Inert gas system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511877-B2
Application number	US-201916525553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Jul 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A system and method for providing inerting gas to a protected space is disclosed. The system includes an air separation module that includes an air inlet, a membrane with a permeability differential between oxygen and nitrogen, a nitrogen-enriched air outlet, and an oxygen-enriched air outlet. The system also includes an air flow path between an air source and the air separation module inlet, and an inerting gas flow path between the air separation module nitrogen-enriched air outlet and the protected space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing inerting gas to a protected space, comprising:
an air separation module comprising an air inlet, a membrane with a permeability differential between oxygen and nitrogen, a nitrogen-enriched air outlet, and an oxygen-enriched air outlet;
an air flow path between an air source and the air separation module air inlet;
an inerting gas flow path between the air separation module nitrogen-enriched air outlet and the protected space;
an adsorber configured to adsorb an acid precursor in operative fluid communication with the air flow path; and
a regenerative fluid flow path in operative fluid communication between a fuel source and the adsorber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the air separation module membrane comprises an organic polymer membrane.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the polymer membrane comprises a polyimide, a polysulfone, or a polycarbonate.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adsorber comprises a sorbent selected from salts or oxides of alkaline metals; or salts or oxides of alkaline earth metals.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acid precursor comprises NOx or SOx.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acid precursor comprises NOx.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the adsorber comprises a catalyst configured to oxidize nitrogen monoxide during sorption.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the catalyst includes an oxidation catalyst and a reforming catalyst.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adsorber includes a catalyst configured to oxidize fuel, or a catalyst to reform fuel, or a catalyst to oxidize fuel and a catalyst to reform fuel from the regenerative fluid flow path during regeneration of the adsorber.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative fluid flow path includes a flow path from the air separation module nitrogen-enriched air outlet, through the fuel source, to the adsorber.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel source includes a fuel vapor sorbent in operative fluid communication with a fuel tank.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to operate the system in alternate modes of operation including a first mode in which the acid precursor is accumulated in a sorbent in the adsorber, and a second mode in which the accumulated acid precursor is removed from the adsorber.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is disposed on-board an aircraft.

14. A method of producing inert gas, comprising
directing air through an adsorber configured to adsorb an acid precursor to produce treated air;
directing the treated air through a membrane with a permeability differential between oxygen and nitrogen to produce inert gas comprising nitrogen-enriched air; and
regenerating the adsorber by desorbing the acid precursor from the adsorber, wherein regenerating includes directing a fuel to the adsorber during the regeneration, and (i) oxidizing the fuel; (ii) reforming the fuel; or (iii) oxidizing and reforming the fuel during the regeneration.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the acid precursor includes NOx, and the method further comprises oxidizing nitrogen monoxide in the adsorber to facilitate adsorption.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising removing fuel vapor from a fuel tank vent line with a fuel sorbent, and directing fuel vapor from the fuel sorbent to the adsorber during the regeneration.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Cordatos Haralambos
• Rheaume Jonathan

Classifications

• B01D2251/30

  Alkali metal compounds · CPC title

• B01D2259/40083

  Regeneration of adsorbents in processes other than pressure or temperature swing adsorption · CPC title

• B01D2259/4575

  in aeroplanes or space ships · CPC title

• B01D2256/12

  Oxygen · CPC title

• B01D53/04

  with stationary adsorbents {(B01D53/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title