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 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.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for cleaning a turbine engine that includes a plurality of internal impingement cooling circuits each with an internal cooling passageway in communication with at least one baffle plate of a plurality of baffle plates, the at least one baffle plate configured to air cool a respective circumferentially arranged component of the turbine engine, the system comprising:
 a delivery mechanism extending through an opening in the outer wall of the turbine and proximate to a back side of each baffle plate; and   a source of a detergent configured to deliver the detergent to the back side via the delivery mechanism such that delivered detergent passes through at least one aperture in each of the plurality of baffle plates and acts upon the respective circumferentially arranged component and a front side of each of the baffle plates to clean matter therefrom; and   wherein the amount of detergent introduced to the back side of each baffle plate is adjusted to compensate for gravity and effectuate uniform detergent jet-component interactions around a circumference of the engine to uniformly clean matter therefrom.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferentially arranged component is a shroud coupled to a shroud hanger positioned at least partially on a back side of the shroud, the shroud hanger comprising a hanger aperture, wherein the delivery mechanism extends to the hanger aperture to deliver the detergent into a pre-baffle cavity that is defined between the shroud hanger and the back side of each baffle plate. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery mechanism extends to a pre-baffle cavity that is proximate to the back side, and
 wherein the cleaned matter is at least about 85% of the mass of a total mass of foulant previously present on the circumferentially arranged component.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent includes an acidic, water-based reagent with an organic surfactant and a corrosion inhibitor in fluid communication with the delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged components, wherein the delivery mechanism delivers detergent to each circumferential location around the plurality of circumferentially arranged component in equal amounts. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers detergent to each of a 12 o'clock position, a 3 o'clock position, a 6 o'clock position, and a 9 o'clock position around the circumferentially arranged component, and
 wherein the amount of detergent delivered to the 12 o'clock position is about 40% of the amount of detergent delivered to each of the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers detergent to each of a 12 o'clock position, a 3 o'clock position, a 6 o'clock position, and a 9 o'clock position around the circumferentially arranged component, and
 wherein the amount of detergent delivered to the 6 o'clock position is about 80% of the amount of detergent delivered to each of the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers superheated steam to the back side of each of the baffle plates for about 16 minutes. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent delivery mechanism delivers detergent at a temperature of about 70° C. to the back side of each baffle plate for about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the detergent is diluted such that there are about 35 parts water for each part detergent. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers water to the back side of each baffle plate for about 20 minutes. 
     
     
         12 . A system for cleaning a turbine engine that includes a plurality of internal impingement cooling circuits each with an internal cooling passageway in communication with at least one baffle plate of a plurality of baffle plates, the at least one baffle plate configured to air cool a component of the turbine engine, the system comprising:
 a delivery mechanism extending through an opening in the outer wall of the turbine and proximate to a back side of each baffle plate; and   a source of a detergent that delivers the detergent to the back side of each of the baffle plates via the delivery mechanism;   wherein a spacing between the baffle plate and the component of the turbine balances impingement cooling and impingement cleaning.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the spacing between the baffle plate and the component of the turbine is at least 0.1 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the spacing between the baffle plate and the component of the turbine is between about 0.1 and 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the component of the turbine is a circumferentially arranged shroud. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the turbine engine is attached to an aircraft. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the source of the detergent includes an acidic, water-based reagent with an organic surfactant and a corrosion inhibitor in fluid communication with the detergent delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers superheated steam to the back side of each baffle plate for about 16 minutes. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the delivery mechanism delivers detergent at a temperature of about 70° C. to the back side of each baffle plate for about 5 minutes, and
 wherein the detergent is diluted such that there are about 35 parts water for each part detergent. 
 
     
     
         20 . 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,   wherein introducing detergent further comprises introducing detergent to each of a 12 o'clock position, a 3 o'clock position, a 6 o'clock position, and a 9 o'clock position around the circumferentially arranged component, and   wherein the amount of detergent introduced at a baffle plate at a 12 o'clock position is less than the amount of detergent introduced at each of a baffle plate at a 3 o'clock position and a baffle plate at a 9 o'clock position.