Ultrasonic Engine Cleaning Probe In-Situ Deposit Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cleaning systems for engines and equipment require disconnection and manual handling, leading to significant downtime and effort, as they cannot efficiently clean engines while they are still connected to the turbine system.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning system utilizing a focused ultrasound probe that emits frequencies between 50 kHz to 100 MHz, coupled with a fluid, to remove deposits from engine parts in-situ, allowing for cleaning while the engine remains connected, using a probe that can access small areas through borescope holes and avoiding damage to thermal barrier coatings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current cleaning systems remove the engine from the turbine system for cleaning, then the engine can be cleaned effectively, but the system experiences significant downtime and operational loss
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the necessary cleaning function to a portable ultrasonic probe that can be applied to the engine while it remains in the turbine system. The probe delivers ultrasonic energy through a coupling medium to remove deposits from engine components in-situ, eliminating the need to remove the entire engine for cleaning while maintaining effective cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a coupling medium (such as water or gel) as an intermediary between the ultrasonic probe and the engine surface. This intermediary transmits ultrasonic energy effectively to the deposits on engine components, enabling cleaning through the engine's external surfaces without disassembly or removal from the system.
2Reliability
If manual handling and disassembly are used for cleaning, then deposits can be removed from engine parts, but significant manual effort and labor are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces manual mechanical cleaning methods with an ultrasonic vibration-based cleaning system. The ultrasonic probe generates high-frequency vibrations that create cavitation in the coupling medium, which mechanically removes deposits from engine surfaces without requiring manual disassembly or labor-intensive scrubbing operations.
3Reliability
If the engine is disassembled for cleaning, then internal surfaces can be accessed, but the reassembly process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic probe is designed to clean multiple types of engine components (turbine blades, nozzles, combustor liners, etc.) through a single universal interface. The probe can access various engine surfaces through existing inspection ports and openings, providing multi-functional cleaning capability without requiring component disassembly or reassembly.
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 and effective cleaning of engine parts like turbine blades and nozzles without disassembly, reducing downtime and manual effort, while protecting coatings and ensuring precise targeting of deposits for removal.
Implementation Method 1
A cleaning system utilizes a focused ultrasound probe that emits frequencies between 50 kHz to 100 MHz
Implementation Method 2
The probe may emit ultrasound waves that remove deposits from the engine
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A cleaning system (100) and method use an ultrasound probe (106), a coupling mechanism (108), and a controller to clean equipment of a vehicle system. The ultrasound probe enters into an engine (102). The ultrasound probe (106) emits ultrasound pulses and the coupling mechanism (108) provides an ultrasound coupling medium (110) between the ultrasound probe (106) and one or more components of the engine (102). The controller (118) drives the ultrasound probe to deliver the ultrasound pulse through the coupling medium (110) to a surface of the one or more components of the engine (102). The ultrasound probe delivers the ultrasound pulse to remove deposits (106) from the one or more components of the engine (102).