Self-sealing liquid bladders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457138-B2
Application number	US-201514843541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A self-sealing liquid bladder having a plurality of layers including a liquid impermeable material layer that is compatible with a liquid held in the bladder and at least one sealing layer that is conformally arranged to span a surface area of the liquid impermeable material layer and that is separated from a liquid held in the bladder by the liquid impermeable layer, the sealing layer including a sealing means that, in response to a penetration of both the liquid impermeable material layer and the sealing layer, substantially seals the penetration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-sealing liquid bladder comprising a liquid bladder having a plurality of layers defining a volume, wherein the layers include a hydrocarbon impermeable material layer that is inert to a liquid hydrocarbon and at least one sealing layer that is conformally arranged to span a surface area of the hydrocarbon impermeable material layer and that is separated from the volume by the hydrocarbon impermeable material layer, wherein the at least one sealing layer includes a plurality of shape changing structures that change geometry upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder, wherein the plurality of shape changing structures are a plurality of fibers that include a first material that is a liquid hydrocarbon absorbent material capable of expanding upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon absorbent material is selected from one or more of hydrocarbon encapsulated polymers, plant fibers, synthetic elastomers, super absorbent polymers, and polyolefins, and wherein the plurality of fibers is capable of expanding as a result of the first material absorbing the liquid hydrocarbon to a size sufficient to at least partially fill a hole in the hydrocarbon impermeable material layer.

2. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the plurality of shape changing structures include a second material that does not substantially change geometry upon contact with liquid in the bladder.

3. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 2 wherein the shape changing structure first material encapsulates the second material.

4. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 2 wherein the shape changing structure first material and the shape changing structure second material are linearly coterminous with one another.

5. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the first material expands in volume by greater than 50% upon contact with the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder.

6. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the first material that expands upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder causes the shape changing structures to assume a shape that occupies more space than the shape changing structures occupied before contacting the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder.

7. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the first material that expands upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder causes the shape changing structures to grow volumetrically.

8. The self-sealing the liquid hydrocarbon bladder of claim 1 wherein the first material that expands upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder and the plurality of fibers include a second material that in combination with the first material that expands upon absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder causes the shape changing structure to grow spatially.

9. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fibers include a second material.

10. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 9 wherein the first material is coterminous with the second material.

11. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the at least one sealing layer includes at least one layer of packed shape changing structures.

12. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 11 wherein a divider separates each packed shape changing structure layer.

13. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the at least one sealing layer includes two or more layers of packed shape changing structures.

14. The self-sealing liquid bladder of claim 1 wherein the at least one sealing layer includes fibers that do not absorb the liquid hydrocarbon in the bladder.

15. The self-sealing bladder of claim 1 wherein the first material is a hydrocarbon encapsulated polymer selected from polyvinyl pyrrolidone, (hydroxyethyl)methacrylate, and polymers with polyacrylate backbones.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Wilenski Mark S
• Kozar Michael P
• Bahe Amy E

Classifications

• B60K2015/03447

  for improving the sealing · CPC title

• B60K15/03177 Primary

  made of non-metallic material, e.g. plastics, or of a combination of non-metallic and metallic material (B60K15/03006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2015/03407

  to protect tanks against projectiles · CPC title