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US 11,760,502 B2Granted
Fuel delivery system with purge gas step and fuel gas flushing step and method thereof
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorChloe J. Palmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine comprises a cryogenic fuel tank, a first fuel line for connection to the cryogenic fuel tank, a fuel pump connected to receive fuel via the first fuel line, a plurality of fuel lines connecting the fuel pump to a combustor of the gas turbine engine, a controller configured to operate the fuel delivery system, a purge gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a purge gas for purging the plurality of fuel lines and a fuel gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a fuel gas for flushing purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines.
Claims20
A fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine, the fuel delivery system comprising:
- a first fuel line for connection to a cryogenic fuel tank;
- a fuel pump connected to receive fuel via the first fuel line;
- a plurality of fuel lines connecting the fuel pump to a combustor of the gas turbine engine;
- a controller configured to operate the fuel delivery system;
- a purge gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a purge gas for purging the plurality of fuel lines;
- and
- a fuel gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a fuel gas for flushing purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines;
- a purge gas valve between the purge gas tank and the first fuel line;
- and
- a fuel gas valve between the fuel gas tank and the first fuel line;
- an oxygen sensor at an end of the plurality of fuel lines proximate the combustor;
- wherein the controller is configured to open the purge gas valve to purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines in a first gas purging procedure, and following the first purging procedure, open the fuel gas valve to flush purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines with fuel gas in a second gas purging procedure;
- wherein the controller is configured to operate the fuel delivery system to perform the first gas purging procedure by:
- opening valves in the plurality of fuel lines;
- opening a vent valve at the end of the plurality of fuel lines;
- opening the purge gas valve connecting the purge gas tank to the first fuel line to allow purge gas from the purge gas tank to enter the first fuel line;
- determining a level of oxygen at the end of the plurality of fuel lines from the oxygen sensor;
- and
- once the level of oxygen falls below a predetermined level, closing the vent valve and the valve connecting the purge gas tank to the first fuel line.
16 more elements
A method of operating a gas turbine engine fuel delivery system, comprising:
- purging gas from a plurality of fuel lines connecting a fuel pump to a combustor of the gas turbine engine with a purge gas in a first gas purging procedure, wherein the first gas purging procedure comprises
- opening valves in the plurality of fuel lines;
- opening a vent valve at the end of the plurality of fuel lines;
- opening a valve connecting the purge gas tank to the first fuel line to allow purge gas from the purge gas tank to enter the first fuel line;
- determining a level of oxygen at the end of the plurality of fuel lines;
- and
- once the level of oxygen falls below a predetermined level, closing the vent valve and the valve connecting the purge gas tank to the first fuel line;
- and
- following the first gas purging procedure, flushing purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines with a fuel gas in a second gas purging procedure.
6 more elements
A fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine, the fuel delivery system comprising:
- a first fuel line for connection to a cryogenic fuel tank;
- a fuel pump connected to receive fuel via the first fuel line;
- a plurality of fuel lines connecting the fuel pump to a combustor of the gas turbine engine;
- a controller configured to operate the fuel delivery system;
- a purge gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a purge gas for purging the plurality of fuel lines;
- and
- a fuel gas tank connected to the first fuel line and configured to store a fuel gas for flushing purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines;
- a purge gas valve between the purge gas tank and the first fuel line;
- and
- a fuel gas valve between the fuel gas tank and the first fuel line;
- a fuel gas sensor at the end of the plurality of fuel lines proximate the combustor;
- wherein the controller is configured to open the purge gas valve to purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines in a first gas purging procedure, and following the first purging procedure, open the fuel gas valve to flush purge gas from the plurality of fuel lines with fuel gas in a second gas purging procedure;
- wherein the controller is configured to operate the fuel delivery system to perform the second gas purging procedure by:
- opening valves in the plurality of fuel lines;
- opening a vent valve at an end of the plurality of fuel lines proximate the combustor;
- opening the fuel gas valve connecting the fuel gas tank to the first fuel line to allow fuel gas from the fuel gas tank to enter the first fuel line;
- determining a level of fuel gas at the end of the plurality of fuel lines from the fuel gas sensor;
- and
- once the level of fuel gas rises above a predetermined level, closing the vent valve and the valve connecting the fuel gas tank to the first fuel line.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.