You are on page 1of 69

R APPORT

DES

STAGE

T ECHNIQUE

INTERNSHIP TECHNICAL REPORT

METTEUR/ FROM:
UNHELK AR V AIBHAV

CLEANING, WASHING AND RINSING OF TURBOSHAFT ENGINES


COMPARISON OF TURBOMECA PROCEDURES,
CUSTOMER STUDIES
AND
THE PROBLEM OF VOLCANIC ASH

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

CONTENTS
1

Purpose __________________________________________________ 6

Introduction _______________________________________________ 6

Approach towards Analysis __________________________________ 6

Turboshaft Engines _________________________________________ 7


4.1

Basic Architecture ________________________________________________________ 7

4.2

Operation ________________________________________________________________ 8

4.3

Categories _______________________________________________________________ 9

4.4

Arrius __________________________________________________________________ 10

4.5

Arriel___________________________________________________________________ 10

4.6

Makila __________________________________________________________________ 11

4.7

Comparative Study _______________________________________________________ 12


4.7.1 Engine Application___________________________________________________ 12
4.7.2 Performance Parameters______________________________________________ 13
4.7.3 Physical Parameters _________________________________________________ 14
4.7.4 Engine Architecture __________________________________________________ 14
4.7.5 Cleaning Related Parameters __________________________________________ 16

Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing Turbomeca Procedures ________ 18


5.1

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

5.4.4 Cleaning Products ___________________________________________________ 29


5.5

Frequency ______________________________________________________________ 30
5.5.1 General Cases ______________________________________________________ 30
5.5.2 Specific Cases ______________________________________________________ 31

5.6

Tools___________________________________________________________________ 31

5.7

Products used ___________________________________________________________ 33

5.8

Cautions - Health, Safety, Environment ______________________________________ 35

Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing Customer Studies ____________ 36


6.1

Australia________________________________________________________________ 37

6.2

North America ___________________________________________________________ 38

6.3

North Sea _______________________________________________________________ 39

6.4

Asia Pacific _____________________________________________________________ 41

6.5

Summary _______________________________________________________________ 42

Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing Experiences Outside Turbomeca 43


7.1

Nomenclature ___________________________________________________________ 43

7.2

Literature Survey_________________________________________________________ 44
7.2.1 Introduction ________________________________________________________ 44
7.2.2 Evolution___________________________________________________________ 44

7.3

Summary _______________________________________________________________ 46

Volcanic Ash - Introduction _________________________________ 47


8.1

Fundamentals ___________________________________________________________ 47
8.1.1 Volcanoes __________________________________________________________ 47
8.1.2 Volcanic Eruptions___________________________________________________ 48
8.1.3 Volcanic Ash________________________________________________________ 49

8.2

Volcanic Ash and AVIATION _______________________________________________ 50


8.2.1 Background ________________________________________________________ 50
8.2.2 Effect on Aviation____________________________________________________ 51
8.2.3 Effect on Aircrafts ___________________________________________________ 52
8.2.4 Notifications and Warnings____________________________________________ 55
8.2.5 Fly Zones __________________________________________________________ 56

Volcanic Ash and ENGINES _________________________________ 58


9.1

Major Effects ____________________________________________________________ 58

9.2

Ash Ingestion An Estimate _______________________________________________ 59

9.3

Other Contaminants ______________________________________________________ 61

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

9.3.1 Sand ______________________________________________________________ 61


9.3.2 Chemical Environment _______________________________________________ 62
9.3.3 Comparison With Volcanic ASH ________________________________________ 62
9.4

Engine Maintenance ______________________________________________________ 63


9.4.1 Current Procedures __________________________________________________ 63
9.4.2 Service Bulletins ____________________________________________________ 64
9.4.3 Suggestions Engine Cleaning ________________________________________ 66
9.4.4 Suggestions Service Bulletins________________________________________ 67

9.5

Long Term Solutions _____________________________________________________ 69


9.5.1 Filters _____________________________________________________________ 69
9.5.2 Electromagnetic Properties ___________________________________________ 69
9.5.3 Development of Solutions_____________________________________________ 69
9.5.4 Engine Design ______________________________________________________ 70
9.5.5 Summation _________________________________________________________ 70

10 References _______________________________________________ 70

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

3 APPROACH TOWARDS ANALYSIS


A top-down approach was adopted in the overall analysis wherein the work was divided into the
following broad sections, namely,
Comparative analysis of various TURBOMECA Turbo-shaft engines
Various aspects of Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning of Turbo-shaft engines
o Validation of the current Turbomeca procedures
o Comparison of the current procedures for different engine families
( ranging from MTOW of 2-3 Tonnes to that of 11-12 Tonnes )
o Customer Experiences
o Compilation and Survey of other procedures (apart from that of Turbomeca)
Effect of Volcanic Ash on Turbo-shaft Engines
Solutions for Performance Recovery and Operations of Engines affected by Volcanic Ash
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

FIGURE 1: ARRIEL A Free-Turbine Turboshaft Engine


First, basic architecture and operation of a turboshaft engine is described. Thereafter, detailed
information is documented for the specific TURBOMECA engines under consideration, and a
comparative analysis has been made.
NOTE: Although, this document is focused on application of turbo-shaft engines on Helicopters; it
should be borne in mind that the problems (and consequently their solutions) related to Rinsing,
Washing and Cleaning of similar nature also arise in land and marine turbines, and that the
experience on land and marine turbines could be used for improving the Rinsing, Washing and
Cleaning for helicopter applications.

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
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

FIGURE 2: Fundamental parts of a free-turbine Turbo-shaft engine


A shaft connects the compressor section to the turbine section; which is required since the turbine
section provides the energy to drive the compressor section. The following figure shows the main
components of a turboshaft engine. These components are present on all the turboshafts but their
position, number and architecture might vary.

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:

FIGURE 3: Main Operating Phases of Gas Turbine Engines


Admission
o Ambient air is admitted through the Air Intake
Compression
o The ambient air is then compressed by the Compressors in the system
o The air is taken to a very high pressure

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

FIGURE 3: Engine Architecture Arrius 2B 2

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.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

FIGURE 4: Engine Architecture Arriel 1S 1


The variant Arriel 2 S2 was certified in 2005 and powers the twin engine medium lift Sikorsky
S76C++ helicopters.

FIGURE 5: Engine Architecture Arriel 2S 2

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.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

FIGURE 6: Engine Architecture Makila 2A

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.

4.7.1 ENGINE APPLICATION


Firstly, we have an overview of the application of the said engines on various helicopters, in
order to have an estimate of performance and capability of the engines.

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

TABLE 1: Applications Comparative Study of free-turbine Turboshafts

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.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

4.7.2 PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS


Arriel 1S 1
575
541
4.29

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

TABLE 2:Performance Parameters Comparative Study of free-turbine Turboshafts


NOTE: All the parameters are listed at their respective standard conditions

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

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Higher temperature indicates more energy can be extracted from the


flow, i.e. the engine is performing at lesser efficiency
 For environmental reasons (Green engines)
Arrius has the highest EGT of 700 C

4.7.3 PHYSICAL PARAMETERS

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

TABLE 3: Physical Characteristics Comparative Study of free-turbine Turboshafts

All the engines are modular free turbine turboshaft engines


Although, all the engines are modular the number of modules vary - wherein Arrius
family has as low as 2 modules and Arriel family has 5 modules
Makila 2A
o Is the largest in terms of both the size and weight
o Differs in the overall layout as it has a rear power drive: this permits
 Engine installation in front of the rotor and
 Significantly reduces pressure loss due to air intake.
Arrius 2B 2
o Is the smallest and the lightest, which reflects in its capacity and MTOP.
Arriel
o Dimensions of Arriel 1S1 are given different on the Turbomeca Site and Training
Manual Different conventions for measuring the length have been observed.

