DES
STAGE
T ECHNIQUE
METTEUR/ FROM:
UNHELK AR V AIBHAV
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Turbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
CONTENTS
1
Purpose __________________________________________________ 6
Introduction _______________________________________________ 6
4.2
Operation ________________________________________________________________ 8
4.3
Categories _______________________________________________________________ 9
4.4
Arrius __________________________________________________________________ 10
4.5
Arriel___________________________________________________________________ 10
4.6
Makila __________________________________________________________________ 11
4.7
Nomenclature ___________________________________________________________ 18
5.2
Rinsing_________________________________________________________________ 20
5.2.1 Generic Procedure ___________________________________________________ 20
5.2.2 Difference Between Engines___________________________________________ 21
5.2.3 Comments__________________________________________________________ 22
5.2.4 Rinsing Products ____________________________________________________ 22
5.3
Washing ________________________________________________________________ 23
5.3.1 Generic Procedure ___________________________________________________ 23
5.3.2 Difference Between Engines___________________________________________ 23
5.3.3 Comments__________________________________________________________ 24
5.3.4 Washing Products ___________________________________________________ 25
5.4
Cleaning ________________________________________________________________ 26
5.4.1 Generic Procedure ___________________________________________________ 26
5.4.2 Difference Between Engines___________________________________________ 27
5.4.3 Comments__________________________________________________________ 28
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Frequency ______________________________________________________________ 30
5.5.1 General Cases ______________________________________________________ 30
5.5.2 Specific Cases ______________________________________________________ 31
5.6
Tools___________________________________________________________________ 31
5.7
5.8
Australia________________________________________________________________ 37
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
Summary _______________________________________________________________ 42
Nomenclature ___________________________________________________________ 43
7.2
Literature Survey_________________________________________________________ 44
7.2.1 Introduction ________________________________________________________ 44
7.2.2 Evolution___________________________________________________________ 44
7.3
Summary _______________________________________________________________ 46
Fundamentals ___________________________________________________________ 47
8.1.1 Volcanoes __________________________________________________________ 47
8.1.2 Volcanic Eruptions___________________________________________________ 48
8.1.3 Volcanic Ash________________________________________________________ 49
8.2
9.2
9.3
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9.5
10 References _______________________________________________ 70
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1 PURPOSE
The study presented on the topic of Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing of Turboshaft Engines:
Comparison of Turbomeca Procedures, Customer Studies and the problem of Volcanic Ash is
performed as requirement towards the Internship (Stage) at the TURBOMECA Support Department
in Turbomeca, Tarnos under the guidance of M. PEROT Philippe. The study aims to realign the
current knowledge on Engine Cleaning and provide solutions for the problem of Volcanic Ash.
Turbomeca documents (Training and Maintenance Manuals) and studies from open literature
(research publications and the internet) were the primary resources used for the study. Timely
suggestions and advice from the Mentor, Training Centre and Engineers at the Support department
in Tarnos were illuminating as well as useful, and I would like to thank them for the same. Lastly, I
would like to express my gratitude towards the Turbomeca and the Indian Institute of Technology,
Bombay for providing the opportunity and resources to carry out the following study.
2 INTRODUCTION
To maintain the operation of engines in variety of conditions proper maintenance is essential. The
operations of Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning are one of the primary tasks used in maintainability, in
order to prevent corrosion and deterioration of engine, and performance recovery, in order to
recover efficiency, torque margin and temperature margins, of Turboshaft Engines.
Rinsing (Rincage), Washing (Lavage) and Cleaning (De-crassage) though seemingly trivial tasks
affect the performance as well as the maintenance cost of an Engine very drastically. The operation
of Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning becomes even more important to Helicopters due to the specific
nature of their operations; such as, near surface operations in sandy, saline or polluted atmosphere,
landing/take-off in unpaved (hence, dust-prone) areas, and last but not the least the on-going
problem of Volcanic Ash (the Icelandic eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull).
Based on a detailed literature survey and engineering analysis, this document intends to underline
the importance of Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning procedures specifically for Helicopter (Turboshaft) Engines. Finally, this document presents an overview of some approaches, validation of the
current procedures and a few solutions with regards to the protection and maintenance of Turboshaft engines affected by the Volcanic Ash.
4 TURBOSHAFT ENGINES
Turboshaft engines are the gas-turbine engines that convert the chemical energy in fuel and air into
mechanical energy on a shaft. The turbo-shaft engines find application in various industries apart
from aviation. The mechanical energy on the shaft can be used for various purposes, such as,
helicopter rotors, electric generator and hydraulic pumps.
4.1
BASIC ARCHITECTURE
Different types of turbo-shaft engines exist with differing architecture, technology and application,
but few basic components are found in all the turboshaft engines. These include:
Air Intake
Compressor Section
o Axial Compressor, and/or
o Centrifugal Compressor
Combustion Chamber
Turbine Section
Output Power Shaft
Exhaust System
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
4.2
OPERATION
The engine provides power by transforming the energy in the ambient air and fuel into the
mechanical energy on the shaft. The process of this conversion consists of the following steps:
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
4.3
Combustion
o The compressed air is combined with the fuel
o The gas mixture is burnt in the Combustion Chamber to produce thermal energy
o This also results in a very high temperature
o The performance of gas-turbine engines is usually limited by the material properties
of the Combustion chamber
Expansion
o The hot gas expands in this section and drives the Turbines
o The gas pressure and temperature drops
o The thermal energy is converted into shaft mechanical energy
Power transmission
o The power is transmitted to the output shaft
o Generally, a reduction gearbox is used to reduce the angular speed of the output
shaft
CATEGORIES
As there are various types of helicopters, there are various types of engines which provide them
with power. The turboshaft engines are mainly of two types:
Single shaft turboshaft engines
o The compressor-turbine shaft in directly connected to the output shaft
o Has a robust and simplistic design
o Suitable for single-engine helicopter operation
Free Turbine turboshaft engines
o Has two separate rotating assembly, which may or may not operate in the same
direction
The first assembly is called the Gas Generator, it is the compressorturbine shaft
The second assembly is the one that drives the Power Turbine (also
known as the free turbine) and is connected to the output shaft
o Found in various configurations, such as
Rear power drive
Front power drive
Through an internal/coaxial shaft
Through an external shaft
o Offers greater flexibility and can be used for twin-engine operations
Apart from their architecture, the turboshaft engines can also classified by their size, output power,
design of intake, etc.
In this document only free-turbine turboshaft engines are considered. The following engines of
varying architectures are chosen for analysis, namely:
Arriel 1 S1
Arriel 2 S2
Arrius 2 B2
Makila 2 A
The said engines are chosen since they span the range of modular free turbine turboshaft engine
and provide power to various helicopters ranging from a MTOW of 2 to 11 tons.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
4.4
ARRIUS
Arrius is a family of free turbine turboshaft engines with an integral reduction gearbox and front
power drive with a power output of 357 530 kW. The engine family is specifically designed to
power light single and light twin engine helicopters in the 2-3 ton range.
The engine family has the smallest engines of the Turbomeca Turboshaft family of engines, and
hence has the least power output. The engine though modular, consists of only two modules,
owing to its size and application. In comparison with the other engines it is void of any axial
compressor stage, and relies totally on the centrifugal compressor for developing the pressure
required for combustion.
The variant Arrius 2 B2 was released in the year 2002, and is used to power the Eurocopter
helicopter EC135 with a MTOW of 2910kg.
4.5
ARRIEL
Arriel is a family of free turbine turboshaft engines with external power transmission shaft and
forward power drive and a power output of 478 704 kW. The engine family has produced 9000
engines till date and has flown for more than 30 million hours in over 100 countries. Out of its 28
variants we shall be discussing two, namely, Arriel 1 S1 and Arriel 2 S2.
It is one of the most used engines of the Turbomeca family and was introduced into service as
early as 1977. It has been used for over 15 helicopter types in 110 countries and due to
continuous evolutions and modification is still being used for a lot of applications.
The variant Arriel 1 S1 powers the twin engine medium lift Sikorsky S76A+, S76A++ and S76C
helicopters, and is developed for off-shore missions.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
4.6
M AKILA
Makila is a family of free turbine turboshaft engines with a rear direct power drive and with a power
output of 1300 1600 kW. Due to the higher power output, owing to its size and design, the Makila
family is used to power the heavier helicopters. Another, salient feature of Makila engines is the
rear power drive allowing engine installation in front of the rotor and drastically reducing the intake
losses. The variant Makila 2 A certified in 2004, powers the military helicopter Eurocopter EC 725
and its civil variant Eurocopter EC 225.
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Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
4.7
COMPARATIVE STUDY
This section enlists a comparative study of variety of parameters of the engines discussed above.
The section is divided into five parts, each part comparing parameters of different sub-systems in
regard to turboshaft engine.
