Turbine Blade Scale Removal via Ultrasonic and Pressurized Water Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for maintaining turbine blades with internal cooling flow channels are complex and inefficient in removing water-soluble scale, which can cause high-temperature corrosion during heat treatment, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance method involving ultrasonic cleaning and pressurized-water treatment to remove water-soluble scale from the turbine blade and its internal cooling channels, followed by heat treatment to alleviate residual stress, simplifying the process and preventing corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple types of chemical treatment and water washing treatment are used to remove scale, then scale removal effectiveness is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the scale removal process into two distinct stages: (1) ultrasonic cleaning treatment for initial scale detachment, and (2) pressurized water cleaning treatment for thorough scale removal from internal cooling channels. This segmentation allows each treatment to target specific areas and types of scale, improving overall effectiveness while maintaining a structured, manageable process flow rather than using multiple overlapping chemical treatments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces chemical treatment methods with physical cleaning methods. Specifically, ultrasonic vibration and pressurized water flow are used instead of chemical solutions to remove scale. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple chemical treatment steps and subsequent neutralization/washing processes, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining effective scale removal
2Loss of time
If scale is not removed before heat treatment, then process time is reduced, but high-temperature corrosion damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary cleaning action through ultrasonic and pressurized water treatments before the heat treatment process. By removing water-soluble scale in advance from both external surfaces and internal cooling channels, the blade is prepared for heat treatment without the risk of high-temperature corrosion, ensuring safe and efficient process execution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pressurized water flow to effectively remove scale from internal cooling channels that are difficult to access. The high-velocity water jet penetrates deep into the channel structures, dislodging and flushing out scale deposits. This hydraulic cleaning method ensures thorough scale removal from internal surfaces before heat treatment, preventing corrosion without requiring disassembly or complex access procedures
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
This method effectively removes water-soluble scale from turbine blades and their internal cooling channels using ultrasonic and pressurized-water treatments, reducing the complexity of the maintenance process and preventing high-temperature corrosion, thus ensuring the longevity of the turbine blades.
Implementation Method 1
ultrasonic cleaning treatment in which the turbine blade is immersed in a water basin and ultrasonic sound waves are conducted into the water basin to clean the turbine blade
Implementation Method 2
pressurized-water cleaning treatment in which pressurized water is sprayed into the internal cooling flow channels
Implementation Method 3
residual-stress removing process where heat treatment is performed so as to remove residual stress in the turbine blade
Data Source
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AI summary
Before subjecting a turbine rotor blade to a heat treatment for removing residual stress, an adhesion cleaning step (scale cleaning step) is executed, wherein an ultrasonic cleaning process (steps S22, S25), in which the turbine rotor blade is immersed in a water bath and ultrasound waves are transmitted in the water bath to clean the turbine rotor blade, and a pressurized water cleaning process (steps S23, S26), in which pressurized water is injected into an internal cooling flow path after the ultrasonic cleaning process, are performed one or more times.