Integrated Fuel Filter and Oxygen Removal Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engine designs require separate spaces for fuel filters and oxygen removal units, increasing the overall engine volume and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
An integrated assembly that positions a fuel filter radially within an oxygen removal unit, utilizing hollow tube membranes to remove oxygen from fuel, which is then delivered to a gas turbine engine, optimizing space usage and enhancing oxygen removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate spaces are provided for fuel filter and oxygen removal unit, then each component can be independently designed and maintained, but the overall engine volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the fuel filter and oxygen removal unit into a single integrated assembly where the fuel filter is positioned radially within the oxygen removal unit. This merging of previously separate components reduces the overall engine volume while maintaining the functional independence of each component through modular design within the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel filter is nested radially within the oxygen removal unit, creating a compact configuration where one component is positioned inside the space occupied by another. This nesting arrangement optimizes space usage and reduces the overall volume of the engine while preserving the independent functionality of both the filter and oxygen removal unit.
2Reliability
If fuel is filtered before oxygen removal, then fuel quality is improved, but the process requires more space and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fuel filtration process and oxygen removal process into a single integrated assembly. Fuel passes through the filter first, then immediately through the oxygen removal unit in a continuous flow path within the same housing. This combination maintains the sequential processing required for fuel quality improvement while significantly reducing the overall space required compared to separate installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes radial positioning of the fuel filter within the oxygen removal unit, creating a three-dimensional arrangement that optimizes space usage. Fuel flows radially through the filter and then axially through the oxygen removal membranes, efficiently utilizing available space in multiple dimensions rather than requiring linear sequential space.
3Productivity
If hollow tube membranes are used for oxygen removal, then oxygen removal efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hollow tube membranes as the oxygen removal unit, which are porous materials that allow oxygen to pass through while retaining fuel. These membranes provide high surface area for oxygen removal, improving efficiency. The modular hollow tube design allows for standardized manufacturing of the membrane elements, which can then be assembled into the integrated assembly, managing manufacturing complexity through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow tube membranes serve multiple functions: they provide the surface area for oxygen removal, maintain structural integrity of the oxygen removal unit, and facilitate the flow path of fuel through the system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall manufacturing process despite the specialized nature of the membrane material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integrated design efficiently removes oxygen from fuel, reducing engine volume and improving combustion performance by allowing repeated passes of fuel over the oxygen removal unit, thereby enhancing combustion efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
oxygen O2 dissolved within the fuel will pass through the membrane into an internal bore 35
Implementation Method 2
oxygen in bores 35 passes along a length of the tubes 34 to a chamber 36 and is removed by a vacuum source 37 positioned on a port 38
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A system for use in a gas turbine engine fuel supply has an internal fuel filter (26) having an internal bore (24) and an external surface. A chamber (25) within the internal bore (24) of the fuel filter (26) for receives a fuel and allows fuel to pass radially outwardly across the fuel filter (26). An oxygen removal unit (32) is outwardly of the external surface of the fuel filter (26), such that fuel passes through the fuel filter (26), encounters the oxygen removal unit (32) such that oxygen can be removed from the fuel, an outlet port (28) for removed oxygen, and a separate outlet port (42) for fuel having passed over the fuel filter (26) and the oxygen removal unit (32).