METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A TURBOFAN GAS TURBINE ENGINE

• Main Authors: HJERPE CARL-JOHAN, ASPLUND PETER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2009
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BLASTING; CLEANING; CLEANING IN GENERAL; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS; NOZZLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

Device for cleaning a gas turbine engine, and in particular an engine of turbofan type. The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning such an engine. The device comprises a plurality of nozzles arranged to atomize cleaning liquid in the air stream in an air inlet of the engine up-stream of a fan of the engine. According to the invention, a first nozzle is arranged at a position such that the cleaning liquid emanating from the first nozzle impinges the surfaces of the blades substantially on the pressure side; a second nozzle is arrange at a position such that the cleaning liquid emanating from the second nozzle impinges the surfaces of the blades substantially on the suction side; and a third nozzle is arranged at a position such that the cleaning liquid emanating from the third nozzle passes substantially between the blades and enters an inlet of the core engine. Thereby, the different types of fouling found on the fan and in the core engine compressor of turbofan engine can be removed in an efficient manner.