Safety system for reducing the explosion risk of a fuel tank
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsRalf-Henning Stolte, Herman Jansen Van Vuuren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A safety system for reducing the explosion risk of a fuel tank comprises at least one fluid source and at least one fluid container with an inlet and an outlet for a fluid, wherein the fluid container has a structure that is flexible at least in some regions and is designed in such a manner that it can be positioned in a hollow space of the fuel tank, which hollow space is situated above the fuel, with said fluid container when fluid flows into the hollow space essentially occupying the space up to the top of the fuel tank. In this way it is possible to avoid the presence of a free air volume in the fuel tank, which counteracts any formation of a potentially explosive mixture and in this way reduces the explosion risk.
Claims15
A safety system for reducing the explosion risk of a fuel tank, comprising:
- at least one fluid source;
- at least one fluid container for holding a fluid, the at least one fluid container having an inlet and an outlet;
- a drain for discharging water;
- and
- at least one sensor for detecting non-combusted hydrocarbons in at least one of the outlet or a region of the drain;
- wherein the fluid container has a structure that is flexible at least in some regions and is adapted to be positioned in a hollow space of the fuel tank, the hollow space bing located above the fuel contained within said fluid container;
- wherein, when fluid flows into the hollow space, the fluid substantially fills the hollow space up to a top of the fuel tank.
An aircraft with at least one fuel tank and at least one safety system for reducing the risk of a fuel tank exploding, comprising:
- at least one fluid source;
- and
- at least one fluid container for holding a fluid, the at least one fluid container having an inlet and an outlet;
- wherein the fluid container has a structure that is flexible at least in some regions and is adapted to be positioned in a hollow space of the fuel tank, the hollow space being located above the fuel contained within said fluid container;
- wherein, when fluid flows into the hollow space, the fluid substantially fills the hollow space up to a top of the fuel tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.