Aircraft fuel tank inerting system
阅读说明:本技术 飞行器燃料箱惰化系统 (Aircraft fuel tank inerting system ) 是由 斯蒂芬·爱德华·西普雷尔 于 2020-04-01 设计创作,主要内容包括:本公开涉及一种飞行器燃料箱惰化系统,所述飞行器燃料箱惰化系统可包括至少一个燃料箱,至少一个通风油箱,惰性空气组件,连接到所述至少一个燃料箱、所述至少一个通风油箱和所述惰性空气组件的至少一个流体阀,和/或电子控制单元。所述电子控制单元可控制所述至少一个流体阀,以从所述惰性空气组件向所述至少一个燃料箱和/或向所述至少一个通风油箱提供惰性空气。所述电子控制单元可控制所述至少一个流体阀,以在飞行的爬升阶段期间从所述惰性空气组件向所述燃料箱提供惰性空气,并且控制所述至少一个流体阀,以在所述飞行的下降阶段期间从所述惰性空气组件向所述至少一个通风油箱提供惰性空气。(The present disclosure relates to an aircraft fuel tank inerting system that may include at least one fuel tank, at least one vent tank, an inert air assembly, at least one fluid valve coupled to the at least one fuel tank, the at least one vent tank, and the inert air assembly, and/or an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit may control the at least one fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the at least one fuel tank and/or to the at least one vent tank. The electronic control unit may control the at least one fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the fuel tank during a climb phase of a flight and control the at least one fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the at least one ventilation tank during a descent phase of the flight.)
1. An aircraft fuel tank inerting system comprising:
at least one fuel tank;
at least one ventilation oil tank;
an inert air assembly;
at least one fluid valve connected to the at least one fuel tank, the at least one ventilation reservoir, and the inert air assembly; and
an electronic control unit;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the at least one fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the at least one fuel tank or to the vented fuel tank.
2. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the at least one fluid valve to provide the inert air from the inert air assembly to the at least one fuel tank during a climb phase of a flight and to control the at least one fluid valve to provide the inert air from the inert air assembly to the at least one vent tank during a descent phase of the flight.
3. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the at least one fluid valve such that the mixed air provided from the at least one vent tank to the at least one fuel tank during the descent phase comprises less than about 20% oxygen.
4. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 3, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the at least one fluid valve such that the mixed air provided from the at least one vent tank to the at least one fuel tank during the descent phase comprises about 16% or less oxygen.
5. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to operate the at least one fluid valve in a closed position during a cruise phase of the flight if the at least one fuel tank has reached an inerting margin above a threshold value.
6. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to close the at least one fluid valve if the electronic control unit determines that the aircraft to which the electronic control unit is connected is on the ground.
7. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank comprises a left wing fuel tank, a right wing fuel tank, and a center fuel tank, the at least one fluid valve comprises a first fluid valve, a second fluid valve, and a third fluid valve, and the at least one vent tank comprises a left vent tank and a right vent tank.
8. The aircraft fuel tank inerting system of claim 7, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
operating the first, second, and/or third fluid valves in an open position during a climb phase of flight to provide inert air to the left wing fuel tank, the right wing fuel tank, and/or the center fuel tank;
operating the first, second, and/or third fluid valves in a closed position if the left wing fuel tank, the right wing fuel tank, and/or the center fuel tank have reached an inertness margin above a threshold; and
operating the first and/or second fluid valves in a bypass position during a descent phase of the flight to provide inert air to the left and/or right ventilation tanks.
9. A method of inerting one or more aircraft fuel tanks, the method comprising:
operating at least one fluid valve of an aircraft in an open position during a climb phase of flight to provide inert air from an inert air component of the aircraft to at least one fuel tank of the aircraft;
operating the at least one fluid valve in a closed position during a cruise phase of the flight if the at least one fuel tank has reached an inertness margin above a threshold; and
operating the at least one fluid valve in a bypass position during a descent phase of the flight to provide inert air to at least one ventilation tank of the aircraft.
