# US 2021/0340907 A1 · Fuel oxygen reduction unit for prescribed operating conditions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340907 A1 - Document ID: US20210340907A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/864,541 - Filed: 2020-05-01 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-01 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Ethan Patrick O'Connor; Brandon Wayne Miller; Daniel Alan Niergarth; Alfred Albert Mancini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340907A1 ## CPC - F02C 3/22: the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence) - B01D 19/0005: {with one or more auxiliary substances} - C10G 25/00: Refining of hydrocarbon oils in the absence of hydrogen, with solid sorbents - F02C 7/22: Fuel supply systems - F02C 7/224: Heating fuel before feeding to the burner - F23K 5/08: Preparation of fuel - B01D 2257/104: Oxygen - C10G 2300/202: Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P - C10G 2400/08: Jet fuel - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2240/35: Combustors or associated equipment - F05D 2270/07: to improve fuel economy - F23K 2900/05082: Removing gaseous substances from liquid fuel line, e.g. oxygen - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - 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) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - F23K: FEEDING FUEL TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS (fuel feeders specially adapted for fluidised bed combustion apparatus F23C10/22) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A fuel oxygen reduction unit for an engine is provided. The fuel oxygen reduction unit includes an inlet fuel line; a stripping gas source; a contactor selectively in fluid communication with the stripping gas source, the inlet fuel line, or both to form a fuel/gas mixture; and a separator that receives the fuel/gas mixture, the separator configured to separate the fuel/gas mixture into an outlet stripping gas flow and an outlet fuel flow; wherein a flow of stripping gas passes through the fuel oxygen reduction unit a single time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel oxygen reduction unit for an engine comprising: an inlet fuel line; a stripping gas source; a contactor selectively in fluid communication with the stripping gas source, the inlet fuel line, or both to form a fuel/gas mixture; and a separator that receives the fuel/gas mixture, the separator configured to separate the fuel/gas mixture into an outlet stripping gas flow and an outlet fuel flow; wherein a flow of stripping gas passes through the fuel oxygen reduction unit a single time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, further comprising: a valve downstream of the stripping gas source and upstream of the contactor, wherein the valve is transitionable between a closed position in which the stripping gas source is not in fluid communication with the contactor, and an open position in which the stripping gas flows to the contactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 2, wherein the valve transitions to the open position at a prescribed operating condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 3, wherein the prescribed operating condition is a weight on wheels condition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 3, wherein the prescribed operating condition is an engine speed condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 3, wherein the prescribed operating condition is a wind down condition of the engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the fuel oxygen reduction unit defines a maximum continuous operating time of one hour or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the engine defines a desired fuel flow when operated in a cruise condition, and wherein the outlet fuel flow is less than the desired fuel flow. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the separator includes an inlet in fluid communication with the contactor that receives the fuel/gas mixture, a fuel outlet, and a stripping gas outlet, wherein the separator is configured to separate the fuel/gas mixture into an outlet stripping gas flow and an outlet fuel flow and provide the outlet stripping gas flow to the stripping gas outlet and the outlet fuel flow to the fuel outlet, and wherein the outlet stripping gas flow is vented out to atmosphere downstream of the separator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the stripping gas source comprises a rechargeable bottle of inert gas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the stripping gas source comprises an inert gas generator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fuel oxygen reduction unit of claim 1, wherein the outlet fuel flow has a lower oxygen content than the inlet fuel flow, and wherein the outlet stripping gas flow has a higher oxygen content than the inlet stripping gas flow. ### Claim 13 A fuel oxygen reduction system for an engine comprising: an inlet fuel line; a stripping gas source; a contactor selectively in fluid communication with the stripping gas source, the inlet fuel line, or both to form a fuel/gas mixture; a separator that receives the fuel/gas mixture, the separator configured to separate the fuel/gas mixture into an outlet stripping gas flow and an outlet fuel flow; and a storage tank that receives the outlet fuel flow. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 13, further comprising: a primary tank containing a primary fuel flow; and a valve downstream of the storage tank and the primary tank, wherein the valve is transitionable between a first position in which the primary tank is in fluid communication with the engine, and a second position in which the storage tank is in fluid communication with the engine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 14, wherein the primary tank defines a first volume, wherein the storage tank defines a second volume, and wherein the second volume is less than 20% of the first volume. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 14, wherein the valve transitions to the second position at a prescribed operating condition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 14, wherein the prescribed operating condition is a weight on wheels condition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 14, wherein the prescribed operating condition is an engine speed condition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 13, wherein the stripping gas source comprises an inert gas generator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The fuel oxygen reduction system of claim 13, wherein the separator includes an inlet in fluid communication with the contactor that receives the fuel/gas mixture, a fuel outlet, and a stripping gas outlet, wherein the separator is configured to provide the outlet stripping gas flow to the stripping gas outlet and the outlet fuel flow to the storage tank via the fuel outlet. ### Claim 21 A method for operating a fuel delivery system for a gas turbine engine comprising: receiving an inlet fuel flow in a fuel oxygen reduction unit for reducing an amount of oxygen in the inlet fuel flow using a stripping gas flow through a stripping gas flowpath; and passing the stripping gas flow through the fuel oxygen reduction unit a single time.