Aircraft fuel tank and fuel supply method

Abstract

The invention discloses an aircraft fuel tank and a fuel supply method, and belongs to the technical field of fuel supply. An aircraft fuel oil tank comprises a shell, a front end cover and a rear end cover are arranged at the two ends of the shell respectively, an air bag is arranged in the shell, an air inlet pipe communicated with the air bag is arranged on the front end cover, the space between the shell and the air bag is filled with fuel oil, an oil outlet structure is arranged on the shell, and the oil outlet structure is connected with an oil inlet and an oil outlet. The oil outlet structure is located outside the air bag. And an exhaust hole is formed in the rear end cover. By the adoption of the aircraft fuel tank and the fuel supply method, the problem that fuel supply of an existing aircraft is unstable can be solved, and the residual rate of fuel in the fuel tank can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fuel supply, and in particular to an aircraft fuel tank and a fuel supply method. Background Art

[0002] Hypersonic vehicles have the technical characteristics of high speed, high maneuverability and high precision. Existing missile defense systems cannot intercept them. They can carry out long-range precision strikes on high-value targets on land and at sea, and are advanced asymmetric strike methods. However, the requirement for high maneuverability poses a great challenge to the design of the fuel supply system.

[0003] The existing fuel tank structure is as follows Fig.10 As shown. The fuel is filled in a rubber bag, and a liquid outlet pipe is inserted in the rubber bag. The fuel in the rubber bag is discharged through the liquid outlet pipe. Since the liquid outlet pipe is relatively short and is set in the center of the fuel tank, the fuel cannot be fully discharged through the liquid outlet pipe, resulting in a relatively high residual rate of fuel in the fuel tank. In addition, during the flight of the aircraft, the fuel in the fuel tank moves with the shape of the aircraft. Since the liquid outlet pipe is set at one end of the fuel tank, when the fuel tilts toward the other end of the aircraft, the fuel cannot be discharged through the liquid outlet pipe, affecting the stability of the fuel supply.

[0004] Therefore, developing a fuel tank that provides a stable supply of fuel to an aircraft is of great significance for the stable operation of the aircraft. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an aircraft fuel tank and a fuel supply method to solve the problem of unstable fuel supply in existing high-maneuverability aircraft.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an aircraft fuel tank, including a shell, a front end cover and a rear end cover are respectively provided at both ends of the shell, an air bag is provided inside the shell, an air inlet pipe connected to the air bag is provided on the front end cover, the space between the shell and the air bag is filled with fuel, an oil outlet structure is provided on the shell, the oil outlet structure is connected to the oil inlet and outlet, and the oil outlet structure is located outside the air bag; an exhaust hole is provided on the rear end cover.

[0007] Preferably, the exhaust hole is located at the top of the rear end cover, and the oil inlet and outlet are located at the center of the rear end cover.

[0008] Preferably, two ends of the airbag are respectively and fixedly connected to the center seals of the front end cover and the rear end cover.

[0009] Preferably, the surface area of ​​the airbag is larger than the inner surface area of ​​the shell.

[0010] Preferably, the oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet channel, which is embedded in the side wall of the shell, and is arranged along the length direction of the shell. The oil outlet channel is provided with a plurality of first oil outlet holes, and the oil outlet channel is connected with the internal cavity of the shell through the first oil outlet holes; the oil outlet channel is connected with the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity arranged inside the rear end cover.

[0011] Preferably, the oil outlet channels are evenly distributed inside the inner wall of the shell.

[0012] Preferably, the oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet pipe, which is arranged on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell along the length direction of the shell, and a plurality of second oil outlet holes are opened on the oil outlet pipe. The oil outlet pipe is connected with the internal cavity of the shell through the second oil outlet holes; the oil outlet pipe is connected with the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity arranged inside the rear end cover.

[0013] Preferably, the oil outlet pipes are evenly distributed on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell, and second oil outlet holes with different opening directions are provided on the oil outlet pipes.

[0014] Preferably, the oil outlet chambers are radially distributed on the rear end cover, and the exhaust holes are staggered with the oil outlet chambers.

