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US 12,735,192 B2Granted
Tank wall liner, tank and aircraft employing said tank wall liner and associated manufacturing methods
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorJose Martins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tank wall liner for a fuel tank includes a liner body made of a liner material. The liner material is a sealant or composite of sealant and fiber and/or textile materials. Multiple tank wall liners are installed on a tank wall and form a lining surface that seals the fuel in the tank from the tank skin. Also, a tank with the tank wall liner, an aircraft with a tank forming a portion of the fuselage, and methods of manufacturing the tank wall liner and the tank.
Claims14
A tank wall liner for a fuel tank, the fuel tank having a tank wall that encloses a tank volume, wherein the tank wall liner comprises:
- a liner body made of a liner material, the liner body comprising a mounting surface configured to be installed facing a tank wall and a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface, each configured to be installed facing another tank wall liner,
- wherein the liner material includes a cured sealant that is compatible with jet fuel;
- and
- wherein the liner body is made of a preformed shape;
- wherein the tank wall liner is formed as a plate and the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are configured to attach to another tank wall liner to form a wall;
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged such that in an installed position the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface face another sealing surface of another tank wall liner;
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged on a circumferential portion of the tank wall liner;
- and
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are planar.
6 more elements
A fuel tank comprising:
- a tank wall that encloses a tank volume for jet fuel,
- wherein a plurality of tank wall liners are mounted to the tank wall on an inside of the tank volume so as to form a lined tank wall portion that is configured to seal the tank wall from the jet fuel,
- wherein the tank wall liners from the plurality of tank wall liners each comprising a liner body made of a liner material, the liner body comprising a mounting surface configured to be installed facing a tank wall and a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface, each configured to be installed facing another tank wall liner,
- wherein the liner material includes a cured sealant that is compatible with jet fuel;
- and
- wherein the liner body is made of a preformed shape;
- wherein the tank wall liner is formed as a plate and the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are configured to attach to another tank wall liner to form a wall;
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged such that in an installed position the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface face another sealing surface of another tank wall liner;
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged on a circumferential portion of the tank wall liner;
- and
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are planar.
8 more elements
A method for manufacturing a fuel tank for an aircraft, the method comprising:
- preparing a tank volume by forming a tank wall;
- applying a self-curing sealant to a portion of the tank wall on the inside of the tank volume;
- and
- arranging a plurality of preformed tank wall liners on the sealant covered portion so as to form a lined tank wall portion that is configured to seal the tank wall from a jet fuel;
- wherein the tank wall liner is formed as a plate and has a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface that are configured to attach to another tank wall liner to form a wall;
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged such that in an installed position the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface face another sealing surface of another tank wall liner:
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are arranged on a circumferential portion of the tank wall liner;
- and
- wherein the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface are planar.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.