System and methods for selective cleaning of turbine engine components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830093-B2
Application number	US-201715620935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

System for selectively contacting a cleaning composition with a surface of a turbine engine component is presented. The system includes a cleaning apparatus and a manifold assembly. The cleaning apparatus includes an upper portion and a lower portion defining a cleaning chamber configured to allow selective contact between the cleaning composition and a surface of the first portion of the turbine engine component. The upper portion includes a plurality of fill holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber, and the lower portion includes a plurality of drain holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber. The manifold assembly is configured to selectively circulate the cleaning composition from a reservoir to the cleaning chamber via the plurality of fill holes, and recirculate the cleaning composition from the cleaning chamber to the reservoir via the plurality of drain holes. Methods for selectively cleaning a turbine engine component is also presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for selectively removing a deposit from a surface of a turbine engine component, comprising:
coupling an upper portion of a cleaning apparatus to a lower portion of the cleaning apparatus about a first portion of the turbine engine component so as to form a cleaning chamber having the first portion disposed therein, sealing the cleaning chamber about the first portion, wherein the first portion is an area of the surface of the turbine engine component requiring cleaning;
circulating the cleaning composition from a reservoir to the cleaning chamber via a manifold assembly and a plurality of fill holes disposed in the upper portion of the cleaning apparatus;
containing the cleaning composition within the cleaning chamber sealed about the first portion;
returning the cleaning composition from the cleaning chamber to the reservoir via the manifold assembly and a plurality of drain holes disposed in the lower portion of the cleaning apparatus; and
recirculating the cleaning composition through the cleaning chamber until the desired amount of cleaning is effected,
wherein the step of coupling the upper portion to the lower portion comprises arranging a second portion of the turbine engine component relative to the upper and lower portions such that cleaning composition does not come into contact with the second portion during the step of recirculating the cleaning composition through the cleaning chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning apparatus further defines a masking chamber, the method further comprising:
disposing the second portion of the turbine engine component in the masking chamber, wherein the masking chamber and the cleaning chamber are fluidly sealed from each other via a sealing mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the desired amount of cleaning is effected, circulating a wash composition from a wash reservoir through the cleaning chamber and back to the wash reservoir via the manifold assembly, the wash composition flushing a residual portion of the cleaning composition from the cleaning chamber and the surface of the turbine engine component.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
collecting an effluent stream so as to minimize human contact therewith.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition has a viscosity of At least 10 4 poise.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises an acid, an active compound, and a thickening agent.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the turbine engine component comprises a dovetail portion of a turbine disk, and the second portion of the turbine engine component comprises a hub portion of the turbine disk.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the cleaning chamber has a geometry and a volume fabricated to correspond to the geometry and configuration of the turbine engine component to be cleaned.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: mechanically removing deposits from the surface of the turbine engine component so as to prepare the surface prior to the first portion of the turbine engine component being disposed within the cleaning chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein recirculating the cleaning composition through the cleaning chamber further comprises recirculating the cleaning composition through the cleaning chamber for a time duration of at least 4 minutes to less than 8 minutes, wherein the time duration is sufficient to allow at least partial removal of a deposit.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: establishing a circulation rate of the cleaning composition over the surface of the turbine engine component, wherein the cleaning composition is circulated at a rate of at least 0.25 liters/min and less than 2 liters/min so as to avoid corrosion of the surface of the turbine engine component.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: formulating the cleaning composition to have a selective reactivity with the deposit.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tibbetts Nicole Jessica
• Jenkins Andrew James
• Bewlay Bernard Patrick
• Dolley Evan Jarrett
• Watt John
• Perrett Christopher
• Lauria Vincent Gerard

Classifications

• C11D7/20

  Water-insoluble oxides · CPC title

• C11D7/10

  Salts · CPC title

• C11D7/08

  Acids · CPC title

• C11D3/3942

  Inorganic per-compounds (C11D3/3902 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title