Aircraft Tank System, Refueling Unit And Method For Refueling An Aircraft

• US 20110042520A1
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Thomaschewski, Oliver, Pahner, Sebastian, Theis, Peter, Glaser, Daniel, Kruse, Tim, Lantermann, Heiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/135.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/14 Filling or emptying transferring fuels to adjust aircraft trim B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/28 Liquid-handling installations specially adapted for fuelling stationary aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft tank system (10) comprises a tank cell for receiving fuel, a fuel line (12) that connects the tank cell to a fuel inlet connection (14), and an aeration- and/or deaeration device (16) that for aeration and/or deaeration of the tank cell connects the tank cell to the environment. A shut-off valve (18, 20) of the aeration- and/or deaeration device (16) is adapted in an open position to open a connection between the tank cell and the environment and in a closed position to interrupt the connection between the tank cell and the environment. The aircraft tank system (10) further comprises an exhaust air outlet connection (24), which is connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device (16) and which is adapted during filling of the tank cell with fuel to be connected to an aeration- and/or deaeration connection (32) of a storage tank (28) of a refueling unit (26).

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. Aircraft tank system comprising:

a tank cell for receiving fuel,

a fuel line that connects the tank cell to a fuel inlet connection, and

an aeration- and/or deaeration device that for aeration and/or deaeration of the tank cell connects the tank cell to the environment,

wherein the aeration- and/or deaeration device comprises a shut-off valve that is adapted in an open position to open a connection between the tank cell and the environment and in a closed position to interrupt the connection between the tank cell and the environment,

characterized in that the aircraft tank system further comprises a control device that is adapted during filling of the tank cell with fuel to control the shut-off valve of the aeration- and/or deaeration device into its closed position, and that there is connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device an exhaust air outlet connection, which during filling of the tank cell with fuel is connectable to an aeration- and/or deaeration connection of a storage tank of a refueling unit in order during filling of the tank cell to convey exhaust air from the tank cell into the storage tank of the refueling unit.

13. Aircraft tank system according to claim 12,

characterized in that the control device is adapted to control the shut-off valve) of the aeration- and/or deaeration device on the basis of sensor signals that indicate whether the exhaust air outlet connection connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system is connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration connection of the storage tank) of the refueling unit.

14. Aircraft tank system according to claim 12,

characterized in that the shut-off valve of the aeration- and/or deaeration device is configured as a pressure- and/or vacuum relief valve.

15. Aircraft tank system according to claim 12,

characterized in that the exhaust air outlet connection connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system is disposed adjacent to the fuel inlet connection of the aircraft tank system or is formed integral with the fuel inlet connection of the aircraft tank system.

16. Aircraft tank system according to claim 15,

characterized in that the exhaust air outlet connection, which is connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system, and the fuel inlet connection of the aircraft tank system are configured in the than of a coaxial coupling.

17. Method of refueling an aircraft comprising the steps:

connecting a fuel outlet connection of a storage tank of a refueling unit to a fuel inlet connection of an aircraft tank system, and

conveying fuel from the storage tank into a tank cell of the aircraft tank system,

characterized in that a shut-off valve of an aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system that is adapted in an open position to open a connection between the tank cell of the aircraft tank system and the environment and in a closed position to interrupt the connection between the tank cell of the aircraft tank system and the environment is controlled into its closed position and that an aeration- and/or deaeration connection of the storage tank of the refueling unit is connected to an exhaust air outlet connection connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system so that during filling of the tank cell of the aircraft tank system with fuel exhaust air is conveyed out of the tank cell of the aircraft tank system into the storage tank of the refueling unit.

18. Method according to claim 17,

characterized in that the shut-off valve of the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system is controlled by means of a control device on the basis of sensor signals that indicate whether the exhaust air outlet connection connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration device of the aircraft tank system is connected to the aeration- and/or deaeration connection of the storage tank of the refueling unit.