US 12,078,109 B2
Fuel management system
Richard G Mochrie, Guildford (GB); Graeme E F Sutcliffe, Derby (GB); and Jade Whittle, Bristol (GB)
Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB)
Filed on Feb. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/166,253.
Claims priority of application No. 2202948 (GB), filed on Mar. 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0279812 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F02C 7/224 (2006.01); F02C 7/16 (2006.01); F02C 9/28 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/224 (2013.01) [F02C 7/16 (2013.01); F02C 9/28 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01); F05D 2260/213 (2013.01); F05D 2260/232 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel management system for a gas turbine engine, the fuel management system comprising:
a fuel supply line to configured to supply fuel from an inlet to a combustor of the gas turbine engine via a combustor valve, wherein the combustor valve is configured to pass a burn portion of the fuel from the fuel supply line to the combustor;
a first pump disposed on the fuel supply line configured to receive the fuel and discharge it at a first low pressure;
a combustor pump disposed on the fuel supply line upstream of the combustor valve, configured to receive the fuel discharged from the first pump and discharge it at a second higher pressure for supply to the combustor;
a downstream heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a downstream thermal load of the gas turbine engine to the fuel in the fuel supply line between the inlet and the combustor valve;
a downstream recirculation line configured to recirculate a downstream excess portion of the fuel from the fuel supply line, the downstream recirculation line extending from a downstream recirculation point on the fuel supply line between the downstream heat exchanger and the combustor valve;
the downstream recirculation line is configured to recirculate the downstream excess portion of the fuel for resupply to the fuel supply line;
an upstream heat exchanger configured to reject heat from an upstream thermal load of the gas turbine engine to the fuel in the fuel supply line upstream of the combustor pump;
an upstream recirculation line configured to recirculate an upstream excess portion of the fuel from the fuel supply line, the upstream recirculation line extending from an upstream recirculation point on the fuel supply line between the upstream heat exchanger and the combustor pump;
the upstream recirculation line is configured to recirculate the upstream excess portion of the fuel for resupply to the fuel supply line; and
the downstream heat exchanger is downstream of the upstream heat exchanger.