Aircraft fuel tank and fuel supply method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an aircraft fuel tank and a fuel supply method, belonging to the field of fuel supply technology. An aircraft fuel tank includes a shell, with a front end cover and a rear end cover provided at each end of the shell, an air bag provided inside the shell, an air inlet pipe connected to the air bag provided on the front end cover, fuel filled between the shell and the air bag, an oil outlet structure provided on the shell, the oil outlet structure connected to the oil inlet and outlet, and located outside the air bag; and an exhaust hole provided on the rear end cover. The aircraft fuel tank and fuel supply method described in the present invention can solve the problem of unstable fuel supply in existing aircraft and reduce the residual rate of fuel in the tank.

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, with their high speed, maneuverability, and precision, are impervious to interception by existing missile defense systems. They can carry out long-range precision strikes against high-value targets on land and at sea, representing an advanced asymmetric strike method. However, this high maneuverability presents significant challenges to the design of fuel supply systems.

[0003] The existing fuel tank structure is as follows Figure 10 As shown in the figure, the fuel is filled in a rubber bladder, and a discharge pipe is inserted into the bladder. The fuel in the rubber bladder is discharged through the discharge pipe. However, due to the short discharge pipe and its location in the center of the fuel tank, the fuel cannot be fully discharged through the discharge pipe, resulting in a high residual fuel rate in the tank. Furthermore, during flight, the fuel in the tank moves with the aircraft's shape. Since the discharge pipe is located at one end of the tank, when the fuel tilts toward the other end of the aircraft, the fuel cannot be discharged through the discharge 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 objectives, the present invention provides an aircraft fuel tank, comprising 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 ports, 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, both ends of the airbag are respectively sealed and fixedly connected to the center 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. A plurality of first oil outlet holes are provided on the oil outlet channel, and the oil outlet channel is connected to the internal cavity of the shell through the first oil outlet holes; the oil outlet channel is connected to the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity provided inside the rear end cover.

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

[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 cavities are radially distributed on the rear end cover, and the exhaust holes are staggered with respect to the oil outlet cavities.

[0015] The fuel supply method for the aircraft fuel tank includes the following steps:

[0016] S1. Connect the oil inlet and outlet ports to an external oil source through connecting pipes. Fuel enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the connecting pipes and the oil inlet and outlet ports, and then enters the interior of the housing through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole. Gas in the housing 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. The air source enters the airbag through the air intake pipe. The airbag provides squeezing 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 oil outlet channel inside the housing. The oil outlet pipe and oil outlet channel are evenly distributed in an array on the inner surface of the housing inner wall or inside the housing. A plurality of first oil outlet holes and second oil outlet holes are provided on the oil outlet pipe and oil outlet channel. When the aircraft is maneuvering, the first oil outlet holes or the second oil outlet holes can be always immersed in fuel, thereby ensuring the stability of the fuel supply.

[0020] 2. The present invention sets 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 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the fuel tank of the present invention;

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

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

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

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

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

[0032] Reference numerals

[0033] 1. Housing; 2. Front cover; 3. Rear cover; 4. Oil inlet and outlet; 5. Exhaust hole; 6. Fixed joint; 7. Airbag; 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" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientations or positional relationships in which the inventive product is usually placed when in use. These are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly 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 an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a communication between the internal parts of 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 commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. 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 this application and are not intended to limit this 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 for the terms used in this specification before describing the specific embodiments:

[0036] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 An aircraft fuel tank includes a housing 1. In this embodiment, housing 1 is cylindrical. Housing 1 can also be configured as a rectangle or other special shape as needed. Housing 1 is provided with a front end cover 2 and a rear end cover 3 at each end. Front end cover 2 and rear end cover 3 are fixed to housing 1 via screws. Rubber gaskets seal the front end cover 2 and rear end cover 3 from the housing 1.

[0039] An airbag 7 is provided inside the housing 1. The front end of the airbag 7 is sealed and fixedly connected to the center of the front cover 2 via 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 using a fixed joint 6. An air intake pipe 10 connected to the airbag 7 is provided on the front cover 2. The air intake pipe 10 is sealedly connected to the airbag 7. Gas is injected into the airbag 7 through the air intake pipe 10, providing squeezing force for the fuel in the housing 1, which is conducive to the discharge of the fuel in the housing 1. The surface area of the airbag 7 is larger than the inner surface area of the housing 1 to ensure that the airbag 7 can be smoothly deployed when inflated, and the airbag 7 can almost completely fill the entire internal space of the fuel tank to reduce the residual rate of fuel in the housing 1.

