External-bladder fuel system fluidly connectable to a fuel tank to receive excess

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919807-B2
Application number	US-201414488047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A bladder external to a fuel tank of a vehicle that allows an operational range of the vehicle to be increased. Preferably the bladder is external to the rest of the vehicle and the vehicle is an aircraft. The external bladder allows fuel in the fuel tank to expand and contract without requiring additional space within the vehicle, thus allowing more fuel mass to be held by the vehicle and a smaller vehicle profile that is more aerodynamically efficient. More preferably, the bladder is disconnectable from the rest of the vehicle to allow increasing of aerodynamic efficiency and weight reduction during use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft including:
a fuel tank; and
a flexible bladder for receiving fuel expansion from the fuel tank, wherein the flexible bladder is external to the fuel tank and fluidly connected to the fuel tank such that a fuel within the fuel tank is able to flow from the fuel tank to the flexible bladder
wherein the flexible bladder is capable of expanding to at least 5% of the capacity of the fuel tank;
wherein when the aircraft is in a first state, the flexible bladder is fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a low temperature and fills the fuel tank, and the fuel has a predetermined mass;
wherein when the aircraft is in a second state, the flexible bladder is fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a high temperature and excess fuel is within the flexible bladder, and the fuel has the predetermined mass; and
wherein the flexible bladder is removably connected to a housing of the aircraft such that when the flexible bladder is disconnected from the housing the flexible bladder is movable relative to the housing.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flexible bladder is capable of expanding to at least 7% of the capacity of the fuel tank.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the flexible bladder is at least partially external to the housing of the aircraft.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft includes a fluid passage fluidly connected to the fuel tank and the flexible bladder.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the fluid passage includes a sealing disconnection, whereby the flexible bladder is fluidly disconnectable from the fuel tank.

6. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the fluid passage includes a quick disconnect.

7. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the fluid passage is fluidly connected to a stop valve.

8. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the fluid passage is fluidly connected to a bi-directional valve configured to prevent fluid flow from the fuel tank and out of the fluid passage when the fluid passage is disconnected from the flexible bladder.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank and the flexible bladder are connected by a fluid passage, wherein the fluid passage has a portion that is connected to and adjacent to a corresponding portion of the fuel tank, and wherein the portion of the fluid passage has a cross-section that is narrower than the corresponding portion of the fuel tank.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank is a sealed fuel tank.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is removably connected to an airplane.

12. An aircraft fuel system for use on an aircraft including:
a fuel tank;
a valve fluidly connected to the fuel tank, wherein the valve includes:
an aircraft connector; and

a compressible bladder for receiving fuel expansion from the fuel tank, wherein the compressible bladder is outside of the fuel tank and fluidly connected to an external connector connectable with the aircraft connector;
wherein when the external connector is coupled to the aircraft connector to allow fluid flow therethrough, a fuel within the fuel tank is able to flow from the fuel tank to the compressible bladder;
wherein when the aircraft is in a first state, the compressible bladder is fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a low temperature and fills the fuel tank, and the fuel has a predetermined mass;
wherein when the aircraft is in a second state, the compressible bladder is fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a high temperature and excess fuel is within the compressible bladder, and the fuel has the predetermined mass; and
wherein the compressible bladder is removably connected to a housing of the aircraft such that when the compressible bladder is disconnected from the housing the compressible bladder is movable relative to the housing.

13. The aircraft fuel system of claim 12 , wherein the fuel tank is fluidly connected to the compressible bladder while the external connector is coupled to the aircraft connector.

14. The aircraft fuel system of claim 12 , wherein the compressible bladder is capable of expanding to at least 7% of the capacity of the fuel tank.

15. The aircraft fuel system of claim 12 , wherein the aircraft fuel system is part of an aircraft that includes a fluid passage fluidly connected to the fuel tank and the compressible bladder; and
wherein the fluid passage includes a sealing disconnection, whereby the compressible bladder is fluidly disconnectable from the fuel tank.

16. A method of maximizing fuel in the fuel tank of the aircraft of claim 1 including:
transferring the excess fuel from the fuel tank into the flexible bladder, where the excess fuel is the portion of an entire volume of the fuel that exceeds a maximum capacity of the fuel tank; and
transferring at least some of the excess fuel from the flexible bladder into the fuel tank, in response to the entire volume of the fuel decreasing.

17. The method of maximizing fuel of claim 16 , wherein the excess fuel is transferred in response to the entire volume of the fuel increasing.

18. The method of maximizing fuel of claim 16 , further including disconnecting the flexible bladder in response to transferring the at least some of the excess fuel from the flexible bladder into the fuel tank.

19. A method of maximizing fuel in the fuel tank of the aircraft of claim 12 including:
transferring the excess fuel from the fuel tank into the compressible bladder, where the excess fuel is the portion of an entire volume of the fuel that exceeds a maximum capacity of the fuel tank; and
transferring at least some of the excess fuel from the compressible bladder into the fuel tank, in response to the entire volume of the fuel decreasing.

20. An aircraft including:
a fuel tank; and
a flexible bladder for receiving fuel expansion from the fuel tank, wherein the flexible bladder is external to the fuel tank and fluidly connected to the fuel tank such that a fuel within the fuel tank is able to flow from the fuel tank to the flexible bladder;
wherein the flexible bladder is capable of expanding to at least 5% of the capacity of the fuel tank;
wherein when the aircraft is in a first state, the flexible bladder is empty and fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a low temperature and fills the fuel tank, and the fuel has a predetermined mass; and
wherein when the aircraft is in a second state, the flexible bladder is fluidly connected to the fuel tank, the fuel is at a high temperature and excess fuel is within the flexible bladder, and the fuel has the predetermined mass.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Henderson Trent N
• Toal Christopher E

Classifications

• B64D37/12

  jettisonable · CPC title

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64D37/00

  Arrangements in connection with fuel supply for power plant (refuelling during flight B64D39/00) · CPC title

• B64D37/06 Primary

  Constructional adaptations thereof · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title