10. The method of claim 9, comprising:
mixing the inert air from the inert air assembly with ambient air in the at least one ventilation tank to form mixed air; and
providing the mixed air to the at least one fuel tank.
11. The method of claim 9, comprising operating the at least one fluid valve in a closed position if the aircraft is on the ground.
12. An aircraft, comprising:
at least one engine;
a left wing and a right wing;
a left wing fuel tank in the left wing and a right wing fuel tank in the right wing;
a left ventilation tank in the left wing and a right ventilation tank in the right wing;
an inert air assembly;
a first fluid valve connected to the left wing fuel tank, the left ventilation tank, and the inert air assembly;
a second fluid valve connected to the right wing fuel tank, the right ventilation tank, and the inert air assembly; and
an electronic control unit;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the first fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the left wing fuel tank or to the left ventilation tank and to control the second fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the right wing fuel tank or to the right ventilation tank.
13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the first and/or second fluid valves to provide the inert air from the inert air assembly to the left wing fuel tank and/or the right wing fuel tank during a climb phase of a flight and to control the first and/or second fluid valves to provide the inert air from the inert air assembly to the left vent tank and/or the right vent tank during a descent phase of the flight.
14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the first and/or second fluid valves such that the mixed air provided from the left and/or right ventilation tanks to the left and/or right wing fuel tanks during the descent phase contains less than about 20% oxygen.
15. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to operate the first and/or second fluid valves in a closed position during a cruise phase of the flight if the left wing fuel tank and/or the right wing fuel tank has reached an inertness margin above a threshold value.
16. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to close the first and/or second fluid valves if the electronic control unit determines that the aircraft to which the electronic control unit is connected is on the ground.
17. The aircraft of claim 12, further comprising a central fuel tank and a third fluid valve, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the third fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the central fuel tank.
18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the third fluid valve to provide the inert air from the inert air assembly to the central fuel tank during a climb phase of flight and to revise alignment.
19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to operate the third fluid valve in a closed position during a cruise phase of the flight if the central fuel tank has reached an inertness margin above a threshold value.
20. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the mixed air is provided to the central fuel tank from the left and/or right vented fuel tanks.
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to fuel systems, including systems and methods of inerting fuel tanks useful in aerospace applications.
Background
This background description is set forth below merely to provide context. Thus, any aspect of this background description is not admitted to be prior art by any other means, nor is it admitted to be prior art by express or implicit prior art to the instant disclosure.
Some inerting systems may not operate efficiently and/or may be relatively bulky.
It is desirable to have a solution/option that minimizes or eliminates one or more of the difficulties or disadvantages of inerting systems. The above discussion is intended to be merely illustrative of examples in the art and should not be taken as negating the scope.
Disclosure of Invention
In embodiments, an aircraft fuel tank inerting system may include a fuel tank, a vent tank, an inert air assembly, a fluid valve coupled to the fuel tank, the vent tank, and the inert air assembly, and/or an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit may be configured to control the fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air assembly to the fuel tank and/or the vent tank. The electronic control unit may be configured to control the fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air source to the fuel tank during a climb phase of the flight and to control the fluid valve to provide inert air from the inert air source to the ventilation tank during a descent phase of the flight.
The above and other aspects, features, details, utilities, and/or advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from reading the following description and from viewing the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram generally illustrating an embodiment of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system, according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram generally illustrating an embodiment of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system, according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram generally illustrating an embodiment of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system, in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
Fig. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams generally illustrating vented fuel tank components of an embodiment of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
Fig. 5A-5C are schematic diagrams generally illustrating fluid valves in various positions of an embodiment of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the disclosure will be described in conjunction with the embodiments and/or examples, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments and/or examples. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.
