Fuel supply system, jet engine and manufacturing method of fuel supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016109134-A1
Application number	US-201514813682-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel supply system includes a fuel reformer disposed to contact at least one of a combustion chamber or a wall of the combustion chamber. The fuel reformer includes a reformer chamber wall enclosing a fuel reformer chamber, and a reforming catalyst support sheet disposed in the fuel reformer chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel supply system comprising:
a fuel reformer disposed to contact at least one of a combustion chamber or a wall of the combustion chamber; a first pipe configured to supply liquid fuel before reformation to the fuel reformer; and a second pipe configured to supply reformed fuel reformed by the fuel reformer to the combustion chamber, wherein the fuel reformer comprises: a fuel inlet connected to the first pipe; a fuel outlet connected to the second pipe; a reformer chamber wall enclosing a fuel reformer chamber; a reforming catalyst support sheet supporting a catalyst and disposed in the fuel reformer chamber; and a helical flow generating mechanism configured to generate a helical flow of fuel.

2 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein a height of the fuel reformer chamber is ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm.

3 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the helical flow generating mechanism comprises a helical formation portion.

4 . The fuel supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the helical formation portion comprises a thin-walled portion of the reforming catalyst support sheet, the thin-walled portion being arranged in a helical form.

5 . The fuel supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the reforming catalyst support sheet comprises:
a catalyst supporting portion; and a catalyst non-supporting portion which does not support the catalyst and arranged in a helical form, wherein the helical formation portion comprises the catalyst non-supporting portion arranged in the helical form.

6 . The fuel supply system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a linear member arranged in a helical form on the reforming catalyst support sheet, wherein the helical formation portion comprises the linear member arranged in the helical form.

7 . The fuel supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the helical formation portion is formed by winding the reforming catalyst support sheet helically.

8 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the reforming catalyst support sheet comprises a mesh sheet or a perforated sheet having a plurality of perforations through which the liquid fuel can pass.

9 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the reforming catalyst support sheet includes at least one of a cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape or a spiral sheet shape.

10 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the reforming catalyst support sheet includes a combination of a cylindrical shape and a polygonal cylindrical shape.

11 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel reformer chamber is an elongated chamber extending along a longitudinal direction from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet,
wherein a cross sectional shape of the fuel reformer chamber perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a rectangular shape.

12 . The fuel supply system according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the reforming catalyst support sheet is spaced from the reformer chamber wall.

13 . The fuel supply system according to claim 12 , wherein the fuel reformer further comprises a sheet supporting portion which supports the reforming catalyst support sheet,
wherein the sheet supporting portion is configured to support the reforming catalyst support sheet movably with respect to the reformer chamber wall.

14 . A fuel supply system comprising:
a fuel injector configured to inject a reformed fuel in a combustion chamber; a fuel reformer disposed to contact at least one of the combustion chamber or a wall of the combustion chamber; a first pipe configured to supply liquid fuel before reformation to the fuel reformer; and a second pipe configured to supply the reformed fuel reformed by the fuel reformer to the fuel injector, wherein the fuel reformer comprises: a fuel inlet connected to the first pipe; a fuel outlet connected to the second pipe; a reformer chamber wall enclosing a fuel reformer chamber; and a reforming catalyst support sheet supporting a catalyst and disposed in the fuel reformer chamber.

15 . A jet engine comprising the fuel supply system according to claim 1 .

16 . A manufacturing method of the fuel supply system according to claim 1 , comprising:
disposing the fuel reformer such that the fuel reformer is contact with the combustion chamber or the wall of the combustion chamber; and disposing the reforming catalyst support sheet inside the fuel reformer chamber, wherein the disposing the reforming catalyst support sheet includes inserting the reforming catalyst support sheet from the fuel inlet or the fuel outlet.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Kenji

Classifications

• F23R3/28

  characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D) · CPC title

• F23R2900/00017

  Assembling combustion chamber liners or subparts · CPC title

• F23R3/40 Primary

  characterised by the use of catalytic means · CPC title

• F02C3/20 Primary

  using a special fuel, oxidant, or dilution fluid to generate the combustion products · CPC title

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title