Two stage oxygen removal for gas turbine engine fuel system
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsWilliam E. Rhoden, Peter J. Padykula
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel supply system has a fuel tank, a first fuel pump, and a first oxygen removal unit. The first fuel pump delivers fuel from the fuel tank into the first oxygen removal unit. A valve downstream of the first oxygen removal unit is operable to selectively deliver fuel back to the fuel tank in a bypass position or downstream to a use in a use position. A controller programmed to control the valve and the first fuel pump maintains the valve in the bypass position when an associated gas turbine engine is not operating. The controller moves the valve to the use position when the associated gas turbine engine is operating. A gas turbine engine and a method of operating a fuel supply system are also disclosed.
Claims16
A fuel supply system comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a first fuel pump;
- a first oxygen removal unit and said first fuel pump connected to deliver fuel from said fuel tank into said first oxygen removal unit;
- a valve downstream of said first oxygen removal unit, said valve being operable to selectively deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank in a bypass position, or downstream to an associated gas turbine engine in a use position, and said valve being operable to block the fuel from passing to the associated gas turbine engine in the bypass position;
- a controller programmed to control said valve and said first pump, said controller maintaining said valve in said bypass position if the associated gas turbine engine is not operating, and moves said valve to said use position when the associated gas turbine engine is operating;
- and
- wherein said controller is programmed to start said first fuel pump and to position the valve in the bypass position to deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank a period of time prior to an expected start of the associated gas turbine engine.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a combustor including fuel injectors, and a system for delivering fuel to said fuel injectors, the system including a fuel tank;
- a first fuel pump;
- a first oxygen removal unit and said first fuel pump connected to deliver the fuel from said fuel tank into said first oxygen removal unit;
- a valve downstream of said first oxygen removal unit, said valve being operable to selectively deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank in a bypass position, or downstream to said fuel injectors in a use position and said valve being operable to block the fuel from passing to the gas turbine engine in the bypass position;
- a controller programmed to control said valve and said first pump, said controller maintaining said valve in said bypass position if said gas turbine engine is not operating, and moves said valve to said use position when said gas turbine engine is operating;
- and
- wherein said controller is programmed to start said first fuel pump and to position the valve in the bypass position to deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank a period of time prior to an expected start of the gas turbine engine.
A method of operating a fuel supply system including the steps of:
- pumping fuel from a fuel tank with a first fuel pump to a first oxygen removal unit;
- positioning a valve downstream of said first oxygen removal unit, and controlling said valve to selectively deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank in a bypass position, or downstream an associated gas turbine engine in a use position, and said valve being operable to block the fuel from passing to the associated gas turbine engine in the bypass position;
- and
- maintaining said valve in said bypass position if the associated gas turbine engine is not operating, and moving said valve to said use position when the associated gas turbine engine is operating;
- and
- starting the first fuel pump and positioning the valve in the bypass position to deliver the fuel back to said fuel tank a period of time prior to an expected start of the associated gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.