FUEL TANK INERTING SYSTEM

• US 3,847,298 A
• Filed: 03/20/1972
• Issued: 11/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mackenzie L. Hamilton
• Original Assignee: Mackenzie L. Hamilton
• Inventors: Hamilton, Mackenzie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feinberg, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US05/235,955
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 220/88B 244/135R 60/300,39.48,39.66 62/87 169/4 252/372 23/281
• US Class Current: 220/88.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/14 Production of inert gas mixtures; Use of inert gases in general
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03 Fuel tanks chassis frame comprising fluid storage compartment B62D21/16 ; Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank F02M37/0076
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03381 for preventing explosions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/32 Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions extinguishing or preventing fires in aircraft A62C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3127 With gas maintenance or application

Abstract

An inert gas to inert the fuel tanks of an aircraft or the like is produced from the reaction between fuel and bleed or ram air. The reaction gases are then cooled before being provided to the fuel tank to be inerted.

Claims

1. AN INERTING SYSTEM FOR A FUEL TANK OF A MOVABLE VEHICLE DRIVEN BY A PROPULSION ENGINE COMPRISING:

A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING, A CATALYTIC REACTOR HOT SIDE TO CATALYTICALLY REACT FUEL FROM THE TANK WITH HEATED BLEED AIR FROM THE VEHICULAR PROPULSION ENGINE TO PRODUCE OXYGEN-DEPLETED REACTION GASES, AND A RAM AIR COOLED COLD SIDE;

A SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A HOT SIDE TO RECEIVE REACTION GASES FROM THE CATALYTIC REACTOR HOT SIDE OF SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER AND A COLD SIDE TO RECEIVE RAM AIR FROM THE FLUID STREAM MOVING PAST THE VEHICLE;

MEANS TO TRANSFER RAM AIR FROM THE COLD SIDE OF SAID SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER TO THE COLD SIDE OF SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER;

A THIRD HEAT EXCHANGER TO RECEIVE REACTION GASES FROM SAID SECOND HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID THIRD HEAT EXCHANGER COOLED BY A PORTION OF THE FUEL FROM THE VEHICULAR FUEL TANK;

A FOURTH HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A HOT SIDE TO RECEIVE REACTION GASES FROM SAID THIRD HEAT EXCHANGER;

A COOLING TURBINE TO RECEIVE REACTION GASES FROM THE HOT SIDE OF SAID FOURTH HEAT EXCHANGER AND TO EXPAND THE REACTION GASES THERETHROUGH, SAID FOURTH HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A COLD SIDE TO RECEIVE THE EXPANDED REACTION GASES FROM SAID COOLING TURBINE BEFORE THE REACTION GASES ARE PROVIDED TO THE FUEL TANK;

AND REACTION GASES PUMPING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID COOLING TURBINE AND THE COLD SIDE OF SAID FOURTH HEAT EXCHANGER TO RECEIVE AND RECIRCULATE A PORTION OF THE REACTION GASES FROM THE COLD SIDE OF SAID FOURTH HEAT EXCHANGER WITH THE EXPANDED REACTION GASES FROM SAID COOLING TURBINE.

2. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 1 and in addition fan means disposed in the ram air transfer means between the cold side of the said second heat exchanger and the cold side of said first heat exchanger, said fan means operably connected to and driven by said cooling turbine.

3. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 2 and in addition means to bypass ram air around the cold side of said second heat exchanger.

4. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 2 and in addition means to collect moisture condensate from said second, third, and fourth heat exchangers and to transfer the moisture condensate into the ram air to cool the first and second heat exchangers.

5. A fuel tank inerting system of claim 2 and in addition means to bypass at least a portion of the reaction gases from the hot side of said fourth heat exchanger around said cooling turbine.

6. An inerting system for a fuel tank of a movable vehicle driven by a propulsion engine comprising:

a first heat exchanger to receive and cool ram air from the fluid stream moving past the vehicle;

a compressor to receive and compress the cooled ram air from said first heat exchanger;

means to react a portion of the fuel from the fuel tank with the cooled ram air from said compressor to produce reaction gases;

a cooling turbine to receive the reaction gases from said reacting means to expand the reaction gases therethrough, sid turbine operably connected to said compressor;

a second heat exchanger to receive the reaction gases from said cooling turbine; and

means to react a portion of the fuel from the fuel tank with the reaction gases from said second heat exchanger to produce oxygendepleted reaction gases as ullage from the fuel tank,

7. The fuel tank inerting system of claim 6 wherein said reacting means are catalytic reactors.

8. An inerting system for an aircraft fuel tank, the aircraft including an environmental control system to provide chilled air, said inerting system comprising:

a heat exchanger having a cold side to receive chilled air from the aircraft environmental control system to heat the chilled air; and

a catalytic reactor to receive the heated air from the heat exchanger and a portion of the fuel from the fuel tank to react the air and fuel to produce oxygen-depleted reaction gases;

the hot side of said heat exchanger receiving the oxygendepleted gases from said catalytic reactor to cool the reaction gases before the gases as provided as ullage to the fuel tank.