4.7.4 ENGINE ARCHITECTURE


Next, we compare the basic engine architecture of the four engines:
Air Intake
o All the engines have an annular air intake
o Engines except Arrius have a dynamic intake
 Which means that they have a frontal intake
 Even when the engine is not switched on there is air flow through the
engine
 Arrius on the other hand due to installation constraints does not have a
frontal intake
o G, Air Mass flow (kg/s)
 Amount of air introduced into the engine per unit of time
 Is highest for the Makila engines and least for Arrius
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

TABLE 4: Engine Architecture Comparative Study of free-turbine Turboshafts

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

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

Gas Generator Turbine


o Arriel 1S1 and Makila 2A have two stages of Gas Generator Turbine while
Arriel 2S2 and Arrius 2B2 have single stage Gas Generator Turbine
 This is one of the main difference in the architecture of Arriel 1S1 and
2S2
o Due to the velocity vector triangles Arrius gas generator turbine moves in CW
(seen from behind) while for the rest of engines it moves in ACW direction
o N1 denotes the rotation speed of Gas Generator section is highest for Arriel
and least for Makila

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

Power Shaft Drive


o Speed of the power shaft drive is very high for Makila 2A, this is because of the
fact that the Makila has a rear direct power drive and no reduction gear box
o After reduction gearbox the rotation speed of the engine rotors is comparable
for various helicopters and is in the range of 5000-7000 RPM

4.7.5 CLEANING RELATED PARAMETERS


Since, the main focus of this study is to analyze Cleaning procedures of the said engines;
we shall see in brief some parameters related to the engine cleaning. The operation of
Cleaning is covered in more detail in further sections.

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

Sand Accumulation in Hollow Shaft


and Cleaning of Turbine Section

Cleaning of
Turbine Section

TABLE 5: Cleaning Parameters Comparative Study of free-turbine Turboshafts


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

Cleaning Related Problems


o Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing are scheduled maintenance task to recover
performance of the engine, but at times they are used in case some specific
problem arises
o Arriel engines consist of a hollow shaft which might get accumulated with
sand or dirt depending on operating conditions and can cause vibration. To
restore the performance cleaning of hollow shaft is to be performed.
However, it should be noted that this is not a Line 1 maintenance task.
o Makila engines because of their length might encounter some problems in
cleaning of aft stages of the compressor and turbine stages
o Apart from this cleaning operation is used in order to recover T4.5 margin
and/or Torque margin based on Power Assurance Check

Now, with the basic knowledge of turboshaft engines, we move on to the analysis of Cleaning, Washing
and Rinsing for Turboshaft Engines.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

5 CLEANING, WASHING AND RINSING TURBOMECA PROCEDURES


The procedures of Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing are some of the most important and effective
tasks for performance recovery of engines. The tasks are mandatory for all sorts of gas turbine
engines, land-based or aviation, turbojet or turbofan, and so on. In this section, we shall be
concentrating on the specific procedures for Turboshaft engines specified by Turbomeca,
followed by their comparison and analysis with external Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing procedures
in the next section. Furthermore, the cleaning of engines is performed in all levels of maintenance,
albeit with varied sophistication and technique; here we shall be specifically focusing on procedures
specified for 1st Line Maintenance.
Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing are very broad and generic terms, hence, numerous definitions
and interpretations can be derived, making the technical communication and any further discussion
not just confusing but at times misleading. Thus, at the outset, we shall get introduced to the
nomenclature and definitions of the seemingly-trivial but nonetheless important operations of
Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing in context of turboshaft engines.

Figure 7: Typical Equipment for Compressor Cleaning


This section is heavily derived from the information obtained from Turbomeca Maintenance
Manuals and Technical Specifications, and from the vast amount of data in these publications
relevant information has been extracted, analyzed and compiled. In this section, firstly we see the
existing Turbomeca procedures for Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning, respectively. For each of the
process a generic description is provided followed by detailed comparison of the process for the
three turboshaft engines, namely, Arriel 2S2, Arrius 2B2 and Makila 2A. Each section concludes
with comments on ambiguities in the current procedures and suggestions for improvements.
Lastly, all the information related to operations of Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing, i.e. details about
necessary Cleaning Products, Safety, Frequencies, Tools and Equipments, is compiled.
With all this information, we shall be equipped with ample background and clarity of jargon to
understand the evolution, comparison and analysis of the Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing
procedures apart from that of Turbomeca, which are covered in the next section.

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

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Cleaning getting rid of dirt, impurities and extraneous substances


Washing cleaning with water
Rinsing washing quickly with water and no soap

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

Table 6: Comparison of Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing


The above table lists some of the main parameters of interest in the operations related to
engine cleaning. In the next sections, we shall see the same parameters in more detail and
comparison of the processes for engines of varying architecture.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

5.2.1 GENERIC PROCEDURE


Procedure for Rinsing is specific to each engine, but there are a few common tasks that
are performed in rinsing of all engines; the specific numeric parameters (amount of
fluid, time required, etc.) usually vary. The procedure of Rinsing can be divided into the
following basic steps:

Preparation of Rinsing mixture


o Quantity of mixture
o Percentage of Constituents ( Demineralised Water and Anti-Icing Agent)
o Homogenization
Aircraft Settings
o Blanking of Bleed Valve
o Closing all the aircraft manufacturer bleed valve
Tool Settings
o Connection of the tool
o Pressure/Flow settings of the tool
Injection of Rinsing Mixture
o Cranking
 Number of times
 Amount of time
 Flow speed
o Engine Running
 N1 specification
 Amount of time
 Flow Speed
Removal of Equipment
o Of tools
o Of blanks on valves
Drying of the engine
o Time
o Procedure
o Exceptions
Post-maintenance Procedure
o Internal Protection
o External Protection

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

5.2.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGINES


Now we tabulate the differences between the specified procedures for Rinsing for the
three engines:

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

Based on the Tool

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

Table 7: Comparison of Rinsing Procedure


As can be seen from the comparison, lot of differences exists in the numerical
parameters related to Rinsing for various engines:
Quantity of Rinsing Mixture
o Is least for Arrius and highest for Makila
o Directly depends on the size of the engine
Settings of the Tools
o Depending on the engine size, design of the tool and amount of flow
required differing flow speeds are specified for the engines
Drying of the Engine
o Amount of time required for drying Arriel Engine is 30 seconds
o Reason for the same is not known
Fluid Injection
o Rinsing by Cranking (Ventilation) is not listed for Arriel 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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

5.2.4 RINSING PRODUCTS


Rinsing means washing engine without any chemicals, yet based on ambient
temperature following anti-freeze products must be used:
5.2.4.1

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

Table 8: Rinsing Products


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

5.3.1 GENERIC PROCEDURE


The generic procedure for Washing is similar to that of Rinsing, except for the fact that
Cleaning Products to the tune of 2 to 5% are used while Engine Washing, while only
distilled/demineralised water is used for Engine Rinsing.

