Oxygen analysis system and method for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B64D-037/32
G01N-021/39
출원번호
US-0170558
(2014-01-31)
등록번호
US-10048195
(2018-08-14)
발명자
/ 주소
Hedges, Daniel E.
Holland, Mark J.
Rhodes, Scott S.
Klemisch, Jennifer D.
Pavia, Jessica C.
Henry, Thomas Michael
Anderson, Clay J.
McCaul, Bruce W.
Winsemius, Thomas Mac
Thorson, Eric K.
출원인 / 주소
The Boeing Company
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
17
초록▼
An oxygen analysis system (OAS) for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks. The OAS has a rack support structure installed in an aircraft cabin with a plurality of oxygen analyzer devices mounted in the rack support structure. Each oxygen analyzer device has
An oxygen analysis system (OAS) for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks. The OAS has a rack support structure installed in an aircraft cabin with a plurality of oxygen analyzer devices mounted in the rack support structure. Each oxygen analyzer device has an oxygen sensor to measure oxygen concentration in gas samples continuously drawn from sample locations in aircraft fuel tanks and at an aircraft NGS ASM exit. The OAS further has a plurality of valves, a supply of calibration gases, a supply of purge and operating gases, and a power distribution assembly, all coupled to the rack support structure. The OAS further has a transport tubing assembly, a plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports, an NGS ASM exit gas sampling port, a drain manifold assembly, and a data acquisition and recording system having a user interface software to monitor and control the OAS.
대표청구항▼
1. An oxygen analysis system (OAS) for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks, the oxygen analysis system comprising: a rack support structure installed in an interior aircraft cabin of an aircraft, the rack support structure having an oxygen analyzer device
1. An oxygen analysis system (OAS) for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks, the oxygen analysis system comprising: a rack support structure installed in an interior aircraft cabin of an aircraft, the rack support structure having an oxygen analyzer device portion on one side and having a plumbing portion on an opposite side;a plurality of oxygen analyzer devices and at least one nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) analyzer device stacked vertically within the oxygen analyzer device portion of the rack support structure, each oxygen analyzer device comprising an oxygen sensor to measure oxygen concentration in gas samples continuously drawn from sample locations in aircraft fuel tanks and at an aircraft nitrogen generation system (NGS) air separation module (ASM) exit;a plurality of plumbing system control displays stacked vertically and mounted to the plumbing portion of the rack support structure opposite the oxygen analyzer device portion, the plurality of plumbing system control displays comprising a verification gas control, an NGS ASM exit gas sampling port control, fuel tank gas sample line controls, a return flow control, a purge flow adjustment valve control, an inlet test port control, and a return test port control;a supply of calibration gases housed within the rack support structure behind the plumbing portion, the supply of calibration gases calibrating the oxygen analysis system (OAS) in real time, and consisting of an oxygen gas having a 5% oxygen concentration and an oxygen gas having a 21% oxygen concentration;a verification gas consisting of an oxygen gas having a 12% oxygen concentration, the verification gas controlled with the verification gas control coupled to the rack support structure;a plurality of valves, including a selection valve to select one of the calibration gases, or the verification gas, as a gas sample to be analyzed by the oxygen sensor, a supply of purge and operating gases, and a power distribution assembly, all coupled to the rack support structure;a transport tubing assembly coupled between the rack support structure and the aircraft fuel tanks and the aircraft NGS ASM exit, the transport tubing assembly configured to transport the gas samples to and from the plurality of oxygen analyzer devices in the rack support structure;a transport tubing inspection point for the transport tubing assembly, the transport tubing inspection point located in an interior cargo bay of the aircraft, the interior cargo bay and the interior aircraft cabin being located in separate locations in the aircraft and separate from the aircraft fuel tanks, and the interior cargo bay being positioned below the interior aircraft cabin;a plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports located in the aircraft fuel tanks;an NGS ASM exit gas sampling port located at the aircraft NGS ASM exit;a drain manifold assembly coupled along the transport tubing assembly between the rack support structure and the plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports and configured to capture and drain liquids that enter into the transport tubing assembly; and,a data acquisition and recording system coupled to the plurality of oxygen analyzer devices, for collecting and processing oxygen concentration data measured by the oxygen sensor of each oxygen analyzer device, the data acquisition and recording system comprising a user interface software to monitor and control the oxygen analysis system. 2. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor monitoring system to monitor the oxygen sensor of each oxygen analyzer device at a sample rate equal to or greater than about one (1) sample per thirty (30) seconds per sample flow channel. 3. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, further comprising an automated calibration system using one or more calibration gas concentration values obtained from the supply of calibration gases to calibrate the oxygen analysis system in real time. 4. