Aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on aisle intake
By using a fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake and controlling the fuel tank pressure through bleed air lines and regulating lines, the problem of bleed air intake affecting stealth and aerodynamic performance in existing technologies has been solved. This achieves fuel tank pressurization while reducing the negative impact on aircraft performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENYANG AIRCRAFT DESIGN INST AVIATION IND CORP OF CHINA
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
Smart Images

Figure CN117302529B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of aircraft fuel tank pressurization technology, and specifically relates to an aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake. Background Technology
[0002] Aircraft fuel tanks are crucial structural components of aircraft, primarily responsible for storing the fuel required for flight. Based on their construction, aircraft fuel tanks can be broadly categorized into three types: flexible fuel tanks, rigid fuel tanks, and integral fuel tanks. Most aircraft currently utilize integral fuel tanks, where the tank itself is an integral part of the aircraft structure, directly constructed from structural elements of the fuselage or wings. Its advantages include maximizing the use of internal air volume, increasing fuel storage capacity, and reducing aircraft weight. To ensure the proper functioning of the fuel supply and delivery systems, meet engine inlet fuel pressure requirements, reduce fuel evaporation losses, and prevent fuel pump cavitation, the fuel tank needs to be pressurized. Common pressurization air sources include ram air, environmentally controlled bleed air, and high-pressure or low-pressure compressor bleed air from the engine. Ram air is widely used due to its simplicity, light weight, minimal impact on the engine, and high feasibility.
[0003] The high-pressure bleed air from the engine has a high temperature and pressure. Using it for fuel tank pressurization requires cooling and pressure regulation, which complicates the design, increases system weight, makes spatial layout difficult, and impacts engine performance. Furthermore, creating a high-pressure intake port on the engine skin for bleed air would compromise the aircraft's stealth capabilities. If bleed air is directly introduced into the fuel tank via a duct for pressurization, the fuel tank acts as an accumulator, releasing pressure only when a set value is reached. When the bleed air pressure is lower than the fuel tank pressure, there is no flow in the duct, affecting the overall aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides an aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake, comprising:
[0005] The pipeline includes: an air bleed pipeline, a pressurization pipeline, and a regulating pipeline; wherein, the upstream of the air bleed pipeline is connected to an air bleed port located in the aircraft diagonal, and the downstream is connected to both the pressurization pipeline and the regulating pipeline; the pressurization pipeline is connected to the fuel tank, and the pressurization pipeline introduces the diagonal intake air from the air bleed pipeline into the fuel tank to achieve pressurization; the outlet of the regulating pipeline is connected to the outside, and a regulating valve for adjusting the outlet diameter of the regulating pipeline is installed at the outlet of the regulating pipeline;
[0006] The sensors measure and transmit the pressure signals from the pressurization line and the fuel tank to the onboard computer, respectively.
[0007] The onboard computer acquires the pressure signal from the booster line and the pressure signal from the fuel tank uploaded by the sensor, calculates the pressure difference between the booster line pressure and the fuel tank pressure, and sends a command to the regulating valve to control the opening degree of the regulating valve based on the pressure difference.
[0008] The pressure regulating valve is installed on the oil tank to maintain a constant pressure difference between the inside of the oil tank and the outside.
[0009] Preferably, the oil tank comprises multiple tanks, each of which is connected to a booster pipeline branch.
[0010] Preferably, the connection between the booster line and the oil tank has a one-way valve.
[0011] Preferably, the booster line has an air filter.
[0012] Preferably, the pressure regulating valve includes a safety valve and a vacuum prevention valve. When the pressure inside the oil tank is higher than the external ambient pressure and reaches the safety valve limit, the safety valve opens, and the oil tank exhausts gas to the outside. When the pressure inside the oil tank is lower than the external ambient pressure and reaches the threshold, the vacuum prevention valve opens, and the oil tank is replenished with gas from the external environment.
[0013] Preferably, the regulating pipeline discharges air to the outside of the machine or to a non-sealed compartment, serving as a ventilation and heat dissipation source for the non-sealed compartment.
[0014] The advantages of this application include: while realizing the fuel tank pressurization function, it can reduce the impact of fuel tank pressurization bleed air on the aircraft's stealth performance, and at the same time reduce the weakening of the aircraft's aerodynamic performance. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake. Detailed Implementation
[0016] To make the technical solution and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solution of this application will be described in a clearer and more complete manner below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only some embodiments of this application, and are only used to explain this application, not to limit this application. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings. Other related parts can be referred to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments and technical features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.
[0017] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application description shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "center," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., used in this application description to indicate relative direction or positional relationship are used only to indicate relative orientation or positional relationship, and do not imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. When the absolute position of the described object changes, its relative positional relationship may also change accordingly, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and similar terms used in this application description are used only for descriptive purposes to distinguish different components, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "a," "one," or "the," etc., used in this application description should not be construed as an absolute limitation on quantity, but should be construed as indicating the existence of at least one. The terms "including," "comprising," etc., used in this application description mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed after the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.
