Heat Exchanger Fuel Stabilization Unit Oxygen Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dissolved oxygen in hydrocarbon jet fuels can lead to undesirable oxidation reactions and the formation of 'coke' deposits when heated, which can impair fuel system functionality and combustion efficiency in aircraft systems.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger fuel stabilization unit that integrates oxygen-permeable membranes and a plurality of fuel plates to selectively remove oxygen from jet fuel, utilizing a combination of permeable and porous substrate plates to reduce oxygen concentration and prevent coking, while also incorporating a heat exchanger design to manage temperature and enhance oxygen removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fuel deoxygenation techniques are used to remove oxygen from jet fuel, then oxygen concentration is reduced to minimize coking, but the system size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel stabilization unit is divided into multiple fuel plates (at least two) arranged in parallel, with each plate having oxygen-permeable membranes on both sides. This segmentation increases the total membrane surface area for oxygen removal while maintaining a compact overall structure, thereby reducing weight per unit volume compared to single-plate designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional tubular or single-plane membrane arrangements to a multi-dimensional stacked plate configuration. By arranging multiple fuel plates in parallel with membranes on both sides, the system exploits three-dimensional space to maximize membrane surface area within a compact footprint, reducing overall device weight and volume.
2Ease of manufacture
If a plurality of similarly configured flat plates are used in the FSU, then manufacturing efficiency increases and cost decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The FSU is segmented into identical, modular fuel plate units that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. Each fuel plate is a standardized component with oxygen-permeable membranes and porous substrate plates, allowing for efficient批量 production while the modular assembly keeps the overall structure manageable despite the increased number of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention standardizes the geometry, material composition, and configuration parameters of all fuel plates to be identical. This parameter uniformity simplifies manufacturing processes and quality control while the repetitive modular structure, though increasing component count, maintains relatively simple individual component designs that are easy to manufacture.
3Weight of stationary object
If the FSU size is reduced, then weight and volume decrease, but the capacity for removing dissolved oxygen may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves high oxygen removal capacity within a compact volume by stacking multiple fuel plates in a three-dimensional arrangement. Each plate contributes membrane surface area on both sides, effectively utilizing vertical and lateral spaces to maximize the total membrane area available for oxygen permeation without proportionally increasing the overall device weight or footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the oxygen removal function across multiple identical fuel plates, each plate handles a portion of the total oxygen removal load. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high overall capacity through parallel processing while keeping individual plate sizes small and lightweight, thereby reducing total system weight while maintaining high productivity.
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 solution effectively minimizes oxygen concentration to 2 ppm, preventing coke formation and ensuring the normal functioning of fuel systems, with a scalable and cost-efficient design that reduces size and weight, and improves fuel injection efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The permeable membrane includes Teflon® (PTFE) or other type of amorphous glassy polymer coating in contact with fuel within the fuel passages for preventing the bulk of liquid fuel from migrating through the permeable membrane and the porous plate
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a heat exchanger design to manage temperature and enhance oxygen removal efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~3A
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A conditioner (65) for conditioning fuel passing therethrough includes a deoxygenator having a body in which oxygen is removed from the fuel, and a heat exchanger (70) attaching directly to the body for moderating a temperature of the fuel.