Distributed fuel modules with hydraulic flow circuit breakers and gaseous flow circuit breakers
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorRichard A. Himmelmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A distributed fuel module includes a fuel pressure vessel with a gas port and a fuel port, a hydraulic circuit breaker connected to the fuel port, and a gaseous circuit breaker. The gaseous circuit breaker is connected to the gas port, is fluidly coupled to the hydraulic circuit breaker through the fuel pressure vessel, and is cooperatively associated with the gaseous circuit breaker to isolate the fuel pressure vessel from a compressed gas header and a fuel header according to pressure differential within the hydraulic circuit breaker and pressure differential within the gaseous circuit breaker. Power modules and methods of controlling fuel flow in fuel modules are also described.
Claims20
A distributed fuel module, comprising:
- a fuel pressure vessel with a gas port and a fuel port;
- a hydraulic circuit breaker connected to the fuel port;
- and
- a gaseous circuit breaker connected to the gas port and fluidly coupled with the hydraulic circuit breaker through the fuel pressure vessel,
- wherein the hydraulic circuit breaker is cooperatively associated with the gaseous circuit breaker to isolate the fuel pressure vessel from a compressed gas header and a fuel header according to a pressure differential within the hydraulic circuit breaker and a pressure differential within the gaseous circuit breaker.
A method of controlling fuel flow in a fuel module, comprising:
- charging a fuel pressure vessel having a gas port and a fuel port with a liquid fuel;
- pressurizing the liquid fuel with a compressed gas communicated to the fuel pressure vessel through the gas port;
- flowing liquid fuel through a hydraulic circuit breaker connected to the fuel port when pressure differential within a hydraulic circuit breaker is below a predetermined fuel flow pressure differential;
- and
- flowing compressed gas through the gas port when pressure differential within a gaseous circuit breaker is below a predetermined compressed gas flow pressure differential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.