Fuel Oxygen Conversion Unit with Valve Control
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEthan Patrick O'Connor, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Richard Alan Wesling, Christian Xavier Stevenson, Peter Allen Andrews, JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel oxygen conversion unit includes a contactor; a fuel gas separator, the fuel oxygen conversion unit defining a circulation gas flowpath from the fuel gas separator to the contactor; and an isolation valve in airflow communication with the circulation gas flowpath for modulating a gas flow through the circulation gas flowpath to the contactor.
Claims20
A fuel oxygen conversion unit for a vehicle or an engine of the vehicle comprising:
- a contactor;
- a fuel gas separator, the fuel oxygen conversion unit defining a circulation gas flowpath from the fuel gas separator to the contactor;
- and
- an isolation valve in airflow communication with the circulation gas flowpath for modulating a gas flow through the circulation gas flowpath to the contactor.
A gas turbine engine of the vehicle comprising:
- a combustion section;
- a fuel delivery system for providing a flow of fuel to the combustion section;
- and
- a fuel oxygen conversion unit comprising
- a contactor defining a liquid fuel inlet, a stripping gas inlet, and a fuel/gas mixture outlet;
- a fuel gas separator defining a fuel/gas mixture inlet, a liquid fuel outlet, and a stripping gas outlet, the liquid fuel inlet of the contactor and the liquid fuel outlet of the fuel gas separator in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system, the fuel oxygen conversion unit further defining a circulation gas flowpath from the stripping gas outlet of the fuel gas separator to the stripping gas inlet of the contactor;
- and
- an isolation valve in airflow communication with the circulation gas flowpath for modulating a gas flow through the circulation gas flowpath to the contactor.
A method of operating a fuel oxygen conversion unit for a gas turbine engine, the fuel oxygen conversion unit defining a circulation gas flowpath and comprising a contactor, a fuel gas separator, and an isolation valve, the method comprising:
- receiving data indicative of an operating condition parameter for the fuel oxygen conversion unit, the gas turbine engine, or both;
- and
- modulating the isolation valve in airflow communication with the circulation gas flowpath of the fuel oxygen conversion unit to modify a stripping gas flow to or through the contactor of the fuel oxygen conversion unit in response to the received data, the contactor positioned upstream of the fuel gas separator of the fuel oxygen conversion unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.