Catalytic fuel deoxygenation system

Abstract

A fuel system for an energy conversion device includes a deoxygenator system with a reducing system and an active metal catalyst system downstream thereof. The reducing system injects a reducing agent such as hydrogen into the liquid hydrocarbon fuel which contains the dissolved oxygen. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel with the dissolved oxygen is thereby enriched with the reducing agent prior to communication to the active catalyst system which reactively consumes the free oxygen dissolved within the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

1 . A fuel system comprising: 
 a fuel circuit for communicating a liquid hydrocarbon fuel; 
 a reducing system in communication with said fuel circuit for injecting a reducing agent into the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; and  
 an active catalyst system downstream of said reducing system in communication with said fuel circuit to at least partially deoxygenate the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.  
   
   
   
       2 . The fuel system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said reducing agent includes hydrogen.  
   
   
       3 . The fuel system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said active catalyst system includes a metallic compound.  
   
   
       4 . The fuel system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said active catalyst system includes a metal including at least one of the following materials: copper, chromium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, palladium, silver, nickel, cobalt or rhenium.  
   
   
       5 . The fuel system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said active catalyst system generates water and thermal energy from the liquid hydrocarbon fuel and the reducing agent.  
   
   
       6 . A method of minimizing dissolved oxygen from within a fuel system comprising the steps of: 
 (1) injecting a reducing agent into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel containing a dissolved oxygen; and    (2) communicating the reducing agent and the liquid hydrocarbon fuel through an active metal catalyst system to minimize the dissolved oxygen within the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.    
   
   
       7 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said step (1) further comprises the steps of: 
 injecting hydrogen into the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.    
   
   
       8 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said step (2) further comprises the steps of: 
 generating water and thermal energy from the liquid hydrocarbon fuel and the reducing agent.    
   
   
       9 . A method of minimizing dissolved oxygen from within a fuel system comprising the steps of: 
 (1) communicating a liquid hydrocarbon fuel containing a dissolved oxygen from a fuel tank;    (2) injecting a reducing agent into the liquid hydrocarbon fuel;    (3) communicating the reducing agent and the liquid hydrocarbon fuel through an active catalyst system to minimize the dissolved oxygen within the liquid hydrocarbon fuel; and    (4) communicating the liquid hydrocarbon fuel from said step (3) to a gas turbine engine.    
   
   
       10 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said step (2) further comprises the steps of: 
 injecting hydrogen into the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.    
   
   
       11 . A method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said step (3) further comprises the steps of: 
 generating water and thermal energy from the liquid hydrocarbon fuel and the reducing agent.