Atomizing Spray Nozzle for In-Situ Turbine Coating Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engine coatings deteriorate over time, requiring disassembly for restoration, which is costly and time-consuming, and existing spray devices struggle to apply uniform coatings due to movement difficulties through small access openings.
Innovation Solution
An atomizing spray nozzle device with internal mixing and delivery nozzles, allowing for uniform coating application without disassembly, using a system that includes a plenum housing for broad coverage and a control system for precise pressure and flow control, enabling full circumferential coating of turbine engine components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If disassembly is performed to access interior coatings, then coating restoration can be achieved, but time loss and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the spray device through a small access opening in the engine casing, allowing coating application to interior surfaces without disassembling the engine. The spray device is designed with a compact form factor that can be inserted through limited openings while still delivering coating material to deep interior components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray device acts as an intermediary tool that bridges the gap between the exterior access opening and the interior coating surfaces. It transmits coating material through flexible hoses and delivers it precisely to target surfaces without requiring direct physical access to all interior areas.
2Loss of time
If spray devices are inserted through small openings without disassembly, then time loss is reduced, but uniform coating application becomes difficult due to movement control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces manual mechanical movement control with a robotic system that uses sensors and control algorithms to position and move the spray device. The robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom provides precise control over spray trajectory, speed, and angle, ensuring uniform coating application without the instability of manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that provide real-time feedback on spray device position, coating application quality, and surface characteristics. This feedback is processed by a control system that adjusts spray parameters dynamically to maintain uniform coating thickness and quality throughout the application process.
3Device complexity
If manual movement of spray devices is used, then device complexity is reduced, but coating uniformity and control precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces simple manual spray devices with a robotic system that integrates sensors, actuators, and control systems. The robotic arm with multiple joints and degrees of freedom provides precise positional control, while integrated spray nozzles deliver coating material with accurate trajectory control, achieving high coating precision despite increased system complexity.
4Productivity
If engine disassembly is avoided, then productivity is improved, but access to interior coating surfaces becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spray device is segmented into modular components including a robotic arm, spray nozzles, and flexible hoses. This segmentation allows the system to navigate complex interior geometries by bending and extending different segments to reach coating surfaces in hard-to-access areas while maintaining overall system compactness for insertion through small openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic spray device utilizes multi-dimensional movement with multiple degrees of freedom to access interior surfaces. The system transitions from linear insertion to three-dimensional navigation, allowing the spray nozzle to reach surfaces at various angles and positions within the engine interior without requiring disassembly for direct access.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, uniform restoration of turbine engine coatings without disassembly, extending maintenance intervals and ensuring broad, uniform coverage with minimal risk of parts loss during application.
Implementation Method 1
The atomizing zone housing is shaped to mix the different phases of the materials into a mixed phase slurry
Implementation Method 2
The one or more delivery nozzles provide one or more outlets from which the mixed phase slurry is delivered onto one or more surfaces of a target object as a coating on the target object
Data Source
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AI summary
An atomizing spray nozzle device 100 includes plural inlets that receive different phases of materials of a coating. The device 100 also includes an atomizing zone housing 522 portion fluidly coupled with the inlets 518, 520 and shaped to mix the different phases of the materials into a mixed phase slurry. The device 100 also includes a plenum housing portion 524 fluidly coupled with the atomizing housing portion 522 along the center axis of the device 100. The plenum housing portion 524 includes an interior plenum 546 that is elongated along the center axis 106 of the device 100. The plenum 546 is configured to receive the mixed phase slurry from the atomizing zone. The device 100 also includes one or more delivery nozzles 526, 528, 530 fluidly coupled with the plenum 546. The one or more delivery nozzles 526, 528, 530 provide one or more outlets from which the mixed phase slurry is delivered onto one or more surfaces of a target object as a coating on the target object.