System and methods for selective cleaning of turbine engine components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018355751-A1
Application number	US-201715620935-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

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

1 . A system for selectively contacting a cleaning composition with a surface of a turbine engine component, comprising:
a cleaning apparatus, comprising:
an upper portion and a lower portion together defining a cleaning chamber, the cleaning chamber configured to receive a first portion of the turbine engine component and allow selective contact between the cleaning composition and a surface of the first portion of the turbine engine component,
the upper portion comprising a plurality of fill holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber, and the lower portion comprising a plurality of drain holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber; and
a manifold assembly in fluid communication with the plurality of fill holes and the plurality of drain holes, the manifold assembly 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.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion and the lower portion further define a masking chamber for receiving a second portion of the turbine engine component, the masking chamber and the cleaning chamber fluidly sealed from each other via a sealing mechanism such that a surface of the second portion of the turbine engine component is not substantially contacted with the cleaning composition.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion further comprises a plurality of vent holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber, and the manifold assembly is in fluid communication with the plurality of vent holes and further configured to circulate a wash composition to and from the cleaning chamber, via the plurality of vent holes and the plurality of drain holes.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the manifold assembly is in fluid communication with the reservoir comprising the cleaning composition, and the cleaning composition has a viscosity of at least 10 4 poise.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the turbine engine component comprises a turbine disk, a turbine blade, a compressor disk, a compressor blade, a compressor spool, a rotating seal, a frame, or a case.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the turbine engine component comprises a dovetail portion of a turbine disk.

7 . A method for selectively contacting a cleaning composition with a surface of a turbine engine component, comprising:
disposing a first portion of the turbine engine component in a cleaning chamber of a cleaning apparatus, the cleaning chamber defined by an upper portion and a lower portion of the cleaning apparatus; 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; selectively contacting the cleaning composition with a surface of the first portion of the turbine engine component; and recirculating 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.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the disposing step further comprises disposing a second portion of the turbine engine component in a masking chamber defined by the upper portion and the lower portion of the cleaning apparatus; the masking chamber and the cleaning chamber fluidly sealed from each other via a sealing mechanism such that a surface of the second portion of the turbine engine component is not substantially contacted with the cleaning composition during the circulating and contacting steps.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising circulating a wash composition from a wash reservoir to the cleaning chamber via a manifold assembly and a plurality of vent holes disposed in the upper portion of the cleaning apparatus, and recirculating the wash composition from the cleaning chamber to the wash reservoir via the manifold assembly and the plurality of drain holes disposed in the lower portion of the cleaning apparatus.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the cleaning composition has a viscosity of at least 10 4 poise.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises an acid, an active compound, and a thickening agent.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the turbine engine component comprises a turbine disk, a turbine blade, a compressor disk, a compressor blade, a compressor spool, a rotating seal, a frame, or a case.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the turbine engine component comprises a dovetail portion of a turbine disk.

14 . A method for selectively cleaning a surface of a turbine engine component, comprising:
(I) applying a cleaning cycle to the surface of the turbine engine component, the cleaning cycle comprising sequentially contacting the surface of the turbine engine component with an alkaline composition, a first acid composition; a first alkali metal permanganate composition; and a second acid composition; (II) selectively contacting a first portion of the surface of the turbine engine component with a second alkali metal permanganate composition; and (III) selectively contacting the first portion of the surface of the turbine engine component with a cleaning composition having a viscosity of at least 10 4 poise, the cleaning composition comprising a third acid composition, an active compound, and a thickening agent; wherein the steps (II) and (III) are effected such a remaining second portion of the surface of the turbine engine component is substantially free of contact with the second alkali metal permanganate composition and the cleaning composition.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the third acid composition comprises nitric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, or combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the active compound comprises a ferric salt.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the thickening agent comprises a plurality of particle components comprising silica, titania, or combinations thereof.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises, hydrochloric acid, ferric chloride, and fumed silica.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, ferric chloride, and fumed silica.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the turbine engine component comprises a turbine disk, a turbine blade, a compressor disk, a compressor blade, a compressor spool, a rotating seal, a frame, or a case.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the surface of the turbine engine component comprises a surface of a dovetail portion of a turbine disk.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B08B3/14

  Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid · CPC title

• F04D29/324

  Blades · CPC title

• F01D25/002 Primary

  Cleaning of turbomachines · 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

• F04D29/522

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title