Aircraft fuel tank venting and inerting
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsJames Patrick Sandiford, Joseph Lingard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft fuel tank venting and inerting arrangement comprising a fuel tank, a venting fluid flow path between the fuel tank and a venting outlet, an inerting fluid flow path for delivering inerting fluid to the fuel tank, at least part of the venting fluid flow path being provided by a fluid flow conduit and at least part of the inerting fluid flow path being provided by the fluid flow conduit. An aircraft comprising such an arrangement and a method of venting and inerting an aircraft fuel tank.
Claims18
An aircraft fuel tank venting and inerting arrangement, comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a venting fluid flow path between the fuel tank and a venting outlet;
- an inerting fluid flow path for delivering inerting fluid to the fuel tank;
- at least part of the venting fluid flow path being provided by a fluid flow conduit;
- and
- at least part of the inerting fluid flow path being provided by the fluid flow conduit configured such that the inerting fluid may flow in the inerting flow path independently from and at the same time as flow of venting fluid flow in the venting flow path.
A method of venting and inerting an aircraft fuel tank, the method comprising:
- passing inerting fluid to an aircraft fuel tank through a fluid flow conduit while permitting passage of venting fluid to and from the aircraft fuel tank through the same fluid flow conduit;
- and,
- passing inerting fluid through an inerting region of the fluid flow conduit from a first position along the fluid flow conduit to a second position along the fluid flow conduit, while permitting passage of venting fluid through a venting region of the fluid flow conduit between said first position along the fluid flow conduit and said second position along the fluid flow conduit.
An aircraft fuel tank venting and inerting arrangement, comprising:
- a fuel tank;
- a venting fluid flow path between the fuel tank and a venting outlet;
- an inerting fluid flow path for delivering inerting fluid to the fuel tank;
- at least part of the venting fluid flow path being provided by a fluid flow conduit;
- and
- at least part of the inerting fluid flow path being provided by the fluid flow conduit,
- wherein the fluid flow conduit comprises a first venting region for a passage therethrough of venting fluid and a second inerting region for a passage therethrough of inerting fluid, and,
- wherein the first venting region and the second inerting region are isolated from one another so that inerting fluid in the second inerting region is prohibited from entering the first venting region and venting fluid in the first venting region is prohibited from entering the second inerting region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.