Aircraft fuel tank inerting systems
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorMatthew Darren Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft fuel tank inerting system for a fixed wing aircraft having at least one main fuel tank in the wing and an associated surge tank includes a source of inerting fluid and a flow passage for supplying said inerting fluid to the main fuel tank and discharging it into the main filet tank through at least one discharge outlet. The flow passage includes a pressure relief arrangement adapted to discharge into the surge tank if a pressure in the main fuel tank exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Claims9
An aircraft fuel tank inerting system for a fixed wing aircraft including at least one main fuel tank in the wing and an associated surge tank, the inerting system comprising:
- a source of inerting fluid;
- and
- a flow passage for supplying the inerting fluid to the main fuel tank and discharging it into the main fuel tank through at least one discharge outlet,
- wherein the flow passage includes a pressure relief arrangement adapted to discharge inerting fluid passing along the flow passage into the surge tank based on a pressure in the main fuel tank exceeding a predetermined threshold so that inerting fluid is ventable to atmosphere via the surge tank without over-pressurizing the main fuel tank,
- wherein the flow passage passes through the main fuel tank into the surge tank and then back into the main fuel tank to open into the main fuel tank, and
- wherein the pressure relief arrangement is disposed in a portion of the flow passage in the surge tank.
A method of inerting an aircraft including at least one main fuel tank in the wing and an associated surge tank, the method comprising:
- providing a source of inerting fluid,
- providing a flow passage for supplying the inerting fluid to the main fuel tank and discharging it therein, and
- providing a pressure relief arrangement to discharge inerting fluid passing along the flow passage into the surge tank based on a pressure in the main fuel tank and/or the flow passage exceeding a predetermined threshold so that inerting fluid is ventable to atmosphere via the surge tank without over-pressurizing the main fuel tank,
- wherein the flow passage passes through the main fuel tank into the surge tank and then back into the main fuel tank to open into the main fuel tank, and
- wherein the pressure relief arrangement is disposed in a portion of the flow passage in the surge tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.