5.3.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGINES


Now we tabulate the differences between the specified procedures for Washing for the
three engines:

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

Based on the Tool


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

Not listed for


Engine Running

Internal Protection
External Protection

Internal Protection
External Protection

Table 10: Comparison of Washing Procedure


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

This should be checked with starter generator limitation written in


Aircraft Manual
Note to Start injection at 10% N1 and continue till it drops below 10%
not written. This should be included; otherwise there can be
accumulation of cleaning products on the engine.
Additional Procedures not mentioned

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

5.3.4 WASHING PRODUCTS


Washing helps in quick removal of corrosive effluents. To achieve this certain
chemicals are required. These chemicals should be tested and approved by the engine
manufacturer before use, since they might have negative effects on the engine.
TURBOMECA qualified washing products are tabulated as follows:
Cleaning product

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

Table 11: Washing Products


For proper and effective washing, it is also imperative to have proper
concentration of the washing product, based on the following table

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)

Table 12: Proportion of Washing Mixture


(*) If the methanol/water mixture is used, the proportions of anti-freeze product must
be doubled.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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).

5.4.1 GENERIC PROCEDURE


The generic procedure for cleaning is listed below; it is different mainly in the fact that it can
be performed during ventilation (with dry crank) and requires soaking of the cleaning
mixture for a long period of time (~20 minutes). The procedure of cleaning is concluded by
that of rinsing.

Preparation of Rinsing mixture


o Quantity of mixture
o Percentage of Constituents ( Demineralised Water and Anti-Icing Agent)
o Homogenization
Aircraft Settings
o Blanking of Bleed Valve
o Closing all the aircraft manufacturer bleed valve
Tool Settings
o Connection of the tool
o Pressure/Flow settings of the tool
Injection of Rinsing Mixture
o Cranking
 Number of times
 Amount of time
 Flow speed
o Engine Running
 N1 specification
 Amount of time
 Flow Speed
Soaking
o Time of soaking
o Required for proper cleaning of dirt
Rinsing
o Described in Sec 5.2
o Done after Cleaning
o In order to remove cleaning product
Removal of Equipment
o Of tools
o Of blanks on valves
Drying of the engine
o Time
o Procedure
o Exceptions

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

5.4.2 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGINES

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

As per CCT_00800_C As per CCT_00800_C

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

Based on the Tool


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

Not Explicitly Written


Internal Protection
External Protection

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

Table 13: Comparison of Cleaning Procedure


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

The following differences occur in the procedures of the three engines:


Quantity of Rinsing Mixture
o Is least for Arrius and highest for Makila depending on the size
Flow Speed
o Not mentioned for Arriel and Makila engines hence cannot be compared
Drying of the Engine
o Is 300 seconds for all three engines
o For Makila engines it is not explicitly written
Cooling Temperature (T4.5)
o Arriel engines need to be cooled to 100C while th e Makila and the Arrius
engines need to be cooled to 70C
Cooling through Ventilation
o Not allowed for Makila 2A
o Allowed for Makila 1, Arriel and Arrius
Procedure for Cleaning
o Number of ventilations are dependent on the Customer in Makila and Arrius
o For Arriel, two ventilations are specified
Soaking
o Two 10 minute soakings for Arriel Engine
o One 20 minute soaking for Makila
o No soaking specified for Arrius
Next we list a few ambiguities present in the procedure and suggestions for the same.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

5.4.4 CLEANING PRODUCTS


5.4.4.1

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

ARDROX 6367 (Turboclean 2)


ARDROX 6368 ready to use
(Turboclean 2 RTU) (**)
TURCOJET WASH K3

ZOK 27(**)

RMC-G21(**)

TURCO 4217
TURCO 5884
TURCO 6783 series
ARDROX 6334

AL 333

SOLVEX ICE 113

SINCLAIR S (SOCOMOR)

Isopropyl alcohol

Pure methanol (AIR


3651)
Methanol/water 44/56
or 50/50

Distilled water
Demineralised
water

Minimum quality
of water

Table 14: Cleaning Products


5.4.4.2

PROPORTION OF THE MIXTURE


For proper and effective washing, it is also imperative to have proper concentration
of the washing product, based on the following table. It should be noted that for
replacement products the percentages in cleaning mixture are different.
Anti-freeze product (*)
% v/v

T0

Cleaning product
% v/v

Water
% v/v

T0>5C (41F)

20

80

5C>T0>-8C (17.6F)

15

20

65

20

50

-8C> T0>-24C (11.2F)

30

Table 15: Proportion 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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

The proportion of mixture for replacement products are listed as follows:

For the replacement products :


o Cleaning product at 50% v/v: SOLVEX ICE 113
o Cleaning product at 25% v/v: AL 333
o Cleaning product at 20%v/v: Turco 6783-50
o Cleaning product at 10% v/v: ARDROX 6334, Turco 6783-3
o Cleaning product at 15% v/v: SINCLAIR S
o Cleaning product at 5% v/v: TURCO 4217, TURCO 5884
o Ready to use cleaning product: Turco 6783-10.

Following points should be further noted in regards to proportion of the mixture:

5.5

If the 44/56 or 50/50 methanol/water mixture is used, the proportions of


anti-freeze product must be doubled (*)
Some products are RTU (Ready To Use) and do not require any water
(distilled or demineralised) (**)
o This applies to ZOK 27 which also comes in a ready to use form:
ZOK 27 RTU, Ardrox 6368 and RMC-G21,
o The proportions of the product are therefore
 100% of the product for T0>5C,
 15% anti-freeze + 85% product for 5C>T0>-8C and

30% anti-freeze + 70% product for -8C> T0>-24C.

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:

5.5.1 GENERAL CASES


Operation

Saline or corrosive atmosphere

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

Before engine storage

Before engine storage

External protection

Before engine storage


weekly

Before engine storage

Rinsing
Washing
Cleaning

None

Table 16: Frequency of Cleaning Procedures in General Cases


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

5.5.2 SPECIFIC CASES


5.5.2.1

CLEANING

Drop in performance
Before 72-hour downtime
At the start of periodic inspections
Before engine storage
After ingestion of foreign bodies.

WASHING OR CLEANING (ACCORDING TO CONDITION OF THE ENGINE)

5.5.2.2

After use of extinguishers on a hot engine


After use of extinguishers on a cold engine

Apart form the frequencies mentioned above, specialized cleaning procedure can be suggested
for performance recovery of the engines.

5.6

TOOLS

Tools play a major part in cleaning, as they


Maintain the required flow speed.
Maintain the amount of fluid flow
Dictate the optimum droplet sizes of cleaning mixture
Provide correct path for flow of cleaning mixture
Hence, for proper cleaning, it is mandatory that only Turbomeca approved tools at specified
settings are used. Furthermore, the Tools (specifically Pressure Generator) should be checked and
inspected regularly with specific equipment that whether they are providing required performance
or not. The following table lists the Tools (with their respective part numbers) required for cleaning,
washing and rinsing operations:

Arriel 2S2
OT 20 0010
TM0188G002

Makila 2A
OT 71 0050
8818480000

Arrius 2B2
OT 0057
TM0188G001

Compressor Washing Unit

N.A.

Attached to
Engine

Attached to
Engine

Equipped Flow Limiter

OT 20 0020
8819505000

N.A.

N.A.

Bleed valve Blanking


union

OT 20 0030
8816517000

N.A.

N.A.

