Aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods for increasing an aircraft's on-board fuel capacity
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B64D-037/06
B64D-037/00
출원번호
UP-0637922
(2006-12-13)
등록번호
US-7648103
(2010-02-22)
발명자
/ 주소
Barbosa, Weber de Brito
Hasmann, Paulo Henrique
Assao, Regis
출원인 / 주소
EMBRAER—Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A.
대리인 / 주소
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
5인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
Aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods increase an aircraft's fuel capacity. The fuel tanks have a tank body defining an interior space for holding aircraft fuel, and a relief manifold assembly operatively associated to the tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space o
Aircraft fuel tanks, systems and methods increase an aircraft's fuel capacity. The fuel tanks have a tank body defining an interior space for holding aircraft fuel, and a relief manifold assembly operatively associated to the tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the fuel tank body. The relief manifold assembly preferably includes a buffer vessel defining a buffer chamber in fluid communication with the interior space defined by the fuel tank body. The buffer vessel may advantageously be fixed to the tank body within the interior space thereof. At least one of a fuel vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the fuel tank and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank. At least one control box (e.g., containing valves, pumps and/or sensors) external of the fuel tank may be provided so as to fluid-connect the at least one fluid manifold assembly to the main fuel system of the aircraft. A plurality of aircraft fuel tanks may therefore be positioned adjacent to one another, preferably within the fuselage (e.g., a cargo compartment) of the aircraft so as to be disposed generally along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An aircraft fuel tank comprising: a tank body having upper, lower and side walls which define an interior space for holding a maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel, and a relief manifold assembly operatively mounted internally within the tank body to prevent an overpressu
What is claimed is: 1. An aircraft fuel tank comprising: a tank body having upper, lower and side walls which define an interior space for holding a maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel, and a relief manifold assembly operatively mounted internally within the tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the fuel tank body due to an excess volume of fuel being introduced thereinto which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of fuel, wherein the relief manifold assembly includes, a buffer vessel which defines an internal buffer chamber within the tank body extending upright between the upper and lower walls of the tank body, the buffer vessel including an aperture located at a lower end thereof near the lower wall of the tank body and exposed directly to the fuel held in the interior space of the tank body, and a relief branch conduit which fluid connects the buffer chamber to a relief conduit and an associated pressure relief valve positioned externally of the tank body, the pressure relief valve having a pressure set point corresponding to the maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel within the interior space of the tank body, wherein the aircraft fuel held in the interior space of the tank body covers the aperture of the buffer chamber so as to establish an air column under a pressure condition which increases in response to an increase of fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body, and wherein the air column achieves a maximum pressure condition corresponding to the maximum allowable fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body as determined by the pressure set point of the pressure relief valve so that additional fuel introduced into the interior space of the tank body which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of fuel will cause the pressure relief valve to operate and thereby vent the air column through the relief conduit which in turn allows a portion of the fuel held in the interior space of the tank body to enter the buffer chamber so as to relieve the maximum pressure condition of the air column therewithin and thereby prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the tank body. 2. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1, wherein the buffer vessel is fixed to the upper and lower walls of the tank body within the interior space thereof. 3. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1, wherein the buffer vessel includes a plurality of spaced-apart apertures at the lower end thereof. 4. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1, further comprising at least one of a fuel vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the fuel tank and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank. 5. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1, further comprising a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly, the refill/transfer manifold assembly comprising: a refill/transfer conduit positioned external to the tank body, a refill/transfer access port on a wall of the tank body to allow access therethrough to the interior spaced defined thereby, an internal recess located on a bottom wall of the tank body within the interior space defined thereby, and a refill/transfer branch line positioned within the interior space of the tank body and establishing fluid communication between the internal recess and the external refill/transfer conduit through the refill/transfer access port. 6. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1 or 5, further comprising a vent manifold assembly, the vent manifold assembly comprising: a vent conduit positioned external to the tank body, a vent access port on a wall of the tank body to allow access therethrough to the interior spaced defined thereby, an internal recess located on a top wall of the tank body within the interior space defined thereby, and a vent branch line positioned within the interior space of the tank body and establishing fluid communication between the internal recess and the external vent conduit through the vent access port. 7. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 6, wherein one of the relief manifold assembly, the refill/transfer manifold assembly and the vent manifold assembly is connected to at least one control box positioned external to the tank body. 8. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 6, wherein each of the relief manifold assembly, and the vent manifold assembly is connected to a common control box positioned external to the tank body. 9. An aircraft fuel tank system comprising a plurality of aircraft fuel tanks as in claim 1 positioned adjacent to one another. 