[0018] Furthermore, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as “installation,” “connection,” and “linkage” used in the description of this application should be interpreted broadly. For example, a connection can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand its specific meaning in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0019] like Figure 1 The aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake shown includes:
[0020] The pipeline includes: an air bleed pipeline, a pressurization pipeline, and a regulating pipeline; wherein, the upstream of the air bleed pipeline is connected to an air bleed port located in the aircraft diagonal, and the downstream is connected to both the pressurization pipeline and the regulating pipeline; the pressurization pipeline is connected to the fuel tank, and the pressurization pipeline introduces the diagonal intake air from the air bleed pipeline into the fuel tank to achieve pressurization; the outlet of the regulating pipeline is connected to the outside, and a regulating valve for adjusting the outlet diameter of the regulating pipeline is installed at the outlet of the regulating pipeline;
[0021] The sensors measure and transmit the pressure signals from the pressurization line and the fuel tank to the onboard computer, respectively.
[0022] The onboard computer acquires the pressure signals from the booster line and the fuel tank uploaded by the sensors, calculates the pressure difference between the booster line pressure and the fuel tank pressure, and sends a command to the regulating valve to control the opening degree of the regulating valve based on the pressure difference. When the bleed air pressure in the diverter is greater than the fuel tank pressure, the onboard computer sends a control signal to control the regulating valve to close slightly to ensure boosted air intake into the fuel tank. When the bleed air pressure in the diverter is less than or equal to the fuel tank pressure, the onboard computer sends a control signal to control the regulating valve to open wider to ensure smooth bleed air discharge from the diverter.
[0023] The pressure regulating valve is installed on the oil tank to maintain a constant pressure difference between the inside of the oil tank and the outside.
[0024] The oil tanks include multiple tanks, and each tank is connected to a booster pipeline branch.
[0025] The regulating pipeline discharges air to the outside of the machine or to non-sealed compartments, serving as a ventilation and heat dissipation source for these compartments.
[0026] The connection between the booster line and the oil tank has a one-way valve.
[0027] The booster line is equipped with an air filter. After the gas in the booster line is filtered by the air filter, it enters the fuel tank to boost the fuel tank. A one-way valve is installed at the inlet of each fuel tank to prevent fuel from flowing back into the booster line.
[0028] The pressure regulating valve includes a safety valve and a vacuum prevention valve. When the pressure inside the oil tank is higher than the external ambient pressure and reaches the safety valve limit, the safety valve opens, and the oil tank releases gas to the outside. When the pressure inside the oil tank is lower than the external ambient pressure and reaches the threshold, the vacuum prevention valve opens, and the oil tank is replenished with gas from the external environment.
[0029] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A pressurization structure for aircraft fuel tanks based on diverterless air intake, characterized in that, include: The pipeline includes: an air bleed pipeline, a pressurization pipeline, and a regulating pipeline; wherein, the upstream of the air bleed pipeline is connected to an air bleed port located in the aircraft diagonal, and the downstream is connected to both the pressurization pipeline and the regulating pipeline; the pressurization pipeline is connected to the fuel tank, and the pressurization pipeline introduces the diagonal intake air from the air bleed pipeline into the fuel tank to achieve pressurization; the outlet of the regulating pipeline is connected to the outside, and a regulating valve for adjusting the outlet diameter of the regulating pipeline is installed at the outlet of the regulating pipeline; The sensors measure and transmit the pressure signals from the pressurization line and the fuel tank to the onboard computer, respectively. The onboard computer acquires the pressure signal from the booster line and the pressure signal from the fuel tank uploaded by the sensor, calculates the pressure difference between the booster line pressure and the fuel tank pressure, and sends a command to the regulating valve to control the opening degree of the regulating valve based on the pressure difference. The pressure regulating valve is installed on the oil tank to maintain a constant pressure difference between the inside of the oil tank and the outside. The pressure regulating valve includes a safety valve and a vacuum prevention valve. When the pressure inside the oil tank is higher than the external ambient pressure and reaches the safety valve limit, the safety valve opens, and the oil tank releases gas to the outside. When the pressure inside the oil tank is lower than the external ambient pressure and reaches the threshold, the vacuum prevention valve opens, and the oil tank is replenished with gas from the external environment.
2. The aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The oil tanks include multiple tanks, and each tank is connected to a booster pipeline branch.
3. The aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The regulating pipeline discharges air to the outside of the machine or to non-sealed compartments, serving as a ventilation and heat dissipation source for these compartments.
4. The aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the booster line and the oil tank has a one-way valve.
5. The aircraft fuel tank pressurization structure based on diverterless air intake as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The booster line has an air filter.