Method and system for reducing the flammability of fuel-tanks onboard an aircraft

Abstract

A fuel vapor removal method for an aircraft includes removing an ullage mixture from ullage of a fuel tank of an aircraft, exposing the ullage mixture to adsorption media on the aircraft to reduce its fuel-air ratio, and returning the reduced fuel-air ratio ullage mixture to the fuel tank. A fuel vapor removal system onboard an aircraft includes a fuel tank, having ullage containing an ullage mixture, a pumping device, configured to pump the ullage mixture in a closed loop from the fuel tank ullage and back, an adsorption system, interposed in the closed loop, and a controller, including a microprocessor and system memory. The adsorption system includes an adsorber having adsorption media capable of adsorbing fuel vapor from the ullage mixture, and the controller is programmed to activate the pumping device, to pump the ullage mixture from the ullage, through the adsorption system, and return a reduced fuel-air ratio ullage mixture back to the ullage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.