Cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning internal airfoil cooling passages
AssigneeHowmet Corporation
InventorsJeffrey D. Irvine, Jeffery S. Smith, Patrick L. Conroy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of engine-run components are fixtured on a cleaning fluid manifold disposed in a cleaning chamber with the internal passage of each component communicated to a respective fluid spray nozzle on the cleaning fluid manifold, a heated caustic cleaning fluid is pumped to the manifold for flow through the nozzle and then the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits, and the heated cleaning fluid is discharged from each component into the cleaning chamber.
Claims17
Turbine engine component cleaning apparatus for removing deposits from internal passages of a plurality of gas turbine engine-run components, comprising:
- a stationary housing having a cleaning chamber therein and access means through which said components are positioned in said chamber, a cleaning fluid manifold disposed in said chamber for receiving caustic cleaning fluid and having a plurality of cleaning fluid spray nozzles spaced apart thereon and communicated to said chamber, and a sump communicated to said chamber for receiving caustic cleaning fluid discharged from said components,
- means for heating the caustic cleaning fluid,
- clamping means for releasably clamping a plurality of said engine-run components in said chamber relative to the cleaning fluid manifold that the internal passage of each component is communicated to a respective nozzle on said cleaning fluid manifold, and
- pumping means for pumping the heated caustic cleaning fluid from the sump of said cleaning chamber to said cleaning fluid manifold for flow through each respective nozzle and then the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits, said cleaning fluid being discharged from each component for collection in the sump of said cleaning chamber for pumping back to the cleaning fluid manifold.
Turbine engine component cleaning apparatus for removing deposits from internal passages of a plurality of gas turbine engine-run airfoil components, comprising:
- a stationary cleaning housing having a cleaning chamber, an access means through which said components are positioned in said chamber, and a cleaning fluid manifold disposed in said chamber for receiving caustic cleaning fluid and having a plurality of cleaning fluid spray nozzles spaced apart thereon and communicated to said chamber,
- means for heating said caustic cleaning fluid,
- clamping means spaced from said spray nozzles and having a clamping surface configured for releasably clamping a plurality of said engine-run airfoil components in said chamber relative to the cleaning fluid manifold that the internal passage of each component is communicated to a respective nozzle on said cleaning fluid manifold, and
- pumping means for pumping the heated caustic cleaning fluid to said cleaning fluid manifold for flow through each respective nozzle and then the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits, said cleaning fluid being discharged from each component into said cleaning chamber.
Turbine component cleaning apparatus for removing deposits from internal passages of a plurality of gas turbine engine-run components, comprising:
- a stationary cleaning housing having a cleaning chamber and a plurality of stationary cleaning fluid spray nozzles disposed in said chamber and communicated thereto,
- clamping means disposed in said chamber and having a clamping surface configured for releasably clamping a plurality of said engine-run components in said chamber relative to said cleaning fluid spray nozzles such that the internal passage of each component is communicated to a respective cleaning fluid spray nozzle,
- a source of caustic cleaning fluid for removing the deposits,
- means for heating said caustic cleaning fluid, and
- means for providing the heated caustic cleaning fluid to each cleaning fluid spray nozzle for discharge toward a respective internal passage for flow through the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits.
Turbine engine component cleaning apparatus for removing deposits from internal passages of a plurality of gas turbine engine-run components each having a root portion and airfoil portion, comprising:
- a stationary cleaning housing having a cleaning chamber and access means thereto through which said components are positioned in said chamber, a cleaning fluid manifold disposed in said chamber and having a plurality of cleaning fluid spray nozzles spaced apart thereon and communicated to said chamber, and a sump communicated to said chamber for receiving the caustic cleaning fluid discharged from said components,
- a source of caustic cleaning fluid for removing deposits,
- means for heating the caustic cleaning fluid,
- clamping means disposed on said cleaning fluid manifold spaced from said spray nozzles and having a clamping surface configured for clamping the root portions of the plurality of engine-run components in said chamber to position said components with the internal passage of each component communicated to a respective nozzle on said cleaning fluid manifold, and
- pumping means for pumping the heated caustic cleaning fluid from the sump of said cleaning chamber to said cleaning fluid manifold for flow through each respective nozzle and then the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits.
Turbine engine component cleaning apparatus for removing deposits from internal passages of a plurality of gas turbine engine-run airfoil components each having a root portion connected to an airfoil portion, comprising:
- a stationary cleaning housing having a cleaning chamber and access means through which said components are positioned in said chamber and a cleaning fluid manifold disposed in said chamber and having a plurality of cleaning fluid spray nozzles spaced apart thereon and communicated to said chamber,
- a source of caustic cleaning fluid for removing the deposits,
- means for heating said caustic cleaning fluid,
- clamping means disposed on said cleaning fluid manifold spaced from said spray nozzles and having a clamping surface configured for releasable clamping the root portions of the plurality of engine-run airfoil components in said chamber to position said components with the internal passage of each component communicated to a respective nozzle on said cleaning fluid manifold, and
- pumping means for pumping the heated caustic cleaning fluid to said cleaning fluid manifold for flow through each respective nozzle and then the internal passage of each component for a time to remove the deposits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.