Systems and methods for fuel tank inerting

A method for inerting a fuel tank in a fuel tank inerting system, the system comprising a fuel pump, a fuel pump valve, a jet ejector, and a fuel vaporizer, the method comprising:

• opening the fuel pump valve;
• pumping fuel from the fuel pump, through the fuel pump valve, and towards the jet ejector to mix with fuel vapor and air mixture pulled from the ullage to the jet ejector;
• heating the pumped fuel to vaporize the pumped fuel to generate an enhanced fuel vapor and air mixture;
• and
• directing the enhanced fuel vapor and air mixture to the ullage;
• whereby an fuel-air ratio in the ullage is maintained at greater than a flammable fuel-air ratio.

A system for inerting a fuel tank, the system comprising:

• a fuel pump;
• a fuel pump valve coupled to the fuel pump;
• a jet ejector in fluid communication with the fuel pump valve;
• a fuel vaporizer coupled to the jet ejector;
• one or more sensors at least at the fuel pump valve and in the fuel tank, the one or more sensors comprising one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a combination of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor;
• an updatable data repository;
• a processor operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the fuel pump, the fuel pump valve, the jet ejector, the vaporizer, and to the updatable data repository;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a set of operations comprising:
• determining, via the one or more sensors, at least one of an ullage of the fuel tank, a fuel present in the fuel tank, a pressure inside the fuel tank and a temperature inside the fuel tank;
• setting, via the processor, system parameters so as to ensure a fuel rich ullage;
• and
• based set system parameters, controlling, via the processor, a flow of fuel vapor in the ullage to maintain an fuel-air ratio in the ullage to be greater than a flammable fuel-air ratio.