High temperature air separation system architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016206995-A1
Application number	US-201514600393-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air separation system includes a high temperature ozone converter, a mechanical separator downstream of the high temperature ozone converter, and an air separator downstream of the mechanical separator. The air separator receives high temperature air and provides high temperature nitrogen-enriched air and high temperature oxygen-enriched air. The air separation system further includes a heat exchanger downstream of air separator that receives and cools the high temperature nitrogen-enriched air.

First claim

1 . An air separation system comprising:
a high temperature ozone converter; a mechanical separator; an air separator downstream of the high temperature ozone converter and the mechanical separator, the air separator configured to receive high temperature air and provide high temperature nitrogen-enriched air and high temperature oxygen-enriched air; and a first heat exchanger downstream of air separator and configured to receive and cool the high temperature nitrogen-enriched air.

2 . The air separation system of claim 1 , wherein the air separator comprises a manifold of between one and seven air separation modules.

3 . The air separation system of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an oxygen sensor for sensing an oxygen concentration in the nitrogen-enriched air; and a flow control valve for controlling a flow of the high temperature air through the air separator as a function of an output of the oxygen sensor.

4 . The air separation system of claim 3 , wherein the flow control valve and the oxygen sensor are downstream of the air separator and upstream of the heat exchanger.

5 . The air separation system of claim 3 , wherein the flow control valve and the oxygen sensor are downstream of the heat exchanger.

6 . The air separation system of claim 1 , and further comprising a heat exchanger bypass for flowing a portion of the high temperature nitrogen-enriched air around the first heat exchanger.

7 . The air separation system of claim 1 , and further comprising a second heat exchanger configured to receive and cool the high temperature oxygen-enriched air.

8 . The air separation system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is further configured to receive and cool the high temperature oxygen-enriched air.

9 . The air separation system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is a plate fin heat exchanger.

10 . A method for separating high temperature air, the method comprising:
removing ozone contaminants from the high temperature air; removing oil particles from the high temperature air; generating high temperature nitrogen-enriched air and high temperature oxygen-enriched air from the high temperature air in an air separator; cooling the high temperature nitrogen-enriched air with a first heat exchanger; and delivering the cooled high temperature nitrogen-enriched air to a fuel tank.

11 . The method of claim 10 , and further comprising cooling the high temperature oxygen-enriched air with a second heat exchanger.

12 . The method of claim 10 , and further comprising cooling the high temperature oxygen-enriched air with the first heat exchanger.

13 . The method of claim 10 , and further comprising:
sensing an oxygen concentration in the nitrogen-enriched air; and controlling a flow of the high temperature air through the air separator with a flow control valve as a function of the output of the oxygen concentration sensed.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow of the high temperature air through the air separator is controlled such that the generated high temperature nitrogen-enriched air comprises less than 11% oxygen.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the flow of the high temperature air through the air separator is controlled such that the generated high temperature nitrogen-enriched air comprises less than 8% oxygen.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Rugg Jared
• Thibaud Catherine
• Zywiak Thomas M

Classifications

• B01D53/66 Primary

  Ozone · CPC title

• B01J2219/00164

  controlling the flow · CPC title

• B01J2219/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside · CPC title

• B01J19/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02) · CPC title

• B64D37/32 Primary

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