[0015] The fuel supply method based on the above aircraft fuel tank includes the following steps:

[0016] S1. Connect the oil inlet and outlet to the external oil source through the connecting pipe. The fuel enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the connecting pipe and the oil inlet and outlet, and then enters the shell through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole. The gas in the shell is discharged through the exhaust hole. When the fuel overflows from the exhaust hole, stop filling the oil.

[0017] S2. The air intake pipe is connected to an external air source, and the air source enters the airbag through the air intake pipe. The airbag provides extrusion force for the fuel in the shell. The fuel in the shell enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole, and then is discharged from the shell through the oil outlet cavity and the oil inlet and outlet ports to provide fuel for the combustion chamber.

[0018] The advantages and positive effects of the aircraft fuel tank and fuel supply method of the present invention are:

[0019] 1. The present invention provides an oil outlet pipe or an oil outlet channel inside the shell, and the oil outlet pipe and the oil outlet channel are evenly distributed in an array on the inner surface of the inner wall of the shell or inside, and a plurality of first oil outlet holes and second oil outlet holes are provided on the oil outlet pipe and the oil outlet channel. When the aircraft is in maneuverable flight, the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole can always be immersed in the fuel, thereby ensuring the stability of the fuel supply.

[0020] 2. The present invention arranges an airbag inside the shell to provide squeezing force for the fuel in the shell. The surface area of ​​the airbag is larger than the area of ​​the inner surface of the shell, so that the airbag can almost fill the entire shell, which is beneficial to reducing the residual rate of fuel in the shell.

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the oil tank of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the axial cross-sectional structure of the oil tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Middle A enlarged view;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the radial cross-section structure of the oil tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the rear end cover of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the axial cross-section structure of the oil tank according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Middle B: Enlarged view;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the radial cross-section structure of the oil tank according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the oil supply structure of the oil tank of the present invention;

[0031] Fig.10 This is a structural diagram of an existing fuel tank.

[0032] Reference numerals

[0033] 1. Shell; 2. Front cover; 3. Rear cover; 4. Oil inlet and outlet; 5. Exhaust hole; 6. Fixed joint; 7. Air bag; 8. Oil outlet channel; 9. First oil outlet hole; 10. Air inlet pipe; 11. Oil outlet cavity; 12. Oil outlet pipe; 13. Second oil outlet hole; 14. High-pressure gas cylinder; 15. Gate valve; 16. First-stage pressure reducing valve; 17. Second-stage pressure reducing valve; 18. Electric explosion valve; 19. Filling valve; 20. Exhaust valve; 21. Temperature sensor; 22. Filter; 23. Filling and discharging valve; 24. First pressure sensor; 25. Fuel pump; 26. Second pressure sensor; 27. Diaphragm valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the positions or positional relationships in which the invented product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting", "installation", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it 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 it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of this application. In the event of any inconsistency, the meaning described in this specification or the meaning derived from the contents recorded in this specification shall prevail. In addition, the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. In order to accurately describe the technical content in this application and to accurately understand the present invention, the following explanations or definitions are given to the terms used in this specification before describing the specific embodiments:

[0036] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Embodiment 1

[0038] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown. An aircraft fuel tank includes a shell 1. In this embodiment, the shell 1 is a cylindrical structure. The shell 1 can also be set to a rectangular or other special-shaped structure as needed. The two ends of the shell 1 are respectively provided with a front cover 2 and a rear cover 3, and the front cover 2 and the rear cover 3 are fixedly connected to the shell 1 by screws. The front cover 2, the rear cover 3 and the shell 1 are sealed by a rubber sealing gasket.

