Abrasive Gel Detergent for Cleaning Gas Turbine Engine Components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191376-A1
Application number	US-201614987883-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method for in-situ cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine using an abrasive gel detergent. More specifically, the gel detergent includes a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in a gel composition. Further, the abrasive particles include organic material. Moreover, the gel composition is formed of a mixture of detergent particles dissolved in a gel reactant. Thus, the method includes injecting the gel detergent into at least a portion of the gas turbine engine at a predetermined pressure. In addition, the method includes allowing the gel detergent to flow across or within one or more of the components of the gas turbine engine so as to clean one or more of the components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for in-situ cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
injecting a gel detergent into at least a portion of the gas turbine engine at a predetermined pressure, the gel detergent comprising a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in a gel composition, the plurality of abrasive particles comprising organic material, the gel composition comprising a mixture of detergent particles dissolved in a gel reactant; and allowing the gel detergent to flow across or within one or more of the components of the gas turbine engine so as to clean one or more of the components.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel composition comprises a viscosity of from about 1,000 to about 50,000 centipoise (cps) so as to maintain suspension of the abrasive particles in the gel composition but to also allow the composition to flow through the gas turbine engine.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the gel detergent into the gas turbine engine further comprises injecting the gel detergent into at least one of an inlet of the gas turbine engine, one or more ports of the gas turbine engine, or one or more cooling passageways of one or more of the components of the gas turbine engine.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising rinsing the gel detergent after the gel detergent flows across or within one or more of the components, wherein the gel composition is water soluble.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the predetermined pressure as a function of at least one of the viscosity of the gel composition or the one or more components of the gas turbine engine.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises at least one of nut shells or fruit stone pits.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of abrasive particles comprise varying-sized particles.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of abrasive particles comprises a particle diameter of from about 20 microns to about 500 microns.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one of a corrosion inhibitor or a pH buffer to the gel composition.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the gas turbine engine comprise at least one of a compressor, a high-pressure turbine, a low-pressure turbine, a combustor, a combustion chamber, a nozzle, one or more blades or vanes, a booster, or a casing of the gas turbine engine.

11 . A method for in-situ cleaning a component of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
injecting a gel detergent into at least one cooling passageway of the component of the gas turbine engine, the gel detergent comprising a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in a gel composition, the plurality of abrasive particles comprising organic material, the gel composition comprising a mixture of detergent particles dissolved in a gel reactant; and allowing the gel detergent to flow through the cooling passageway so as to clean therein.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the component comprises a blade of at least one of a high-pressure turbine or a low-pressure turbine of the gas turbine engine.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising rinsing the gel detergent after the gel detergent flows through the cooling passageway of the component of the gas turbine engine, wherein the gel composition is water soluble.

14 . A gel detergent for cleaning a component of a gas turbine engine, the gel detergent comprising:
a gel composition comprising a mixture of detergent particles dissolved in a gel reactant; and a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in the gel composition, each of the plurality of abrasive particles comprising a particle diameter ranging from about 20 microns to about 500 microns.

15 . The gel detergent of claim 14 , wherein the gel composition comprises a viscosity of from about 1,000 to about 50,000 centipoise (cps) so as to maintain suspension of the abrasive particles in the gel composition but to also allow the composition to flow through the gas turbine engine.

16 . The gel detergent of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of abrasive particles comprise varying-sized particles.

17 . The gel detergent of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of abrasive particles comprise organic material.

18 . The gel detergent of claim 17 , wherein the organic material comprises at least one of nut shells or fruit stone pits.

19 . The gel detergent of claim 14 , wherein the gel composition further comprises at least one of a corrosion inhibitor or a pH buffer.

20 . The gel detergent of claim 14 , wherein the gel reactant is water soluble and comprises a mixture of acrylic and carboxylic acids having a molecular weight range of from about 1,250,000 to about 3,000,000 Daltons.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Eriksen Michael Edward
• Caldwell David E
• Tibbetts Nicole Jessica
• Kulkarni Ambarish Jayant
• Pritchard Jr Byron Andrew

Classifications

• C11D17/003

  Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes · CPC title

• B24C1/00

  Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• C11D7/44

  Vegetable products · CPC title

• C11D3/38

  Products with no well-defined composition {, e.g. natural products} · CPC title