Aircraft fuel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021260-B2
Application number	US-201615775226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An aircraft fuel system including at least one fuel tank, a source of inerting gas, an inlet for introducing the inerting gas into the at least one fuel tank, and a vent system arranged to allow the inward and outward venting of air from the fuel tank. In embodiments, the vent system includes a vent, an inward vent pressure valve disposed between the vent and the at least one fuel tank and configured to enable the at least one fuel tank to increase by a predetermined pressure over ambient air pressure, and an outward vent pressure valve disposed between the at least one fuel tank and the vent and configured to enable the at least one fuel tank to decrease by a predetermined pressure below ambient air pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft fuel system comprising:
at least one fuel tank;
a source of inerting gas;
an inlet for introducing the inerting gas into the at least one fuel tank; and
a vent system comprising:
a vent;

an inward vent pressure valve disposed between the vent and the at least one fuel tank and configured to enable the at least one fuel tank to increase by a first predetermined pressure over ambient air pressure; and
an outward vent pressure valve disposed between the at least one fuel tank and the vent and configured to enable the at least one fuel tank to decrease by a second predetermined pressure below ambient air pressure.

2. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vent comprises a vent tank; and the inward vent pressure valve and outward vent pressure valve are disposed between the at least one fuel tank and the vent tank.

3. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the vent comprises a vent duct extending from the vent tank to an exterior of an aircraft.

4. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a vent distribution duct extending through the at least one fuel tank and arranged to receive inwardly vented air from the vent system and distribute the inwardly vented air across the at least one fuel tank.

5. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising an outlet extending from the at least one fuel tank to the outward vent valve, the outlet comprising a float valve in the at least one fuel tank.

6. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an inward vent line for directing inwardly vented air from the vent to the at least one fuel tank and wherein the inward vent pressure valve bypasses the inward vent line.

7. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the inward vent line extends from a vent tank to a vent distribution duct.

8. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the inward vent pressure valve is provided in an outlet extending from the at least one fuel tank to the outward vent pressure valve.

9. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the inlet for introducing the inerting gas deposits the inerting gas into the inward vent line.

10. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the inward vent line includes a mixing chamber and the inlet for introducing inerting gas deposits the inerting gas at the mixing chamber.

11. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inward vent pressure valve is exposed to pressure from the at least one fuel tank.

12. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vent system further comprises a bleed duct in fluid communication with the at least one fuel tank to expose a valve seat of the inward vent pressure valve to pressure from the at least one fuel tank.

13. The aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the source of inerting gas comprises an on board inert gas generating system.

14. An aircraft comprising the aircraft fuel system as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Wood John

Classifications

• B64D37/24

  using gas pressure · CPC title

• B64D37/32 Primary

  Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions · CPC title

• B64D37/06

  Constructional adaptations thereof · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64D37/10 Primary

  to facilitate fuel pressurisation · CPC title