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, wherein the oxygen analysis system (OAS) is used in a flight test aircraft to certify a Nitrogen Generation System (NGS). 5. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of valves further comprises a plurality of float valves comprising fuel tank sample float valves and fuel tank return float valves, the plurality of float valves preventing ingestion of liquid fuel at the sample locations. 6. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, wherein the supply of purge and operating gases comprises a purge gas comprising an oxygen gas having a 3% oxygen concentration to control the plurality of valves and to provide a purge capability in real time to clear blocked sample flow channels of the transport tubing assembly. 7. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure inerting gas comprising an oxygen gas having a 3% oxygen concentration to maintain an enclosure of each oxygen analyzer device at a 3% oxygen concentration throughout an aircraft flight duration. 8. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1 wherein the oxygen sensor is a tunable laser diode oxygen sensor. 9. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports comprise up to twenty-one (21) sample locations in the aircraft fuel tanks. 10. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1 wherein the gas samples drawn from sample locations within the aircraft fuel tanks are drawn from an ullage of each aircraft fuel tank. 11. The oxygen analysis system of claim 1 wherein the oxygen analysis system (OAS) is a flight test data acquisition and monitoring system designed for real-time measurement and monitoring of oxygen concentration. 12. An aircraft comprising: at least one wing, each wing having one or more aircraft fuel tanks;a fuselage defining an interior aircraft cabin and an interior cargo bay; and,an oxygen analysis system (OAS) comprising: a rack support structure installed in the interior aircraft cabin, the rack support structure having an oxygen analyzer device portion on one side and having a plumbing portion on an opposite side;a plurality of oxygen analyzer devices and at least one nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) analyzer device stacked vertically within the rack support structure, each oxygen analyzer device comprising a tunable laser diode oxygen sensor to measure oxygen concentration in gas samples continuously drawn from sample locations in the aircraft fuel tanks and at an aircraft nitrogen generation system (NGS) air separation module (ASM) exit;a plurality of plumbing system control displays stacked vertically and mounted to the plumbing portion of the rack support structure opposite the oxygen analyzer device portion, the plurality of plumbing system control displays comprising a verification gas control, an NGS ASM exit gas sampling port control, fuel tank gas sample line controls, a return flow control, a purge flow adjustment valve control, an inlet test port control, and a return test port control;a supply of calibration gases housed within the rack support structure behind the plumbing portion, the supply of calibration gases calibrating the oxygen analysis system (OAS) in real time, and consisting of an oxygen gas having a 5% oxygen concentration and an oxygen gas having a 21% oxygen concentration;a verification gas consisting of an oxygen gas having a 12% oxygen concentration, the verification gas controlled with a the verification gas control coupled to the rack support structure;a plurality of valves, including a selection valve to select one of the calibration gases, or the verification gas, as a gas sample to be analyzed by the oxygen sensor, a supply of purge and operating gases, and a power distribution assembly, all coupled to the rack support structure; a transport tubing assembly coupled between the rack support structure and the aircraft fuel tanks and the aircraft NGS ASM exit, the transport tubing assembly configured to transport the gas samples to and from the plurality of oxygen analyzer devices in the rack support structure;a transport tubing inspection point for the transport tubing assembly, the transport tubing inspection point located in the interior cargo bay of the aircraft, the interior cargo bay and the interior aircraft cabin being located in separate locations in the aircraft and separate from the aircraft fuel tanks, and the interior cargo bay being positioned below the interior aircraft cabin;a plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports located in the aircraft fuel tanks;an NGS ASM exit gas sampling port located at the aircraft NGS ASM exit;a drain manifold assembly coupled along the transport tubing assembly between the rack support structure and the plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports and configured to capture and drain liquids that enter into the transport tubing assembly; and,a data acquisition and recording system coupled to the plurality of oxygen analyzer devices, for collecting and processing oxygen concentration data measured by the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor of each oxygen analyzer device, the data acquisition and recording system comprising a user interface software to monitor and control the oxygen analysis system,wherein the oxygen analysis system measures, monitors and records oxygen concentration in the aircraft fuel tanks in real time. 13. The aircraft of claim 12 wherein the oxygen analysis system further comprises a sensor monitoring system to monitor the oxygen sensor of each oxygen analyzer device at a sample rate equal to or greater than about one (1) sample per thirty (30) seconds per sample flow channel. 14. The aircraft of claim 12 wherein the oxygen analysis system further comprises an automated calibration system using one or more calibration gas concentration values obtained from the supply of calibration gases to calibrate the oxygen analysis system in real time. 15. The aircraft of claim 12 wherein the oxygen analysis system further comprises an enclosure inerting gas and a purge gas both comprising an oxygen gas having a 3% oxygen concentration. 