System and method for cleaning turbine components
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMark Dean Pezzutti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A furnace system includes at least one wall that defines a workspace. The workspace includes an aircraft part to be cleaned. One or more vacuum pumps are configured to achieve a predetermined vacuum level in the workspace. A gas purifier is configured to remove impurities in a gas to create a purified gas, the purified gas being directed from the gas purifier into the workspace, the purified gas being of a purity and composition that is effective to disassociate oxides on a surface or in a crack of the aircraft part to be cleaned when the workspace is heated to a predetermined temperature and the predetermined vacuum level is achieved in the workspace.
Claims21
1-10. (canceled)
A method of cleaning surface oxides from turbine components, the method comprising:
- when a controlled opening of a furnace is closed, operating one or more vacuum pumps to achieve a predetermined vacuum level in a workspace of the furnace and heating the workspace to a predetermined temperature;
- and
- operating a gas purifier to remove impurities in a gas to create a purified gas, the purified gas being of a purity and composition that is effective to disassociate oxides on a surface or in a crack of an aircraft part to be cleaned when the workspace is heated to the predetermined temperature and the predetermined vacuum level is achieved in the workspace.
A method of cleaning surface oxides from turbine components, the method comprising:
- placing aircraft parts to be cleaned in containment structures within a workspace of a furnace, the containment structures being configured to hold the aircraft parts to be cleaned;
- when a controlled opening of the furnace is closed, operating one or more vacuum pumps coupled to the furnace to achieve a predetermined vacuum level in the workspace of the furnace and heating the workspace to a predetermined temperature;
- supplying gas to gas purifier;
- operating the gas purifier to remove impurities in the gas to create a purified gas, the purified gas being of a purity and composition that is effective to disassociate oxides on surfaces or in cracks of the aircraft parts to be cleaned when the workspace is heated to the predetermined temperature and the predetermined vacuum level is achieved in the workspace;
- and
- directing the purified gas to the aircraft parts to be cleaned to the containment structures, the purified gas flowing across the aircraft parts to be cleaned within the containment structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.