[0040] Fuel is filled between the housing 1 and the airbag 7. An oil outlet structure is provided on the housing 1 and connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4. The oil inlet and outlet 4 is located in the center of the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet structure is located outside the airbag 7 and is used to drain the fuel from 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 discharge the gas in the housing 1 to prevent the fuel from being mixed with air, which causes the fuel flow to be unstable.

[0042] The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet channel 8 embedded within the side wall of the housing 1. The oil outlet channels 8 are evenly distributed within the inner wall of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the oil outlet channels 8 are arranged in a circular array within the inner wall of the housing 1. The oil outlet channels 8 are arranged along the length of the housing 1 and are evenly distributed with a plurality of first oil outlet holes 9. The oil outlet channels 8 communicate with the internal cavity of the housing 1 through the first oil outlet holes 9. Fuel enters the oil outlet channels 8 through the first oil outlet holes 9, or enters the housing 1 through the oil outlet channels 8 and the first oil outlet holes 9.

[0043] The oil outlet passage 8 connects to the oil inlet and outlet ports 4 through an oil outlet cavity 11 within the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet cavities 11 are radially distributed on the rear end cover 3. The end of the oil outlet cavity 11 closest to the oil outlet passage 8 is a blind end to prevent fuel from escaping through the oil outlet cavity 11. The exhaust hole 5 is offset from the oil outlet cavity 11.

[0044] The inner diameter of oil outlet passage 8, the diameter of first oil outlet holes 9, the number of oil outlet passages 8, and the number of first oil outlet holes 9 are all determined by fuel flow rate and flow resistance. Oil outlet passages 8 are arranged in a circular array within the sidewall of housing 1. During aircraft maneuvers, first oil outlet holes 9 are always submerged in fuel, ensuring a stable fuel supply.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] like Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 An aircraft fuel tank includes a cylindrical housing 1. Housing 1 can also be configured as a rectangle or other special shape as needed. Housing 1 is provided with a front cover 2 and a rear cover 3 at each end. These two covers are fixedly connected to housing 1 via screws. Rubber gaskets seal the housing 1 with the front and rear covers 2 and 3.

[0047] An airbag 7 is provided inside the housing 1. The front end of the airbag 7 is sealed and fixedly connected to the center of the front cover 2 via 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 using a fixed joint 6. An air intake pipe 10 connected to the airbag 7 is provided on the front cover 2. The air intake pipe 10 is sealedly connected to the airbag 7. Gas is injected into the airbag 7 through the air intake pipe 10, providing squeezing force for the fuel in the housing 1, which is conducive to the discharge of the fuel in the housing 1. The surface area of the airbag 7 is larger than the inner surface area of the housing 1 to ensure that the airbag 7 can be smoothly deployed when inflated, and the airbag 7 can almost completely fill the entire internal space of the fuel tank to reduce the residual rate of fuel in the housing 1.

[0048] Fuel is filled between the housing 1 and the airbag 7. An oil outlet structure is provided on the housing 1 and connected to the oil inlet and outlet 4. The oil inlet and outlet 4 is located in the center of the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet structure is located outside the airbag 7 and is used to drain the fuel from 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 discharge the gas in the housing 1 to prevent the fuel from being mixed with air, which causes the fuel flow to be unstable.

[0050] The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet pipe 12, which 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 to 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 connects to the oil inlet and outlet ports 4 through the oil outlet cavity 11 within the rear end cover 3. The oil outlet cavities 11 are radially distributed on the rear end cover 3. The end of the oil outlet cavity 11 closest to the oil outlet pipe 12 is a blind end to prevent fuel from escaping through the oil outlet cavity 11. The exhaust hole 5 is offset from the oil outlet cavity 11.

[0052] The inner diameter of the oil outlet pipe 12, the diameter of the second oil outlet holes 13, the number of oil outlet pipes 12, and the number of second oil outlet holes 13 are all determined by the fuel flow rate and flow resistance. The oil outlet pipes 12 are arranged in an array on the inner wall of the housing 1. During aircraft maneuvers, one of the second oil outlet holes 13 is always submerged in fuel, ensuring a stable fuel supply.

