General Electric Company

Thomas Edwin Anderson

Stephen Joseph Ferrigno

James Douglas Risbeck

Tris Colaizzi

James George Kelley

Gail Robert Dearth

A method of cleaning airfoils and related turbine engine components that have a crust-like debris deposited on the surface thereof. This method involves subjecting at least the portion of the component having the deposit of the crust-like debris to sufficient laser shock peening to cause the debris on the surface thereof to be loosened therefrom so that the loosened debris can be removed from the component. This loosened debris can then be removed from the component, such as by passing a cleaning fluid through the portion of the component that is subjected to the laser shock peening.

Method of cleaning turbine component using laser shock peening

A laser beam is shaped by eclisping it with a mask of desired shape. The shaped beam is used to drill a hole corresponding to the shape of the beam.

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Mason, OH, United States of America

Thomas Edwin Anderson