Common bulkhead for composite propellant tanks

A platform selected from one of a spacecraft, an aircraft, a submarine, and a surface ship, the platform further comprising:

• a bulkhead forming a common wall between a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank, the bulkhead comprising:
• a first structure comprising first flutes arranged substantially parallel to each other and forming a first plurality of substantially parallel channels extending towards a first number of edges of the first structure;
• a second structure comprising second flutes arranged substantially parallel to each other and forming a second plurality of substantially parallel channels extending towards a second number of edges of the second structure, wherein a first side of the first structure is connected to a second side of the second structure and wherein the first plurality of substantially parallel channels and the second plurality of substantially parallel channels have an orientation with respect to each other such that the channels of the first plurality of substantially parallel channels are not parallel to the channels of the second plurality of substantially parallel channels;
• a first layer connected to a third side of the first structure that is opposite the first side, the first layer comprising a first composite facesheet facing a first inside of the first fuel tank, the first layer being permeable to a first fuel stored in the first fuel tank;
• a second layer connected to a fourth side of the second structure that is opposite the second side, the second layer comprising a second composite facesheet facing a second inside of the second fuel tank, the second layer being permeable to a second fuel stored in the second fuel tank, and wherein the first side and the second side are connected at a third layer that separates the first fuel and the second fuel;
• and
• a third layer located between the first structure and the second structure, the third layer impermeable to the first fuel and the second fuel, wherein the first structure, the second structure, the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer form the common wall, and wherein the common wall between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank.

A fuel tank system of a platform selected from one of a spacecraft, an aircraft, a submarine, and a surface ship, the fuel tank system comprising:

• a first fuel tank having a first side comprising a first plurality of elongate structures and having a first plurality of channels extending towards a first number of edges of the first structure;
• a second fuel tank having a second side comprising a second plurality of elongate structures and having a second plurality of channels extending towards a second number of edges of the second structure, wherein the first side of the first tank is connected to the second side of the second tank and wherein the first plurality of channels and the second plurality of channels have an orientation with respect to each other;
• a first layer connected to the first side of the first structure that is opposite the first side, the first layer comprising a first composite facesheet facing a first inside of the first fuel tank, the first layer being permeable to a first fuel stored in the first fuel tank;
• a second layer connected to the second side of the second structure that is opposite the second side, the second layer comprising a second composite facesheet facing a second inside of the second fuel tank, the second layer being permeable to a second fuel stored in the second fuel tank, and wherein the first side and the second side are connected at a third layer that separates the first fuel and the second fuel;
• and
• a third layer comprising a composite material that provides thermal insulation and located between the first structure and the second structure, the third layer impermeable to the first fuel and the second fuel, wherein the first structure, the second structure, the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer form the common wall, and wherein the common wall between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank.