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US 12,139,027 B2Granted
Self-healing containment gels for aircraft fuel cells
AssigneeResponse Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Allen Pettey, Edmund F. Bard, Lao Vang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell containing fuel for an aircraft includes an innermost layer configured to contact the fuel, an outermost layer and a containment gel formed from isocyanate and polyol interposed between the innermost and outermost layers. The containment gel is configured to self-seal a ballistically formed hole therein, thereby reducing leakage of the fuel from the fuel cell.
Claims20
A fuel cell containing fuel for an aircraft, the fuel cell consisting of:
- an innermost layer configured to contact the fuel;
- a textile inner intermediate layer;
- a textile outer intermediate layer;
- an outermost layer;
- and
- a containment gel having a plurality of states including an unpenetrated state and a penetrated state, the containment gel in the unpenetrated state formed from unseparated isocyanate and polyol interposed between the innermost and outermost layers, the containment gel configured to expand in the penetrated state to self-seal a ballistically formed hole therein, thereby reducing leakage of the fuel from the fuel cell;
- wherein, the containment gel is nonreactive with the fuel in the penetrated state.
4 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a propulsion system powered by fuel;
- and
- one or more fuel cells configured to store the fuel, each fuel cell consisting of:
- an innermost layer configured to contact the fuel;
- a textile inner intermediate layer;
- a textile outer intermediate layer;
- an outermost layer;
- and
- a containment gel having a plurality of states including an unpenetrated state and a penetrated state, the containment gel in the unpenetrated state formed from unseparated isocyanate and polyol interposed between the innermost and outermost layers, the containment gel configured to expand in the penetrated state to self-seal a ballistically formed hole therein, thereby reducing leakage of the fuel from the fuel cell;
- wherein, the containment gel is nonreactive with the fuel in the penetrated state.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.