Composite tubes for a fluid transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10633111-B2
Application number	US-201715633735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing an intensity of an electrical discharge that occurs within a fluid transport system in an aerospace vehicle. In one illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a transport member. The transport member is configured for use in the fluid transport system. The transport member includes a material configured to reduce voltages and currents, induced in response to an electromagnetic event, along the transport member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for reducing an intensity of an electrical discharge that occurs within a fluid transport system in an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising:
operating the aerospace vehicle, wherein a transport member in the fluid transport system in the aerospace vehicle is comprised of a material having an electrical resistance within a selected range, wherein the transport member in the fluid transport system in the aerospace vehicle is a first transport member coupled to a second transport member by a coupling assembly and the coupling assembly comprises a first ferrule attached to the first transport member, a first O-ring surrounding the first ferrule, a second ferrule attached to the second transport member, a second O-ring surrounding the second ferrule, and a sleeve configured to surround and compress the first O-ring and the second O-ring such that a conductive pathway is formed through the first transport member, through the first ferrule, through the first O-ring, through the sleeve, through the second O-ring, through the second ferrule, and through the second transport member; and
reducing voltages and currents, induced in response to an electromagnetic event that occurs during operation of the aerospace vehicle, along the conductive pathway to within selected tolerances by the electrical resistance of the transport member.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport member is one in a plurality of transport members configured for use in the fluid transport system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical resistance is within the selected range that includes per unit length electrical resistance levels at least one of above about 100 kilohms per meter and below about 100 megohms per meter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport member is a tube and wherein the electrical resistance of the tube varies with respect to an axis through the tube.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the electrical resistance of the tube varies by less than a selected percentage over time.

6. A method for reducing an intensity of an electrical discharge that occurs within a fluid transport system in an aerospace vehicle, the method performed by an apparatus comprising: a first transport member configured for use in a fluid transport system, wherein the first transport member is comprised of a material configured to reduce voltages and currents, induced in response to an electromagnetic event, along the first transport member; a second transport member configured for use in the fluid transport system, wherein the second transport member is comprised of the material configured to reduce voltages and currents, induced in response to the electromagnetic event, along the second transport member, and wherein the second transport member is separated from the first transport member by an interface; a coupling assembly connecting the first transport member and the second transport member, the coupling assembly including a first ferrule that connects to the first transport member and a second ferrule that connects to the second transport member, the first ferrule including a first groove in which is a first O-ring and a second groove in which is a second O-ring, the second ferrule including a third groove in which is a third O-ring and a fourth groove in which is a fourth O-ring, the coupling assembly further including a clamshell device connected to a sleeve, wherein when the coupling assembly is in a closed position: the first O-ring creates a first seal and a first conductive pathway between the first ferrule and the clamshell device, the second O-ring creates a second seal and a second conductive pathway between the first ferrule and the sleeve, the third O-ring creates a third seal and a third conductive pathway between the second ferrule and the sleeve, and the fourth O-ring creates a fourth seal and a fourth conductive pathway between the second ferrule and the clamshell device; and the method comprising:
operating the aerospace vehicle; and
reducing voltages and currents, induced in response to an electromagnetic event that occurs during operation of the aerospace vehicle, along the first transport member, then across the interface, and then along the second transport member, to within selected tolerances by an electrical resistance of the first transport member.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first transport member and the second transport member are in a plurality of transport members configured for use in the fluid transport system.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the material for the first transport member and the second transport member is selected such that the first transport member and the second transport member have an electrical resistance within a selected range that includes per unit length electrical resistance levels at least one of above about 100 kilohms per meter and below about 100 megohms per meter.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first transport member and the second transport member are tubes and wherein the electrical resistance of the tubes varies with respect to an axis through the tube.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrical resistance of the first transport member and the second transport member varies by less than a selected percentage over time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the selected percentage is between about 20 percent and about 40 percent.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first transport member and the second transport member are tubes.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first transport member and the second transport member are fuel transport members located within a fuel tank in the fluid transport system.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
a second coupling assembly configured to couple the first transport member to or the second transport member to a third transport member in the fluid transport system.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the material is a composite material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the composite material is a non-metallic composite material.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the composite material is selected such that the transport member is configured to at least one of allow static dissipation and prevent a build-up of electrostatic charge.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fluid transport system is a fuel system and the first transport member and the second transport member are tubes having a channel through which fuel is moved.

19. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluid transport system is configured for use in a platform selected from one of an aerospace vehicle, a ground vehicle, and a water vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a clamshell device around the sleeve contacting the sleeve, the first ferrule, and the second ferrule.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Irwin James Patrick
• Minteer David William
• Axtell John Thomas
• Johnson Benjamin A

Classifications

• F16L23/22

  made exclusively of a material other than metal · CPC title

• F16L21/065

  tightened by tangentially-arranged threaded pins · CPC title

• F17D5/08

  Protection of installations or persons from the effects of high voltage induced in the pipe-line (emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H) · CPC title

• F16L25/01

  specially adapted for realising electrical conduction between the two pipe ends of the joint or between parts thereof · CPC title

• F16L9/14

  Compound tubes, i.e. made of materials not wholly covered by any one of the preceding groups (F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence) · CPC title