Meta-stable detergent based foam cleaning system and method for gas turbine engines

A method of cleaning a turbine engine via a turbine cleaning system, comprising:

• generating, in a foam chamber of a foaming nozzle, a meta-stable detergent based foam from a liquid detergent, an expansion gas, and liquid tracers, wherein the expansion gas is passed through each of a plurality of aerators operably coupled to a respective pressure regulator controlled by a controller based on an output received from one or more pressure sensors;
• outputting, via a foam outlet of or coupled to the foaming nozzle, the meta-stable detergent based foam to a turbine engine component of the turbine engine;
• cleaning the turbine engine component via the meta-stable detergent based foam;
• and
• tracing locations of the meta-stable detergent based foam within the turbine engine component via the liquid tracers of the meta-stable detergent based foam.

A method of cleaning a turbine engine via a turbine cleaning system, comprising:

• routing a liquid detergent to a foam chamber of a foaming nozzle of the turbine cleaning system;
• routing an expansion gas to a plurality of aerators of the turbine cleaning system;
• passing the expansion gas through the plurality of aerators into the foam chamber to generate a meta-stable detergent based foam, wherein each of the plurality of aerators is operably coupled to a respective pressure regulator controlled by a controller based on an output received from one or more pressure sensors;
• routing liquid tracers to the foam chamber;
• outputting the meta-stable detergent based foam and the liquid tracers from the foaming nozzle to a turbine engine component of the turbine engine such that the meta-stable detergent based foam cleans the turbine engine component;
• and
• tracing locations of the meta-stable detergent based foam within the turbine engine component via the liquid tracers.