Pressure Generator Tank

Table 17: List of Required Tools


Few tools are required for cleaning, washing and rinsing of engines which include:
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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)

Figure 8: Pressure Generator

Table 18: Pressure Generator, Arriel 2S2

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

Figure 9: Compressor Washing Unit for Makila 2A


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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:

Minimum Quality Water


o Appearance: clear, limpid, colourless, with no deposits or materials in
suspension
o Particles remaining after evaporation at 110C: ma ximum of 175 ppm
o Chloride content: 15 ppm maximum
o Sulphate content: 10 ppm maximum
o Sodium content: 10 ppm maximum
o Conductivity at 25C (optional): 400 S/cm maximum
o pH: 6 8.5.
o Hardness: 18F maximum
Note: 1F = 4 ppm of Ca 2+ = 2.4 ppm of Mg 2+
= 10 ppm of CaCO3

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

5.8

CAUTIONS - HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT


While doing any type of maintenance, let alone Cleaning, Washing and Rinsing proper care must
be taken to product oneself as well as the engine. Due to the use of chemicals it is necessary that
proper equipment is used and care taken while doing operations of engine cleaning. Following
must be specially noted:

Health and safety of the Operators:

Do not breathe in cleaning product vapours.


Work in a well-ventilated area.
Never let the cleaning or protection products come into contact with the skin.
Protect the hands with synthetic rubber gloves and the face with a screen or goggles.

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.

Care of the Engines

Use only distilled or demineralised water


Use the recommended cleaning products. Other cleaning products cannot be used
without the agreement of TURBOMECA.
Likewise, use the recommended anti-freeze products. Other anti-freeze products cannot
be used without the agreement of TURBOMECA.
The supply time of Starter generator should comply with limitations provided in Aircraft
Flight Manual
For treatments carried out during ventilation, ensure that the temperature T4.5 is less than
or equal to 70C for Makila and Arrius, and 100C f or Arriel.

Notes for proper Cleaning

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

6 CLEANING, WASHING AND RINSING CUSTOMER STUDIES


Maintenance of engines due to variety of reasons, at times, might not be as smooth as desired and
both Customers and the Service Providers have to work together in order to find out the solution and
eliminate the problem. The problems in maintenance might appear due to either discrepancies in the
Maintenance procedures (ambiguities or errors in Maintenance Manuals) or due to negligence on
the Customers side (usage of incorrect tools, unqualified material) or due to extraneous factors
(such as environmental conditions). To maintain the quality of the Maintenance and Support and
avoid such undesirable circumstances, various measures are adopted which include
Proper and timely Training of Customer and Maintenance Engineers
On-site Field Representative from the OEM to monitor the maintenance and for
troubleshooting
Interaction of Customers(Engine Users) and Engineers(Designers and Manufacturers) for
proper communication of requirements and problems through Symposiums
Continuous validation and verification of all the maintenance documents, specifically those
related to 1st Line Maintenance
Improvement and simplification of the maintenance procedures to the best extent possible
without compromising the primary goal of safe and accurate maintenance
In the past, there have been times where the procedures specified for Engine Cleaning have to be
monitored, modified and tailored specific to the customer in order to eliminate problems associated
with Engine Cleaning and for proper Performance Recovery. Some such studies are described in
this section.

Figure 10: Evolution of Procedure through Troubleshooting


When, such problems arise the engine user reports the problem to the Support department through
the respective Field Representative. First, an attempt to troubleshoot the problem on-site is made
without affecting the operations of the customer by monitoring the procedure, tools and equipments.
If this does not yield solutions, detailed studies are carried out by Field Representatives and Service
Engineers which might require some engines to be grounded. Based on the finding of the studies,
solutions are proposed which might be in the form of explanation and corrections of mistake in
maintenance procedures which the customer might be unknowingly making OR specifying Customer
tailored maintenance procedures usually due to the environmental conditions or the operating
regime of the Customers fleet. The solutions proposed are monitored for sufficient period in order to
ensure that the problem is solved.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Figure 11: Evolution of Procedure through Customer Experience


Also at times based on experience as well as operating conditions, Customers evolve the
procedures, making them better and cost-efficient. Such betterments in procedures before being
formalized and used need to be authorized and verified by the Engine manufacturer. This also
requires analysis by the Field Representatives and Service Engineers and results in modified, better
and customer-tailored maintenance procedures. The customer studies are mentioned according to
the regions that they were encountered in.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Insufficient Crank Time


o Result in inferior mass flow than required
o Improper circulation of Cleaning Fluid
Accumulation of Cleaning Product possible
o Accumulation around axial compressor labyrinth seals
o Possibility of Corrosion
o Possibility of cleaning mixture being mixed with oil system

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

Table 19: Survey of Rinsing of North Sea Operators


Most of the quantities listed above though different are approved by the Maintenance
Manual. The main differences were:
Quality of Water
o Mains Water (Minimum Quality Water) used by Operator D
o As much as possible Distilled or Demineralised water should be used
Quantity of Rinsing Mixture
o 3.5 litres for Operator A
o Maintenance Manuals though does not require to use any specific quantity
suggests usage of around 6 litres of water

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

Table 20: Survey of Cleaning of North Sea Operators

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

7 CLEANING, WASHING AND RINSING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE TURBOMECA


In the previous sections we saw the introduction and detailed analysis of Cleaning, Washing and
Rinsing specified by Turbomeca specifically for its Turboshaft Engines (Arrius, Arriel and Makila).
Next, we saw the evolution of these specific procedures due to problems and experiences shared by
the Helicopter Operators. This section now gives an overview and analysis of procedures and
studies regarding cleaning of engines available and adopted outside Turbomeca.
This section is derived from the open literature and publications available on Cleaning of Turboshaft
Engines. Hence, in contrast to the previous sections it is far more generic and we shall not be
considering the semantics (wordings) and minute details of the processes as was done before.
Rather, here we give an overview of current state-of-the-art of Engine Cleaning based on previous
experiences and studies.
Firstly, to be on an equal footing nomenclature described earlier with the jargon used in the studies
and publications. Thereafter, evolution of cleaning procedures over the years is discussed. Lastly, a
few comments and suggestions based on analysis of these publications for design of better cleaning
procedures are compiled.

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

Table 21: Terminology for Engine Cleaning


Online Cleaning
o Is same as cleaning during Engine Running; and
o Is often referred to as a hot wash
Offline Cleaning
o Is same as cleaning during Ventilation (using the dry crank); and
o Is also called cold wash

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

Damage of blade coatings

Very effective

Shutdown of engine

Low interference with


engine operation

Less effective
Cannot replace offline
washing

Table 22: Evolution of Engine Cleaning Procedures


A milder method hence was developed, to wash off the deposits using water with and
without the addition of chemicals, detergents and/or surfactants. This was found to be more
effective than the abrasive cleaning methods and has become the leading applied method.
It is further divided into two methods, namely, offline and online. As explained earlier the
cleaning depending on the use of detergent (cleaning product) is known either as cleaning,
washing or rinsing.
The soak or crank wash, also referred to as offline compressor wash, requires a shutdown
of the engine and is performed using dry crank, with the starter motor turning the engine.
The rotational speed is therefore on the order of 20% to a maximum of 30% of the normal
operational speed, resulting in a reduced airflow through the engine. The only
disadvantage of this method is the shutting down of engines and the extensive time
required; this includes the time required to
Cool the engine
o Time required may be up to 3 hours for helicopter engines
 As they are light weight and with relatively low metal content
o For land engines the time for cooling is usually even higher
Injection of Cleaning Fluid at reduced speed
o Hence for more time as compared to online washing
Soak the cleaning product
o For proper effect of cleaning products and surfactants
Rinse the engines
o To remove accumulation of chemicals
Dry the engines
o To prevent corrosion
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Figure 12: Compressor Washing System


Now its the leading method applied to aircraft and helicopter engines, but initially concerns
were raised on its effectiveness and the problems of corrosion it might cause. It is used in
combination with online wash (with engine running) to give effective as well as timeefficient procedures.

