Aircraft fuel deoxygenation system

An aircraft fuel deoxygenation system, comprising:

• a boost pump adapted to receive fuel from a fuel source and inert gas from an inert gas source, the boost pump configured to mix the fuel and inert gas and supply a fuel/gas mixture;
• a passive contactor-separator coupled to receive the fuel/gas mixture and configured to remove oxygen from the fuel and thereby generate and supply deoxygenated fuel with entrained purge gas and separated purge gas;
• a centrifuge-separator pump coupled to receive the deoxygenated fuel with entrained purge gas and configured to separate and remove the entrained purge gas from the deoxygenated fuel and supply the deoxygenated fuel and additional purge gas;
• and
• a gas pump coupled to receive the separated purge gas from the contactor-separator and the additional purge gas from the centrifuge-separator pump and configured to supply pressurized purge gas to the inert gas source.

An aircraft fuel deoxygenation system, comprising:

• an inert gas source for supplying inert gas;
• a boost pump adapted to receive fuel from a fuel source and inert gas from the inert gas source, the boost pump configured to mix the fuel and inert gas and supply a fuel/gas mixture;
• a contactor-separator coupled to receive the fuel/gas mixture and configured to remove oxygen from the fuel and thereby generate and supply deoxygenated fuel with entrained purge gas and separated purge gas;
• a centrifuge-separator pump coupled to receive the deoxygenated fuel with entrained purge gas and configured to separate and remove the entrained purge gas from the deoxygenated fuel and supply the deoxygenated fuel and additional purge gas;
• and
• a liquid ring vacuum pump coupled to receive the separated purge gas from the contactor-separator and the additional purge gas from the centrifuge-separator pump and configured to supply pressurized purge gas to the inert gas source.