Equipment cleaning system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569309-B2
Application number	US-201514969041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A cleaning system and method uses a tank holding a fluid detergent and an equipment assembly formed from a plurality of discrete components joined together. One or more ultrasound transducers remove one or more deposits on the equipment assembly by generating and propagating high frequency ultrasound waves into the fluid detergent while the equipment assembly is in contact with the fluid detergent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a fluid detergent source for providing a fluid detergent, wherein a pH value of the fluid detergent is less than 7;
a fluid detergent;
a tank configured to hold the fluid detergent and an equipment assembly;
one or more ultrasound transducers configured to remove one or more deposits on the equipment assembly by generating and propagating ultrasound waves having a frequency greater than 40 kHz into the fluid detergent while the equipment assembly is in contact with the fluid detergent;
a controller for controlling the one or more ultrasound transducers; and
a shielding and damping device configured to be placed into contact with the equipment assembly prior to exposing the equipment assembly to the ultrasound waves, wherein the shielding and damping device prevents damage to the equipment assembly by the ultrasound waves;
wherein the tank comprises a flexible body that is wrapped around the equipment assembly while the equipment assembly is connected to a wing of an aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ultrasound transducers are configured to generate the ultrasound waves at a frequency that is at least 80 kHz, and
wherein the fluid detergent is unreactive with nickel, titanium, aluminum, vanadium, chromium, iron, and cobalt, and
wherein the fluid detergent comprises:
water within a range between about 25 percent and about 35 percent by volume of the reagent composition;
dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether within a range between about 15percent and about 25 percent by volume of the reagent composition;
monoisopropanol amine within a range between about 30 percent and about 40percent by volume of the reagent composition;
alcohol alkoxylate within a range between about 1 percent and about 5 percent by volume of the reagent composition; and
ethylene glycol butyl ether within a range between about 5 percent and about 10percent by volume of the reagent composition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ultrasound transducers are configured to remove the one or more deposits from the equipment assembly by causing cavitation in the fluid detergent with the ultrasound waves,
wherein the fluid detergent is unreactive with rare earth element ceramic oxides, ceramic matrix composites, and polymeric matrix composites.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the one or more ultrasound transducers such that the equipment assembly is exposed to the ultrasound waves of the ultrasound transducers without focusing the ultrasound waves at a location where the one or more deposits are located, and
wherein the amine comprises at least one of a monoisopropanol amine and a triethanol amine.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid detergent includes at least one of a glycolic acid and a poly acrylic acid, and
wherein the fluid detergent is a reagent composition having water within a range between about 25 percent and about 70 percent by volume of the fluid detergent, an acidic component within a range between about 1 percent and about 50 percent by volume of the fluid detergent, and an amine component within a range between about 1 percent and 40percent by volume of the fluid detergent.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising more than one ultrasound transducer,
wherein the tank is configured to hold both the fluid detergent and the equipment assembly such that the equipment assembly is at least partially submerged in the fluid detergent in the tank.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the shielding and damping device is formed from a flexible elastomeric material, and
wherein the shielding and damping device is effective over a range of power densities from about 1 to about 20 watts per liter, and
wherein the shielding and damping device is effective over a temperature range from ambient to about 85 degrees centigrade.

8. The system of claim 1 , the equipment assembly further comprising:
an agitator, the agitator comprising a coupling mechanism comprising at least one of a piston, a rod, and a clamp,
wherein the one or more ultrasound transducers includes plate transducers, and
where the agitator engages the equipment assembly to allow the agitator to move the equipment assembly within the tank.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tibbetts Nicole
• Bewlay Bernard Patrick
• Keith Sean Robert
• Pritchard Jr Byron Andrew
• Kalb Brian
• Dolley Evan Jarrett
• Jenkins Andrew James
• Searing Alistair
• Rutkowski Stephen Francis

Classifications

• B08B3/12 Primary

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• C11D3/2086

  Hydroxy carboxylic acids-salts thereof · CPC title

• C23G3/00

  Apparatus for cleaning or pickling metallic material (with organic solvents C23G5/04) · CPC title

• B64F5/30

  Cleaning aircraft · CPC title

• F01D25/002

  Cleaning of turbomachines · CPC title