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

Table 23: Comparison of Engine Cleaning across various manufacturers


Detailed studies on evolution and influential parameters exist in open literature (and are
listed in References). Optimizing engine cleaning is highly specific to the particular engine
type and can be done only by detailed theoretical or experimental analysis. However, the
thumb rules obtained from literature are particularly useful in making quick decisions
(specifically required in maintenance and support) and also for verification of existing
procedures. With the same philosophy, based on data available from open literature, we
now proceed to analyse and propose solutions for the problem of volcanic ash.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

8 VOLCANIC ASH - INTRODUCTION


Since time immemorial, volcanoes have been considered as one of the most formidable
phenomenon manifested by the Nature. Some theories even indicate that the extinction of dinosaurs
could have been aftermath of certain volcanic eruptions. To this day, volcanic eruptions result in
mass disruption of life and there is nothing that can be done to control these eruptions. However, by
proper prediction and management the damage caused by an eruption can be minimized.
Volcanic eruptions affect the environment through various channels which include Volcanic Ash,
Lahars, Landslides, Lava and Tephra. Of all these effects, Volcanic Ash is the one that concerns
aviation and only it shall be considered in this section.
This section, like the previous one, is based on open literature and publications, available on
Volcanic Ash and its interaction with Aviation and specifically engines. Firstly, basics about
volcanoes and volcanic ash are presented. Then, the effect of volcanic ash on aviation in general is
described. This section provides the background information for analysis and treatment of engine
maintenance after encounter with volcanic ash, which is presented in the next chapter.

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.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

8.1.2 VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS


The arrival of volcanic products at the surface of the Earth is termed as an eruption. Some
definitions of the word include purely gaseous expulsions, but it is usually confined to
events that involve at least the explosive ejection of fragmental material or the effusion of
liquid lava. This is done in order to record and categorize the eruptions so that they can be
used for practical purposes. The volcanic eruptions are classified based on various metrics
which are explained hereafter.
Various metrics exist indicating the severity of the Volcanic Explosion depending on the
volume of injected tephra, height of the ejected column, duration for which the eruption
lasted, and so on. For aviation purposes the property used is explosivity . Explosivity
provides some idea of the magnitude of the eruption and more important whether, and how
much, volcanic ash is ejected into the atmosphere and also the likely height of the column.
The quantitative metric to represent explosivity is known as Volcanic Explosivity Index
(VEI) which depends on a rough estimate of the ejected mass, height of the volcanic ash
column and duration of continuous eruption blast. The following figure shows the details
about VEI. Due to the very nature of the volcanic eruptions it is quite difficult to classify
them into rigid compartments and hence very criteria overlap.

Figure 13: Volcanic Explosivity lndex VEI


Aviation is specifically affected by the Plinian-type eruptions because they eject vast quantity
of ash up to, and above, the cruising level of international jet transport. Having said this,
however, it must also be emphasized that volcanic eruptions of lower VEI than Plinian cannot
be totally ignored because of the ash column could reach jet cruising levels and, if the
volcano is situated near approach/departure paths, even weaker columns could affect aircraft
descending to or climbing from aerodromes. Also, since our main focus is on Helicopters,
who fly at relatively low altitudes, are always more likely to be affected by explosions of lower
VEI as compared to jet aircrafts. Helicopters, thus, can be affected by all explosions with VEI
more than or equal to 2.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

8.1.3 VOLCANIC ASH


Small jagged pieces of rocks, minerals, and volcanic glass the size of sand and silt (less
than 2 millimetres in diameter) erupted by a volcano are called volcanic ash. Very small
ash particles can have diameters lesser than 1 micrometre. Volcanic Ash, by its name can
be misleading, for it is not the product of combustion, like the fluffy soft material created by
burning wood, leaves, or paper. Rather, volcanic ash is
Hard,
Does not dissolve in water
Extremely Abrasive
Mildly Corrosive, and
Conducts electricity when wet
Volcanic ash is formed during explosive volcanic eruptions. Explosive eruptions occur
when gases dissolved in molten rock (magma) expand and escape violently into the air,
and also when water is heated by magma and abruptly flashes into steam. The force of
the escaping gas violently shatters solid rocks. Expanding gas also shreds magma and
blasts it into the air, where it solidifies into fragments of volcanic rock and glass. Once in
air, wind can blow ash particles tens to thousands of kilometres away from the volcano.

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

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

VOLCANIC ASH AND AVIATION

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
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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:

Volcanic Monitoring and Eruption Forecasts


o Seismic Monitoring, Visual Observations and Remote Sensing
Detection and Tracking of Ash Clouds
o With Satellites and Visual Observations
Forecasting Ash Cloud Trajectories
o Through Stochastic Models and Empirical Relations
Education of Pilots, ATC and aviation industry in general
o Training of Pilots and Engineers
o Details in Flight and Maintenance Manuals
o By encouraging research
 Through Symposiums
 Through Workshops
Warning and Avoidance
o Quick and Simple warnings to Pilots
o Also provided to Airports ATC
o Graphical warnings preferred these days

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.

8.2.2 EFFECT ON AVIATION


As mentioned earlier, in the last three decades over 100 aircrafts have sustained flight
encounters with volcanic ash. That number can be considered a minimum value, because
not all encounter incidents are publicly reported. These numerous instances of aircraft
flying into volcanic ash clouds have demonstrated the serious damage that can be
sustained.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

8.2.3 EFFECT ON AIRCRAFTS


The various incidents reported above of flight encounters with volcanic ash have shown us
that serious damage can be sustained to the aircraft and engines. Ash particles are angular
fragments having the hardness of a pocket-knife blade and, upon impact with aircraft
travelling at speeds of several hundred knots, cause abrasion damage to forward-facing
surfaces, including windscreens, fuselage surfaces, and compressor fan blades.
Experimental tests determined the following mechanisms that can affect aircraft
performance due to exposure to a volcanic ash cloud:

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,

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

Figure 16: Effect of Volcanic Ash Encounter on an Aircraft


Other problems are encountered at airports while landing and take off which include:

Reduced runway friction coefficient, especially when the ash is wet,


Loss of local visibility when ash on the ground is disturbed by engine
exhausts
Deposition of ash on hangars and parked aircraft,
Structural loading on aircraft very high due to ash (specially wet ash)
deposits - Since wet ash has a density of 1000-2000 kg/m3
Contaminated ground-support systems.
Quite often, the volcanic ash cloud is not visible to the naked eye or the instrumentation; if
that is the case, the following phenomenon help to indicate an inadvertent entry into a
Volcanic Ash Cloud:

Smoke or very fine dust in cabin


Acrid odor (like electrical smoke)
Low air-speed indications
Cargo fire warnings (caused by ash triggering smoke detectors)
Static discharges (St. Elmo's fire) around windscreen, or on wing,
stabilizer, or fin tips
White glow (searchlight effect) at engine inlets
Multiple engine malfunctions (increasing EGT, power loss, stall or
flameout).
It should be noted, though, there have been ash encounters where none of the above
indications were observed after encountering volcanic ash. One such encounter was in
2000 when an experimental NASA DC-8 aircraft flue into dilute ash cloud. The ash cloud
was not visible and no abnormalities were detected during flight. Only after ground
inspection, it was found that volcanic ash damaged and was deposited in engine ducts.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

Acrid Odour (e.g. sulphur gas in cabin) ,


Electrostatic Discharge (St. Elmo's Fire) on Windshield, Nose, Engine
No notable damage to exterior or interior

Light dust in cabin; No oxygen used,


EGT fluctuations with eventual return to normal Values

Heavy cabin dust; "dark as night" in cabin,


External and Internal abrasion damage,
Deposit of Ash in Engine,
Window Frosting,
Severe contamination of air systems requiring the use of Oxygen

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.

