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US 4,361,035 AGranted
Nonstaining leak tracer solution and method employing same
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorOrlando G. Molina
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorOrlando G. Molina
Estimating the term…
Combination of a nonionic oxyalkylated alcohol surfactant and an engine fuel, e.g. a 50--50 mixture, by volume, of such surfactant and an aircraft engine fuel such as JP-4 jet fuel, consisting essentially of a mixture of gasoline and kerosene, which is miscible both with water-based and oil-based liquids, for removing water or water-based leak tracer solution entrapped in a fuel tank system, e.g. of an aircraft. When employing, for example, an aqueous leak tracer solution introduced into a fuel tank, e.g. of an aircraft, for locating any leaks therein, after inspection and removal of the main body of leak tracer solution from the tank, in order to remove any residual leak tracer solution which remains entrapped in the tank, the invention composition, hereinafter termed a "depuddling agent", is introduced and blends with the residual leak tracer solution, and the resulting miscible mixture is drained from the system. Any remaining portions of such mixture are miscible with the subsequently introduced oil or petroleum-based fuel, and the resulting mixture also can be drained from the system or burned out by the aircraft engines during test runs.
In a method for removing residual water or aqueous leak tracer solution from a fuel tank of a vehicle and/or fuel lines, including associated components, the improvement which comprises introducing into said fuel tank and/or said lines a composition consisting essentially of a nonionic oxyalkylated aliphatic alcohol surfactant and a liquid organic fuel for said vehicle, said composition being miscible with said water or said aqueous leak tracer solution, and with said liquid fuel, and forming a solution of said composition and said residual water or said aqueous leak tracer solution, and introducing said liquid fuel into said fuel tank and/or fuel lines, for admixture with said solution, and flushing the resulting mixture from said fuel tanks and/or fuel lines, with an additional amount of said liquid fuel.
In a method for detecting leaks in a fuel tank and fuel lines associated with said tank, which comprises introducing into said fuel tank and said lines a leak tracer solution consisting essentially of water, a nonionic oxyalkylated aliphatic alcohol surfactant, and a water soluble dye, viewing the external surfaces of said fuel tank and said lines under lighting conditions to obtain dye smears indicating the location of leaks in said surfaces, resulting from passage of leak tracer solution through said leaks, marking the location of said leaks, and removing said leak tracer solution from said tank and lines, leaving residual leak tracer solution entrapped in said fuel tank and fuel lines;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.