Fuel fractioning unit for inert gas generating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272390-B2
Application number	US-201715468888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

An inert gas generating system includes a source of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, and a fractioning unit configured to receive a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel from the source. The fractioning unit includes a perm-selective membrane configured to separate the portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel into substantially sulfur-free vapors and a sulfur-containing remainder. The system further includes a catalytic oxidation unit configured to receive and react the substantially sulfur-free vapors to produce an inert gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inert gas generating system comprising:
a source of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel;
a fractioning unit configured to receive a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel from the source, the fractioning unit comprising a perm-selective membrane configured to separate the portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel into substantially sulfur-free vapors and a sulfur-containing remainder;
a pressure differential generator in fluid communication with a permeate side of the perm-selective membrane, wherein the pressure differential generator is configured to create a partial pressure gradient across the perm-selective membrane; and
a catalytic oxidation unit configured to receive and react the substantially sulfur-free vapors to produce an inert gas.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure differential generator is an air source configured to provide an air stream.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the air stream is selected from the group consisting of ambient air, ram air, fan air, engine bleed air, cabin air, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure differential generator is a vacuum source.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a fuel pump configured to provide the portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel to the fractioning unit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the perm-selective membrane is a reverse selective membrane comprising a plurality of hollow fibers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the perm-selective membrane is a reverse selective membrane in planar form having a spiral-wound or plate-and-frame configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the perm-selective membrane comprises a silicone-based material.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising: an inert gas passageway configured to provide the inert gas to a defined space.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the defined space is one of a fuel tank or a cargo hold.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fractioning unit is configured to provide the sulfur-containing remainder to a main fuel line, and wherein the main fuel line comprises an engine-bound fuel flow.

12. A method for generating inert gas, the method comprising:
providing a portion of liquid hydrocarbon fuel from a fuel source to a fractioning unit, the fractioning unit comprising a perm-selective membrane configured to separate the portion of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel into substantially sulfur-free vapors and a sulfur-containing remainder;
creating a partial pressure gradient using a pressure differential generator in fluid communication with a permeate side of the perm-selective membrane such that a partial pressure of the substantially sulfur-free vapors of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is lower on the permeate side of the perm-selective membrane;
providing an amount of the substantially sulfur-free vapors drawn through the perm-selective membrane to a catalytic oxidation unit; and
reacting the amount of the substantially sulfur-free vapors to produce the inert gas.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the partial pressure gradient comprises flowing an air stream over the permeate side of the perm-selective membrane.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the partial pressure gradient comprises operating a vacuum source in fluid communication with the permeate side of the perm-selective membrane.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Rheaume Jonathan
• Cordatos Haralambos

Classifications

• B01D63/10

  Spiral-wound membrane modules · CPC title

• C10L2290/543

  Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel · CPC title

• B01D53/02

  by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography {(solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01)} · CPC title

• B64D37/32

  Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions · CPC title

• B01D53/228

  characterised by specific membranes · CPC title