Helicopters
MTOW (kg)
Introduction
TBO
Arriel 1S 1
Sikorsky S 76 A+
Sikorsky S76A++
Sikorsky S 76 C
Arriel 2S 2
Sikorsky S 76
C++
(twin engine)
Makila 2A
EurocopterEC725
EurocopterEC225
(twin engine)
Arrius 2B 2
Eurocopter EC
135
(twin engine)
1986
3000
5306
2004
4000
11200
2003
3500
2910
2002
3500
We can see that the Makila family powers the heaviest of the aircraft and
requirements for the same shall be reflected in its physical and performance
parameters.
The value of TBO(in hours) is comparable for all of the engines, and continuous
efforts are made in order to increase its value.
All the Type 2 engines are relatively recent and hence use newer technologies and
provide better performance.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Arriel 2S 2
688
621
4.5
Makila 2A
1563
1395
5
Arrius 2B 2
479
439
3.85
Pow/G
(Specific Power)
216.4
214.13
219.34
211.05
SFC
EGT ( C )
TBO (hours)
600
3000
390
670
4000
280
550
3500
700
3500
MTOP (kW)
AEO MCP (kW)
Power/DryMass
Owing to its size Makila produces the highest power, over thrice that of the Arrius
Power/Dry Mass
o Power output per unit of mass of the engine This parameter indicates the
amount of Power produced per unit of dry mass of the engine and has the units
of kW/kg
o Ideally, the user would want this parameter to be as high as possible
o It is highest for Makila 2A (~5) and lowest for Arrius 2B2 (~3.85)
o This metric indicates that As the size of the engine grows the extra weight
required to produce the marginal power reduces"
o This result is intuitive since after the basic weight for engine has been
accounted for (which is necessary in all the engines) the extra weight for one
stage of compressor would produce enormous increase in output power
o However, care should be taken that the trend observed might not be universal
Shall depend heavily on the design of the engines
The trend might show a global peak after which adding extra
compressors will not result in increase of Power/Dry Mass ratio
Power/G
o Power output per unit of air flow into the engine This parameter indicates the
amount of power generated by the engine when the mass flow is 1 kg/s
o Units: kW*s / kg OR kJ/kg
o This normalized metric gives a way of comparing efficiency and technology of
various engines
o The value of this parameter is in the same range for all the engines indicating
some similarity in design and efficiency
SFC
o Specific Fuel Consumption Quantity of fuel necessary to produce one kW of
power per unit of time (usually hour)
o Values of SFC are dependent on the engine design which is in turn dictated by
the requirement from helicopter. A lower value of SFC is always preferred.
EGT
o Exhaust Gas Temperature Indicates the temperature of the exhaust gases
o It should be as low as possible for two reasons
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Variant
Type
Power Drive
Modules
Dry Mass (kg)
Dimension
(mm)
Arriel 1
S1
Free Turbine
Forward
5
126
1166
465.5
609
Arriel 2
S2
Free Turbine
Forward
5
138
1166
465.5
609
Makila 2
A
Free Turbine
Rear
4
279
2115
785
668
Arrius 2
B2
Free Turbine
Forward (IRG)
2
114
1158
518
690
Intake
G
Axial Compressor
Stages
Pressure Ratio
Material
Centrifugal
Compressor
Pressure Ratio
Material
Diffuser Stages
Combustion
Chamber
Geometry
Fuel Injection
Max. Temp.
Gas Generator
Turbine
Geometry
Stages
N1 (100%) RPM
Power Turbine
Geometry
Stages
N2 (100%) RPM
Power Shaft Drive
NR RPM
Arriel 1S 1
Dynamic,
Annular
2.5
Arriel 2S 2
Dynamic,
Annular
2.9
Makila 2A
Dynamic,
Annular
6.36
Arrius 2B 2
1
1.5
Titanium Alloy
1
1.6
Titanium Alloy
3
2.65
Titanium Alloy
Nil
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
5.4
Titanium Alloy
2
5.12
Titanium Alloy
2
4.25
Titanium Alloy
2
9.1
Titanium Alloy
2
Annular
Centrifugal
2500
Annular
Centrifugal
2500
Annular
Centrifugal
2500
Annular
Reverse Flow
2500
Axial
2
52000
ACW
Axial
1
52110
ACW
Axial
2
33200
ACW
Axial
1
44038
CW
Axial
1
41600
CW
Front
6000
Axial
1
39095
CW
Front
6000
Axial
2
22962
ACW
Rear / Bendix
22962
Axial
1
54117
ACW
Front
5898
Annular
2.08
Axial Compressor
o Is absent in Arrius engine
o Makila has a 3 stage axial compressor with a pressure ratio of 2.65
Centrifugal Compressor
o Arrius has the highest pressure ratio of 9.1 as whole of the compression is
done by the centrifugal compressor
o Both the Axial and Centrifugal compressor are made of Titanium alloys
o Two divergent diffuser stages are present after the centrifugal compressor in
order to increase the pressure, decrease the velocity and straighten the flow
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This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Overall pressure ratio (across both the compressors) is highest for Makila
(~11.26) and least for Arriel 1 (~8.1)
Combustion Chamber
o Arrius has fuel injection with reverse flow; while Arriel and Makila have
centrifugal fuel injection
o This design difference is reflected in various other engine parameters
Size of the engine
Turbine Entry Temperature
Exhaust gas temperature
o The maximum temperature in the engine is at the Combustion Chamber and is
2500C for all the engines. This is due to the mate rial limitations which are
present for all type of engines and limit their design and performance
Power Turbine
o Makila being the largest engine has two power turbine stages
o Arrius has the highest power turbine speed while Makila has the least
In-built Washing
System
Arriel 1S 1
Arriel 2S 2
Makila 2A
Arrius 2B 2
No
No
Yes
Yes
Inlet Grid
Intake
Protections
Sand Filter/EAP/Vortex
filter/Barrier filter (Optional)
Barrier Filters/
EAP (optional)
Related
Problems
Cleaning of
Turbine Section
Washing System
o An inbuilt washing/cleaning manifold exists for the engines Makila and
Arrius 2B2
o Arriel on the other hand has washing systems based on the helicopter,
details of which can be found in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual
Intake Protections
o For the Arrius engines an Inlet Grid is present in order to protect the engines
from Foreign Object Damage
o Makila and Arriel engines have an option of installing Sand Filters or Barrier
Filters to protect the engine and filter the incoming air flow.
o These measures are particularly important and sometimes necessary for
flights in sand-laden or volcanic ash affected atmosphere.
Now, with the basic knowledge of turboshaft engines, we move on to the analysis of Cleaning, Washing
and Rinsing for Turboshaft Engines.
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Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
5.1
NOMENCLATURE
Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing are words that are so similar that without having a formal
technique definition it is difficult if not impossible to carry forward any analysis. The Oxford
dictionary defines the three processes as follows
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
One can quite easily see that the generic definitions of these processes are not enough and
hence in context of maintenance of engines we define them as follows
Cleaning Operation to clean the engine and remove corrosive deposits using an
aqueous solution of concentrated cleaning product (15 to 25%).
Washing Operation to remove corrosive, crystallized salt deposits by an aqueous
solution of weakly concentrating cleaning product (2 to 5%)
o Washing for engine running, operation carried out with the engine running
o Washing during ventilation/Cranking, operation carried out with the engine
shutdown (with the starter-generator).
Rinsing Operation to remove salt deposits using only water (and an anti-freeze if
necessary)
Similarities exist between the technical definitions and the dictionary meanings, but some
additional conditions are imposed on each operation differentiating it from its generic
description.
Some of the differences between the processes are listed as follows:
Tools
Pressure GeneratorNozzle
Washing System
Products Required
Distilled Water
Chemicals
Percentage of Chemicals
Periodicity
Daily
Weekly
Performance Recovery
Effluent Removed
Salt
Dirt
Procedure
Engine Running
Cranking/Ventilation
Cleaning
Washing
Rinsing
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
~20
Y
Y
~2
Y
N
0
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
-
Y
-
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
5.2
RINSING
Rinsing is the process of removing salty deposits in the gas path of an engine using only water
(and anti-freeze products depending on the ambient temperature). It is the most basic of the task
of cleaning, washing and rinsing; and hence is usually recommended to be done daily after the
last flight of the day (EDF).The task usually can be performed either with the engine running or by
cranking. Rinsing by cranking is recommended as it is more efficient, but operators might prefer
rinsing with the engine running as it is less time-consuming.
