Method for cleaning components of a turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10731508-B2
Application number	US-201715451836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems of generating flows of detergent through a turbine engine to effectuate cleaning of components thereof. The methods include introducing a foamed, acid-including detergent with a pH range of between 2 and 7 into a gas flowpath of the turbine engine. The methods also include creating a pressure differential in an aft portion of the gas flowpath with respect to a forward portion of the gas flowpath to generate a flow of the detergent therethrough. The methods further include creating a pressure differential in a forward portion of the gas flowpath with respect to an aft portion of the gas flowpath to generate a counterflow of the detergent therethrough. The flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath interact with components of the turbine engine having foreign material thereon to at least partially remove the foreign material therefrom.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of cleaning a turbine engine, the method comprising:
introducing a foamed, acid-including detergent with a pH range of between 2 and 7 into a gas flowpath of the turbine engine;
positioning an aft distribution plug within an aft component of the turbine engine and positioning a forward distribution plug within a forward component of the turbine engine, wherein the aft distribution plug substantially seals an aft portion of the gas flowpath while within the aft component and the forward distribution plug substantially seals a forward portion of the gas flowpath while within the forward component, wherein at least one of the forward distribution plug or the aft distribution plug comprises a plurality of modular interconnecting segments that removably couple with each other;
creating a pressure differential in the aft portion of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine with respect to the forward portion of the gas flowpath to generate a flow of the detergent therethrough, wherein the pressure differential is created in the aft portion of the gas flowpath via at least one port of the aft distribution plug that substantially seals the aft portion of the gas flowpath; and
creating a pressure differential in the forward portion of the gas flowpath with respect to the aft portion of the gas flowpath to generate a counterflow of the detergent therethrough, wherein the pressure differential is created in the forward portion of the gas flowpath via at least one port of the forward distribution plug that substantially seals the forward portion of the gas flowpath,
wherein the flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath interact with components of the turbine engine having foreign material thereon to at least partially remove the foreign material from the components.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow of the detergent and the counterflow of the detergent are formed sequentially.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath extends in a direction that gases pass therethrough during operation of the turbine engine, and the other of the flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath extends in a direction opposing a direction that gases pass therethrough during operation of the turbine engine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the components includes at least one cooling hole at least partially blocked by the foreign material, and wherein the flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath removes the foreign material from at least partially blocking the at least one cooling hole.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detergent is introduced into the forward portion of the gas flowpath via the at least one port of the forward distribution plug.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detergent is introduced into the aft portion of the gas flowpath via the at least one port of the aft distribution plug.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
creating a pressure differential in the aft portion of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine with respect to a forward portion of the gas flowpath comprises creating a vacuum in the aft portion of the gas flowpath with respect to a forward portion of the gas flowpath; and
creating a pressure differential in the forward portion of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine with respect to an aft portion of the gas flowpath comprises creating a vacuum in the forward portion of the gas flowpath with respect to an aft portion of the gas flowpath.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
creating a pressure differential in the aft portion of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine with respect to a forward portion of the gas flowpath comprises creating a pressure in the aft portion of the gas flowpath that is greater than the pressure within a forward portion of the gas flowpath; and
creating a pressure differential in the forward portion of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine with respect to an aft portion of the gas flowpath comprises creating a pressure in the forward portion of the gas flowpath that is greater than the pressure within an aft portion of the gas flowpath.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aft distribution plug is located proximate an end of a low pressure turbine (LPT) section of the turbine engine and is configured to fit within the LPT section, and the forward distribution plug is located proximate a splitter and has an outer diameter that corresponds to an inner diameter of the splitter.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foreign material comprises at least one of calcium, magnesium, aluminum and silicon.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of components includes a thermal barrier coating (TBC), and wherein the foreign material overlies the TBC.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detergent at least partially dissolves the foreign material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detergent is introduced into the gas flowpath of the turbine engine at a temperature within the range of 20 degrees C. to about 95 degrees C.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure differentials in the aft and forward portions of the gas flowpath of the turbine engine are varied over time to control the flow the detergent therethrough.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forward distribution plug is coupled to a plurality of forward distribution ports circumferentially distributed about the engine, and the aft distribution plug is coupled to a plurality of aft distribution ports circumferentially distributed about the engine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tibbetts Nicole Jessica
• Bewlay Bernard Patrick
• Kulkarni Ambarish Jayant
• Pritchard Jr Byron Andrew
• Lauria Keith Anthony
• Eriksen Michael Edward

Classifications

• B08B3/003

  Cleaning involving contact with foam · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• C11D3/2086

  Hydroxy carboxylic acids-salts thereof · CPC title

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• F01D25/002 Primary

  Cleaning of turbomachines · CPC title