Methods and system for cleaning gas turbine engine

Abstract

A method for cleaning components of a gas turbine engine is presented. The method includes introducing a working fluid into a gas flow path or a cooling circuit defined by the one or more components of the gas turbine engine such that the working fluid impinges upon a surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine, wherein the working fluid includes a plurality of detergent droplets entrained in a flow of steam. A system for cleaning components of a gas turbine engine are also presented.

1 . A method for cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine, comprising: introducing a working fluid into a gas flow path or a cooling circuit defined by the one or more components of the gas turbine engine such that the working fluid impinges upon a surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine, wherein the working fluid comprises a plurality of detergent droplets entrained in a flow of steam. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising atomizing a detergent in an atomizing nozzle and forming the working fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the working fluid comprises controlling a size distribution of the plurality of detergent droplets in the working fluid such that the size distribution is effective to be substantially accommodated in the gas flow path or the cooling circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a 50 percent of the plurality of detergent droplets is characterized by a size smaller than 500 microns. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a 50 percent of the plurality of detergent droplets is characterized by a size smaller than 100 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising varying one or more of a detergent flow rate, a steam pressure, and an atomizing nozzle geometry to control the size distribution of the plurality of detergent particles in the working fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the working fluid is formed during the step of atomizing the detergent by using steam. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the working fluid is formed by mixing the atomized detergent with steam after the atomizing step. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising heating the detergent before the atomizing step by contacting the detergent with steam. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detergent has a pH in a range from about 2.5 to about 7. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas flow path is a hot gas path in the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is disposed on an aircraft or installed in an industrial application. 
     
     
         13 . A method for in-situ cleaning of a cooling circuit defined by one or more components of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 forming a working fluid comprising a plurality of detergent droplets entrained in a flow of steam, wherein the plurality of detergent droplets is characterized by a size distribution that is effective to be substantially accommodated in the cooling circuit; and   introducing the working fluid into the cooling circuit such that the working fluid impinges upon a surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a 50 percent of the plurality of detergent droplets is characterized by a size smaller than 100 microns 
     
     
         15 . A system for cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a fluid mixing unit configured to form a working fluid comprising a plurality of detergent droplets entrained in a flow of steam,   a fluid delivery mechanism fluidly coupled with the fluid mixing unit, and configured to introduce the working fluid into a gas flow path or a cooling circuit defined by the one or more components of the gas engine such that the working fluid impinges upon a surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid mixing unit comprises an atomizing nozzle configured to (i) receive a detergent, (ii) receive steam, (iii) form the working fluid by atomizing the detergent using steam, and (iv) discharge the working fluid into the fluid delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid mixing unit comprises an atomizing nozzle configured to (i) receive a detergent, (ii) atomize the detergent, and (iii) discharge the atomized detergent into a flow of steam to form the working fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gas flow path is a hot gas path of the gas turbine engine and the fluid delivery mechanism is fluidly coupled with the hot gas path. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid delivery mechanism is fluidly coupled with the cooling circuit of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gas turbine engine is disposed on an aircraft or installed in an industrial application