The factors listed in italics above are the specific numerical parameters which differ
from engine to engine and are based on size of the engine, number of compressor
stages and properties of the engine washing system.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Rinsing
Mixture
Quantity
Consumables
Percentage
Homogenization
Arriel 2S2
Makila 2A
Arrius 2B2
Necessary
Anti-icer not
mentioned
7 litre
3.5 litre
Demineralised Water
Not Mentioned
Not Mentioned
Not Mentioned
Anti-Icer
As per CCT_00800_C As per CCT_00800_C
Mentioned
Mentioned
Aircraft Settings
Manufacturer
Air Bleeds
Tools Settings
Flow Speed
Washing
System
Injection
Engine Running
Cranking
Drying
Time (seconds)
Additional
Provisions
Mentioned
Mentioned
Not Mentioned
2-3 l/min
2-3 l/min
Aircraft Based
Present in Engine
Present in Engine
Listed in MM
Not Listed in MM
Listed in MM
Listed in MM
Listed in MM
Listed in MM
30
300
Internal Protection
External Protection
300
Internal Protection
External Protection
Not listed
In the table, it can be seen that a lot of parameters are not clearly specified in the
Maintenance Manuals; hence, next we list a few comments about the procedure and
suggestions for the same.
5.2.3 COMMENTS
Due to various reasons such as translation, communication and human factor, any
procedure is bound to have some ambiguities. Since, the procedures are used by
customers in 1st Line maintenance it is of utmost importance, for safety of both the
engine and the customer, that the procedures be verified and be made as clear and
succinct as possible. This verification of procedures should be done not only for
technical details but also for semantics (wordings) and clarity. Listed below are some
such points in the procedure which might be confusing and can lead to an improper
execution of the maintenance task:
Consumables
o The products required for rinsing are not mentioned in consumables in
procedures of Arrius 2B2 and Arriel 2S2
o Although, they are mentioned separately elsewhere in the
procedure/Maintenance Manual
Arriel 2S2
o Rinsing during Cranking not mentioned in the Maintenance Manual. This
should be included
o Quantity and Percentage of Rinsing Mixture not mentioned in the
Maintenance Manual
o Time for drying is drastically less. This might be a printing mistake.
Makila 2A
o "CAUTION" for monitoring T4.5 mentions cooling the engine naturally,
while in other engines ventilation can be used
Arrius 2B2
o Not mentioned in the procedure to close the aircraft manufacturer bleeds
o Not mentioned in the procedure to monitor N1 drop
DESIGNATION
Anti-freeze product
Validated products
(recommended)
Isopropyl alcohol
Products authorized
for use
(replacement)
Pure methanol
(AIR 3651)
44/56 or 50/50
methanol/water
Water quality
Distilled water
Demineralised water
Minimum quality of water
5.3
WASHING
Washing involves a desalting operation to remove Corrosive, Crystallized salt deposits by an
aqueous solution of weakly concentrated cleaning product (2-5%). The procedure can be
carried out in two ways, namely During Engine Running and During Ventilation/Cranking.
Quantity
Consumables
Percentage
Homogenization
Arriel 2S2
Necessary
Washing Product
Demineralised Water
Anti-Icer
Ambiguity in %
Mentioned
Makila 2A
Arrius 2B2
7 litre
3.5 litre
Washing Product
Not Mentioned
Demineralised Water
Anti-Icer
As per CCT_00800_C As per CCT_00800_C
Mentioned
Mentioned
Aircraft Settings
Manufacturer
Air Bleeds
Tools Settings
Flow Speed
Washing System
Injection
Engine Running
N1
N1 drop
Cranking
Mentioned
Mentioned
Not Mentioned
2-3 l/min
Aircraft Based
2-3 l/min
Present in Engine
Listed in MM
68%
15%
Listed in MM
Listed in MM
Ground Idle
10%
Listed in MM
One or more
ventilations of
15 seconds
no rinsing
Listed in MM
Ground Idle
Not Mentioned
Listed in MM
One or more
ventilations of
15 seconds
no rinsing
2 ventilations of 20
seconds
1 rinsing of 15 seconds
Drying
Time (seconds)
30(engine running)
300 (during ventilation)
300
300
Additional
Provisions
Internal Protection
External Protection
Internal Protection
External Protection
As mentioned earlier the procedures of Rinsing and Washing have a lot of similarity, in
fact except for the difference in Washing Mixture and the procedure of Mixture Injection
the methods are identical. For some engines, Rinsing hence is not defined separately
and integrated into the procedures of Cleaning and Washing.
Quantity of Rinsing Mixture
Settings of the Tools
During Engine Running
o Value of N1
A minimum N1 has to be maintained for proper flow of air and
washing fluid during engine washing
The value of N1 is engine specific
Furthermore, a drop(10 15%) in this value of N1 can be
tolerated during the washing procedure
During Cranking
o Number of ventilations
Arriel - Two ventilations of 20 seconds each are specified
Makila and Arrius One or more ventilation of 15 seconds
o Rinsing
Literature indicates that it is a nice practice to rinse out the
chemicals after washing the engine
This has been specified in Maintenance Manual for Arriel but not
Makila and Arrius
Drying
o Arriel engines have different engine running time for drying based on the
type of Washing
Engine running 30 seconds
Ventilation 300 seconds
o Makila and Arrius on the other hand have same engine running time for
drying of 300 seconds
5.3.3 COMMENTS
Listed below are some points and ambiguities in the procedure which might be
confusing and can lead to an improper execution of the maintenance task:
Consumables
o The products required for rinsing are not mentioned in consumables in
procedures of Arrius 2B2 and Arriel 2S2
o Although, they are mentioned separately elsewhere in the
procedure/Maintenance Manual
Soaking
o CCT advises soaking of the engine with washing fluid for some time
o But, in effect none of the engines Maintenance Manuals specify soaking
of the engine with washing fluid
Arriel
o Ambiguity in the table listing Percentage of washing mixture
o Ambiguity in what is meant by double the quantity of anti-icing
Volume of anti-freeze product can be doubled
Percentage of anti-freeze product can be doubled
o Ventilation time is given as 20 seconds
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
o
Makila
o Number of Ventilations should be specified more clearly
Arrius
o Number of Ventilations should be specified more clearly
o Blanking of Aircraft Manufacturers Bleed not mentioned
Validated
products
(recommended)
Water quality
ARDROX 6367
(Turboclean 2)
TURCOJET WASH K3
Products
authorized for use
(replacement)
Anti-freeze
product
ZOK 27
Isopropyl alcohol
Distilled water
Demineralised
water
TURCO 6783-50
T0
Anti-freeze product
(*)
% v/v
Cleaning product
% v/v
Water
% v/v
T0 5C (41F)
98
18
80
33
65
5C T0 -8C
(17.6F)
-8C T0 -24C
(11.2F)
5.4
CLEANING
Cleaning process is done in order to remove dirt and dust particles, insects and oil which have
entered into the engine air path with the help of a degreasing liquid. This task is usually required to
be performed weekly, but special circumstances may increase the frequency of the operation. In
contrast to Rinsing and Washing this task can only be performed with the dry crank (ventilation)
and is more time-consuming. Nevertheless, it is the most effective of all he three tasks and can
fully recover engine performance, hence, is also suggested in case of failure in Power Assurance
Check (negative Torque or T4.5 margin).
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Post-maintenance Procedure
o Internal Protection
o External Protection
The factors listed in italics above are the specific numerical parameters which differ form
engine to engine and are based on engine parameters.
Cleaning Mixture
Quantity
Consumables
Percentage
Arriel 2S2
Makila 2A
Arrius 2B2
Necessary
Cleaning Product
Demineralised Water
Anti-Icer
Mentioned - but does
not add up to 100%
4 litre
Cleaning Product
Demineralised Water
Anti-Icer
3.5 litre
Not Mentioned
Substitute Products - %
Not Mentioned
Homogenization
Mentioned
Mentioned
Mentioned
Mentioned
Mentioned
Not Mentioned
100 C
Allowed
Ambiguity in MM
70 C
70 C
Not Allowed
Allowed
Not Mentioned
Aircraft Based
Not Mentioned
Present in Engine
2
10 minutes - twice
Not Explicitly Written
Not Listed in MM
One or More
20 minutes
Yes
Listed in MM
One or Two
Nil
Yes
Listed in MM
300
Not listed
300
Internal Protection
External Protection
Aircraft Settings
Manufacturer
Air Bleeds
Cooling
T4.5
Ventilation
Tools Settings
Flow Speed
Washing System
Procedure (Only
Cranking)
Ventilations
Soaking Time
Rinsing
Cranking
Drying
Time (seconds)
Additional
Provisions
5.4.3 COMMENTS
Listed below are some comments about the procedure:
Makila
o Quantity of Cleaning Product is 4 litres
This is quite less in comparison with rinsing and washing
o Number of Crankings
Should be specified clearly in the Maintenance Manual
o Drying of the engine
Not written explicitly in the Maintenance Manual
It is mentioned to Rinse the engine which also includes drying
Nevertheless, should be mentioned explicitly so as to avoid any
confusion
o Chapter on Cleaning Products The clause Refer to the specificities of the
engine should be removed
Arriel
o Percentage of Cleaning Products
Mentioned percentage doesnt add uo to 100 %
For Substitute Products (Replacement/approved products) the
percentage of cleaning products are different as compared to
Recommended Products This has not been mentioned
o Ambiguity/Mistake in a Note written about cooling the engine with ventilation
NOTE: For a T0 of 15C (59F), it takes 50 minutes to decrease the
temperature to 100C (212F) or 25 minutes to decre ase the temperature to
100C (212F) if you do two ventilations of 30 seco nds, with 1 minute
between them.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Two values of time (25 min and 50 min) given for same procedure
Arrius
o Not mentioned to close aircraft manufacturers bleed valve
o The process described for cleaning starts with the heading of Engine
Protection instead of Engine Cleaning
DESIGNATION
The products approved or authorized for cleaning of engines are tabulated below.
