US 12,378,914 B2
Fuel management system
Richard G Mochrie, Guildford (GB)
Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed on Feb. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/166,308.
Claims priority of application No. 2202946 (GB), filed on Mar. 3, 2022; application No. 2202947 (GB), filed on Mar. 3, 2022; application No. 2202948 (GB), filed on Mar. 3, 2022; and application No. 2206111 (GB), filed on Apr. 27, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0279810 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F02C 7/224 (2006.01); F02C 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/224 (2013.01) [F02C 7/14 (2013.01); F05D 2260/213 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel management system for a gas turbine engine, the fuel management system comprising:
a fuel supply line configured to supply fuel from an inlet to a combustor of the gas turbine engine;
a recirculation line extending from a recirculation point on the fuel supply line and configured to recirculate excess fuel from the fuel supply line for resupply to the fuel supply line;
a heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a thermal load of the gas turbine engine to the excess fuel, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed on the recirculation line at a first position that is downstream of the recirculation point and upstream of the fuel supply line;
a fuel cooling device including an evaporator of a refrigerant circuit configured to receive heat from the excess fuel provided to the fuel cooling device, the fuel cooling device is disposed at a second position along the recirculation line, the second position being downstream of the first position and upstream of the fuel supply line such that the excess fuel within the recirculation line is first heated in the heat exchanger and is then cooled in the fuel cooling device before being returned to the fuel supply line; and
a fuel heating device including a condenser of the refrigerant circuit, wherein the condenser is configured to reject heat into the fuel provided to the fuel heating device, the fuel heating device is disposed on the fuel supply line between the recirculation point and the combustor.