10. The aircraft fuel tank as in claim 1, wherein the buffer chamber is a cylindrical tube which includes a plurality of apertures at a lower end thereof which are circumferentially spaced apart from one another. 11. An aircraft fuel tank system adapted to being mounted within a fuselage section of the aircraft so as to supplement a main fuel system of the aircraft, the fuel tank system comprising: at least one fuel tank having a tank body which defines an interior space for containing aircraft fuel, the tank body being sized and configured to be positioned within the fuselage section of the aircraft and for containing a maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel therewithin; at least one fluid manifold assembly operably coupled to the at least one fuel tank so as to be in fluid communication with the interior space defined thereby; and at least one control box external of the at least one fuel tank and adapted to fluid-connect the at least one fluid manifold assembly to the main fuel system of the aircraft, wherein the at least one fluid manifold assembly comprises a relief manifold assembly operatively associated to the tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the fuel tank body due to an excess volume of fuel being introduced thereinto which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of fuel. and wherein the relief manifold assembly includes, a relief conduit: a pressure relief valve operatively associated with the relief conduit, the pressure relief valve having a pressure set point corresponding to the maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel within the interior space of the tank body a buffer vessel which defines an internal buffer chamber within the tank body extending upright between user and lower walls of the tank body, the buffer vessel including an aperture located at a lower end thereof near the lower wall of the tank body and exposed directly to the fuel held in the interior space of the tank body, and a relief branch conduit which fluid connects the buffer chamber to the relief conduit, and wherein the aircraft fuel held in the interior space of the tank body covers the aperture of the buffer chamber so as to establish an air column under a pressure condition which increases in response to an increase of fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body, and wherein the air column achieves a maximum pressure condition corresponding to the maximum allowable fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body as determined by the pressure set point of the pressure relief valve so that additional fuel introduced into the interior space of the tank body which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of fuel will cause the relief valve to operate and thereby vent the air column through the relief conduit which in turn allows a portion of the fuel held in the interior space of the tank body to enter the buffer chamber so as to relieve the maximum pressure condition of the air column therewithin and thereby prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the tank body. 12. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, wherein the at least one fluid manifold assembly further comprises: a fuel vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the fuel tank; and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank. 13. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, wherein the at least one fluid manifold assembly further comprises a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank. 14. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, which comprises: a fuel vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the fuel tank, and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying fuel to and withdrawing fuel from the interior space of the fuel tank, and wherein the at least one control box is operatively connected to at least one of the fuel vent manifold assembly and the fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly. 15. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, wherein the at least one control box is operatively connected to the relief manifold assembly and includes the pressure relief valve. 16. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, wherein the buffer vessel is fixed to the of the tank body within the interior space thereof. 17. The aircraft tank system as in claim 11, wherein the buffer vessel includes plural apertures at the lower end. 18. An aircraft having a fuselage compartment and an aircraft fuel tank system as in claim 11 or 9 positioned within the fuselage compartment so as to be disposed generally along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft. 19. An aircraft as in claim 18, wherein the aircraft fuel tank system comprises a forward fuel tank system positioned within a forward section of the fuselage compartment, and an aft fuel tank system positioned within an aft section of the fuselage compartment, wherein each of the forward and aft fuel tank systems comprise a plurality of the aircraft fuel tanks positioned adjacent to one another and disposed generally along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft. 20. The tank system as in claim 11, which further comprises: a vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the at least one tank body, a refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying liquid to and withdrawing liquid from the interior space of the at least one tank body, and at least one control box operatively connected to at least one of the vent manifold assembly and the refill/transfer manifold assembly. 21. A method of providing additional fuel capacity to an aircraft comprising positioning within a fuselage of the aircraft an aircraft fuel tanks as in claim 11. 