit of the at least one nozzle is disposed.

15. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the nozzle installation is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft of a turbofan of the jet engine;
wherein rotation axes of the turbofan of the jet engine and of the nozzle installation are disposed so as to be substantially concentric;
wherein the at least one nozzle of the nozzle installation has a radial spacing from the common rotation axis of the jet engine and of the nozzle installation that corresponds to 0.5 to 1.2 times the radius of an entry opening of a first compressor stage; and
wherein exit openings of the at least one nozzle in the axial direction are disposed behind the plane of the turbofan, and/or the at least one nozzle is disposed in intermediate spaces of blades of the turbofan and/or directed toward intermediate spaces of the blades of the turbofan such that a jet of the at least one nozzle may pass through the plane of the turbofan substantially without hindrance.

Assignees

• Lufthansa Technik Ag

Inventors

• Appel Holger
• Braeutigam Klaus

Classifications

• F01D25/002 Primary

  Cleaning of turbomachines · CPC title

• B24C5/04

  Nozzles therefor (nozzles in general B05B) · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• F04D29/701

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title