[0039] An airbag 7 is arranged inside the shell 1. The front end of the airbag 7 is sealed and fixedly connected to the center of the front cover 2 through a fixed joint 6 to ensure the sealing of the airbag 7. The rear end of the airbag 7 is directly bonded and fixed to the center of the rear cover 3 to ensure the sealing of the rear end of the airbag 7. The rear end of the airbag 7 can also be sealed and fixed to the center of the rear cover 3 by means of a fixed joint 6. An intake pipe 10 connected to the airbag 7 is arranged on the front cover 2. The intake pipe 10 is sealedly connected to the airbag 7. Gas is injected into the airbag 7 through the intake pipe 10 to provide an extrusion force for the fuel in the shell 1, which is conducive to the discharge of the fuel in the shell 1. The surface area of ​​the airbag 7 is larger than the inner surface area of ​​the shell 1 to ensure that the airbag 7 can be smoothly deployed when the airbag 7 is inflated, and the airbag 7 can almost completely fill the entire internal space of the fuel tank to reduce the residual rate of the fuel in the shell 1.

[0040] Fuel is filled between the housing 1 and the airbag 7, and an oil outlet structure is provided on the housing 1, which is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4. The oil inlet and outlet 4 is located at the center of the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet structure is located outside the airbag 7 and is used to discharge the fuel in the housing 1 or add fuel to the housing 1.

[0041] The rear end cover 3 is provided with an exhaust hole 5, which is located at the top of the rear end cover 3. The exhaust hole 5 is used to fully exhaust the gas in the housing 1 to prevent the fuel from being mixed with air, which may cause the fuel flow to be unstable.

[0042] The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet channel 8, and the oil outlet channel 8 is embedded in the side wall of the housing 1. The oil outlet channels 8 are evenly distributed inside the inner wall of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the oil outlet channels 8 are distributed in a circumferential array inside the inner wall of the housing 1. The oil outlet channel 8 is arranged along the length direction of the housing 1, and a plurality of first oil outlet holes 9 are evenly arranged on the oil outlet channel 8. The oil outlet channel 8 is connected to the internal cavity of the housing 1 through the first oil outlet holes 9. The fuel enters the oil outlet channel 8 through the first oil outlet holes 9, or enters the housing 1 through the oil outlet channel 8 and the first oil outlet holes 9.

[0043] The oil outlet passage 8 is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4 through the oil outlet cavity 11 provided inside the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet cavity 11 is radially distributed on the rear end cover 3. The end of the oil outlet cavity 11 close to the oil outlet passage 8 is a blind end to prevent the fuel from flowing out through the oil outlet cavity 11. The exhaust hole 5 and the oil outlet cavity 11 are staggered.

[0044] The inner diameter of the oil outlet passage 8, the aperture of the first oil outlet hole 9, the number of the oil outlet passages 8, and the number of the first oil outlet holes 9 are all determined by the fuel flow rate and the flow resistance. The oil outlet passages 8 are arranged in a circular array inside the side wall of the housing 1, and when the aircraft is maneuvering, the first oil outlet holes 9 are always immersed in the fuel, so as to achieve a stable fuel supply.

[0045] Embodiment 2

[0046] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown. An aircraft fuel tank includes a shell 1, which is a cylindrical structure. The shell 1 can also be set to a rectangular or other special-shaped structure as needed. The two ends of the shell 1 are respectively provided with a front cover 2 and a rear cover 3, and the front cover 2 and the rear cover 3 are fixedly connected to the shell 1 by screws. The front cover 2, the rear cover 3 and the shell 1 are sealed by a rubber sealing gasket.

[0047] An airbag 7 is arranged inside the shell 1. The front end of the airbag 7 is sealed and fixedly connected to the center of the front cover 2 through a fixed joint 6 to ensure the sealing of the airbag 7. The rear end of the airbag 7 is directly bonded and fixed to the center of the rear cover 3 to ensure the sealing of the rear end of the airbag 7. The rear end of the airbag 7 can also be sealed and fixed to the center of the rear cover 3 by means of a fixed joint 6. An intake pipe 10 connected to the airbag 7 is arranged on the front cover 2. The intake pipe 10 is sealedly connected to the airbag 7. Gas is injected into the airbag 7 through the intake pipe 10 to provide an extrusion force for the fuel in the shell 1, which is conducive to the discharge of the fuel in the shell 1. The surface area of ​​the airbag 7 is larger than the inner surface area of ​​the shell 1 to ensure that the airbag 7 can be smoothly deployed when the airbag 7 is inflated, and the airbag 7 can almost completely fill the entire internal space of the fuel tank to reduce the residual rate of the fuel in the shell 1.