As far as possible only recommended products must be used, only in rare cases
replacement products should be used.
Cleaning product
Validated products
(recommended)
Products
authorized for use
(replacement)
Anti-freeze product
Water quality
ZOK 27(**)
RMC-G21(**)
TURCO 4217
TURCO 5884
TURCO 6783 series
ARDROX 6334
AL 333
SINCLAIR S (SOCOMOR)
Isopropyl alcohol
Distilled water
Demineralised
water
Minimum quality
of water
T0
Cleaning product
% v/v
Water
% v/v
T0>5C (41F)
20
80
5C>T0>-8C (17.6F)
15
20
65
20
50
30
5.5
FREQUENCY
Frequency of performing operations of Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing highly depend on the
surroundings and operating conditions of the engine. Hence, it is advised that the operators
based on performance decide the frequency of these operations.
The frequencies suggested in the Maintenance Manual are the least required for given operating
conditions; they should be increased based on environment, on-condition monitoring and
performance deterioration:
Polluted atmosphere
Daily
(after the last flight of the day)
Daily
(after the last flight of the day)
See engine specifications
(Makila aero: weekly, etc.)
Daily
(after the last flight of the day)
See engine specifications
(Makila aero: weekly, etc.)
Internal protection
External protection
Rinsing
Washing
Cleaning
None
CLEANING
Drop in performance
Before 72-hour downtime
At the start of periodic inspections
Before engine storage
After ingestion of foreign bodies.
5.5.2.2
Apart form the frequencies mentioned above, specialized cleaning procedure can be suggested
for performance recovery of the engines.
5.6
TOOLS
Arriel 2S2
OT 20 0010
TM0188G002
Makila 2A
OT 71 0050
8818480000
Arrius 2B2
OT 0057
TM0188G001
N.A.
Attached to
Engine
Attached to
Engine
OT 20 0020
8819505000
N.A.
N.A.
OT 20 0030
8816517000
N.A.
N.A.
Spray Equipment
o Pressure Generator Tank
o Nozzle
o Below is the table of various parts that are present in a generic Pressure Generator
Tank (The Symbols correspond to the illustration provided in Figure X)
Flow Limiter
o To limit the flow rate of cleaning mixture from the pressure generator tank
Bleed Valve Blanking Union
o To close the flap of bleed valve when connected to an external air supply
Compressor Washing Unit
o Dictates the flow path of cleaning mixture
o Usually has a quick connect option where nozzle pipe from pressure generator can
be connected, and cleaning can be carried out easily
o Provides an optimum path for flow of the cleaning mixture
5.7
PRODUCTS USED
The products pertaining to each of the operations have been already listed with the respective
processes. Here, we give an overview of the same.
The products used for Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing are divided into two categories:
Validated products: products validated by the CVI that can be used in rinsing,
washing, cleaning and protection operations.
Products authorized for use: products authorized by the CVI for use if the validated
products cannot be used.
The CVI is abbreviation for Consumable Validation Committee which validates and authorizes the
chemical products which can be used for Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing. Without its approval,
use of chemicals is not allowed.
While using the products, proper care must be taken to protect self and the engine. Also, the
percentages of product should be correctly and properly added, doing otherwise might lead to
negative effects. Some products, especially the Ready-to-Use products and Replacement
products are required to be added in different percentages. The ambient temperature also
influences the concentration of the products.
As various Chemical products are recommended and approved it is the choice of the operator to
choose one from them. Though, Turbomeca makes no distinction between the recommended
cleaning products following parameters can be used while choosing the most-suited product by a
helicopter operator:
Cost
o Of Purchasing
o Of Disposal
Availability
o Based on region
Effectiveness
o Based on previous experience
Environmental Friendly
Boiling Point
o Higher boiling point of product is advantageous for cleaning
o Since, the engine temperature rises very rapidly once it is turned on it may
cause evaporation of the cleaning mixture
o This can result in an incomplete or ineffective cleaning
While estimating the cost of cleaning product the cost of disposal should also be accounted for. If
the cleaning product is environmental friendly the cost of disposal will be lesser, and hence it is
advantageous to have the same. Also while choosing the cleaning products amount of
surfactants and boiling point of the cleaning product is an important factor. It is better to have
cleaning mixture with higher boiling point for proper cleaning. If the boiling point of cleaning
mixture it shall evaporate very quickly once the engine is started and will not be able to cool aft
stages of compressor and turbine.
Apart from chemicals the primary consumable required for engine cleaning is water. The quality
of water is very important, and hence only recommended or approved water should be used.
The Validated (recommended) water quality for use is that of:
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Distilled Water
o Appearance: clear, limpid, colourless, with no deposits or materials in
suspension
o Conductivity at 25C : 5 S/cm maximum
o pH: 5 7.5
Demineralised water
o Appearance: clear, limpid, colourless, with no deposits or materials in
suspension.
o Conductivity at 25C : 10 S/cm maximum.
o pH: 5 7.5.
The Authorised (replacement) water quality for use is listed below. It should be used only in
rare and exceptional circumstances. The characteristics required for replacement water are as
follows:
Irrespective of the supply source of this water, the above conditions must be guaranteed over
time. The criteria specified for inspection of quality of water is based on ISO 3696 standards, and
they should be referred in case of any confusion. The risk of contamination increases from
distilled water to demineralised water and becomes significant if the minimum quality of water is
used. Nevertheless, it remains acceptable if the water quality criteria are met.
If the water properties are sub-standard the water instead of cleaning can cause various deposits
and contamination of the engine. Following problems can occur in case minimum water quality is
not met:
Blocking of the combustion chamber, which obstructs the air accesses in the chamber
and causes poor combustion,
Presence of deposits on the turbine blade, which become coked during use and cause
a change in flow,
Corrosion of the turbines and compressors caused by too great a quantity of chloride,
sulphate and alkaline ions in the liquid,
Corrosion of the compressors and the bearings by stagnant water if the drying is
poorly carried out.
Finally, it should be duly noted that the tap or drinking water should not be used for Engine
cleaning purposes. Drinking water is a definition that deals with food hygiene and is not same as
the criteria required for rinsing, washing or cleaning operations. It may contain large quantities of
minerals (chlorides, sulphates, sodium, etc.) that can corrode or lay deposits on the engine.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
5.8
Cleaning and protection products can be toxic, refer to the safety data sheets for the products
used and implement the necessary precautions (wearing PPE, suitable storage conditions, etc.).
Consult the supplier for any problems with or questions about the products.
Cleaning Mixture
The mixture should be properly homogenized before use
Proper percentages of chemicals should be added based on ambient
temperature and data provided in Maintenance Manual
While using Ready-to-Use products care should be taken of not to mix them
with water
Air Path
All the valves which could be affected should be closed
Aircraft manufactures valves should be blanked
As far as possible Cleaning should be done with Ventilation (Dry Crank)
Standard practices provided in Maintenance Manuals should be followed
Value of N1 should be monitored
Injection should be started only when N1 reaches above 10%
Injection should be stopped when N1 reaches below 10%
While engine running N1 should not drop by more than 10%
Prevents accumulation of cleaning product and
Ensures proper action of cleaning mixture
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
6.1
AUSTRALIA
6.1.1 Problem
Operating conditions in Australia consists of sandy atmosphere and hence require effective
cleaning of engine air path for Performance Recovery and functioning of the engine. One
customer based on the experience with maintenance of engines suggested a cleaning
procedure specific to such operating conditions. The following changes in the existing
procedure were suggested by the customer for Makila 2A
Changes in frequency
o Cleaning every second day
o Reason: Operating Conditions
Changes in Cleaning Procedure
o Inject mixture during a 5 second crank
o Stop crank but continue to inject mixture for a further of 15 seconds, while
the engine decelerates
o Reason: Customer believed due to cranking air flow was high enough to
cause the cleaning agent to go straight through the engine air path without
proper cleaning
6.1.2 Analysis
In order to formalize and use the modified procedure the Customer has to obtain
authorization from the Engine Manufacturer, specifically, a letter of No-Technical Objection.
