Device and method for leakage detection of integral fuel tank of large aircraft

Abstract

The invention provides a device and method for leakage detection of an overall fuel tank of a large aircraft, and belongs to the technical field of aircraft fuel tank leakage detection.The device comprises a conical cap, a blowing guide pipe and a high-pressure gas source, the conical cap is connected to the high-pressure gas source through the blowing guide pipe, and the high-pressure gas source is filled with gas with specific components; the conical cap covers the part, used for local detection, of the whole oil tank, gas in the high-pressure gas source covers the local position, needing leakage detection, of the whole oil tank through the conical cap for blowing, and gas component detection is conducted on the leakage detection part on the other side of the whole oil tank. Therefore, whether the detected local part of the whole oil tank leaks or not is determined. According to the device and the method for detecting the leakage of the overall fuel tank of the large aircraft, when the leakage of the local part of the overall fuel tank is detected, the whole fuel tank does not need to be inflated or filled with oil, so that the test detection time is shortened, the leakage detection efficiency is improved, and the leakage detection cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of aircraft fuel tank leakage detection, and in particular relates to a device and method for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Large aircraft generally use structural seals to form an integral fuel tank (the integral fuel tank is usually in the wing), which has the advantages of high structural utilization and large fuel tank capacity. However, the integral fuel tank has many sealing positions and a long sealing boundary. The traditional method of filling the fuel tank with a certain pressure of helium or fuel for sealing detection requires a large amount of gas and fuel to fill the tank at a time due to the large volume of the fuel tank. When it is necessary to perform sealing detection on a local or part of the suspicious boundary, this method takes a long time and is also very costly. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a device and method for leak detection of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft, so as to solve or alleviate at least one problem in the background technology.

[0004] On the one hand, the technical solution of the present application is: a device for leak detection of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft, comprising: a cone cap, an air blowing duct and a high-pressure gas source, the cone cap being connected to the high-pressure gas source through the air blowing duct, the high-pressure gas source being filled with gas of specific components, the cone cap covering a portion of the integral fuel tank for local detection, the gas in the high-pressure gas source being covered by the cone cap to blow air over a local portion of the integral fuel tank where leaks need to be checked, and gas composition detection is performed at the leakage detection portion on the other side of the integral fuel tank to determine whether leakage occurs in the local portion of the integral fuel tank being tested.

[0005] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the cone cap is composed of a cap head and a tail hard catheter, and the cap head is fixedly connected to the tail hard catheter.

[0006] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the material of the cap head can be rubber material.

[0007] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the maximum opening diameter of the cone cap is not greater than 80 mm, and the minimum thickness of the cone cap is not less than 2 mm.

[0008] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the connection length between the blowing conduit and the cone cap and / or the hard conduit of the high-pressure gas source is not less than 5 mm.

[0009] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the gas of specific component in the high-pressure gas source is nitrogen.

[0010] In an optional implementation manner of the present application, the proportion of nitrogen in the high-pressure gas source is not less than 25%.

[0011] In an optional implementation manner of the present application, the pressure of the high-pressure gas source is not less than 50 kPa and not more than 100 KPa.

[0012] On the other hand, the present application provides a method for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft using the above device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft, comprising:

[0013] Step S10, connecting the cone cap to the air blowing conduit and the high-pressure air source, so that the cone cap covers the local position of the entire oil tank that needs to be leak tested;

[0014] Step S20, after turning on the high-pressure gas source, use a specific component gas mass spectrometer to check on the other side of the entire oil tank. When a specific gas component is detected, it is determined that the detected part of the entire oil tank is leaking. When no specific gas component is detected, it is determined that the detected part of the entire oil tank is not leaking.

[0015] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the specific component gas mass spectrometer is a nitrogen mass spectrometer.

[0016] In an optional implementation manner of the present application, when the cone cap covers a suspicious portion of the entire fuel tank that needs to be inspected, the gap between the cone cap and the inspection portion is no greater than 5 mm.

[0017] In an optional embodiment of the present application, during the inspection process using a specific component gas mass spectrometer on the other side of the integral fuel tank, the suction gun of the specific component gas mass spectrometer performs adsorption measurement according to predetermined parameters, and the predetermined parameters include scanning rate, angle, and distance from the detection surface.

