Removing non-homogeneous ice from a fuel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372050-B2
Application number	US-202117460617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Feb 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

The presently disclosed embodiments utilize an ice separator vessel to trap ice particles in a non-homogeneous ice/fuel mixture flowing in a fuel system. A source of heat, such as heated fuel provided to the ice separator vessel, is used to melt at least a portion of the ice particles so that they do not enter the fuel system downstream of the ice separator vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel system comprising:
an ice separator vessel configured to separate ice particles from a first supply of fuel comprising a non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture, the first supply of fuel being supplied to the ice separator vessel by a fuel supply line at a first ice separator vessel input;
a first stage pump coupled to an output of the ice separator vessel;
a heat exchanger coupled to an output of the first stage pump;
a second stage pump coupled to a fuel output of the heat exchanger;
a pump relief check valve coupled to an output of the second stage pump,
wherein the pump relief check valve provides heated fuel to a second input of the ice separator vessel and wherein the heated fuel is at a temperature greater than a temperature of the first supply of fuel and the heated fuel melts at least a portion of the ice particles in the ice separator vessel, wherein the heat exchanger is a fuel oil heat exchanger in a gas turbine engine.

2. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the ice separator vessel is configured to separate the ice particles from the non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture by centrifugation.

3. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the ice separator vessel is configured to separate the ice particles from the non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture by settling.

4. A fuel system comprising:
an ice separator vessel configured to separate ice particles from a first supply of fuel comprising a non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture, and to receive a second supply of fuel;
wherein the second supply of fuel melts at least a portion of the ice particles in the ice separator vessel.

5. The fuel system of claim 4 , wherein: the first supply of fuel is at a first temperature; and the second supply of fuel is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

6. The fuel system of claim 4 , wherein the ice separator vessel is configured to separate the ice particles from the non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture by centrifugation.

7. The fuel system of claim 4 , wherein the ice separator vessel is configured to separate the ice particles from the non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture by settling.

8. The fuel system of claim 4 , wherein the second supply of fuel is received from a fuel oil heat exchanger in a gas turbine engine.

9. A fuel system, comprising:
a first supply of first fuel comprising a non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture at a first temperature;
a vessel including a first vessel input operatively coupled to the first supply of the first fuel, a second vessel input, and a vessel output, the vessel being operative to substantially separate at least a portion of ice particles from the non-homogeneous fuel/ice mixture such that fuel may be discharged from the vessel output while the at least the portion of ice particles remain in the vessel; and
a second supply of second fuel at a second temperature greater than the first temperature, the second supply of the second fuel operatively coupled to the second vessel input; wherein the second fuel applied to the second vessel input is operative to melt the at least the portion of the ice particles within the vessel.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Hagshenas Behzad

Classifications

• B04B15/02

  for cooling, heating, or heat insulating · CPC title

• B01D21/262

  by using a centrifuge · CPC title

• B01D21/009

  Heating or cooling mechanisms specially adapted for settling tanks · CPC title

• F02C7/224 Primary

  Heating fuel before feeding to the burner · CPC title

• F05D2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title