Figure 17: Condition of an Aircraft after Volcanic Ash Accumulation


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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

8.2.4 NOTIFICATIONS AND WARNINGS


Early notifications and timely warnings regarding Volcanic Eruptions are the primary means
through which any accident can be avoided. The warnings must be simple and fast. They
should also be easy to comprehend and hence issued with the help of a graphic colour
code. Lastly, the warnings should be of sufficient fidelity and should be issued based on
careful observations and analysis.
Generic and simple alert levels are issued by VAACs for volcanoes under its region, which
help provide timely notification of an eruption to the aviation community. These are
described as follows:

Colour

Term

Description
Normal non-eruptive state;
typical background activity

GREEN

Forecast
No Eruption anticipated

An eruption in possible in next


few weeks and may occur with
little or no additional warning
Escalated or sustained intense Explosive eruption is possible
unrest indicating eruption
within a few days and may occur
ORANGE WATCH
likely, timeframe uncertain,
with little or no warning.
OR, eruption underway which Ash plume(s) not expected to
poses a localized hazard
reach 25,000 feet above sea level
Major explosive eruption
Hazardous eruption is
expected within 24 hours. Large
RED
WARNING
imminent
ash plume(s) expected to reach at
(within hours) or underway
least 25,000 feet above sea level

YELLOW ADVISORY

Elevated unrest above


known background activity

Table 25: Alert Levels for Volcanic Eruptions


Apart from these alert levels, NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) and specific bulletins are issued
by the specific aviation agency in order to notify the aviation community and to ensure
smooth and safe air traffic.
In order to, issue these notifications and warnings, the Volcanoes need to be continuously
monitored. Due to their sheer number, and to add to it, their geographic locations it is
practically and economical infeasible to monitor all the volcanoes. Hence, for issuing proper
and timely warnings forecasting based on seismic data is done. However, this forecasting
is far from perfect due to the unpredictability of volcanic eruptions and rapid movement of
volcanic ash clouds. Thus, pilots are required to report of their visual observations of
unusual phenomena at volcanoes or presence of ash clouds. A volcano observatory often
tries to corroborate a pilot report of eruptive activity against other data, as a volcano can
experience increased steaming or display unusual local cloud effects not related to actual
eruptive activity. It is only with proper support, multiple data and verification, that correct
and timely notifications regarding eruptions and ash cloud be issued.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

8.2.5 FLY ZONES


VAACs use volcano-observatory reports, satellite data, and ash-dispersion models as the
basis to predict and forecast the ash cloud trajectories. Based on forecasting and
observations it is decided whether flight operations should or should not be allowed in a
specific region.
As we know, an ash cloud eventually dissipates in the atmosphere, and ash concentrations
drop. However, the threshold concentration at which ash poses no harm to aircraft is not
known, and indeed, may never fully be characterized for all situations involving aircraft. It is
usually assumed that ash identifiable on satellite images continues to present a hazard to
aircraft.
The concentration of volcanic ash in the atmosphere following an eruption is commonly
referred to by volcanologists as the mass loading. The mass loading in the umbrella
region off the column typically varies approximately linearly with the height of the volcanic
ash column, from around 2 500 mg/m3 for a column reaching 7 km to over 20 000 mg/m3
for one reaching 40 km. It has been estimated that the volcanic ash concentration
encountered by the KLM B747 during the Mt. Redoubt eruption in December 1989 was of
the order of 2 000 mg/m3 and caused temporary engine failure. Accordingly, the consensus
of the aviation community is that if an ash cloud can be discerned, it should be avoided.
However, recently during eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull, due to advancements in technology,
it was possible to detect the volcanic ash clouds as low as 0.2 mg/m3. Initially flights were
disallowed in ash clouds of densities up to 2 mg/m3, as it was not clear how low is low to
prevent damage. Though, soon after due to the prolonged activity of Eyjafjallajokull,
problems caused in transportation and severe economic losses suffered by the aviation
industry, it was decided to revise the criteria and allow flights based on more analysis.
However, proper care was to be taken as any negligence could result in accident, and
studies indicated that even low concentration ash could produce long term damage to the
aircraft and specifically its engines.
Thus after careful and detailed analysis, regions based on prediction of cloud trajectory and
mass loading were divided into Fly Zones. These fly zones are primarily characterized by
the mass loading of Volcanic Ash, and specified timely maintenance and inspection of
aircraft and engines to avoid any damage. These zones were specified as follows:

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

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

An area outside Zone where flying can be conducted when


actual conditions, risk assessment and test(s) can establish, that
flights can be conducted at an acceptable level of safety
o Requires authorization and prior permission from the operators
o Flight operations allowed for only limited period of time
o Detailed inspections and maintenance necessary both before
and after the flight
o Depicted by colour GREY
Enhanced Procedure Zones
o Zone 3
o Mass Loading : Between 0.2 and 2 mg/m3
o An area free of contamination where flights can be conducted
without any restrictions or special prerequisites
o Depicted by colour - RED
o

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.

Figure 18: Fly Zones An Illustration


Most of the engine failures till date have taken place at a mass loading of 2000 mg/m3 or
more. Though, this cannot ensure that flight in Time Limited Zones will be without any after
effects, but with proper maintenance both before and after the flight the extent of damage
caused by flight in Time Limited Zones can be greatly minimized. Now, we discuss effect of
volcanic ash on engines and suggest maintenance procedures for the same.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

9 VOLCANIC ASH AND ENGINES


Potential engine damage caused by the ingestion of dust or ash-laden air is a serious consideration
for the operation of gas turbine engines on unimproved runways or in dusty environments. Several
different mechanisms can be active in altering engine performance during or after exposure to a
dust-laden environment. In this section, we discuss effect of Ash Ingestion on Aviation Engines.
The following chapter is focussed specifically on effect of volcanic ash on engines. Firstly, the effect
of Volcanic Ash on engines is described and a numeric analysis is presented to understand the
severity of the problem. A comparison of Volcanic Ash has been made with other contaminants
which affect engine performance. Next, the current solutions and various service bulletins regarding
engine maintenance with regards to Volcanic Ash have been compiled. Finally, some solutions and
suggestions in regards to engine cleaning and maintenance after an encounter with volcanic ash
have been presented. These suggestions have been derived from open literature and by
comparison of volcanic ash with other critical phenomenon related to engine cleaning.

