Patent ID: 7497220

Claim:
A device for cleaning a gas turbine engine, which engine includes at least one engine shaft, a fan rotatably arranged on a first shaft, which fan comprises a plurality of fan blades mounted on a hub and extending substantially in a radial direction each having a pressure side and a suction side, and a core engine including a compressor unit and turbines for driving said compressor unit and said fan, the device comprising one or more nozzles arranged to atomize cleaning liquid in the air stream in an air inlet of the engine, wherein the one or more nozzles comprises at least one of: a first nozzle arranged at a position relative a centre line of said engine arranged such that the cleaning liquid emanated from said first nozzle is regulated in a direction so that a substantial portion of the cleaning liquid emanated impinges the surfaces of said blades on said pressure side and a limited portion impinges said surfaces of said blades on said suction side or passes between the blades; a second nozzle arranged at a position relative said centre line of said engine arranged such that the cleaning liquid emanated from said second nozzle is regulated in a direction so that a substantial portion of the cleaning liquid emanated impinges the surfaces of said blades on said suction side and a limited portion impinges said surfaces of said blades on said pressure side or passes between the blades; or a third nozzle arranged at a position relative said centre line of said engine arranged such that the cleaning liquid emanated from said third nozzle is regulated in a direction so that a substantial portion of the cleaning liquid emanated passes between said blades and enters an inlet of said core engine and a limited portion impinges said surfaces of said blades; wherein said one or more nozzles comprises each of said first nozzle, second nozzle and third nozzle; and said inlet of said core engine is limited by on one side a splitter and on the other side a point on said hub, wherein said third nozzle is arranged so that the cleaning liquid emanated from said third nozzle forms a spray which, at said inlet, has a width, along an axis substantially parallel with the radial extension of the blades of said fan, substantially equal to the distance between said splitter and said point on said hub.