[0048] Fuel is filled between the housing 1 and the airbag 7, and an oil outlet structure is provided on the housing 1, which is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4. The oil inlet and outlet 4 is located at the center of the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet structure is located outside the airbag 7 and is used to discharge the fuel in the housing 1 or add fuel to the housing 1.

[0049] The rear end cover 3 is provided with an exhaust hole 5, which is located at the top of the rear end cover 3. The exhaust hole 5 is used to fully exhaust the gas in the housing 1 to prevent the fuel from being mixed with air, which may cause the fuel flow to be unstable.

[0050] The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet pipe 12, and the oil outlet pipe 12 is fixedly arranged on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell 1 along the length direction of the shell 1. The oil outlet pipe 12 can be fixed on the inner surface of the shell 1 by welding. The oil outlet pipes 12 are evenly distributed on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell 1. In this embodiment, the oil outlet pipes 12 are distributed in a circular array on the side wall of the shell 1. A plurality of second oil outlet holes 13 are opened on the oil outlet pipe 12, and the oil outlet pipe 12 is connected to the internal cavity of the shell 1 through the second oil outlet holes 13. The oil outlet pipe 12 is provided with second oil outlet holes 13 with different opening directions, so that fuel can enter the oil outlet pipe 12 from different directions.

[0051] The oil outlet pipe 12 is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4 through the oil outlet cavity 11 provided inside the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet cavity 11 is radially distributed on the rear end cover 3. One end of the oil outlet cavity 11 close to the oil outlet pipe 12 is a blind end to prevent the fuel from flowing out through the oil outlet cavity 11. The exhaust hole 5 and the oil outlet cavity 11 are staggered.

[0052] The inner diameter of the oil outlet pipe 12, the diameter of the second oil outlet hole 13, the number of the oil outlet pipes 12, and the number of the second oil outlet holes 13 are all determined by the fuel flow rate and the flow resistance. The oil outlet pipes 12 are arranged in an array on the inner wall of the housing 1, and when the aircraft is maneuvering, the second oil outlet holes 13 are always immersed in the fuel, so as to achieve a stable fuel supply.

[0053] like Fig. 9 As shown. A boost unit, a filling unit and a discharge unit are arranged outside the housing 1. The boost unit is used to pass gas into the airbag 7 to squeeze the fuel in the housing 1. The filling unit is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4, and is used to inject fuel into the housing 1. The discharge unit is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4, and is used to provide fuel to the combustion chamber or the wall cooling system pipeline.

[0054] The pressurizing unit includes a high-pressure gas cylinder 14, which is connected to the airbag 7 through a connecting pipe. The connecting pipe is provided with a gate valve 15, a primary pressure reducing valve 16, a secondary pressure reducing valve 17 and an electric explosion valve 18. The pressurizing unit is used to provide the airbag 7 with an extrusion force of 0.1 MPa.

[0055] The filling unit includes a filling valve 19 and an exhaust valve 20 . The filling valve 19 is connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4 through an oil filling pipe, and the exhaust valve 20 is connected to the exhaust hole 5 through a connecting pipe.

[0056] The fuel addition and discharge unit includes a fuel addition and discharge main pipe and a plurality of fuel addition and discharge branch pipes, which are arranged in parallel. The fuel addition and discharge branch pipes are connected to the fuel inlet and outlet ports 4 through the fuel addition and discharge main pipe, and the fuel addition and discharge main pipe is provided with a temperature sensor 21, a filter 22, a fuel addition and discharge valve 23 and a first pressure sensor 24. The fuel addition and discharge branch pipes are provided with a fuel pump 25, a second pressure sensor 26 and a diaphragm valve 27. When the fuel pump 25 is not started, the diaphragm valve 27 is closed; when the fuel pump 25 is started, the pressure rises and the diaphragm valve 27 is opened.

