Removing material buildup from an internal surface within a gas turbine engine system
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorJay C. Files
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is provided involving a gas turbine engine system. The method includes configuring a plug within a fluid passage in the gas turbine engine system, where the plug is between first and second portions of the fluid passage. Material is removed from an interior surface of the fluid passage in the first portion of the fluid passage to provide removed material, where the plug substantially prevents the removed material from entering the second portion of the fluid passage. The removed material is directed out of the fluid passage. The plug is removed from the fluid passage.
Claims15
A method involving a gas turbine engine system, comprising:
- configuring a plug within a fluid passage in the gas turbine engine system using a catheter, the plug between first and second portions of the fluid passage;
- inserting a nozzle into the first portion of the fluid passage;
- moving the nozzle within the first portion of the fluid passage towards the plug, wherein the nozzle moves within the fluid passage next to the catheter;
- removing material from an interior surface of the fluid passage in the first portion of the fluid passage to provide removed material, wherein the plug substantially prevents the removed material from entering the second portion of the fluid passage, the material is removed from the interior surface using at least a stream of pressurized fluid, and the stream of pressurized fluid is directed out of the nozzle towards the interior surface to remove at least some of the material from the interior surface;
- directing the removed material out of the fluid passage;
- and
- removing the plug from the fluid passage.
A method involving a gas turbine engine system, comprising:
- configuring a plug within a fluid passage in the gas turbine engine system, the plug between first and second portions of the fluid passage
- inserting a nozzle into the fluid passage;
- directing a stream of pressurized fluid out of the nozzle towards an interior surface of the fluid passage to remove material from the interior surface of the fluid passage, the interior surface in the first portion of the fluid passage, wherein the plug substantially prevents the removed material from entering the second portion of the fluid passage;
- and
- directing the removed material out of the fluid passage along a path in which the nozzle was inserted into the fluid passage;
- wherein the plug comprises an inflatable bladder, and
- wherein the configuring of the plug within the fluid passage comprises:
- inserting the plug into the fluid passage while the inflatable bladder is deflated using a catheter;
- and
- inflating the inflatable bladder using the catheter to cause the plug to plug the fluid passage and fluidly isolate the first portion of the fluid passage from the second portion of the fluid passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.