# US 12,768,306 B2 · Oxygen reduction system for a hydrocarbon fluid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,768,306 B2 - Document ID: US12768306B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/323,604 - Filed: 2023-05-25 - Published: 2024-08-01 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-01-27 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Karthick Gourishankar; Arundhati Sengupta; Narayanan Janakiraman; Sanjay Kumar Sondhi; Vasanth Srinivasa Kothnur; Hejie Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768306B2 ## CPC - F02C 9/26: Control of fuel supply (F02C9/48 takes precedence; fuel valves F02C7/232) - F02C 7/22: Fuel supply systems - F23K 5/08: Preparation of fuel - F23K 2900/05082: Removing gaseous substances from liquid fuel line, e.g. oxygen - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F23K: FEEDING FUEL TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS (fuel feeders specially adapted for fluidised bed combustion apparatus F23C10/22) ## Abstract A hydrocarbon fluid system including a hydrocarbon fluid conduit and an oxygen gettering assembly. The hydrocarbon fluid conduit has a fluid passage through which hydrocarbon fluid flows. The hydrocarbon fluid includes oxygen and has an oxygen content. The oxygen gettering assembly is disposed relative to the hydrocarbon fluid conduit such that an oxygen getter comes into contact with the hydrocarbon fluid as the hydrocarbon fluid flows through the fluid passage to reduce the oxygen content of the hydrocarbon fluid. The oxygen gettering assembly may be a part of a deoxygenation system that also includes a sparging system. The hydrocarbon fluid may be a fuel used in a gas turbine engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel system comprising: a hydrocarbon fluid conduit extending in a longitudinal direction and having a fluid passage through which hydrocarbon fluid flows, the hydrocarbon fluid being fuel and including oxygen and having an oxygen content; an oxygen gettering assembly including an oxygen getter to reduce the oxygen content of the hydrocarbon fluid, the oxygen gettering assembly being disposed relative to the hydrocarbon fluid conduit such that the oxygen getter comes into contact with the hydrocarbon fluid as the hydrocarbon fluid flows through the oxygen gettering assembly via a portion of the fluid passage, the oxygen getter producing oxidation products within the hydrocarbon fluid, wherein the oxygen getter has an activation temperature at which the oxygen getter produces the oxidation products, the activation temperature being from one hundred seventy degrees Fahrenheit to three hundred degrees Fahrenheit; an oxidation product removal assembly positioned, at least partially, downstream of the oxygen gettering assembly to receive the hydrocarbon fluid containing the oxidation products produced by the oxygen getter, the oxidation product removal assembly including an oxidation product remover disposed such that the oxidation product remover comes into contact with the hydrocarbon fluid to physically remove the oxidation products from the hydrocarbon fluid and; wherein the oxygen gettering assembly is disposed to longitudinally align with the hydrocarbon fluid conduit, such that the hydrocarbon fluid enters the oxygen gettering assembly via an inlet of the portion of the fluid passage in the longitudinal direction, continuously flows in the longitudinal direction from the inlet of the portion of the fluid passage to an outlet of the portion of the fluid passage, and exits the oxygen gettering assembly via the outlet of the portion of the fluid passage in the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen getter is located in a replaceable cartridge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the fluid passage includes a periphery, and the oxygen gettering assembly is disposed to position the oxygen getter around the periphery of the portion of the fluid passage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen gettering assembly includes a liquid storage chamber containing the oxygen getter in a liquid form. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fuel system of claim 4, wherein the oxygen gettering assembly includes a membrane separating the liquid storage chamber from the portion of the fluid passage, the membrane being permeable to the oxygen getter to allow a controlled release of the oxygen getter into the hydrocarbon fluid in the portion of the fluid passage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The fuel system of claim 4, wherein the liquid storage chamber is fluidly coupled to the portion of the fluid passage to add the oxygen getter to the hydrocarbon fluid in the portion of the fluid passage as an additive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, further comprising a heater to heat the hydrocarbon fluid to the activation temperature, the heater being positioned upstream of the oxidation product removal assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the oxidation product removal assembly is disposed to position the oxidation product remover within a second portion of the fluid passage downstream from the portion of the fluid passage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, further comprising a deoxygenation system, the deoxygenation system including a first oxygen removal assembly and a second oxygen removal assembly each configured to remove oxygen from the hydrocarbon fluid, the oxygen gettering assembly together with the oxidation product removal assembly being the second oxygen removal assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fuel system of claim 9, wherein the first oxygen removal assembly is a sparging system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fuel system of claim 10, wherein the sparging system is positioned upstream of the oxygen gettering assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fuel system of claim 10, wherein the oxygen gettering assembly is located within the sparging system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the oxidation product remover is a porous material.