Aircraft fuel tank ullage safety system
OwnerClyde L. Tichenor, Irwin Ginsburghinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft fuel tank ullage safety system (10) that is designed to maintain the fuel tank ullage (94) of an aircraft fuel tank (90) filled with nitrogen. The nitrogen prevents the fuel tank ullage (94) from becoming filled with flammable fuel fumes which can cause an explosion. The system (10) consists of at least one flexible, resilient, air-enclosing container (12) having a container ullage (50) that is dimensioned to substantially occupy the space of the fuel tank ullage (94), a differential pressure sensor (30) that determines the internal pressure of the aircraft's fuel tank (90) and a microcontroller (64) that controls and maintains the volume of the air-enclosing container (12) as determined by the differential pressure sensor (30).
Claims21
An aircraft fuel tank ullage safety system adapted to function in combination with an aircraft having at least one fuel tank having a fuel tank ullage and located within the aircraft's fuselage or wings, said system comprising:
- a) at least one air-tight, flexible, resilient, air-enclosing container having a container ullage, wherein said container is dimensioned to substantially occupy the space of the fuel tank ullage,
- b) means for determining the internal pressure of the aircraft's fuel tank, and
- c) means for controlling and maintaining the volume of said air-enclosing container as determined by the internal pressure of the aircraft's fuel tank.
An aircraft fuel tank ullage safety system that is designed to function in combination with an aircraft having at least one fuel tank located within the aircraft's fuselage or wing, a plurality of wing spars, a plurality of spar stiffeners, a plurality of floor obstructions, a plurality of electrical conduits, a fuel level measuring tube, said at least one fuel tank having a fuel tank ullage and a fuel tank ullage vent, wherein said system comprises:
- a) at least one flexible, resilient, air-enclosing container having a container ullage, wherein said container substantially occupies the space of the aircraft fuel tank ullage and contacts maximum fuel surface area,
- b) a differential pressure sensor for determining the internal pressure within the aircraft's fuel tank,
- c) a microcontroller for controlling and maintaining the volume of said air-enclosing container as determined by the internal pressure of the aircraft's at least one fuel tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.