While investing the modified procedure to issue the letter of No-Technical Objection
following conclusions were drawn:
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
6.1.3 Solution
Based on the above-mentioned analysis and discussion with the Customer a modified
version for Cleaning was suggested, which was later adopted by the customer. The
changes made were as follows:
Changes in frequency
o Cleaning every second day
Changes in Cleaning Procedure
o Begin Cranking and allow N1 to reach 10% (approximately 7-10 seconds)
o Once, N1 reaches 10% begin injection of Cleaning Mixture
o Continue cranking for further 5 minutes and release crank button
o After crank button is released, allow injection of mixture to continue for a
further 10 seconds while engine decelerates
o Allow to Soak for 20 minutes
o Rinse air path by cranking and Carry out drying of the engine
It can be seen that some of the suggestions made by customer have been retained whilst
some new modifications are introduced in the procedure by the Service Engineer. Thus, by
working together the Customer and the Engine Manufacturer can evolve the existing
procedure into better procedures, as was observed in the this case. Customers experience
might lead to some solutions which are worthwhile for short-term but may have major longterm effects. Hence, only after proper analysis and approval of the Engine Manufacturer, a
new procedure should be adopted for use.
6.2
NORTH AMERICA
6.2.1 Problem
In North America region one of the operators reported problems with respect to
performance of its Arriel 2S1 and 2S2 engines, which subsequently required unscheduled
removal and deep-maintenance of several engines of its fleet. On probing, it was observed
that the maintenance of the engines was not up-to the mark; hence, a modified and
stringent Cleaning procedure coupled with Engine Performance Check was specified for
the helicopter operator.
6.2.2 Analysis
As mentioned earlier various engines had to be removed from the fleet, which was mainly
due to improper and untimely maintenance of the engines. It was decided to monitor the
Engine Performance Check (EPC) data to identify any further problems in maintenance of
engines. A modified, more stringent cleaning program was specified as well.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
6.2.3 Solution
In order to make the procedure more stringent and foolproof following points were added in
addition to Maintenance Manual:
Engine cooling suggested to 100 F ( ~40 C), inst ead of 70 C
An additional soaking of 5 minutes advised during washing
Further, the quality of water and periodicity of cleaning operations were asked to be
strictly respected.
The modified versions of Engine Washing and Cleaning suggested were as follows:
Frequency
o Engine wash - Daily
o Engine cleaning - Weekly
Modified procedure for washing
o Let the engine cool to 100 F
o Washing Mixture ZOK 27 at 12% mix with purified water
o Ventilate with an APU (cranking) for 15 seconds while injecting the mixture
o Soak for 5 minutes
o Do a dry 15 second APU ventilation to expel any remaining fluid
Modified procedure for cleaning
o Let the engine cool to 100 F
o Cleaning Mixture TM approved cleaning liquid at 20% mix with purified
(demineralised/distilled) water
o Ventilate with an APU (cranking) for 15-20 seconds until the mixture comes
out of the tail pipe
o Soak for 15-20 minutes
o Rinse with purified water for 15 seconds each ventilation until clear water is
expelled from the engine
o Perform a ground run to dry the engine
Also, continuous monitoring of the Engine Performance Check (EPC) Data was done to
check the effectiveness of the solution and avoid any further problems.
6.3
NORTH SEA
6.3.1 Problem
Several helicopter operators work in the North Sea region as a lot of helicopters are
required for the operations of extensive Oil and Gas industry North Sea houses. Due to the
chemically corrosive atmosphere, engine cleaning is of utmost importance. One of the
helicopter operators reported problems with maintenance and performance of engines
which were traced back to problem with engine cleaning.
6.3.2 Analysis
A survey was carried out by the Field Representative located at the North Sea region of
cleaning practices of four different operators (including Operator B which had problems
with Engine Cleaning):
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
RINSING
Frequency
Water
Fluid
Injection
Quantity
Time
A
B
C
D
EDF
EDF
EDF
EDF
Demineralised Demineralised Demineralised
Mains Water
Engine Running Engine Running Engine Running Engine Running
Compressor
Compressor
Compressor
LANCE
Washing Kit
Washing Kit
Washing Kit
3 litres
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
CLEANING
Frequency
75hrs
Water
Product
Name
%
Quantity
Period
Mains Water
Winter
EPC Failure
Cleaning
before
maintenance
75hrs
Demineralised
RMC G 21
Ardrox 6376
( Ready Mixed )
Not Known
5%
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Per MM
Heated
Isopropanol mix Demineralised
water
Cleaning then
Rinse followed
Washing
by cleaning
No
Occasionally
75 hrs OR 15
days (whichever
is minimum)
Demineralised
Mains water
Ardrox 6376
Ardrox 6376
20%
Per MM
Per MM
20%
Per MM
Per MM
Methanol Mix
Methanol mix
Rinse followed
by cleaning
Cleaning
If aligned with
75hrs
Occasionally
75hrs
6.3.3 Solution
Although there were several parameters which differed in between the operators, most of
them were those approved by the Maintenance Manual. In spite using Mains Water
(Minimum Quality Water) many operators still didnt face any problems (This doesnt mean
quality of water is not of consequence. For proper cleaning only demineralised or distilled
water should be used).
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Operator B who was suffering from problems had one main difference and that was the
use of Ready-to-Use Cleaning Product. It was concluded on further investigation that some
mistake was being made in proportion (percentage) of Cleaning Product in the Cleaning
Mixture. The use of Ready-to-Use Cleaning Products (such as ZOK 27 RTU, Ardrox 6368
and RMC-G21) doesnt require mixing of any water. After indicating this correction in
formation of cleaning mixture, the cleaning of engines was monitored and no further
problem was observed.
In this analysis, we saw there were several parameters which were different between the
four operators indicating the flexibility and robustness of the current procedure which
made the diagnosis of the problem difficult. Yet, based on basic engineering know-how,
and admittedly with some trial-and-error, it was possible to identify and rectify the problem.
Also, operators which were using Mains Water (and were still not suffering from any
problem) were advised to use Distilled or Demineralised water in order to avoid any
problems in the future.
6.4
ASIA PACIFIC
6.4.1 Problem
With this Engine Operator, too, problems were first observed during Power Assurance
Check which showed decline in performance of fleet of Arriel 2S2 engines. While doing
further analysis and on-condition monitoring presence of white deposit was observed in
Module 03 (Centrifugal Compressor, Combustion Chamber and Nozzle Guide Vanes of
Gas Generator turbines).
6.4.2 Analysis
Analysis and Trouble-shooting of the problem was done by the Service Engineers and
presence of white deposit was detected in the engine. It was concluded that this might be
due to Excessive ingestion of Cleaning Product/Mixture OR Quality of Water. Initially, while
the analysis was being done as an interim solution it was suggested to increase the
frequency of engine cleaning. After the full analysis the following personalised cleaning
procedure was suggested for engine cleaning operation.
6.4.3 Solution
The changes made were as follows:
Changes in frequency - Cleaning every 50 hours or a week (whichever is minimum)
Changes in Cleaning Procedure
o Quantity of Mixture 2 litres
As opposed to necessary in maintenance Manual
Ambiguity was eliminated
o Changes in Flow Injection and Soaking
Only 1 flow injection in place of two
Amount of soaking time 20 minutes
o Additional Rinsing Procedure required to be done at the end of cleaning
To eliminate accumulation of cleaning product
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This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Additional Suggestion
o Strict compliance with quality of water was demanded
Use of only distilled or demineralised water
o
Trend monitoring of engine was suggested
o
After suggestion of this procedure, problems were still observed. These were attributed to
quality of water. One month after the above changes were suggested some more
clarifications and modifications in the form of a Technical Memo were introduced in order
to eliminate the problem:
Clarifications in Cleaning Procedure
o Every 50 hours
o Flow injection during ventilation of 20 seconds (2 to 3 litres/min)
o Soaking Time 15 minutes
o Two Rinsing Operations each of 15 second ventilations
o After removal of tools the Drying of engine ; by running engine for 5 minutes
Performance Recovery Programme
o In case of negative Torque or Temperature Margin during ground run
o If negative margins are encountered in flight, first a ground Power
Assurance Check must be done for the margins
o Application of Modified Cleaning Procedure (specified above) daily once for
next 5 consecutive days of operation
Reminder about initiation and continuance of Performance Trending Programme to
predict and avoid future problems
Reminder about Quality of Water
Checking of Cleaning Tools
o Checking of flow rate provided
o Every two months
6.5
SUMMARY
We saw a variety of problems could occur due to cleaning if procedures are not followed properly
or at times due to the operating conditions. The main cause though usually is
Quality of Water
Improper concentration of Cleaning/Washing Product
Improper implementation of Procedure
Operating Conditions
Problems of the nature that we saw above are inevitable due to human factors, and require quickwitted thinking and problem solving skills from the Field representative and the Service Engineer.
The solutions found have to be practical in nature and need to be arrived quickly. Support from
customers by quick implementation of suggestions is highly effective, and should be ensured.
Proper care has also to be taken to minimise the trouble caused to the customer. The engine
down time is to be reduced to the barest minimum, so that operations of the customer are not
affected. Monitoring and validation of solutions suggested is always to be done so as to avoid any
side effects. This can be very difficult at times but can be facilitated by proper analysis and proper
education of operators for Maintenance Procedures through timely training and continual
communication through Symposiums and Forums.
