TURBINE ENGINE FAN HOUSING ABRADABLE MATERIAL REMOVAL TOOL AND METHOD OF ABRADABLE MATERIAL REMOVAL

摘要

Devices and methods by which an amount of an abradable material may be removed from the housing of a gas turbine engine. A device of the invention is generally comprised of an abradable material removal tool having a curved abradable material contacting base with a handle or other gripping portion extending therefrom. An abrasive material, such as a sheet of sand paper, may be associated with a contacting surface of the base. The base is dimensioned and provided with a shape that permits its insertion between adjacent leading and trailing fan blades of an engine fan. A manual back-and-forth rotation of the fan while the abradable material removal tool is positioned between the fan blades and depressed against the surface of the abradable material will result in a controlled removal of abradable material along a path traced by the tips of the fan blades.