[0018] In an optional embodiment of the present application, during leakage detection, the scanning rate of the suction gun is no more than 15 cm / s, the angle of the suction gun is 60° to 90° with the inspection surface, and the distance between the suction gun head and the inspection surface is no more than 15 mm.

[0019] In an optional embodiment of the present application, when a mass spectrometer for a specific gas component detects a change in the leak rate, the scan path within at least a predetermined time is traced back to determine the leak point.

[0020] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the alarm threshold of the mass spectrometer for the specific gas component can be set at 10 - 6 Pa·m 3 / s.

[0021] The device and method for leak detection of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft provided in the present application do not need to inflate or fill the integral fuel tank with air or oil when detecting whether a partial leak occurs in the integral fuel tank, thereby reducing the test detection time, improving the efficiency of leak detection, and reducing the cost of leak detection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution provided by the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall fuel tank leakage detection device of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the implementation of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application.

[0025] The present application provides a detection device and a detection method for the local sealing details of the integral fuel tank of a large aircraft, which are used to reduce the detection workload and cost.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the large aircraft integral fuel tank leakage detection device 10 provided in the present application includes: a cone cap 11, an air blowing duct 12 and a high-pressure gas source 13. The cone cap 11 is connected to the high-pressure gas source 13 through the air blowing duct 12. The cone cap 11 is arranged on one side of the integral fuel tank. The high-pressure gas source 13 is filled with a gas of specific composition. The gas in the high-pressure gas source 13 is blown through the cone cap 11 to cover the local position in the integral fuel tank that needs to be checked for leakage. The gas composition is detected at the corresponding position on the outside of the integral fuel tank to determine whether the local part of the integral fuel tank under test is leaking, so as to exclude local suspicious sealing parts.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, the cone cap 11 is composed of a cap head and a tail hard conduit, wherein the cap head can be made of rubber material. Further, the maximum opening diameter d of the cone cap 11 is not greater than 80 mm, and the minimum thickness of the cone cap is not less than 2 mm.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the connection length L between the blowing conduit 12 and the hard conduit on the cone cap 11 and / or the high-pressure gas source 13 is not less than 5 mm. Furthermore, the cone cap 11 and the blowing conduit 12 can be a combined or fixed structure.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the gas of the specific component in the high-pressure gas source 13 is nitrogen. Further, the nitrogen component of the high-pressure gas source 13 must be no less than a predetermined ratio. In the present application, the predetermined ratio is 25%. In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure of the high-pressure gas source 13 is no less than 50 kPa and no more than 100 kPa.

[0030] On this basis, the present application also provides a method for leak detection using the above-mentioned device for leak detection of large aircraft integral fuel tanks, so as to solve the problem that the existing technology requires the entire fuel tank to be inflated and filled with oil when detecting the local details of the integral fuel tank. The leak detection method of the present application includes the following process:

[0031] Step S10, connecting the cone cap 11 to the air blowing conduit 12 and the high-pressure air source 13, so that the cone cap 11 covers the part of the entire oil tank that needs to be tested for leakage;

[0032] Step S20, after turning on the high-pressure gas source 13, a specific component gas mass spectrometer is used to check on the other side of the entire oil tank. When a specific gas component is detected, it is determined that a leak occurs in the inspected part of the entire oil tank. When no specific gas component is detected, it is determined that no leak occurs in the inspected part of the entire oil tank.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the bottom plate and the web of the integral oil tank are fixedly connected by a connector 21, and fillet seals 22 are provided at the joints between the bottom plate and the web and the inside and outside of the oil tank. When a local leak occurs in the integral oil tank, it is usually at the connection part. The present application detects specific gas components at the local detection part through the cone cap 11, which can conveniently and quickly perform local leakage detection.

[0034] In this embodiment of the present application, the specific gas component mass spectrometer is a nitrogen mass spectrometer. It is understandable that if the specific gas component in the present application is CO2, SO2, etc., the specific gas component mass spectrometer can also be a carbon mass spectrometer or a sulfur mass spectrometer, etc., and the corresponding gas component ratio can be adjusted according to demand.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present application, the cone cap 11 covers the suspicious part of the entire fuel tank that needs to be inspected, and the gap between the cone cap 11 and the inspection part is no greater than 5 mm. The inspection efficiency is improved by selecting the cone cap 11 with a preferred appropriate diameter.