In embodiments, such as generally shown in fig. 1, the aircraft fuel
According to an embodiment, such as shown generally in fig. 1 and 2, the
In an embodiment, ECU30 may be configured to control one or more portions of
According to embodiments, such as generally shown in fig. 3, the
In embodiments, such as generally shown in fig. 3, 4A, and 4B, the vented
According to embodiments, such as shown generally in fig. 1, 3, and 5A-5C, the aircraft fuel tank inerting
In an embodiment, ECU30 may be configured to control the operation of one or
According to an embodiment, the ECU30 may operate the
In an embodiment, ECU30 may be configured to operate
In embodiments, a first
According to an embodiment, the second
According to an embodiment, a method of inerting an aircraft fuel tank may include providing an
According to some designs, external/ambient air may be provided directly from the ventilation tank to the main tank, and inert air may be provided separately to the main tank. Ambient air may be provided directly to the main tank at one or more discrete locations. Since ambient air may contain high levels of oxygen, the flow of ambient air into the tank may create regions/zones of higher concentration of oxygen in the main tank, which may be referred to as "hot spots". To limit the impact of this arrangement, the air in the main tank may be maintained at an even lower oxygen level to compensate for ambient air, which may involve providing additional inert air to the main tank. Providing additional inert air to the main tank may involve increasing the capacity and/or duty cycle of the inert air assembly (e.g., increasing the number of ASMs).
In contrast, according to embodiments of the aircraft fuel
In an embodiment, ECU30 may include electronic controllers and/or include electronic processors, such as programmable microprocessors and/or microcontrollers. In an embodiment, ECU30 may comprise, for example, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). ECU30 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a memory (e.g., a non-transitory computer readable storage medium), and/or an input/output (I/O) interface. ECU30 may be configured to perform various functions, including those described in more detail herein, using suitable programming instructions and/or code embodied in software, hardware, and/or other media. In an embodiment, ECU30 may include a plurality of controllers. In an embodiment, the ECU may be connected to a display, such as a touch screen display.
Various embodiments of various devices, systems, and/or methods are described herein. Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in this specification. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus, it is to be understood that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Reference throughout the specification to "various embodiments," "according to an embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "an embodiment," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in various embodiments," "according to an embodiment," "in an embodiment," or "an embodiment," or the like, appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic shown or described in connection with one embodiment/example may be combined, in whole or in part, with features, structures, functions, and/or characteristics of one or more other embodiments/examples, but without limitation, provided such combination is not logically or non-functionally undesirable. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.
It should be understood that reference to a single element is not limiting, and may include one or more such elements. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the embodiments.
Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include joinder of elements and intermediate members between elements for relative movement therebetween. Thus, joinder references do not imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and secured to each other. The use of "for example" in this specification is to be understood broadly and to provide non-limiting examples of embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to such examples. The use of "and" or "should be understood to be broad (e.g., as" and/or "). For example and without limitation, the use of "and" does not necessarily require that all elements or features be listed, and the use of "or" is intended to be inclusive of the endpoints unless such configuration is not logically compatible.
While the processes, systems, and methods may be described herein in connection with a particular order of one or more steps, it should be understood that such methods may be performed in a different order of steps, some steps may be performed concurrently, some steps may be added, and/or some of the described steps may be omitted.
It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the disclosure.
It should be understood that an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), system, and/or processor as described herein may include conventional processing devices known in the art that may be capable of executing pre-programmed instructions stored in an associated memory, all in accordance with the functionality described herein. To the extent that the methods described herein are embodied in software, the resulting software can be stored in an associated memory and can also constitute means for performing such methods. Such a system or processor may also be of the type having ROM, RAM and ROM and/or a combination of non-volatile and volatile memory so that any software may be stored and also to allow dynamically generated data and/or signals to be stored and processed.
It should also be understood that an article of manufacture in accordance with the present disclosure may comprise a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer program for implementing the logic and other functionality described herein. The computer program may comprise code for performing one or more of the methods disclosed herein. Such embodiments may be configured to be executed via one or more processors, such as multiple processors integrated into a single system or distributed over and connected together by a communication network, and these communication networks may be wired and/or wireless. Code for implementing one or more of the features described in connection with one or more embodiments may, when executed by a processor, cause a plurality of transistors to change from a first state to a second state. The particular pattern of change (e.g., which transistors change state and which transistors do not) may be determined, at least in part, by logic and/or code.
- 上一篇:一种医用注射器针头装配设备
- 下一篇:无人机系统