US 9,957,066 B2 · Detergent delivery methods and systems for turbine engines

Abstract

Methods and systems for in situ cleaning of internal cooling circuits of a turbine engine with detergent that provide cleaning a turbine engine that includes circumferentially arranged internal impingement cooling circuits that each include a baffle plate configured to air cool a respective surface or component of the turbine engine. Detergent is introduced through the outer wall and proximate to a back side of a baffle plate such that the detergent passes through at least one aperture in the baffle plate and acts at least upon the surface or component that the baffle plate is configured to cool. The detergent may also act on the front side of the baffle plate that is proximate to the surface or component.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of cleaning a turbine engine that includes a plurality of internal impingement cooling circuits, each with a baffle plate, the plurality of internal impingement cooling circuits configured to air cool a respective circumferentially arranged component of the turbine engine, the method comprising:

introducing detergent to a back side of each baffle plate of the turbine engine such that the detergent passes through at least one aperture in each baffle plate and acts at least upon the circumferentially arranged component that the baffle plate is configured to air impingement cool to clean matter from the circumferentially arranged component;
and
adjusting the amount of detergent introduced to the back side of each baffle plate to compensate for gravity and thereby effectuate uniform detergent jet-component interactions around a full circumference of the engine to uniformly clean matter from the circumferentially arranged component.

A method of cleaning a turbine engine, the method comprising:

obtaining a turbine engine including a plurality of circumferentially arranged internal impingement cooling circuits each with a baffle plate configured to air impingement cool a respective circumferentially arranged component of the turbine engine, wherein the baffle plates each include a back side, a front side positioned proximate to the respective component, and at least one aperture extending from the front side to the back side;
positioning a detergent delivery mechanism through at least one access aperture in the outer wall of the turbine and proximate to the back side of the baffle plates;
introducing detergent to the back side of the baffle plates via the detergent delivery mechanism such that the detergent passes through the at least one aperture in the baffle plates and acts upon the components and the front sides of the baffle plates to clean matter therefrom, and
adjusting the amount of detergent introduced to the back side of the baffle plates to compensate for gravity and thereby effectuate uniform detergent jet-component interactions around a full circumference of the engine to uniformly clean matter from the circumferentially arranged components.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Detergent delivery methods and systems for turbine engines

Life of this patent

Detergent delivery methods and systems for turbine engines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18