[0057] The method for supplying fuel to an aircraft fuel tank comprises the following steps:

[0058] S1. Connect the oil inlet and outlet 4 to the external oil source through the connecting pipe, open the exhaust valve 20 and the filling valve 19, and the fuel enters the oil outlet channel 8 or the oil outlet pipe 12 through the connecting pipe and the oil inlet and outlet 4, and then enters the inside of the shell 1 through the first oil outlet hole 9 or the second oil outlet hole 13. The gas in the shell 1 is discharged through the exhaust hole 5. When the fuel overflows from the exhaust hole 5, stop filling the oil, and close the exhaust valve 20 and the filling valve 19.

[0059] S2, the air intake pipe 10 is connected to the external air source, and the gate valve 15 and the electric explosion valve 18 are opened. The gas in the high-pressure gas cylinder 14 enters the airbag 7 through the air intake pipe 10, and the airbag 7 provides extrusion force for the fuel in the shell 1. The fuel in the shell 1 enters the oil outlet channel 8 or the oil outlet pipe 12 through the first oil outlet hole 9 or the second oil outlet hole 13, and then is discharged into the fuel filling and exhaust main pipe through the oil outlet cavity 11 and the oil inlet and outlet port 4.

[0060] Open the fuel pump 25 and the add-discharge valve 23, and the fuel in the add-discharge main pipe is filtered by the filter 22, and then sent to the combustion chamber or the wall cooling system pipeline by the fuel pump 25 and the diaphragm valve 27.

[0061] Therefore, the aircraft fuel tank and fuel supply method described in the present invention can solve the problem of unstable fuel supply of existing aircraft and reduce the residual rate of fuel in the tank.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify or replace the technical solution of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solution to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft fuel tank, characterized in that: It includes a shell, with a front cover and a rear cover respectively provided at both ends of the shell, an airbag is provided inside the shell, an air intake pipe connected to the airbag is provided on the front cover, fuel is filled between the shell and the airbag, an oil outlet structure is provided on the shell, the oil outlet structure is connected to the oil inlet and outlet, and the oil outlet structure is located outside the airbag; an exhaust hole is provided on the rear cover.

2. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust hole is located at the top of the rear end cover, and the oil inlet and outlet are located at the center of the rear end cover.

3. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the airbag are respectively and fixedly connected with the center seals of the front end cover and the rear end cover.

4. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface area of ​​the airbag is greater than the inner surface area of ​​the shell.

5. The aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet channel, which is embedded in the side wall of the shell. The oil outlet channel is arranged along the length direction of the shell. A plurality of first oil outlet holes are arranged on the oil outlet channel. The oil outlet channel is connected with the internal cavity of the shell through the first oil outlet holes; the oil outlet channel is connected with the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity arranged inside the rear end cover.

6. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 5, characterized in that: The oil outlet passages are evenly distributed inside the inner wall of the housing.

7. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet pipe, which is arranged on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell along the length direction of the shell. The oil outlet pipe is provided with a plurality of second oil outlet holes. The oil outlet pipe is connected with the internal cavity of the shell through the second oil outlet holes; the oil outlet pipe is connected with the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity arranged inside the rear end cover.

8. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 7, characterized in that: The oil outlet pipes are evenly distributed on the inner surface of the side wall of the shell, and second oil outlet holes with different opening directions are arranged on the oil outlet pipes.

9. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 5 or 7, characterized in that: The oil outlet chambers are radially distributed on the rear end cover, and the exhaust holes are staggered with the oil outlet chambers.

10. A method for supplying fuel to an aircraft fuel tank according to claim 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Connect the oil inlet and outlet to the external oil source through the connecting pipe. The fuel enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the connecting pipe and the oil inlet and outlet, and then enters the shell through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole. The gas in the shell is discharged through the exhaust hole. When the fuel overflows from the exhaust hole, stop filling the oil. S2. The air intake pipe is connected to an external air source, and the air source enters the airbag through the air intake pipe. The airbag provides extrusion force for the fuel in the shell. The fuel in the shell enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole, and then is discharged from the shell through the oil outlet cavity and the oil inlet and outlet ports to provide fuel for the combustion chamber.

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