Systems and methods for fuel leak detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816892-B2
Application number	US-201614995429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, systems for detecting a fuel leak are described herein. In some implementations, a system for detecting a fuel leak described herein comprises a fuel-containing vessel having an exterior surface and a carbon nanotube coating layer comprising photoluminescent carbon nanotubes disposed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the fuel-containing vessel. The system further comprises a fuel-sensitive coating layer substantially covering the carbon nanotube coating layer. The fuel-sensitive coating layer is optically opaque or substantially opaque to wavelengths of light absorbed and/or emitted by the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting a fuel leak comprising:
a fuel-containing vessel having an exterior surface;
a carbon nanotube coating layer comprising photoluminescent carbon nanotubes disposed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the fuel-containing vessel; and
a fuel-sensitive coating layer substantially covering the carbon nanotube coating layer, wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer is optically opaque or substantially optically opaque to wavelengths of light absorbed and/or emitted by the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a light source that excites the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes; and
a detector that detects photoluminescent emission of the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-containing vessel is a fuel storage tank or a fuel line.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel comprises jet fuel.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer consists essentially of carbon nanotubes.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer comprises carbon nanotubes disposed in a matrix material.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer comprises 100 carbon nanotubes per cm 2 to 1×10 8 carbon nanotubes per cm 2 .

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer has an average thickness of up to 200 nm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer comprises polyurethane.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer has an average thickness of between 1 and 1000 μm.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is jet fuel and wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer comprises polyurethane and carbon black.

12. The system of claim 2 , wherein the light source emits light having an average wavelength of 700 to 1100 nm.

13. A method for detecting a fuel leak comprising:
disposing a carbon nanotube coating layer comprising photoluminescent carbon nanotubes on an exterior surface of a fuel-containing vessel; and
disposing a fuel-sensitive coating layer over the carbon nanotube coating layer, wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer is optically opaque or substantially opaque to wavelengths of light absorbed and/or emitted by the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube coating layer.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
exposing the exterior surface of the fuel-containing vessel to a light source for excitation of the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes; and
detecting photoluminescent emission of the photoluminescent carbon nanotubes.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fuel-containing vessel is a fuel storage tank or a fuel line.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer consists essentially of carbon nanotubes.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the carbon nanotube coating layer comprises 100 carbon nanotubes per cm 2 to 1×10 8 carbon nanotubes per cm 2 .

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the carbon nanotube coating layer has an average thickness of up to 50 nm, and
the fuel-sensitive coating layer has an average thickness of between 10 and 1000 μm.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fuel is jet fuel and wherein the fuel-sensitive coating layer comprises polyurethane and carbon black.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the light source emits light having an average wavelength of 700 to 1100 nm.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Humfeld Keith D
• Safai Morteza

Classifications

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• C09K11/06

  containing organic luminescent materials · CPC title

• G01M3/38

  by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M3/025 Primary

  Details with respect to the testing of engines or engine parts · CPC title

• G01M3/226

  for containers, e.g. radiators · CPC title