US 11,745,892 B2
Catalytic fuel tank inerting apparatus for aircraft
Sean C. Emerson, Broad Brook, CT (US); Peter A T Cocks, South Glastonbury, CT (US); Lance L. Smith, West Hartford, CT (US); and Eric Surawski, Hebron, CT (US)
Assigned to HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/395,770.
Application 17/395,770 is a division of application No. 16/216,148, filed on Dec. 11, 2018, granted, now 11,254,439.
Prior Publication US 2021/0362870 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B64D 37/32 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/14 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 37/32 (2013.01) [B01J 19/0006 (2013.01); B01J 19/14 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel tank inerting system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a fuel tank;
a first reactant source fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the first reactant source arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank;
a second reactant source;
a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from the first reactant source and a second reactant from the second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank along a fuel tank supply line to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank;
a heat exchanger arranged along the fuel tank supply line between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas;
a first sensor arranged to monitor a temperature at an outlet of the catalytic reactor;
a first junction downstream from the heat exchanger along the fuel tank supply line;
a second junction upstream from the catalytic reactor;
a recirculation loop extending from the first junction to the second junction and configured to extract a portion of the inert gas downstream from the catalytic reactor and direct said extracted portion upstream from the catalytic reactor at the second junction to mix with the first reactant and the second reactant; and
a controller configured to control a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter, the controller configured to receive temperature information from the first sensor, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a temperature of the catalytic reactor, the controller configured to confirm catalytic reactions from a temperature detected at the first sensor, and the controller configured to adjust the temperature of the catalytic reactor to an operating level after light-off occurs,
wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature of the catalytic reactor by controlling a recirculation of the extracted portion of the generated inert gas through the heat exchanger to increase a temperature thereof and recycle said heated inert gas back to the catalytic reactor.