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US 10,871,082 B2Granted
In situ foam generation within a turbine engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAmbarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Michael Edward Eriksen, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts
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Abstract
A turbine system includes a foam generating assembly having an in situ foam generating device at least partially positioned within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine, such that the in situ foam generating device is configured to generate foam within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine.
Claims14
A turbine system, comprising:
- a turbine engine having a fluid passageway;
- and
- a foam generating assembly comprising:
- an aerating gas hose extending through a borescope inspection port of the turbine engine;
- a water-based liquid detergent hose extending through the borescope inspection port of the turbine engine;
- and
- an in situ foam generating device having a maximum width sized to pass through a minimum width of the borescope inspection port, wherein the in situ foam generating device is positioned within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine such that the in situ foam generating device is configured to generate foam within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine and output the foam directly into the fluid passageway, wherein the in situ foam generating device is coupled to the aerating gas hose through which an aerating gas is received by a first fluid path of the in situ foam generating device, wherein the in situ foam generating device is coupled to the water-based liquid detergent hose through which a water-based liquid detergent is received by a second fluid path separate from the first fluid path, wherein the in situ foam generating device comprises a body having a first end, a second end, and an outer wall comprising the maximum width of the in situ foam generating device and extending from the first end to the second end, and wherein the aerating gas hose and the water-based liquid detergent hose are coupled to the first end inward from the maximum width of the outer wall.
4 more elements
A method of cleaning a turbine engine, comprising:
- coupling an aerating gas hose and a water-based foaming liquid detergent hose to a first end of a body of an in situ foam generating device inward from a maximum width of the in situ foam generating device, wherein the maximum width is sized to pass through a minimum width of a borescope inspection port, wherein the body comprises the first end, a second end, and an outer wall extending from the first end to the second end, and wherein the outer wall comprises the maximum width;
- disposing the in situ foam generating device through the borescope inspection port of the turbine engine and into a fluid passageway of the turbine engine;
- disposing the aerating gas hose and the water-based foaming liquid detergent hose through and within the borescope inspection port;
- routing, via the aerating gas hose, an aerating gas into a first fluid path of the in situ foam generating device;
- routing, via the water-based foaming liquid detergent hose, a water-based foaming liquid detergent into a second fluid path of the in situ foam generating device separate from the first fluid path;
- generating foam, via the in situ foam generating device, from mixing the water-based foaming liquid detergent and the aerating gas in the in situ foam generating device after the in situ foam generating device is disposed in the fluid passageway of the turbine engine;
- and
- outputting the foam directly into the fluid passageway of the turbine engine and soaking the fluid passageway of the turbine engine with the foam.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.