System and method for cleaning gas turbine engine components
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBernard Patrick Bewlay, Brian Alan Kalb, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr.
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for in-situ (e.g. on-wing) cleaning of gas turbine engine components. The method includes injecting a dry cleaning medium into the gas turbine engine at one or more locations. The dry cleaning medium includes a plurality of abrasive microparticles. Thus, the method also includes circulating the dry cleaning medium through at least a portion of the gas turbine engine such that the abrasive microparticles abrade a surface of the one or more components so as to clean the surface.
Claims20
A method for in-situ cleaning one or more components of an aircraft-mounted gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- injecting a dry cleaning medium into the gas turbine engine at one or more locations, the dry cleaning medium comprising a plurality of abrasive microparticles;
- and
- circulating, via motoring of the gas turbine engine, the cleaning medium through at least a portion of the gas turbine engine as mounted on an aircraft such that the abrasive microparticles abrade a surface of the one or more components so as to clean the surface.
A cleaning system for in-situ cleaning of one or more components of a gas turbine engine, the cleaning system comprising:
- a dry cleaning medium comprising a plurality of abrasive microparticles, the plurality of abrasive microparticles comprising individual particle diameter sizes ranging from about 10 microns to about 100 microns;
- and
- a delivery system configured to deliver the cleaning medium at one or more locations of the gas turbine engine circulating via motoring of the gas turbine engine so as to clean the one or more components thereof,
- wherein the gas turbine engine is installed on an aircraft.
A method for in-situ cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- injecting a dry cleaning medium into the gas turbine engine at one or more locations, the dry cleaning medium comprising a plurality of abrasive microparticles;
- and
- circulating, via motoring of the gas turbine engine, the cleaning medium through at least a portion of the gas turbine engine such that the abrasive microparticles abrade a surface of the one or more components,
- wherein the dry cleaning medium comprises alumina.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.