Parker-hannifin Corporation

Daniel J Henninger

Bryan David Jensen

Daniel Christopher Massie

Scott P Auld-hill

A sparging evaporator for an inerting system including an outer vessel, an inner vessel within the outer vessel, and a plenum formed between the inner and outer vessels. The outer vessel includes a gas inlet for receiving inlet gas into the plenum, and a liquid inlet for receiving liquid fuel into the plenum. The inlet gas in the plenum generates a gas pressure that is exerted against a free surface of the liquid fuel in the plenum thereby forcing the liquid fuel and the inlet gas through an inlet of the inner vessel. The inner vessel contains a structure that promotes liberation of fuel vapor from the liquid fuel and enables the inlet gas in the liquid fuel to sparge the fuel vapor in the liquid fuel, thereby forming a fuel-enriched gas mixture that can be fed to a reactor of the inerting system.

Sparging evaporator with porous media for fuel enrichment in catalytic inerting system

A sparging evaporator for an inerting system including an outer vessel, an inner vessel within the outer vessel, and a plenum formed between the inner and outer vessels. The outer vessel includes a gas inlet for receiving inlet gas into the plenum, and a liquid inlet for receiving liquid fuel into the plenum. The inlet gas in the plenum generates a gas pressure that is exerted against a free surface of the liquid fuel in the plenum thereby forcing the liquid fuel and the inlet gas through an inlet of the inner vessel. The inner vessel contains a lattice structure that promotes liberation of fuel vapor from the liquid fuel and enables the inlet gas in the liquid fuel to sparge the fuel vapor in the liquid fuel, thereby forming a fuel-enriched gas mixture that can be fed to a reactor of the inerting system.

Lattice structure for sparging evaporator in catalytic inerting system

An inerting system for a fuel tank containing a liquid fuel and an ullage gas. The inerting system includes a fluid circuit connectable to the fuel tank, an evaporator connected in the circuit, and a reactor connected in the circuit downstream of the evaporator. The evaporator receives a flow of the liquid fuel from the fuel tank and volatilizes at least a portion of the liquid fuel to thereby form a volatilized fuel vapor. The evaporator also receives a flow of the ullage gas from the fuel tank, and permits the ullage gas to sweep away the volatilized fuel vapor downstream with the ullage gas to thereby form a fuel enriched gas mixture containing the ullage gas and the volatilized fuel vapor. The reactor converts at least some of the fuel enriched gas mixture into a non-flammable gas. The circuit supplies at least some of the non-flammable gas to the fuel tank.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Daniel J Henninger