22. A method of preventing an overpressure condition within auxiliary fuel tanks providing additional fuel capacity for an aircraft comprising: (a) providing a plurality of aircraft fuel tanks each having a tank body with upper, lower and side walls which define an interior space for containing a maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel, wherein each of tank bodies includes internal structural components associated with a relief manifold assembly which communicates externally through a wall of the fuel tank body by means of a relief access port, the internal components of the relief manifold assembly include a buffer vessel which defines an internal buffer chamber within the tank body extending upright between the upper and lower walls of the tank body, the buffer vessel including an aperture located at a lower end of the buffer vessel near the lower wall of the tank body and exposed directly to the fuel held in the interior space of the tank body so that the aperture is covered by the fuel contained in the interior space of the tank body so as to establish an air column under a pressure condition which increases in response to an increase of fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body; (b) sequentially positioning the aircraft fuel tanks within a fuselage compartment of the aircraft so that the plurality of tank bodies are positioned adjacent to one another along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; (c) operably connecting the internal structural components of the relief manifold assembly with external structural components thereof by operably fluid-connecting the internal structural components and external structural components through the relief access port, the external structural components comprising a relief conduit and a pressure relief valve operably associated with the relief conduit, the pressure relief valve having a pressure set point corresponding to the maximum allowable volume of aircraft fuel that may be contained within the interior space of the tank body; and (d) operably connecting the fuel tanks to allow for fuel to be transferred therebetween; and (e) allowing the air column to achieve a maximum pressure condition corresponding to the maximum allowable fuel volume within the interior space of the tank body as determined by the pressure set point of the pressure relief valve when fuel introduced into the interior space of the tank body exceeds the maximum allowable volume of fuel; and (f) causing the relief valve to operate in response to the air column achieving the maximum pressure condition to thereby vent the air column through the relief conduit which in turn allows a portion of the fuel in the tank body to enter the buffer chamber so as to relieve the maximum pressure condition of the air column therewithin, whereby an overpressure condition within the interior space of the tank body is prevented. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein step (d) comprises operably connecting the external structural components of relief manifold assembly to a control box which includes the pressure relief valve external to the tank body. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the control box further comprises at least one of a pump, a valve, and a sensor associated with at least one other manifold assembly selected from the group consisting of a vent manifold assembly and a fuel refill/transfer manifold assembly. 25. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) comprises positioning a first series of the fuel tanks in a forward fuselage compartment and a second series of the fuel tanks in an aft fuselage compartment of the aircraft. 26. The method of claim 22, which further comprises operably connecting the plurality of aircraft fuel tanks to a respective part of an on-board fuel system of the aircraft to allow the additional fuel capacity provided by the plurality of aircraft fuel tanks to be used an engine of the aircraft. 27. A liquid holding tank system comprising: at least one tank body having upper, lower and side walls which define an interior space for holding a maximum allowable volume of liquid therewithin; at least one fluid manifold assembly operably coupled to the at least one tank body so as to be in fluid communication with the interior space defined thereby; and a relief manifold assembly operatively associated with the at least one tank body to prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the tank body due to an excess volume of liquid being introduced thereinto which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of liquid, wherein the relief manifold assembly includes, a relief conduit; a pressure relief valve operatively associated with the relief conduit, the pressure relief valve having a pressure set point corresponding to the maximum allowable volume of liquid within the interior space of the tank body a buffer vessel which defines an internal buffer chamber within the tank body extending upright between the upper and lower walls of the tank body, the buffer vessel including an aperture located at a lower end of thereof near the lower wall of the tank body and exposed directly to the liquid held in the interior space of the tank body, and a relief branch conduit which fluid connects the buffer chamber to the relief conduit, and wherein the liquid held in the interior space of the at least one tank body covers the aperture of the buffer chamber so as to establish an air column under a pressure condition which increases in response to an increase of liquid volume within the interior space of the tank body, and wherein the air column achieves a maximum pressure condition corresponding to the maximum allowable liquid volume within the interior space of the tank body as determined by the pressure set point of the pressure relief valve so that additional liquid introduced into the interior space of the tank body which exceeds the maximum allowable volume of liquid will cause the relief valve to operate and thereby vent the air column through the relief conduit which in turn allows a portion of the liquid held in the interior space of the tank body to enter the buffer chamber so as to relieve the maximum pressure condition of the air column therewithin and thereby prevent an overpressure condition within the interior space of the tank body. 28. The tank system as in claim 27, which further comprises: a vent manifold assembly for venting the interior space of the at least one tank body; and a refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying liquid to and withdrawing liquid from the interior space of the at least one tank body. 29. The tank system as in claim 27, which further comprises a refill/transfer manifold assembly for supplying liquid to and withdrawing liquid from the interior space of the at least one tank body. 30. The tank system as in claim 27, wherein the buffer vessel is fixed to the upper and lower walls of the at least one tank body within the interior space thereof. 31. The tank system as in claim 27, wherein the buffer vessel includes plural apertures at the lower end thereof. 32. The tank system as in claim 31, wherein the buffer vessel is cylindrical and wherein the plural apertures are circumferentially spaced apart from one another at the lower end thereof.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Howe, Mark E., Auxiliary fuel tank systems for aircraft and methods for their manufacture and use.
Barbosa, Weber Brito; Hasmann, Paulo Henrique; Barbosa, Luciano Magno Fragola, Systems and methods to provide compliance with structural load requirements for aircraft with additional fuel tankage.
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