The experience of customer is also very valuable, as we saw in the first case, and can often lead
to improvement and evolution of existing procedures.
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This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
7.1
NOMENCLATURE
The terminology used till now was specific to the turboshaft engines of Turbomeca. In open
literature the jargon is slightly different and in order to compare the external procedures with
that discussed earlier, we go through the definition of the terms used.
Usually, studies are found about engine Washing or Cleaning, and Rinsing is very rarely
mentioned. This is because Rinsing almost always in integral part of the cleaning/washing
procedure. In publications, the term Washing is often used to mean washing only with water,
while Cleaning refers to cleaning of engine with specified chemical products. To avoid
confusion and maintain uniformity the term Washing with only water shall be used in this
document.
Based on the type of cleaning, it is classified as follows:
On-Line
Hot
Engine
Running
Off-Line
Cold
Dry Crank/
Ventilation
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
7.2
LITERATURE SURVEY
Open literature and publications tell a lot about the current state of affairs and proceedings of
the respective field. They can provide details of the previous problems faced and solutions
found with regards to evolution of the process. In this section we discuss the evolution of
Engine Cleaning based on data available in open literature. The references and publications
used for compiling this section are rich and extensive resources for information on Engine
Cleaning and can be referred for further information. In the next section, application of this
information onto helicopter turboshaft engines based on comparative analysis is presented.
7.2.1 INTRODUCTION
Interaction of particles in the air flow with engine components, results in fouling of airfoils
and annulus surfaces, which causes changes in shape and roughness of compressor
section. This leads to:
Reduced Efficiency
Reduced Pressure Ratio
Reduced Power Output
Reduced Stall Margin
Typically, 70-85% of the overall performance loss during operation can be attributed to
compressor fouling. Furthermore, without timely maintenance, fouling leads to permanent
damage to compressor and other engine parts, rendering engine removal inevitable.
Thus, we can quite clearly see how important Engine Cleaning is in terms of both time and
money. Experiments have shown that, on an average, proper Cleaning of the air path can
recover over 98% of the lost performance.
7.2.2 EVOLUTION
Several methods were adopted in the past to clean the Gas Turbine Compressors and
depending on their characteristics have evolved over time.
The most obvious and also the most effective way is to manually clean the compressor
using brushes and detergents. However, this requires engine to be cooled, shutdown and
disassembled and is very laborious as well as time consuming. Thus, although very
effective it is used only in extreme cases.
The next method to be developed was "abrasive grit-blasting" which required injection of
abrasives like charcoal, rice, nutshells or synthetic resins into the airstream of the operating
engine. Literature reports satisfactory cleaning results except for cleaning of oily deposits
especially in the aft stages of the compressor.
Being a simple and fast method without downtime it was used widely in the 1970s, and was
modified with various improvements to avoid the contamination of internal passages and
clogging of cooling holes. However, in 1980s with the introduction of protective blade
coatings and due to the risk of erosion by impact of particles this practice slowly
disappeared on account of potential damage. This method is not suited for the state-of-theart turboshaft engines that are used today.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Method
Manual
Cleaning
Materials
Brushes
Washing agent
Advantages
Disadvantages
Shut down of engines
Very effective
Dismantling of engines
Requires extensive man
power
Less effective at rear stages
and for oily deposits
Clogging of internal cooling
passages
Erosion
Increased surfaces
roughness
Rice
Simple and fast
Grit Blasting/
Abrasive
Cleaning
Soak, crank,
offline
washing
Fired, online
washing
Charcoal
Nut Shells
Or
Synthetic
Resins
Demineralised
water,
Chemicals
Demineralised
water,
Chemicals
No engine downtime
Effective in cold
environments
Very effective
Shutdown of engine
Less effective
Cannot replace offline
washing
7.3
SUMMARY
The following table summarises the comparison of various parameters of this method for
several gas turbine engines. This data was gathered from open literature and is not broad
enough to draw conclusions regarding cleaning. More data (specifically of helicopter
engines) can be collected in order to validate cleaning parameters for Turbomeca Engines.
Engine
Manufacturer
Type
Turbomeca Turboshaft
Marine
Lycoming
Turboshaft
Rolls Royce Turbojet
GE
Turbofan
Rolls Royce
Turbofan
Siemens
Land Gas
Turbine
Air
to
Compressor Dry
Power Airflow Liquid
Pressure
Fluid
Stages
Mass
ratio
MW
kg/s
litres litre/sec
M Pa
kg
2,65
2
7
0,05
0,7
4
279
Fluid
Rate
Name
Makila
TF 40 B
13
80
11
0,091
135
602
Avon
LM
2500\CF 6
RB 211 24G
14
75
265
0,482
162
0,2
15
1300
25
68
76
0,367
189
17
4100
29,5
92
90-180
0,5
184
13
4360
260
620
300
0,833
787
15
V94.3 A
8.1
FUNDAMENTALS
This section describes the basic background of volcanoes, volcanic eruptions and volcanic ash;
which shall be useful for the analysis of cleaning of engines affected by volcanic ash.
8.1.1 VOLCANOES
Volcanoes in lay mans terms are mountains that spill fire. Though one is not usually aware
with the amount or the frequency at which they eject this so-called fire.
Definitions of Volcano range from individual vents, measured in meters, through volcanic
edifices measured in kilometres or tens of kilometres, to volcanic fields measured in
hundreds of kilometres. Volcanoes though most of them are quite visible and are similar to
mountains, but at times can be hideous and hard to differentiate from surrounding geology.
Furthermore, due to the rare nature of their eruptions, some volcanoes may remain
dormant for a very long period and not cause any explosion. Volcanoes, similar to
mountains, can also exist in oceans, fully or partially submerged in water.
The volcanoes are distributed across the globe, though there are some regions where their
density is markedly higher. The densest region, which also affects aviation, is the famously
known Ring of Fire which is distributed across the whole of Pacific, spanning Australasia,
Japan and west coasts of North and South America.
At any moment of time, including now, around 20 Volcanoes are erupting around the world.
The number of volcanic eruptions depends on the time period considered, but on an
average around 50-70 volcanoes erupt every year, and around 160 volcanoes are active
every decade. The duration of a single eruption can be very short or very long, with
volcanoes erupting continuously for decades, hence making it difficult to count and
objectively define active volcanoes. In the past 10000 years there have been around 1300
volcanic eruptions of varying durations.
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Figure 14: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Image of Volcanic Ash Deposit
8.1.3.1
CONSTITUENTS
The composition of volcanic ash clouds, is dependent on the underlying magma, and
so varies from one volcano to another. Generally it consists of
Silica (>50 %)
o In the form of glassy silicates - Resembles sharp-edged glass shards
o Is very hard, with hardness level of 6 on the Mohs Scale (similar to that
of a pen-knife) - Has some amount of quartz making it very abrasive
o Melting point of around (~1,100C)
Smaller amounts of the oxides of
o Primarily - Aluminium, Iron, Calcium and Sodium
o And several other minerals in small quantities
Various Gases
o Water vapour, Sulphur dioxide, Chlorine are main constituents The
proportion of each of these gases varies
o Hydrogen sulphide and oxides of nitrogen
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o
o
8.1.3.2
These gases can combine to form acids which is harmful for engines
Help in detection of volcanic ash clouds through satellites and causes
electric phenomenon ( St. Elmos fire similar to electrostatic discharge)
PROPERTIES
Various properties of volcanic ash clouds are described as follows:
Size of Ash Particles
o Depends on the explosion
o Ash clouds have particles with diameters less than 2 millimetres
o Smallest particles can have diameters lesser than 1 micrometre
o This makes air intake filters ineffective
Density
o For dry ash density ranges from 500 and 1500 kg/m3
o For wet ash density ranges from 1000 to 2000 kg/m3
Hardness
o Up to level 7 in Mohs scale of Hardness
o Makes ash very abrasive
Conductivity
o Only when ash is wet
Mass Loading
o It is the concentration of volcanic ash following an atmosphere
o Depends on prevalent conditions of the wind and the altitude
o Used to decide whether the region is suitable (free from ash
concentration) for safe flight or not
Height of Explosive Column
o Depends on the explosion and VEI
o Similar to Mass Loading is used to decide whether eruption is critical
for aviation or not
8.2
The first major threat to aviation by the volcanic ash took place in the year 1982, when ash due to
Mount Galunggung, a volcano in Indonesia, led to mid-air shut down of all four engines of a Boeing
747. Detailed studies have been carried out by various agencies, and has led to a community of
volcanologist, geologists and aviation experts working together in order to mitigate any damage by
volcanic ash. One may say the efforts have been successful to date, as no casualties have
occurred in aviation due to volcanic ash.
