Catalytic fuel tank inerting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518537-B2
Application number	US-201816014037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Fuel tank inerting systems are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, an air source arranged to supply air into a reactive flow path, a catalytic reactor having a plurality of sub-reactors along the flow path, and a heat exchanger. The sub-reactors are arranged relative to the heat exchanger such that the flow path passes through at least a portion of the heat exchanger between two sub-reactors along the flow path. At least one fuel injector is arranged relative to at least one sub-reactor. The fuel injector is configured to inject fuel into the flow path at at least one of upstream of and in the respective at least one sub-reactor to generate a fuel-air mixture. A fuel tank ullage supply line fluidly connects the flow path to the fuel tank to supply an inert gas to a ullage of the fuel tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel tank inerting system, comprising
a fuel tank;
an air source arranged to supply air into a reactive flow path;
a catalytic reactor comprising a plurality of sub-reactors arranged in series along the reactive flow path, the plurality of sub-reactors comprising a first sub-reactor and a second sub-reactor;
a heat exchanger arranged along the reactive flow path, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is arranged between the first sub-reactor and the second sub-reactor along the reactive flow path;
at least one fuel injector arranged relative to at least one sub-reactor of the plurality of sub-reactors, the at least one fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the reactive flow path at at least one of upstream of and in the respective at least one sub-reactor to generate a fuel-air mixture; and
a fuel tank ullage supply line fluidly connecting the reactive flow path to the fuel tank to supply an inert gas to a ullage of the fuel tank.

2. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel injector comprises a plurality of fuel injectors arranged along the reactive flow path.

3. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is a passive flow control to meter injection of the fuel into the reactive flow path.

4. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is a valve and wherein a fluid pressure of the fuel determines a fuel injection rate.

5. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is an active flow control to meter injection of the fuel into the reactive flow path, wherein a controller controls operation of the at least one fuel injector.

6. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is at least one of electrically controlled, electronically controlled, and mechanically controlled.

7. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , further comprising a supplemental fuel line fluidly connecting the fuel tank to the at least one fuel injector.

8. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein a number of fuel injectors is equal to the number of sub-reactors of the plurality of sub-reactors.

9. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein as the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the heat exchanger is positioned between two sub-reactors with the reactive flow path passing through the cells to cool the fuel-air mixture.

10. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-reactors comprises at least four sub-reactors.

11. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sub-reactors comprises at least six sub-reactors.

12. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank is a fuel tank of an aircraft, and a cooling air within the heat exchanger is sourced from a ram inlet of the aircraft.

13. An aircraft comprising:
a fuel tank;
an air source arranged to supply air into a reactive flow path;
a catalytic reactor comprising a plurality of sub-reactors arranged in series along the reactive flow path, the plurality of sub-reactors comprising a first sub-reactor and a second sub-reactor;
a heat exchanger arranged along the reactive flow path, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is arranged between the first sub-reactor and the second sub-reactor along the reactive flow path;
at least one fuel injector arranged relative to at least one sub-reactor of the plurality of sub-reactors, the at least one fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the reactive flow path at at least one of upstream of and in the respective at least one sub-reactor to generate a fuel-air mixture; and
a fuel tank ullage supply line fluidly connecting the reactive flow path to the fuel tank to supply an inert gas to a ullage of the fuel tank.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fuel injector comprises a plurality of fuel injectors arranged along the reactive flow path.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is a passive flow control to meter injection of the fuel into the reactive flow path.

16. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fuel injector is an active flow control to meter injection of the fuel into the reactive flow path, wherein a controller controls operation of the at least one fuel injector.

17. The aircraft of claim 13 , further comprising a supplemental fuel line fluidly connecting the fuel tank to the at least one fuel injector.

18. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein as the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the heat exchanger is positioned between two sub-reactors with the reactive flow path passing through the cells to cool the fuel-air mixture.

19. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of sub-reactors comprises at least four sub-reactors.

20. The aircraft of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of sub-reactors comprises at least six sub-reactors.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Emerson Sean C
• Dardas Zissis A
• Hebert Robert R
• Mcgee Randolph Carlton
• Murray Allen
• Surawski Eric
• Turney Joseph

Classifications

• B01J19/14

  Production of inert gas mixtures; Use of inert gases in general · CPC title

• B01D2257/104

  Oxygen · CPC title

• B01D2255/10

  Noble metals or compounds thereof · CPC title

• B64D37/02

  Tanks (tanks constructed integrally with aircraft wings B64C3/34) · CPC title

• B01D53/86

  Catalytic processes · CPC title