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:

Glassification of hot-section components

Erosion in compressor blades and rotor paths

Blockage of cooling paths

Oil system or bleed air supply contamination

Figure 19: Deposits of Re-melted Volcanic Ash on NGV


The response of a jet engine when exposed to volcanic ash depends on a number of variables,
including the concentration of the ash, engine type, engine thrust setting, time of exposure and
ash composition and has been investigated for the past two decades, through the strip-down
inspection of jet engines which have been exposed to volcanic ash clouds and through ground
tests. Though, a lot of effects are observed, there are mainly four ways through which Volcanic
Ash affects jet engines:
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Melting point of Volcanic Ash


o Volcanic ash has a melting point of around 1000C , which is below the engine
core temperature of around 1400C
o The ash melts in the hot section of the engine and fuses on the high pressure
Nozzle Guide Vanes and Turbine Blades
o The turbine inlet throat area reduces and increases compressor exit pressure
o Compressor Surge is eventually caused
o Surge causes immediate thrust loss and possible engine flame-out

Hardness and Abrasive


o The volcanic ash is very hard and also abrasive
o Sand blasting effect due to the speed of ingestion
o Erodes compressor rotor paths and rotor blade tips
o Causes loss of engine efficiency and thrust
o Corrosion also could result in loss of stall margin
o This effect is permanent and irreversible and usually requires engine overhaul
o Reduction of engine thrust to idle reduces the rate of erosion

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

Figure 20: Compressor Tip Erosion due to Volcanic Ash

9.2

ASH INGESTION AN ESTIMATE


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 and
mass loading of the aircraft.

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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

Table 26: Parameters for Ash Ingestion Analysis

The time of flight


o One hour
Concentration of ash
o Same as that encountered in Time Limited Zones (Fly zones where Volcanic Ash
exists but flight is allowed for a limited period of time)
o This should be contrasted with the fact that the most polluted cities have dust
concentration lower than 0.004 mg/m3
o The value of Mass Loading shall always be higher for No Fly Zone, if rotorcraft goes
near the volcano it can encounter ash concentrations up to 40000 mg/m3
Rate of Air Intake, G
o 6.36 kg/s
o Has been taken same as that for Makila 2A (Arrius and Arriel have lower value of G)
Altitude of Flight
o 10000 ft (~3000 m)
Density of Air
o 0.9 kg/m3 at given altitude based on ISA
Air Volume Flow Rate
o Indicates volume of air ingested into air per second
o 2.78 m3/s
o = ( Rate of Air Intake )/ ( Density of Air )
Ash Mass Flow Rate
o 3.06 mg/s
o = (Mass Loading)*(Air Volume flow rate)
Ash Ingestion in a hour long flight
o 101,81 g
o = (Ash mass flow rate)*(Time of flight)
o The same analysis for 5000 ft yields ash ingestion of 86 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.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Figure 21: Sand Ingestion during Take-off


Sand ingestion can thus result in the following problems:

Cooling of the Engine


o Blocking of the coolant passages
o Blocking of film-cooling holes
o Adheres to the surface of engines
o Reduces the heat transfer from coolant to metal surface
o Increased airfoil and engine temperatures
o Reduces Convention and Increased thermal resistance
Decreases Mass Flow Rate by clogging
Reduction in service life (Abrasive effects Sand Blasting)
Mechanical Corrosion Results in loss in efficiency
Melting of particles beyond 1000 C

9.3.2 CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENT


Engines operating in off-shore condition (especially in oil and gas industry) frequently
encounter chemically corrosive conditions. Helicopters are a prime requirement for offshore oil and gas industry, and detailed Cleaning procedures thus exist for helicopter
engines encountering chemically corrosive atmosphere. Marine or saline environment for
engines is usually termed as any flight operation in proximity to the sea or above salt water
at an altitude of less than 250 ft and in a perimeter of 5km/3 miles inland. The main
problems caused are:

Chemical Corrosion
o Reacts with water and becomes corrosive
o Corrosion of engine parts
Formation of deposits
o
Result in decrease of engine performance

9.3.3 COMPARISON WITH VOLCANIC ASH


Till now, we have seen the damages caused by Volcanic Ash, Sand and Chemical
Environment. Broadly, it can be observed that the damages caused by Volcanic Ash are a
combination of the damages caused due to Sand and that caused due to chemically
corrosive environment.
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

9.4.1 CURRENT PROCEDURES


The problem of Volcanic Ash is rare and rather recent; and flights in ash-laden atmosphere
are a strict no-no. Thus, detailed maintenance procedures for engines encountering with
Volcanic Ash do not exist.
Historically, flight operations were strictly not allowed in ash atmospheres. Though, due to
the prolonged activity of Eyjafjallajokull and the economic effects it had, it was decided to
divide regions into various Fly Zones (see Section 8.2.5) and selectively allow flight based
on mass loading of ash clouds. For airworthiness of flights in Time Limited Zones (with
Mass Loading: Between 2 and 4 mg/m3), it was made necessary for operators to have
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

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.

9.4.2 SERVICE BULLETINS


Service Bulletins or Service Letters specify changes or addition to the maintenance
procedures, due to evolution of procedures or new problems. Due to the Iceland eruptions,
it was mandatory for all engine manufacturers to release Service Letter/Bulletins specifying
maintenance procedures for operations in volcanic ash clouds. We compare the service
bulletins released by different Engine Manufacturers
Turbomeca
o In Flight Procedure -Monitoring of flight parameters and operating conditions
 Outside temperature
 Relative wind
 Presence of particles, fumes or turbulences
o Maintenance programme
 for salt, corrosive or polluted atmosphere
 for sandy atmosphere
o If ash deposits detected, contact Field Representative before further use of
engine

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

Table 26: Comparison of Volcanic Ash Service Bulletins

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

Procedures for No Fly Zone and Time Limited Zones


 Post Flight Inspection for signs of ash contamination of:
Inlet area including axial compressor
Temperature Sensors
External Parts of the engines
Air Filters
 Cleaning
Of exterior of the engine and complete airframe of inlet
Using only shop air, vacuum and wiping with approved
solvent (no use of water)
Recommendations not to use pressure wash equipment or
fluid spray cleaning due to the possibility of relocation of large
deposits and hardening of ash
 On condition monitoring for detection of ash
Borescope inspection of accessible nozzles and blades
 If ash detected even after cleaning contact Engine manufacturer
before returning the engine to service
 If no contamination after cleaning do procedures listed for Enhanced
Procedures Zone
o Procedures for Enhanced Procedures Zone
 Do all checks for No Fly Zones
If no contamination, proceed to following steps
 Inspect and clean the air system
 Clean and inspect all pneumatic type equipments
 Change the engine fuel and oil filters
after every 25 hours until operating in EPZ
 Check and if required change the air filter every 25 hrs
 Acceleration Check - there should be no surge observed
 PAC- trend monitoring at every 25 hrs
 Compressor Cleaning with water and pressurized equipment after 50
hrs operation in ash free zone
Rolls Royce
o Acceleration Check No Surge should be observed
o Compressor Wash with water and pressurized equipment
 Every 25 hrs - if Enhanced Procedures Zone
 End of every flight - if No Flight Zone or Time Limited Zone
 Wash the compressor and components using an approved solution
o Flush the engine oil system.
o Clean or replace the engine oil filter, fuel filter and air filter.
o For aircraft equipped with bleed valves: - clean the bleed valve air system
o Perform compressor erosion inspection.
o Trend monitoring of engine to predict and avoid any future problems
o

Pratt and Whitney, PWC


o Provided procedures only for Time Limited Zone
o Visual and Borescope inspection for sign of ash and erosion
 Specifically erosion of compressors
 Fuel Nozzles
o No specific mention of Engine Washing or Cleaning
o Monitoring of Oil Filters and Fuel Filters

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

o
o
o
o

Monitoring of Bleed Valve, Air Path and Air System


Acceleration Check
Performance Assurance Check
Periodicity
 During the operations in TLZ every 10 hours
 After volcanic ash conditions have ended every 50 hours

A lot of similarities could be found in the maintenance procedures specified by different


engine manufacturer, though contradictory suggestions do exist. Specifically, there is no
consensus whether washing of engines should be done after an ash encounter and
whether water must be used or not. Based, on properties of Volcanic Ash and research
studies available some procedures are suggested which could be followed in event of
Volcanic Ash encounter.