[0036] In the present application, during the inspection process using a specific component gas mass spectrometer on the other side of the integral oil tank, the suction gun 23 of the specific component gas mass spectrometer performs adsorption measurement according to predetermined parameters. The parameters of the suction gun 23 include scanning rate, angle, and distance from the detection surface. Among them, the scanning rate of the suction gun 23 during leakage detection is not more than 15 cm / s, the angle of the suction gun 23 is 60° to 90° with the inspection surface, and the suction gun head is not more than 15 mm away from the inspection surface.

[0037] Furthermore, when the mass spectrometer detects a change in the leak rate, the scan path within at least 7 seconds is traced back to determine the leak point. The mass spectrometer alarm threshold can be set at 10 -6 Pa·m 3 / s.

[0038] It should be noted that the detection method of the present application is applicable to locations where modified polysulfide sealant is used for structural sealing, and preferably local leakage detection is performed at the fillet seal of the integral fuel tank of the aircraft.

[0039] The device and method for leak detection of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft provided in the present application do not need to inflate or fill the integral fuel tank with air or oil when detecting whether a partial leak occurs in the integral fuel tank, thereby reducing the test detection time, improving the efficiency of leak detection, and reducing the cost of leak detection.

[0040] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft, characterized in that: include: A cone cap, an air blowing duct and a high-pressure gas source, wherein the cone cap is connected to the high-pressure gas source through the air blowing duct, the high-pressure gas source is filled with gas of specific composition, the cone cap covers the portion of the overall oil tank used for local detection, the gas in the high-pressure gas source is used to cover the local portion of the overall oil tank that needs to be checked for leakage through the cone cap for blowing, and the gas composition is detected at the leakage detection portion on the other side of the overall oil tank to determine whether leakage occurs in the tested portion of the overall oil tank.

2. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The cone cap is composed of a cap head and a tail hard catheter, and the cap head is fixedly connected to the tail hard catheter.

3. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The cap head may be made of rubber material.

4. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The maximum opening diameter of the cone cap is not greater than 80 mm, and the minimum thickness of the cone cap is not less than 2 mm.

5. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The connection length between the blowing conduit and the cone cap and / or the hard conduit of the high-pressure gas source is not less than 5 mm.

6. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The gas with specific components in the high-pressure gas source is nitrogen.

7. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The proportion of nitrogen in the high-pressure gas source is not less than 25%.

8. The device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The pressure of the high-pressure gas source is not less than 50 kPa and not more than 100 kPa.

9. A method for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft using the device for detecting leakage of an integral fuel tank of a large aircraft according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: Step S10, connecting the cone cap to the air blowing conduit and the high-pressure air source, so that the cone cap covers the local position of the entire oil tank that needs to be leak tested; Step S20, after turning on the high-pressure gas source, use a specific component gas mass spectrometer to check on the other side of the entire oil tank. When a specific gas component is detected, it is determined that the detected part of the entire oil tank is leaking. When no specific gas component is detected, it is determined that the detected part of the entire oil tank is not leaking.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The specific component gas mass spectrometer is a nitrogen mass spectrometer.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that When the cone cap covers a suspicious part of the entire oil tank that needs to be inspected, the gap between the cone cap and the inspection part is no greater than 5 mm.

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that During the inspection process using the specific component gas mass spectrometer on the other side of the integral oil tank, the suction gun of the specific component gas mass spectrometer performs adsorption measurement according to predetermined parameters, wherein the predetermined parameters include scanning rate, angle, and distance from the detection surface.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that During leakage detection, the scanning rate of the suction gun is no more than 15 cm / s, the angle of the suction gun is 60° to 90° with the inspection surface, and the distance between the suction gun head and the inspection surface is no more than 15 mm.

14. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that When the mass spectrometer for a specific gas component detects a change in the leak rate, the scan path within at least a predetermined time is traced back to determine the leak point.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The alarm threshold of the mass spectrometer for the specific gas component can be set at 10 -6 Pa·m 3 / s.

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