Fuel stabilization chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018118367-A1
Application number	US-201715798125-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	May 3, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for generating inert gas comprising includes a fuel tank including an inner storage volume containing a fuel. A fuel stabilization chamber has an inner volume. The inner volume of said fuel stabilization chamber is arranged in fluid communication with the inner storage volume such that said fuel is movable from the inner storage volume to the inner volume. An inert gas device is operably coupled to the inner volume of the fuel stabilization chamber. Inert gas output from the inert gas device interacts with a fuel in the inner volume to remove dissolved oxygen from the fuel in said inner volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for generating inert gas comprising:
a fuel tank including an inner storage volume containing a fuel; a fuel stabilization chamber having an inner volume, said inner volume of said fuel stabilization chamber being arranged in fluid communication with said inner storage volume such that said fuel is movable from said inner storage volume to said inner volume; an inert gas device operably coupled to the inner volume of said fuel stabilization chamber, wherein inert gas output from said inert gas device interacts with a fuel in said inner volume to remove dissolved oxygen from said fuel in said inner volume.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said fuel stabilization chamber is separate from said fuel tank.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said fuel stabilization chamber is integrally formed with said fuel tank, and said fuel in said inner storage volume and said fuel in said inner volume are separated by a dividing wall.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a component fluidly coupled to said inner volume, wherein said inert gas device provides said inert gas to said fuel in said inner volume in response to a demand of said component.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said inert gas device converts pressurized air into an oxygen enriched air flow and an inert gas enriched air flow, said inert gas enriched air flow being provided to said inner volume as said inert gas.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein said inert gas device includes at least one of an air separation module and an electrochemical device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said inert gas device includes a stored supply of inert gas.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said interaction of said inert gas with said fuel in said inner volume performs a fuel tank inerting operation.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said dissolved oxygen is removed from said fuel in said inner volume and said fuel inerting operation occur simultaneously.

10 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a first pump for moving said fuel from said inner storage volume to said inner volume; and
a second pump for providing said fuel from said inner volume to a downstream component.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein said downstream component is at least one of an engine and a thermal management system.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said temperature of said inert gas provided to said fuel is less than or equal to about 80° C. at sea level.

13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conduit extending from said inert gas device into said inner volume, said conduit being operable to expel said inert gas therefrom as a plurality of bubbles.

14 . A method of eliminating dissolved oxygen from fuel to discourage the formation of solid deposits, comprising:
providing a portion of fuel from an inner storage volume of a fuel tank to an inner volume of a fuel stabilization chamber; providing a supply of inert gas to said inner volume of said fuel stabilization chamber; and interacting said inert gas and said portion of fuel in said inner volume to remove dissolved oxygen from said fuel in said inner volume.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising supplying said fuel in said inner volume to a component in response to a demand by said component after said interaction.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said interaction between said portion of fuel in said inner volume and said inert gas inerts said fuel tank.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said inert gas-enriched air is supplied to said fuel at a temperature less than or equal to about 80° C. at sea level.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
providing pressurized air to said inert gas device; and separating said pressurized air into an oxygen-enriched air and an inert-gas enriched air, said inert-gas enriched air being provided to said inner volume as said supply of inert gas.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said portion of fuel is provided from said inner storage volume to said an inner volume in response to a demand from a component operably coupled to said fuel stabilization chamber.

20 . A system for generating inert gas comprising:
a fuel tank including an inner volume containing a fuel; an inert gas device operably coupled to the inner volume of said fuel tank, wherein inert gas output from said inert gas device interacts with only a portion of said fuel in said inner volume to remove dissolved oxygen from said portion of fuel.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Rheaume Jonathan
• Cordatos Haralambos

Classifications

• B01D53/32

  by electrical effects other than those provided for in group B01D61/00 · CPC title

• B64D37/32 Primary

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

• B64D37/08

  Internal partitioning · CPC title

• B01D53/22

  by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00) · CPC title

• A62C3/08

  in aircraft {(A62C3/0207 takes precedence)} · CPC title