9.4.3 SUGGESTIONS ENGINE CLEANING


As seen in the previous section, there is some disagreement on the use of water in
cleaning of engines post-flight in Volcanic Ash. Treatment after exposure with either sand
or chemically corrosive environment requires thorough cleaning of engines with the help of
pressurized equipment and water.
However, in the case of Volcanic Ash, there is slight difference, in the fact that water at
times can turn the ash to sludge or causes it to harden. However, some studies also find
cleaning to be ineffective if the ash is not slightly wet. In order to find a fool-proof solution,
detailed computational and experimental studies can be carried out, but some quick
engineering solutions can be derived from the literature, which are bound to work in most of
the cases. The following pointers can be used while specifying a modified cleaning
procedure
Vacuum Cleaning (Dry wash) of the engine
o Clean the engine first with only shop air and shop vacuum (similar
to vacuum cleaning)
o Do not scrub or wipe engine before Vacuum Cleaning (dry wash)
o Do not use any water
o To be performed using dry crank (ventilation)
o This shall drive out most of the dry ash
o However, wet ash if already present will still remain inside the
engine duct
Engine Washing with Hot Water
o Use warm to hot water (from 50 to 70C) for washin g
o To be performed using dry crank (ventilation)
o Use specified chemicals, as mentioned in Maintenance Manual
 Specific Chemicals for Volcanic Ash can be recommended
by the Engine Manufacturer
o Wash first without soaking and at low concentration (~2%) of
cleaning products
o After the Wash is performed, inspect engine for any signs of ash
hardening
 If the wet ash is hardening,
Clean the engine with only shop air and vacuum
Contact Field Representative
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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

 If the wet ash is getting removed - modified Engine Cleaning


Modified Engine Cleaning with Hot Water
o Use warm to hot water (from 50 to 70C) for cleani ng
o To be performed using dry crank (ventilation)
o Use specified chemicals, as mentioned in Maintenance Manual
 Specific Chemicals for Volcanic Ash can be recommended
by the Engine Manufacturer
o Let the cleaning mixture soak for specified time and use high
concentration (~20%) of cleaning products
o Clean the engine with only shop air and vacuum
o Perform drying of the engine
After above procedure, do borescope inspection
o If the ash still persists and is not fully removed
 Contact Field Representative
o If the wet ash is getting removed
 Procedure is finished
 Proceed to protection and covering of engine
Protection and Covering of Engine
o Once on ground engine should be properly covered by installing
blanks
o Internal and external protection of engine should be performed

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.

9.4.4 SUGGESTIONS SERVICE BULLETINS


In the previous section we specifically considered the case of engine cleaning after
encounter with Volcanic Ash. Other maintenance procedures also need to be carried out
for ensuring proper functioning of the engine. Following maintenance procedures should be
performed post encounter with Volcanic Ash:

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

o
o

Inspection and if necessary cleaning and replacement of some


selected (which could be affected by ash ingestion based on
engine architecture)
 Oil Filters
 Fuel Filters
 Pneumatic Devices and Air Filters
 Bleed Valve
Perform Acceleration Check
 Surge should not be encountered
Proper protection of the engine
 Engine should be kept properly covered in Volcanic Ash
affected helipads and airports

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

9.5

LONG TERM SOLUTIONS


To quote the manual on Volcanic Ash At present, the recommended procedure in the case of
Volcanic Ash is regardless of ash concentration is AVOID AVOID AVOID. The sentence is
befitting since, no precise values of ash concentration can be defined which do or do not
constitute a hazard to engines. However, this should not stop us from looking solutions which
could completely eradicate the problems of Volcanic Ash. Surely, solutions will not be easy and
may even not be economically feasible; but without proper analysis they should not be discarded.
In this section we list some open-ended approaches (at the very basic level) towards minimizing
and/or eradicating the problem of Volcanic Ash for Engines. These ideas, as mentioned are
open-ended, and may or may not be economically feasible; although, for sure they warrant
further study and might turn out to be the solution.

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)

9.5.2 ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES


Volcanic Ash exhibits some electric properties, such as, St. Elmos fire (similar to
Electrostatic Discharge). This indicates present of ions in the Volcanic Ash. Ash also has
various minerals, which could have magnetic properties. By exploiting the electromagnetic
properties of Volcanic Ash, ash ingestion if not prevented could be minimized.

9.5.3 DEVELOPMENT OF SOLUTIONS


In order to develop the long term solutions, it is necessary that proper and channelized
development is done. Listed below are few pointers regarding the same:

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.

R APPOR T DE STAGE TECHNIQUE


INTERNSHI P TECHNICAL REPORT

9.5.4 ENGINE DESIGN


Due to the seriousness of the problem it is necessary that based on experience, some
consideration is given to the problem of Volcanic Ash directly during the design of
upcoming engines. This requires, during engine design, the development of:

Smart Relight Systems


o Engine restart during flight should be facilitated by smart relight systems
included in the control systems while design
o Addition of a time-delay circuit to allow an air-started engine to reach
stabilized idle speed before the electrical or generator load is applied. This
would facilitate engine restarts under less-than-ideal conditions
In-flight Procedures
o Detailed in-flight procedures specifying maximum engine power levels
(expressed in engine pressure ratio (EPR), fan speed (N1), and (or)
exhaust-gas temperature (EGT) levels) that will minimize build up of melted
and re-solidified ash on nozzle guide vanes.

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.

Turbomeca Maintenance Manuals - Arriel 2S 2, Makila 2A and Arrius 2B 2


Turbomeca Training Manuals - Arriel 2S 2, Makila 2A and Arrius 2B 2
CCT 800 - Standard Conditions for Rinsing, Washing and Cleaning Turbomeca Engines
F.C. Mund and P. Pilidis Gas Turbine Compressor Washing: Historical Developments, Trends
and Main Design Parameters for Online Systems
5. J. Stadler Gas Turbine Compressor Washing State of the Art: Field Experiences
6. F.C. Mund and P. Pilidis Compressor Washing: A Numerical Survey of Influential Parameters
7. M. P. Boyce and F. Gonzalez A study of Online and Offline Turbine Washing to Optimize the
operations of a Gas Turbine
8. R. Kurz and K. Brun Degradation in Gas Turbine Systems
9. OACI Doc 9691 Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material and Toxic Chemical Clouds
10. T.J. Casadevall et al. Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety: Proceedings of the First International
Symposium on Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety
11. M. Guffanti and Capt. E K Miller Reducing the threat to Aviation from Airborne Volcanic Ash
12. Volcanic Ash Service Bulletins
13. Resources on internet
o volcanoes.usgs.gov
o www.volcano.si.edu
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.

You might also like