Machine foam cleaning system with integrated sensing

A method comprising:

• cleaning an internal structure of a turbine engine by directing, via a pumping device, a foam detergent into the turbine engine to reduce an amount of one or more contaminants inside the turbine engine, the foam detergent directed into the turbine engine such that an effluent portion of the foam detergent exits from the turbine engine via an exit port with at least some of the contaminants;
• measuring, by a sensor positioned adjacent the exit port of the turbine engine, a characteristic of the effluent portion of the foam detergent that exits from inside the turbine engine via the exit port and communicating a first measured value of the characteristic to a controller;
• via a processor of the controller, selecting a designated limit based on a change in exhaust gas temperature margin of the turbine engine, the designated limit being one of a plurality of different designated limits stored in a memory of the controller each associated with a different change in the exhaust gas temperature margin of the turbine engine;
• determining, via the processor, a cleaning time period during which the foam detergent is to be directed into the turbine engine based on the first measured value of the characteristic by estimating how long the foam detergent needs to be directed into the turbine engine before the characteristic of the effluent portion of the foam detergent comes within a designated range of the designated limit;
• via the processor, continuing to direct the pumping device to direct the foam detergent into the turbine engine during the cleaning time period;
• during the cleaning time period, measuring, via the sensor, the characteristic of the effluent portion of the foam detergent that exits from inside the turbine engine to attain a second measured value of the characteristic and communicating the second measured value of the characteristic to the controller;
• modifying, via the processor, the cleaning time period based on the second measured value by estimating how much additional time the foam detergent needs to be directed into the turbine engine before the characteristic of the effluent portion of the foam detergent comes within the designated range of the designated limit;
• and
• via the processor, directing the pumping device to stop flow of the foam detergent into the turbine engine responsive to expiration of the modified cleaning time period.