Removing water from fuel tanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677206-B2
Application number	US-201715653936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A combination of a fuel tank assembly and a tool for opening an outlet of the fuel tank assembly. The assembly includes a tank for storing a liquid hydrocarbon; and an operator-openable valve arrangement configured to move between a closed flow condition in which flow through the valve arrangement is prevented and an open flow condition in which liquid is allowed to drain out of the tank. The tool is connectable to the valve arrangement, such that in a connected condition of the tool and the arrangement a liquid flow path exists between the interior and the exterior of the tank. The liquid flow path is at least partly defined by a conduit in the tool. A filter, in the flow path, includes a water-permeable member configured to enable water to pass through the water-permeable member and substantially prevent passage of liquid hydrocarbon.

First claim

The invention is:

1. A combination comprising an aircraft fuel tank assembly and a maintenance drain tool configured to open an outlet of the aircraft fuel tank assembly during a maintenance procedure, wherein:
the aircraft fuel tank assembly comprises an aircraft fuel tank configured to store a liquid hydrocarbon; and an operator-openable valve arrangement configured to move between a closed flow condition in which flow through the valve arrangement is prevented and an open flow condition in which liquid is allowed to drain out of the aircraft fuel tank to the exterior of the aircraft fuel tank;
the maintenance drain tool is configured to be connected to the valve arrangement during the maintenance procedure, such that a connected condition of the maintenance drain tool causes the valve arrangement to be in the open flow condition and a liquid flow path to exist between an interior of the aircraft fuel tank and an exterior of the aircraft fuel tank, the liquid flow path being at least partly defined by a conduit comprised in the maintenance drain tool; and
the combination further comprises a filter disposed in the liquid flow path, the filter comprising a water-permeable member which is configured to enable liquid water to pass through the water-permeable member to the exterior of the aircraft fuel tank, and at least substantially prevent passage of liquid hydrocarbon to the exterior of the aircraft fuel tank during the maintenance procedure.

2. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement is biased towards the closed flow condition.

3. The combination according to claim 2 , wherein the valve arrangement is configured to receive the maintenance drain tool and interact with the maintenance drain tool to move into the open flow condition.

4. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement is configured to be lockable in the open flow condition.

5. The combination according to claim 4 , wherein the valve arrangement is configured to receive the maintenance drain tool and interact with the maintenance drain tool to lock the valve arrangement in the open flow condition.

6. The combination according to claim 5 , wherein the aircraft fuel tank comprises an outflow, and the outflow is configured to receive the maintenance drain tool to lock the valve arrangement in the open flow condition.

7. The combination according to claim 6 , wherein the outflow is configured to allow insertion of the maintenance drain tool when the maintenance drain tool is in a first orientation, and to engage with the maintenance drain tool to restrict removal of the maintenance drain tool and lock the valve arrangement in the open flow condition when the maintenance drain tool is moved into a second orientation, and wherein the maintenance drain tool comprises a valve engaging head configured to conform with the outflow to allow insertion of the maintenance drain tool into the outflow when the maintenance drain tool is in the first orientation and to engage the valve arrangement to restrict removal of the maintenance drain tool and lock the valve arrangement in the open flow condition when the maintenance drain tool is in the second orientation.

8. The combination according to claim 7 , wherein the valve engaging head is non-circular.

9. The combination according to claim 7 , further comprising a tool shaft extending from the valve engaging head.

10. The combination according to claim 9 , wherein the conduit extends from an outer face of the valve engaging head and in the tool shaft.

11. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the water-permeable member comprises graphene oxide.

12. The combination according to claim 11 , wherein the water-permeable member comprises a graphene oxide membrane.

13. The combination according to claim 11 , wherein the water permeable member comprises a graphene enhanced filter, and wherein the graphene enhanced filter comprises one or more of: a functionalised graphene oxide doped permeable membrane; functionalised graphene oxide nanotubes; and functionalised graphene oxide hollow fibres.

14. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a support structure to support the water-permeable member.

15. The combination according to claim 14 , wherein the water-permeable member comprises a water-permeable material and the support structure comprises a support layer to support the water-permeable material.

16. The combination according to claim 15 , wherein the support layer is a porous substrate.

17. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement is a poppet valve.

18. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the filter is comprised in the aircraft fuel tank assembly.

19. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the filter is comprised in the tool.

20. An aircraft fuel tank assembly comprising:
an aircraft fuel tank configured to store a liquid hydrocarbon,
a filter comprising a water-permeable member which is configured to enable liquid water in the aircraft fuel tank to pass through the water-permeable member, and at least substantially prevent passage of liquid hydrocarbon; and
an operator-openable valve arrangement configured to move between a closed flow condition in which flow through the valve arrangement is prevented, and an open flow condition configured for liquid water to pass from the tank, through the water-permeable member and drain out of the tank, wherein the operator-openable valve arrangement is configured to be moved to the open flow condition by attachment of a tool to an outlet of the operator-openable valve arrangement, and wherein the valve arrangement is between the filter and an outflow of the aircraft fuel tank.

21. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the filter comprising the water-permeable member is configured to enable liquid water in the aircraft fuel tank to pass through the water-permeable member to the valve arrangement, but at least substantially prevent liquid hydrocarbon from doing so.

22. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the filter acts as a barrier between liquid hydrocarbon in the aircraft fuel tank and the valve arrangement.

23. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the filter encloses the valve arrangement in the aircraft fuel tank.

24. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the valve arrangement comprises an enclosure having an opening, wherein the filter is on the enclosure to cover the opening.

25. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the valve arrangement and filter together form a cartridge.

26. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 25 , wherein the cartridge is removable from the aircraft fuel tank.

27. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 26 , further comprising a housing in the aircraft fuel tank, wherein the cartridge is configured to be at least partially received by and mounted to the housing.

28. The aircraft fuel tank assembly according to claim 20 , wherein one or both of the filter and valve arrangement are integral with the aircraft fuel tank.

29. The aircraft fuel tank according to claim 20 , wherein the water-permeable member comprises graphene oxide.

30. The aircraft fuel tank according to claim 20 , wher

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Wheelwright Jay
• Dobbs Jacob
• Martin Christian

Classifications

• B01D61/364

  Membrane distillation · CPC title

• C10G33/06

  with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration · CPC title

• B60K2015/03236

  characterised by special filters, the mounting thereof · CPC title

• B64D37/02

  Tanks (tanks constructed integrally with aircraft wings B64C3/34) · CPC title

• B60K15/03006

  Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence) · CPC title