Turbine cleaning presents a difficult challenge to maintenance crews. While necessary to maintain safety and operational efficiency, turbine cleaning mechanism that use standard methods leave much to be desired. Ultrasonic cleaning provides a cost-effective means and better results.
Removing carbon deposits, rust, organic and inorganic matter that inhibits turbine blade gearing performance generally involves chemical pretreatment followed by blasting with water, grit, or vapor.
Because the components come in various shapes and sizes, each part must be treated individually. Manual turbine cleaning is labor intensive.
In addition, manual cleaning can easily result in small spaces being inadequately cleaned, which may result in improper cooling during operation. Delicate parts can also be easily damaged during the blasting process or through manual handling. More thoroughly cleaned parts extend the service life of turbine generating systems and extend the time between scheduled service maintenance.
Ultrasonic cleaning offers a safer, more cost-effective and more complete means of cleaning turbine systems. In addition to reducing cleaning costs and increasing turbine efficiency, ultrasonic methods are also more environmentally friendly.
Passing high frequency sound waves through a solution causes cavitation, the process of “cold boiling” the liquid resulting in the rapid expansion and collapse of bubbles. Cavitation results in a rapid rise in the local temperature of the liquid, and a stream of high-energy liquid colliding with the targeted object.
Adding the proper detergent to the liquid can dramatically improve cavitation and its cleaning effectiveness. Likewise, choosing the proper temperature and frequency (to match the immersing solution) results in improved turbine parts cleaning.
Several parts can be cleaned simultaneously by immersing them in an ultrasonic-activated cleaning bath, which reduces labor costs. The agitation and impact on parts resulting from cavitation results in less wear and a more thorough cleaning process.
Clean parts improve turbine efficiencies. Clean parts achieved with less labor, less time, and less wear improves cost efficiency. Ultrasonic cleaning delivers.
If you would like to learn more about turbine cleaning and ultrasonic cleaners, contact one of our ultrasonic cleaning experts at (888) 420-4445, or visit our website at www.Omegasonics.com.
