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US 8,801,831 B1Granted
Fuel saving inert gas generation system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDonald Ray Snow, Jr., David Michael Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling inert gas generation. An apparatus comprises an air separation module and an air flow control system. The air separation module is configured to separate an inert gas from air input into the air separation module. The air flow control system is configured to control the flow of the air into the air separation module.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- an air separation module configured to separate an inert gas from bleed air input into the air separation module;
- and
- an air flow control system comprising a plurality of valves, a first one of the plurality of valves located upstream from the air separation module and configured to control a flow of the bleed air into the air separation module to reduce bleed air use by a platform in which the air separation module is located when a need for the inert gas is reduced and a desired operating temperature is maintained for the air separation module, and a second one of the plurality of valves located downstream from the air separation module and configured to control an amount of nitrogen relative to oxygen in the inert gas exiting the air separation module.
A method for controlling a flow of bleed air into an air separation module, the method comprising:
- identifying a desired amount of inert gas generation for a fuel tank system;
- controlling the flow of the bleed air into the air separation module based on the desired amount of inert gas generation for the fuel tank system;
- and
- controlling a flow of inert gas exiting the air separation module based on a desired amount of nitrogen relative to oxygen in the inert gas.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.