Quite recently, in April 2010, the aviation community was again majorly affected by the explosion of
an Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull. This study was motivated by the need to define maintenance
procedures for helicopter engines affected by volcanic ash, as an aftermath of the Eyjafjalljokull
eruptions. This section describes effect of Volcanic Ash on aviation, and efforts made by various
agencies to combat the same.
8.2.1 BACKGROUND
Mt. Galunggung eruption (with VEI of 4) in 1982 first focused the attention of the aviation
community on the volcanic ash. As indicated above, various eruptions, thereafter, have
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created problems in operations related to aviation. Between 1980 and 2004 more than 100
jet aircrafts have sustained at least some damage after flying through volcanic ash clouds.
Fortunately, no lives have been lost but monetary damages have been to the tune of
billions. At least seven of these encounters have resulted in temporary mid-air engine
failure. Engine failures have occurred at distances from 150 to 600 miles away from the site
of eruption indicating the span of volcanic ash.
Several studies have been carried out over the effects of these eruptions on aviation, and
specifically in more detail on the effect of eruptions of Mt. Redoubt, Mt. Pinatubo, and
Various Eruptions in Alaska.
International Civil Aviation Organization, OACI, with the help of several agencies and
meteorologist, volcanologist, and its own resources has developed volcano watch centres
across the globe in order to spot and report eruptions to the aviation community. This has
been helpful as well as necessary, since no reliable methods exist to predict the explosion
or extent thereof.
These volcano watch centres are formally known as VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory
Centres) and are located across the globe at nine strategic locations. All these nine centres
were established in 1991, and are inter-connected as well as in full communication with
local meteorological and aviation agencies. The OACI with the help of its VAACs has
adopted the following strategy to encounter the problem of Volcanic Ash:
In this document, we shall be focusing on effects of the volcanic ash on aircraft and
specifically engines, and what can be done to prevent any damage. Details regarding other
aspects of Volcanic Ash, such as, tracking, predicting and monitoring of Volcanic Ash can
be found in reference documents.
Ash particles not only affect the aircraft, but also airports their landing strips and their
operations, making air traffic management more difficult. In order to avoid damage to
aircraft and for safety of individuals, flights operations are cancelled in environment
affected by Volcanic Ash Clouds, which results in severe economic loss suffered by the
aviation industry. Further no solutions exist till date to prevent affect of Volcanic Ash, and
the best strategy is to avoid any ash encounters.
Aircraft have been damaged by eruptions ranging from small, recurring episodes (e.g.,
Etna, Italy, 2000) to very large, infrequent events (e.g., Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991).
Severity of the encounters has ranged from minor (acrid odor in the cabin and electrostatic
discharge on the windshield) to very grave (engine failure requiring in-flight restart of
engines). Locations of 32 source volcanoes whose eruptions impacted airports or produced
ash clouds encountered by aircraft are shown below:
Figure 15: Locations of Volcanoes that have affected Aviation in the past
It can be seen that most of the volcanoes affecting aviation are located in the so-called
Ring of Fire; but due to rapid and unpredictable movement of ash clouds the encounters
have taken place in regions far away from the source volcanoes. Next, we see the effect on
ash on aircrafts.
Abrasive erosion of all leading edge surfaces of fuselage, wing and tail
Deposition of material on hot-section components,
Erosion of compressor blades and rotor-path components,
Blockage of fuel nozzles and cooling passages,
Contamination of the oil system and bleed-air supply,
Opacity of windscreen and landing lights,
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Contamination of electronics,
Compressor stalls,
Blocking of Nozzle Guide Vanes,
Erosion of antenna surfaces, and
Plugging of the pitot-static system which indicates the airspeed of the
aircraft.
Subsequently, three engines were to be removed from the aircraft. Clearly, much can be
learned from analysis of flight encounters with ash clouds. However, at times, it is very
difficult to predict and locate ash clouds and encounters due to visibility and the uncertain
wind currents in upper atmosphere.
CLASS
PROPERTY
4
5
Engine Vibration,
Erroneous instrument readings,
Hydraulic-fluid Contaminations,
Damage to Engine,
Damage to Electrical Systems
Engine failure requiring in-flight restart
Engine failure or other damage leading to CRASH
Table 24: Ash-Encounter Severity Index
In order to categorize and study, ash encounters they are classified based on the
Severity of encounters. The encounters are divided into 6 Classes, based on the
indications observed during the flight and damage incurred. It should be duly noted that
there have been no Class 5 encounters till date. In order to this to continue, detailed
procedures to avoid ash clouds once encountered have been specified and are required
to be included in Flight Manuals or Service Bulletins. Similarly, detailed maintenance
procedures after an encounter with Volcanic Ash Clouds are required to be mentioned
through Service Bulletins.
Timely warnings need to be issued in order to avoid any ash encounters. These warnings
should be of sufficient fidelity so that no damage is caused to aircraft operations and at
the same time operations are not stopped unnecessarily. Also these warnings should be
easy to understand and hence graphic. We next describe the procedure of issuing these
warnings and the details of the Fly Zones.
Colour
Term
Description
Normal non-eruptive state;
typical background activity
GREEN
Forecast
No Eruption anticipated
YELLOW ADVISORY
No Fly Zone
o Zone 1
o Mass Loading : Greater than 4 mg/m3
o Area of high density Volcanic Ash
o Includes the main area/core of the volcanic fall-out, with an
additional buffer zone
o Established based on basis of meteorological conditions where
wind direction, humidity, etc, will result in high intensity of ash
particles
o Depicted by Colour BLACK
Time Limited Zones
o Zone 2
o Mass Loading : Between 2 and 4 mg/m3
o Potential Contamination Zone
o Area of low density Volcanic Ash Contamination
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The figure on the next page illustrates the various fly zones allotted for the eruptions of
Eyjafjalljokull. These zones are updated every six hours and this should be taken into
account by the operators. Further, these zones are 3 dimensional in nature and different
contour maps exist for different height levels.
9.1
M AJOR EFFECTS
For most modern engines (including Arrius, Arriel and Makila) during design (for better
performance) the operating line is trimmed as close to the surge line as is possible. This
operating line has a built in margin for known/predictable degradation terms such as inlet
distortion, transient gusts, and normal component wear. Encountering a particle laden
environment of the type of interest here falls into the category of an unanticipated degradation
and may be manifested in one or more of the following ways:
Clogging
o Clogging of flow holes in the fuel and cooling systems
o Makes engine restart very difficult
o Increases Exhaust Gas Temperature and temperature inside the engine
o Causes reduction in T4.5 Margin and other long term effects
Chemical gases
o Volcanic Clouds apart from ash also contain gases including water vapour,
sulphur dioxide, chlorine, hydrogen sulphide and oxides of nitrogen
o No immediate effect after ingestion
o After some time, oxidation and hydration of SO2 forms H2SO4
o The resulting ash/acid mixture is highly corrosive
o Corrosive long term damage to engines
o Also deposits in Turbine Section after solidification
9.2
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
Hence, to understand the gravity of the situation we carry out a ball-park estimate of the amount
of ash ingested into the engine during a flight. The flight operation considered is an average flight
operation with following parameters:
Property
Time of flight
Concentration of ash
(Mass Loading)
Rate of Air Intake
Altitude
Density of air
Air Volume Flow Rate
Ash Mass Flow Rate
Ash Mass Flow
Value
Unit
60 min
4 mg/m3
6.36 kg/s
10000 ft
0.9 kg/m3
7.07 m3/s
28.28 mg/s
101.81 g
Amount of Volcanic Ash ingested in an engine governs the damage caused and maintenance
required to an engine; and is itself governed by the operating characteristic of the engine, the
altitude of flight and the mass loading.
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misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
The order of magnitude analysis tells us that a lot of ash gets ingested into an engine (~100
grams), even when we flying in an environment with a relatively low mass loading of 4 mg/m3. If
the aircraft or helicopter is in a denser volcanic cloud (e.g. KLM B747 was in a cloud with mass
loading of 2000 mg/m3) the amount of ash ingested would be very high and would weigh in
kilograms. Clearly, this will deteriorate the engine heavily and may even cause its life to end.
Hence, it is always advised to avoid flight in ash-laden environment.
The amount of ash ingested in Time Limited Zone is limited if the engine is flown for a limited
period of time and hence flight after comprehensive inspections and maintenance (as required by
airworthiness) are allowed to fly for a limited period of time even in ash clouds (though of low
mass loading).
The amount of ash ingested is contrasted with dust levels in heavily polluted cities, and the
lowest density of ash in No Fly Zones is around 1000 times more than the heaviest polluted
cities. Thus, prevention by filtering of volcanic ash just because of its amount is very difficult.
Apart from this, it should be noted that in this analysis the concentration of ash, we have taken
into account the effect of only abrasive damage; due to sulphur vapours in volcanic ash cloud
more damage or erosion might occur to the engine and specifically compressor-turbine blades.
In order to allow flights in Time Limited Zones and Enhanced Protected Zones, and also for the
safety and longevity of the engine life, specific maintenance procedures need to be specified.
