Fuel Purifier to Eliminate Copper Contamination

As jet fuel flows through the CuNi fuel lines in aircraft fueling system and subsystems, copper is dissolved into the fuel. This copper contamination in the fuel is a problem because the copper catalyzes oxidation reactions that cause hydrocarbons in the fuel to decompose to elemental carbon and form deposits on fuel lines, valves, injectors, and combustion chamber surfaces in enginesTDA Research, Inc. (TDA) proposes to develop a novel sorbent-based chemical filtration system to produce copper-free fuel for aircraft engines. TDA’s sorbent consists of a mesoporous sorbent that is modified with surface functional groups have been shown to be highly active for binding Cu2+ ions. TDA’s proprietary mesoporous organo-alumina sorbent is produced by chemically modifying low-cost commercially available boehmite. The structure of our sorbent provides high surface area, large pores for good mass transfer, and a large population of copper trapping groups. The sorbent filter can be fitted into a compact cartridge that can be placed directly into the fueling system. The sorbent works at ambient temperature. The passive filter does not need any specialty gases or solvents.