Engine Wash Effluent Treatment for Foam and Contaminant Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines accumulate dust and debris during operation, leading to performance reduction and potential internal damage, necessitating effective cleaning systems that can remove dust deposits and manage the resulting effluent.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a foam collapsing unit, particulate removal unit, detergent removal unit, and microbe treatment unit, configured on a portable cart, to process and treat the effluent to remove contaminants from the effluent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foam washing is used to clean gas turbine engines, then engine cleaning effectiveness is improved, but effluent disposal complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The effluent treatment system is divided into multiple sequential treatment stages: foam collapsing unit, particulate removal unit, detergent removal unit, and microbe treatment unit. Each unit handles a specific aspect of effluent treatment, transforming a single complex disposal problem into multiple manageable processing steps that collectively resolve the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and disposal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate treatment units between the foam washing process and final disposal. These intermediary units (particularly the foam collapsing unit and particulate removal unit) process the effluent progressively, allowing the system to maintain high cleaning effectiveness while reducing the complexity of final effluent disposal through staged treatment.
2Reliability
If multiple treatment units are added to process effluent, then effluent treatment effectiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple treatment units (foam collapsing, particulate removal, detergent removal, and microbe treatment) are merged into a single integrated effluent treatment system with serial flow configuration. This merging approach improves overall treatment effectiveness by combining multiple functions while managing system complexity through unified design and integrated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The effluent treatment system is designed as a multi-functional universal system that handles diverse effluent components simultaneously. The system can process foamed effluent containing particulates, detergents, and microorganisms through a single integrated pathway, improving treatment effectiveness across multiple contaminant types while avoiding the need for separate specialized systems for each contaminant type.
3Loss of time
If effluent is disposed of without treatment, then disposal time is reduced, but environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary treatment actions on effluent before disposal by sequentially removing foam, particulates, detergents, and microorganisms. This preliminary treatment reduces environmental harm of the effluent while maintaining relatively efficient disposal timing through automated continuous processing, resolving the contradiction between quick disposal and environmental protection.
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
The system effectively removes contaminants from the effluent, enabling safe disposal and potential reconstitution of the effluent, facilitating environmentally friendly disposal or recovery of the effluent.
Implementation Method 1
a foam collapsing unit in fluid communication with an effluent reservoir comprising an effluent, the foam collapsing unit operative to reduce aeration of the effluent and generate a defoamed effluent
Implementation Method 2
a particulate removal unit that is in fluid communication with the defoamed effluent and is operative to separate particulates from the defoamed effluent
Implementation Method 3
a microbe treatment unit that is in fluid communication with the defoamed effluent and is operative to reduce microbial load of the defoamed effluent
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for processing effluent from a cleaning operation performed on a gas turbine engine are provided herein. In some embodiments, such a system comprises a foam collapsing unit, a particulate removal unit, and/or a microbe treatment unit. The system may also include a detergent removal unit. The foam collapsing unit is in fluid communication with an effluent reservoir and is operative to reduce aeration of the effluent and generate a defoamed effluent. The particulate removal unit is operative to separate particulates from the defoamed effluent. The microbe treatment unit is operative to reduce microbial load of the defoamed effluent. The particulate removal unit, and the microbe treatment unit are disposed in serial flow order to treat the defoamed effluent and output a recovered fluid.