Liquid-dissolved gas separators

1. A liquid-dissolved gas separator, comprising:

a housing; and

a metallic separator mounted within the housing having open pores connecting a liquid-facing surface and an opposed vacuum-facing surface of the separator, the separator being configured to allow selected gases dissolve in a liquid traversing the housing and adjacent the liquid-facing surface to pass through the plurality of open pores,

wherein the open pores have critical dimensions that are smaller than about 250 picometers (about 1.2 e-8 inches).

2. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the separator includes interfused metallic particles, wherein the interfused metallic particles define both the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface of the separator.

3. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises one or more of a nickel-based alloy, steel, titanium, aluminum, or an alloy thereof.

4. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the open pores are surface-connected with both the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface of the separator.

5. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the open pores have critical dimensions that are greater than about 150 picometers (about 0.6 e-8 inches).

6. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the separator has a porosity that is between about 0.1 and about 0.3.

7. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the separator includes a first lateral edge and an opposed second lateral edge, the plurality of open pores being uniformly distributed between the first and second lateral edges of the separator.

8. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the separator includes a first longitudinal edge and an opposed second longitudinal edge, the plurality of open pores being uniformly distributed between the first and second longitudinal edges of the separators.

9. The separator as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum source in fluid communication with the liquid-facing surface of the separator through the plurality of open pores.

10. The separator as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a liquid source in fluid communication with the vacuum-facing surface through the open pores.

11. The separator as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a liquid destination in fluid communication with the vacuum-facing surface through the open pores.

12. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the housing envelopes the separator and divides an interior of the housing into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber.

13. The separator as recited in claim 12 , further comprising a frame extending about a periphery of the separator, wherein the separator and the frame are formed from a common metallic material.

14. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface are each planar surfaces.

15. A fuel system, comprising:

a fuel de-oxygenator, including:

a housing with an interior; and

a separator as recited in claim 1 seated within the housing interior, wherein the separator divides the housing into a liquid chamber and a gas chamber;

a vacuum source in fluid communication with the liquid-facing surface of the separator through the open pores;

a fuel source in fluid communication with the vacuum-facing surface through the open pores; and

a fuel destination in fluid communication with the vacuum-facing surface through the open pores,

wherein the open pores have respective critical dimensions that are and greater than about 150 picometers (about 0.6 e-8 inches) to separate dissolved oxygen from fuel flowing between the fuel source and the fuel destination as the fuel traverses the liquid-facing surface of the separator.

16. The fuel system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the separator comprises one or more of a nickel-based alloy, steel, titanium, aluminum, or an alloy thereof.

17. The fuel system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the separator includes interfused metallic particles, wherein the interfused metallic particles define both the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface of the separator.

18. The fuel system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the open pore is surface-connected with both the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface of the separator.

19. A method of making a separator for a liquid-dissolved gas separator, comprising:

fusing metallic particulate to define a separator liquid-facing surface;

fusing particulate to define a separator vacuum-facing surface;

defining a plurality of open pores within the separator; and

connecting the open pores with the liquid-facing surface and the vacuum-facing surface of the separator,

wherein fusing metallic particulate to define a separator liquid-facing surface includes fusing the metallic particulate using an additive manufacturing technique,

wherein fusing metallic particulate to define a separator vacuum liquid-facing surface includes fusing the metallic particulate using an additive manufacturing technique, and

wherein defining a plurality of open pores within the separator includes imparting a natural level of porosity into the separator such that plurality of the open pores have critical dimensions that are smaller than about 250 picometers (about 1.2 e-8 inches).