Online Water Wash Tests of GE J85-13

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a series of online water wash tests of a GE J85-13 jet engine at the test facilities of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The engine performance was deteriorated by injecting atomized saltwater at the engine inlet. The engine was then online washed with water injected at three different droplet sizes (25, 75, and 200μm) and at water-to-air ratios ranging from 0.4% to 3% by mass. Engine performance was measured using standard on-engine instrumentation. Extra temperature and pressure sensors in the compressor section provided additional information of the propagation of deposits in the aft stages. The measurements were supported by visual observations. The overall engine performance improved rapidly with online wash. The buildup of deposits in the aft stages was influenced both by the droplet size and the water-to-air ratio. The water-to-air ratio was the most important parameter to achieve effective online washing.