Fuel Gas Separator for Oxygen Conversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel oxygen conversion systems face challenges in efficiently reducing oxygen content in fuel to prevent coking in gas turbine engines, as they require a substantial removal of stripping gas, which can disrupt combustion dynamics.

Innovation Solution

A fuel oxygen conversion unit with a fuel gas separator, featuring a contactor and a separator assembly with a gas permeable core and paddles, effectively separates liquid fuel and stripping gas from a mixed fuel/gas mixture, allowing for controlled oxygen reduction and pressure increase of the fuel, thereby reducing the risk of coking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If fuel is heated to increase combustion efficiency, then heat capacity utilization improves, but fuel coking occurs causing system blockage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat capacity utilizationVSAvoidfuel coking

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary oxygen removal from fuel before heating through contact with stripping gas in a contactor. This pre-treatment reduces oxygen content to below 50 ppm, preventing coking that would otherwise occur during subsequent heating operations, thereby enabling safe utilization of fuel heat capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A stripping gas (such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide) is introduced as an intermediary substance to remove oxygen from the fuel through mass transfer in the contactor. The stripping gas acts as a mediator that selectively strips oxygen from fuel without causing coking, allowing the fuel to be heated safely afterward.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If stripping gas is used to reduce oxygen content in fuel, then coking is prevented, but combustion dynamics are disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoking preventionVSAvoidcombustion dynamics

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the harmful component (oxygen) from the fuel using stripping gas in the contactor, then separately removes the stripping gas itself in a dedicated separation device. This two-stage approach prevents coking by removing oxygen while maintaining combustion dynamics by eliminating the disruptive stripping gas before fuel injection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The stripping gas is discarded from the fuel stream through separation in the centrifugal separator, while the deoxygenated fuel is recovered for clean combustion. This separation ensures that oxygen is removed to prevent coking while the stripping gas is eliminated to maintain proper combustion dynamics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If oxygen content in fuel is reduced to prevent coking, then fuel system reliability improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel system reliabilityVSAvoidoxygen conversion system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs pneumatic principles using gas-liquid mass transfer in the contactor and centrifugal separation in the rotational separator. These physics-based methods achieve oxygen removal and stripping gas separation without complex mechanical components, maintaining fuel system reliability while minimizing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Solution Approach 2:

The contactor utilizes a porous sparger or packing material to create extensive gas-liquid interfacial area for efficient oxygen stripping. This porous structure enables effective oxygen removal with simple geometry, improving fuel system reliability without adding significant complexity to the oxygen conversion system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

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 system efficiently reduces oxygen content in fuel, minimizing coking risks while maintaining combustion efficiency by effectively separating and recycling stripping gas, ensuring reliable engine operation.

Implementation Method 1

a separator assembly including a core and a plurality of paddles extending from the core, the separator assembly rotatable about the axis within the stationary casing to separate a fuel/gas mixture received through the fuel/gas mixture inlet into a liquid fuel flow and stripping gas flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 2

In certain exemplary embodiments the core of the separator assembly is a gas permeable core extending generally along the axis of the fuel gas separator

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas permeation: Permeation

Data Source

PatentUS11193671B2Fuel oxygen conversion unit with a fuel gas separator

Publication Date: 2021.12.07 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A fuel oxygen conversion unit includes a contactor defining a liquid fuel inlet, a stripping gas inlet and a fuel/gas mixture outlet; and a fuel gas separator defining a fuel/gas mixture inlet in flow communication with the fuel/gas mixture outlet of the contactor and an axis. The fuel gas separator further includes a stationary casing; and a separator assembly including a core and a plurality of paddles extending from the core, the separator assembly rotatable about the axis within the stationary casing to separate a fuel/gas mixture received through the fuel/gas mixture inlet into a liquid fuel flow and stripping gas flow.