16. An oxygen analysis method for measuring, monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in aircraft fuel tanks, the method comprising the steps of: installing an oxygen analysis system (OAS) in an aircraft, the oxygen analysis system (OAS) comprising: a rack support structure installed in an interior aircraft cabin of an aircraft, the rack support structure having an oxygen analyzer device portion on one side and having a plumbing portion on an opposite side;a plurality of oxygen analyzer devices and at least one nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) analyzer device stacked vertically within the oxygen analyzer device portion of the rack support structure, each oxygen analyzer device comprising a tunable laser diode oxygen sensor;a plurality of plumbing system control displays stacked vertically and mounted to the plumbing portion of the rack support structure opposite the oxygen analyzer device portion, the plurality of plumbing system control displays comprising a verification gas control, a nitrogen generation system (NGS) air separation module (ASM) exit gas sampling port control, fuel tank gas sample line controls, a return flow control, a purge flow adjustment valve control, an inlet test port control, and a return test port control;a supply of calibration gases housed within the rack support structure behind the plumbing portion, the supply of calibration gases calibrating the oxygen analysis system (OAS) in real time, and consisting of an oxygen gas having a 5% oxygen concentration and an oxygen gas having a 21% oxygen concentration;a verification gas consisting of an oxygen gas having a 12% oxygen concentration, the verification gas controlled with the verification gas control coupled to the rack support structure;a plurality of valves, including a selection valve to select one of the calibration gases, or the verification gas, as a gas sample to be analyzed by the oxygen sensor, a supply of purge and operating gases, and a power distribution assembly, all coupled to the rack support structure;a plurality of fuel tank gas sampling ports located in the aircraft fuel tanks;a nitrogen generation system (NGS) air separation module (ASM) exit gas sampling port located at an aircraft nitrogen generation system (NGS) air separation module (ASM) exit;a transport tubing assembly coupled between the rack support structure and the fuel tank gas sampling ports and the NGS ASM exit gas sampling port;a transport tubing inspection point for the transport tubing assembly, the transport tubing inspection point located in an interior cargo bay of the aircraft, the interior cargo bay and the interior aircraft cabin being located in separate locations in the aircraft and separate from the aircraft fuel tanks, and the interior cargo bay being positioned below the interior aircraft cabin;a drain manifold assembly coupled to the transport tubing assembly; andthe data acquisition and recording system coupled to the plurality of oxygen analyzer devices, the data acquisition and recording system comprising a user interface software to monitor and control the oxygen analysis system;continuously drawing fuel tank gas samples from aircraft fuel tanks;introducing a fuel tank gas sample of interest to the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor of the OAS;measuring with the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor an oxygen concentration of the fuel tank gas sample of interest;drawing an NGS ASM exit gas sample of interest from the aircraft NGS ASM exit;introducing the NGS ASM exit gas sample of interest to the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor;measuring with the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor an oxygen concentration of the NGS ASM exit gas sample of interest;outputting to a data acquisition and recording system output results of oxygen concentration data measured by the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor;monitoring and recording oxygen concentration in the aircraft fuel tanks in real time; and,returning the fuel tank gas sample of interest back to the aircraft fuel tank it came from and venting the NGS ASM exit gas sample of interest out of the aircraft. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of installing the OAS in the aircraft comprises installing the OAS further comprising the plurality of valves further comprising a plurality of float valves comprising fuel tank sample float valves and fuel tank return float valves, the plurality of float valves preventing ingestion of liquid fuel at the sample locations. 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of performing automated calibration of the oxygen analysis system using one or more calibration gas concentration values obtained from the supply of calibration gases to calibrate the oxygen analysis system in real time. 19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of introducing into an enclosure of each oxygen analyzer device a purge gas comprising an oxygen gas having a 3% oxygen concentration to control the plurality of valves and to provide a purge capability in real time to clear any blocked sample flow channels of the transport tubing assembly. 20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of introducing into an enclosure of each oxygen analyzer device an enclosure inerting gas comprising an oxygen gas having a 3% oxygen concentration to maintain the enclosure at a 3% oxygen concentration throughout an aircraft flight duration. 21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of using a sensor monitoring system to monitor the tunable laser diode oxygen sensor at a sample rate equal to or greater than about one (1) sample per thirty (30) seconds per sample flow channel.
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