Aircraft refuelling/defuelling system
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorHenry Edwards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a fuel line terminating in a refuel connector is used to fuel (or defuel) an aircraft, for example with liquid hydrogen. A barrier is deployed around the area where the refuel connector connects to an aircraft fuel port. A gas line supplies inert gas from a supply of gas, for example nitrogen, into the area defined by the barrier. The inert gas flushes out air present around the refuel connector such that the oxygen concentration in that volume is significantly lowered. This prevents ignition of fuel in the event of a fuel leak from the refuel connector. The barrier, the gas supply, and/or the outlets for the inert gas to be supplied through are provided by a part of the aircraft.
Claims22
A method of fuelling/defuelling an aircraft with fuel, comprising:
- supplying fuel, in fluid form, to/from an aircraft on the ground from a refuelling source on the ground via a fuel line that is connected to the aircraft at a fuel connection at the aircraft,
- disposing a barrier around the connection,
- supplying inert gas by a part of the aircraft into an area between the barrier and the connection to protect against ignition of the fuel, and wherein at least one of the barrier and the supply of inert gas is provided by a part of the aircraft.
A method of fuelling/defuelling an aircraft on the ground with liquid hydrogen, the method including the steps of:
- connecting via a fuelling connector an insulated fuel line to the aircraft,
- performing a chill-down process on the fuel line,
- supplying liquid hydrogen to/from the aircraft via the fuel line and the fuelling connector, and
- using an integrated part of the aircraft to supply inert gas and to reduce the risk of ignition of the hydrogen by reducing the relative concentration of oxygen in the vicinity of the fuelling connector.
An aircraft structure comprising a refuel port and comprising an ignition protection system for a ground-based refuelling system for an aircraft being refuelled, the refuelling system comprising a fuel line terminating at a refuel connector connectable to the refuel port, wherein the ignition protection system comprises:
- a structure configurable between a deployed configuration in which it provides a barrier around the refuel connector and a stowed configuration, and/or
- a supply of inert gas by a part of the aircraft for supplying inert gas into a volume around the refuel port or within the aircraft.
An aircraft including an aircraft structure comprising a refuel port and comprising an ignition protection system for a ground-based refuelling system for an aircraft, the refuelling system comprising a fuel line terminating at a refuel connector connectable to the refuel port, wherein the ignition protection system comprises:
- a structure configurable between a deployed configuration in which it provides a barrier around the refuel connector and a stowed configuration, and/or
- a supply of inert gas for supplying inert gas into a volume around the refuel port or within the aircraft,
- wherein the refuel connector is integrated with a manifold, which when the refuel connector is connected to the refuel port, extends circumferentially around the refuel port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.