Engine Cleaning plays an important in recovering performance and preventing corrosion of
turboshaft engines when affected with contaminants such as sand, dirt and chemically corrosive
environment. The effects and problems of these contaminants on engines are compared next
with that caused by volcanic ash, in order to specify maintenance procedures for turboshaft
engines, specifically for the operation of Engine Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning.
Till now we have seen the basics of how volcanic ash affects engines, now we shall propose
some solutions and suggestions for combating the same based on a comparative analysis with
other contaminants and by analysing existing procedures.
9.3
OTHER CONTAMINANTS
Volcanic Ash is a contaminant which enters the engine through the air path and causes it to
malfunction. Other contaminants also exist with somewhat similar properties which enter the
engine through the air path causing problem. These phenomenon include sand and corrosive
chemical air.
The problem of volcanic ash is somewhat infrequent and rather recent, while contamination due
to sand and corrosive chemicals is far more common and is regularly encountered in deserts and
off-shore regions, respectively. Due to this reason, detailed studies have been carried out
regarding interaction of sand and corrosive air with the engine. Solutions and detailed procedures
for engine cleaning exist for the above-mentioned cases and can be useful in determining
procedures related to Volcanic Ash. In this section, we discuss basic effects of sand and
corrosive air on the helicopter engine and compare them with that due to Volcanic Ash.
9.3.1 SAND
Gas turbine engines often encounter conditions of dirt or sand ingestion into the air duct.
Such ingestion may occur during landing or take-off in desserts, due to unpaved helipads,
during brown out, etc. As, most of the aviation engines do not have inlet filtration, particles
enter in both the main air stream as well as the by-pass stream meant for cooling.
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Chemical Corrosion
o Reacts with water and becomes corrosive
o Corrosion of engine parts
Formation of deposits
o
Result in decrease of engine performance
Both Sand and Volcanic Ash are abrasive and have similar physical effects. This is also
due to the fact that the primary component of both the contaminants is silica which
produces the abrasive sand-blasting effect.
Volcanic ash, since it contains a lot of chemicals in forms of gases, it also exhibits the
same chemically corrosive action exhibited in Marine or Salty Environment.
Apart, from the above properties of sand and chemical environment, Ash additionally has
the problems of
Particle size
o Ash can have particles of very small size
o Filtering is very difficult
Un-predictability
o Volcanic Ash is rare and infrequent
o Thus, being preparation and detection at all times is difficult
o At times a Volcanic Ash encounter may go un-noticed
Re-deposition at the Nozzle Guide Vane
Other contaminants, specifically sand, usually enter into engine only
while landing or take-off, on the other hand, ash clouds interact with
engines at fully operating conditions and in-flight making them more
dangerous and difficult to deal with
Thus, we can see, in order to maintain engines after encounter with volcanic ash it is
necessary to perform the maintenance procedures related to engines affected with sand as
well as that with chemical environment. This is the minimum amount of maintenance which
needs to be done, as Volcanic Ash can have some additional effects. Also, while specifying
maintenance procedure for volcanic ash, further care needs to be taken whether no side
effects appear on application of existing procedures on to the engines.
9.4
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
It is best to avoid flights in Volcanic Ash, since many a times engine can experience expensive
and long term damage. However, for regions of low concentration of volcanic ash, where flights
are allowed, maintenance procedures have to be defined for safety and proper operation of the
engine. Since, effect of ash is stochastic in nature even low concentration could cause large
damage, If excessive damage is done to the engine, nothing much can be done, and overhaul is
mandatory; but usually if flight is undertaken in Time Limited Zones or Enhanced Procedures
Zone, by timely maintenance engine performance may be recovered. In this section, we first go
through the existing procedures for treatment after Volcanic Ash; and then suggest some
solutions in order to improve them.
detailed maintenance procedures for both before and after the flight in Time Limited Zones
and inadvertent flights in No Fly Zone.
Since, the problems caused by Volcanic Ash are similar in nature to that caused by sand
ingestion and chemically corrosive environment; maintenance solutions on the lines of
following were recommended:
Treatment after operations in salt, corrosive or polluted atmosphere; as well as
Treatment after operations in sandy atmosphere (deserts or brown outs)
However, as we saw earlier (see Section 8.4) the properties of Volcanic Ash and the other
contaminants though similar are not same; hence, blind application of these procedures
might not eradicate the total problem and also cause some side effects.
Now, we discuss the solutions proposed by various Engine Manufacturers post 2010Icelandic eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull.
Engine Wash/Clean
Procedure
Periodicity
Boerscope Inspection
PAC
Pratt n Whitney
Not Written
Rolls Royce
Yes
Turbomeca
Yes
Honeywell
No
With Water
After Flight
With Water
After Flight
Vacuum Cleaning
After Flight
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
-
Yes
Yes
Acceleration Check
Yes
Yes
Yes
Filter Inspection
Periodicity TLZ
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
10 hrs
After Flight
After Flight
Periodicity EPZ
50 hrs
25 hrs
25 hrs
Honeywell
o The maintenance programme suggested is based on different Fly Zones,
which is logical since different amounts of ash ingestion takes place in
different zones
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
o
o
o
o
The method suggested above is far from fool-proof and only after proper verification and
validation should they be used on engines. These are only generic suggestions applicable
to a gas turbine engine in general. However, before adopting them for a specific engine
tests should be carried out by the engine manufacturer in order to check for any undesired
effects. Apart from validation, engine specific cleaning products and different frequencies
of maintenance procedures can also be specified by the engine manufacturer.
Post-flight procedures
o Borescope inspection of accessible
gas generator nozzle,
gas generator turbine blades, and
power turbine blades,
air duct
o Corrosion Check of
Compressor blades
Turbine Blades
o Check for clogging of
Fuel nozzles and indicators
Cooling holes
o Perform Modified Engine Cleaning
as specified for procedures after encounter with ash cloud
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
o
o
Periodic procedures
o Trend Monitoring of the engine
To recover performance
To predict and avoid further problems
o Inspection and if necessary cleaning and replacement of
Oil Filters
Fuel Filters
Pneumatic Devices
Air Filters
Bleed Valve
Periodicity
Every 25 hrs when operated in EPZ
After every flight when operated in TLZ and NFZ
In-flight procedures
o Monitoring of flight parameters
Outside temperature
Relative wind
o Operational conditions to be monitored
Presence of particles, fumes or turbulences
To make sure helicopter operates within flight envelope and
current regulations
The above procedures will help in maintaining the safety of the engine in areas of low
mass loading of Volcanic Ash. However, operation of gas turbine engines in a volcanic
ash-laden environment is not advised and should be avoided due to numerous potential
operational and maintenance issues. The long term effects of exposure to volcanic ash
are not certain. The long term effects may manifest themselves hundreds of hours later.
Apart from the above procedures, any and every encounter with Volcanic Ash should be
Recorded in log book,
Based on recommendations from OACI and concerned agencies, the crew and
maintenance team should be equipped with proper knowledge regarding Volcanic
Ash
In case of non-removal of ingested ash, even after performing prescribed
procedures
o Field Representative should be contacted
o Engine should be grounded and properly stored
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
9.5
9.5.1 FILTERS
The simplest way to Avoid damage to engines is by Avoiding ash ingestion into them.
This can be done in two ways
Avoiding engines to enter ash-laden atmosphere Current Approach
Avoiding ash to enter engines Filters
However, the design of filter is very difficult, due to
The high variance in size of ash particles (0.0001 1 cm)
The amount of ash ingested (~100 g/hr in moderately concentrated No Fly Zones)
Economical Survey
o An order of magnitude estimate-study for development of solutions
o In order to decide, whether further work shall be economically favourable
Theoretical Studies
o Through analytical or mathematical models
o Computational simulations
Experimental Studies
o Through test benches and facilities
o Ground test of engines by controlled injection of volcanic ash into the
engines
Exploring further ideas
o Brainstorming and exploring newer ideas
o It usually takes a combination of various ideas to lead to a solution
ENR0090-D Ce document est la proprit de la socit Tu rbomeca. Il ne peut tre communiqu ou reproduit sans son autorisation
Le texte origina l de ce cahier des charges, crit en franais, fera fo i en cas dinterprtation et/ou de litige entre les parties.
This document is the property of Turbom eca and m ay not be copied, used or communicated without Turbomecas authoriza tion In case of
misinterpretation and/or dispute, the orig inal text of th is specification, written in French, will be authoritative as between the parties.
9.5.5 SUMMATION
Current techniques for reducing the impacts of volcanic ash are basically low tech and
depend more on procedural approaches than on technical fixes. Also, they are quite labour
and resource intensive. However, it should be kept in mind that, engines faced similar
(though less challenging) conditions with sand ingestion (and brown out) a few years ago,
which now have been combated. Thus, with proper analysis and development of above
mentioned ideas, better technical solutions could be made available, to protect the Engines
from Volcanic Ash.
10 REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
4.