Method of cleaning internal cavities of an airfoil
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsBrian J. Shurman, Peter J. Draghi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cleaning method for gas turbine engine airfoils includes a step of immersing an ultrasonic agitator, such as a welding horn, into a tank with a cleaning solution and a step of directing the ultrasonic agitator onto the portion of the airfoil having the crust layer. A subsequent step of high pressure water jet spray removes the crust debris. The cleaning method of the present invention significantly increases the power density of the ultrasonic cleaning.
Claims2
A method for cleaning internal cavities of an airfoil of a gas turbine engine, said airfoil having internal cavities, a portion of said airfoil having a crust layer in an internal cavity thereof, comprising:
- immersing said airfoil in a liquid cleaning solution in a manner such that said liquid cleaning solution fills said internal cavities;
- immersing an ultrasonic agitator into said cleaning solution, wherein said ultrasonic agitator is a welding horn;
- positioning said ultrasonic agitator adjacent said airfoil;
- and
- focusing intensified ultrasonic energy on said portion of said airfoil having a crust layer thereon.
A method for cleaning internal cavities of an airfoil of a gas turbine engine, said airfoil having internal cavities, said airfoil having a crust layer in an internal cavity thereof, comprising:
- performing a general cleaning of said airfoil by any conventional method;
- identifying any portion of said airfoil having a remaining crust layer;
- immersing said airfoil in a liquid cleaning solution so that said liquid cleaning solution fills said internal cavities;
- immersing an ultrasonic agitator into said cleaning solution, wherein said ultrasonic agitator is welding horn;
- positioning said ultrasonic agitator adjacent said airfoil;
- focusing intensified ultrasonic energy on said identified portion of said airfoil having a crust layer thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.