System and method for performing an in situ repair of an internal component of a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10822950-B2
Application number	US-201615185194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for performing in situ repairs of internal components of a gas turbine engine may generally include inserting a repair tool within an interior of the gas turbine engine such that a tip end of the repair tool is positioned within the gas turbine engine and an exterior end is positioned outside the gas turbine engine. The method may also include positioning the tip end of the repair tool adjacent to a defect of an internal component, wherein the defect defines a fillable volume along a portion of the internal component. In addition, the method may include intermixing two or more constituents of a repair agent within the repair tool at a mixing location defined within the gas turbine engine, and expelling the repair agent from the tip end such that the fillable volume is at least partially filled with the repair agent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing in situ repairs of internal components of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
inserting a repair tool having an agitator within an interior of the gas turbine engine, the repair tool including a tip end positioned within the interior of the gas turbine engine and at least one exterior end positioned outside the gas turbine engine, the agitator including an actuator operatively coupled to a spring extending between a first end and a second end, the agitator further including a plunger attached to the second end of the spring, and the actuator is operatively coupled to the first end of the spring;
positioning the tip end of the repair tool adjacent to a defect of an internal component of the gas turbine engine, the defect defining a fillable volume along a portion of the internal component;
intermixing two or more constituents of a repair agent including a resin and a hardener within the repair tool at a mixing location positioned within the interior of the gas turbine engine; and
expelling the repair agent from the tip end of the repair tool such that the fillable volume is at least partially filled with the repair agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the repair tool includes a chamber defined at the mixing location, the chamber including the agitator contained therein.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein intermixing the two or more constituents of the repair agent includes agitating the two or more constituents together within the chamber using the agitator.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plunger is operatively coupled to an electrical actuator, and wherein the electrical actuator is configured to oscillate the plunger to agitate the two or more constituents of the repair agent.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein intermixing the two or more constituents of the repair agent includes agitating the two or more constituents together within the chamber using the agitator by oscillating the plunger at a first mixing rate to agitate the two or more constituents of the repair agent within the chamber such that the two or more constituents are intermixed with one another.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Roberts Herbert Chidsey
• Antolino Nicholas Edward

Classifications

• B29C73/02 Primary

  using liquid or paste-like material (B29C73/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• F23R2900/00019

  Repairing or maintaining combustion chamber liners or subparts · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  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

• F01D5/12

  Blades ({specially adapted for radial flow machines or engines F01D5/04}; blade roots F01D5/30; rotors with blades adjustable in operation F01D7/00; stator blades F01D9/02) · CPC title