Membrane based fuel deoxygenator

Abstract

Apparatus and method for the deoxygenation of liquid fuel in the fuel system of an energy conversion device, such as an aircraft gas turbine engine. A membrane filter is disposed in the fuel system and is selected to remove oxygen from the fuel, typically a hydrocarbon, while excluding the fuel. The membrane filter may be permeable or porous to the oxygen and, in a preferred embodiment, is of polytetraflouroethylene. Fuel with dissolved oxygen (typically from air) is flowed in contact with one surface of the membrane filter, and removed oxygen is collected from the opposite surface of the filter. The difference in the partial pressure of oxygen across the membrane filter may be controlled to regulate the driving force for moving oxygen through the membrane. Reduction of the oxygen concentration in jet fuel to less than 10 ppm at liquid space velocities of 100/hr and greater are attained.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.