[0053] like Figure 9 As shown. The exterior of the housing 1 is equipped with a pressurizing unit, a filling unit, and a drain unit. The pressurizing unit is used to introduce gas into the airbag 7, squeezing the fuel within the housing 1. The filling unit is connected to the fuel inlet and outlet 4 and is used to inject fuel into the housing 1. The drain unit is also connected to the fuel inlet and outlet 4 and is used to supply fuel to the combustion chamber or the wall cooling system pipelines.

[0054] The booster unit includes a high-pressure gas cylinder 14, which is connected to the airbag 7 via a connecting pipe. The connecting pipe is equipped with a gate valve 15, a first-stage pressure-reducing valve 16, a second-stage pressure-reducing valve 17, and an electric explosion valve 18. The booster unit is used to provide a 0.1 MPa extrusion pressure to the airbag 7.

[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 supply and discharge unit includes a main fuel supply and discharge pipe and several branch fuel supply and discharge pipes arranged in parallel. These branch fuel supply and discharge pipes connect to the fuel inlet and outlet ports 4 through the main fuel supply and discharge pipe. The main fuel supply and discharge pipe is equipped with a temperature sensor 21, a filter 22, a fuel supply and discharge valve 23, and a first pressure sensor 24. The branch fuel supply and discharge pipes are also equipped with a fuel pump 25, a second pressure sensor 26, and a diaphragm valve 27. When the fuel pump 25 is not activated, the diaphragm valve 27 is closed. When the fuel pump 25 is activated, the pressure rises, and the diaphragm valve 27 opens.

[0057] A 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 interior of the housing 1 through the first oil outlet hole 9 or the second oil outlet hole 13. The gas in the housing 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. The airbag 7 provides squeezing force for the fuel in the housing 1. The fuel in the housing 1 enters the oil outlet passage 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 supply and discharge 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. 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 of the present invention can solve the problem of unstable fuel supply in 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 solutions of the present invention rather than to limit the same. 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 solutions of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft fuel tank, characterized in that: The fuel tank comprises a housing, a front end cover and a rear end cover are respectively provided at both ends of the housing, an air bag is provided inside the housing, an air inlet pipe connected to the air bag is provided on the front end cover, fuel is filled between the housing and the air bag, an oil outlet structure is provided on the housing, 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; The oil outlet structure includes an oil outlet channel, which is embedded in the side wall of the housing and arranged along the length direction of the housing. The oil outlet channel is provided with a plurality of first oil outlet holes, and the oil outlet channel is connected to the internal cavity of the housing through the first oil outlet holes; the oil outlet channel is connected to the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity provided in the rear end cover; The oil outlet passages are evenly distributed inside the inner wall of the housing.

2. An aircraft fuel tank, characterized in that: The fuel tank comprises a housing, a front end cover and a rear end cover are respectively provided at both ends of the housing, an air bag is provided inside the housing, an air inlet pipe connected to the air bag is provided on the front end cover, fuel is filled between the housing and the air bag, an oil outlet structure is provided on the housing, 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; 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 has a plurality of second oil outlet holes formed on the oil outlet pipe. The oil outlet pipe is connected to the inner cavity of the shell through the second oil outlet holes; the oil outlet pipe is connected to the oil inlet and outlet through the oil outlet cavity provided in the rear end cover; 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.

3. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, 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.

4. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The two ends of the airbag are respectively and fixedly connected to the centers of the front end cover and the rear end cover in a sealed manner.

5. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The surface area of the airbag is larger than the inner surface area of the shell.

6. An aircraft fuel tank according to claim 1 or 2, 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.

7. A method for supplying fuel to an aircraft fuel tank according to claim 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Connect the oil inlet and outlet ports to an external oil source through connecting pipes. Fuel enters the oil outlet channel or the oil outlet pipe through the connecting pipes and the oil inlet and outlet ports, and then enters the interior of the housing through the first oil outlet hole or the second oil outlet hole. Gas in the housing 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. The air source enters the airbag through the air intake pipe. The airbag provides squeezing 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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