Foaming nozzle of a cleaning system for turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028727-B2
Application number	US-201715727269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A turbine engine cleaning system includes a foaming nozzle. The foaming nozzle includes a wall having a thickness between an outer surface of the wall and an inner surface of the wall. The outer surface of the wall is configured to contact a detergent in which the foaming nozzle is configured to be disposed. The inner surface of the wall surrounds an inner plenum of the foaming nozzle, and the inner plenum is configured to receive an aerating gas. The foaming nozzle also includes a first row of first through holes fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a first row of first through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a first row of first through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall. The foaming nozzle also includes a second row of second through holes disposed axially adjacent to the first row of second through holes with respect to a longitudinal axis of the inner plenum, where the second row of second through holes is fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a second row of second through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a second row of second through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall. The foaming nozzle also includes cross-sections of the first through holes and the second through holes having regular shapes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbine engine cleaning system comprising:
a foaming chamber configured to receive a detergent; and
a foaming nozzle disposed inside the foaming chamber and configured to pass an aerating gas to the foaming chamber to aerate the detergent and generate foam, wherein the foaming nozzle comprises:
an aerating gas inlet configured to receive the aerating gas;
a wall comprising a thickness between an outer surface of the wall and an inner surface of the wall, wherein the outer surface of the wall is configured to contact the detergent wherein the inner surface of the wall surrounds an inner plenum of the foaming nozzle, and wherein the inner plenum is configured to receive the aerating gas from the aerating gas inlet;
a first row of first through holes configured to pass the aerating gas from the inner plenum into the foaming chamber and fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a first row of first through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and
a first row of first through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall; and
a second row of second through holes configured to pass the aerating gas from the inner plenum into the foaming chamber and disposed axially adjacent to the first row of first through holes with respect to a longitudinal axis of the foaming nozzle, wherein the second row of second through holes is fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a second row of second through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a second row of second through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall, and wherein cross-sections of the first through holes and the second through holes comprise regular shapes; and

a foam delivery assembly coupled to the foaming chamber and configured to route the foam to a turbine engine, wherein each first through hole comprises a radial vector and an axial vector, with respect to the longitudinal axis, between the inner surface of the foaming nozzle and the outer surface of the foaming nozzle, and wherein the axial vector is oriented upwardly toward a head portion of the foaming nozzle or downwardly toward a base of the foaming nozzle.

2. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sections of the first through holes and the second through holes comprise regular circles or regular ellipses, or wherein the cross-sections of the through holes comprise a first portion of cross-sections having regular circles and a second portion of cross-sections having regular ellipses.

3. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the foaming nozzle is additively manufactured such that the cross-sections of the first through holes and the second through holes comprise the regular shapes, and wherein the foaming nozzle comprises a material compatible with a temperature up to 95° C., compatible with an acidic or alkaline detergent, and compatible with organic solvents.

4. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein each second through hole extends linearly along a second radial plane between the inner surface and the outer surface and at a second right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein each second through hole extends linearly along a second radial plane between the inner surface and the outer surface and at a non-right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

6. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein each second through hole extends along a second radial plane between the inner surface and the outer surface and at a second non-right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

7. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 6 , wherein each second through hole extends at the second non-right angle in a counterclockwise direction.

8. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 6 , wherein each second through hole extends at the second non-right angle in the clockwise direction.

9. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the foaming nozzle comprises the head portion positioned above the inner plenum, wherein a plurality of axial through holes extends upwardly from the inner plenum and through a plurality of axial outlets at a top surface of the head portion of the foaming nozzle, and wherein the plurality of axial through holes are arranged in cylindrical columns evenly spaced apart from each other.

10. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the foaming nozzle comprises the head portion positioned above the inner plenum, wherein a plurality of axial through holes extends upwardly from the inner plenum and through a plurality of axial outlets at a top surface of the head portion of the foaming nozzle, wherein the plurality of axial through holes is arranged in at least a first cylindrical column, a second cylindrical column, and a third cylindrical column, and wherein a radial spacing between the first cylindrical column and the second cylindrical column is different than an additional radial spacing between the second cylindrical column and the third cylindrical column.

11. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the first row of first through holes outlets is disposed between 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters axially away, as measured along the longitudinal axis, from the second row of second through hole outlets.

12. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , comprising a third row of third through holes fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a third row of third through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a third row of third through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall, wherein the third row of third through holes is positioned axially adjacent to the second row of second through holes with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each second through hole extends linearly along a second radial plane between the inner surface and the outer surface and at a second right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and wherein each third through hole extends linearly along a third radial plane and at a third non-right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

13. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine cleaning system comprises:
a detergent storage tank configured to store the detergent;
an aerating gas storage tank configured to store the aerating gas; or
any combination thereof.

14. The turbine engine cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the inner plenum comprises an axisymmetric shape.

15. A foaming nozzle for a turbine engine cleaning system, comprising:
a first axial end and a second axial end;
an aerating gas inlet formed in the first axial end and configured to receive an aerating gas, wherein the aerating gas inlet is configured to be coupled to a foaming chamber;
a wall extending from the first axial end to the second axial end and comprising a thickness between an outer surface of the wall and an inner surface of the wall, wherein the outer surface of the wall is configured to contact a detergent in which the foaming nozzle is configured to be disposed, wherein the inner surface of the wall surrounds an inner plenum of the foaming nozzle, and wherein the inner plenum is configured to receive the aerating gas from the aerating gas inlet;
a first row of first through holes fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a first row of first through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a first row of first through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall; and
a second row of second through holes disposed axially adjacent to the first row of first through holes with respect to a longitu

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B01F2101/24

  Mixing of ingredients for cleaning compositions · CPC title

• B01F25/31331

  Perforated, multi-opening, with a plurality of holes · CPC title

• B01F23/235

  for making foam · CPC title

• B01F23/231265

  being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes · CPC title

• B01F23/23121

  having injection means, e.g. nozzles with circumferential outlet · CPC title