Fuel Tank Liner Segment with One-Way Drainage for Usable Fuel Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current fuel tank design in aircrafts results in a significant portion of fuel remaining unreachable for fuel pumps due to small drainage hole diameters, leading to weight issues and non-compliance with safety regulations, as the fuel cannot overflow effectively between frame bays.
Innovation Solution
A liner segment with bidirectional drainage holes and unidirectional valves, such as flap valves, is introduced to facilitate fuel flow from beneath the liner segment to above, ensuring a minimum flow rate and preventing backflow, thereby making the remaining fuel consumable by fuel pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small diameter drainage holes are used in the liner, then fuel leakage protection is improved, but fuel flow rate becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The single drainage opening is segmented into multiple small drainage holes distributed across the liner. This segmentation allows the system to maintain small hole diameters for leakage protection while achieving sufficient total flow rate through the cumulative effect of multiple holes
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the liner are equipped with drainage holes of appropriate sizes and distributions. The liner structure allows local variation in hole characteristics to optimize both protection and flow performance in different areas
2Productivity
If drainage holes with sufficient diameter are used to increase fuel flow, then fuel pump operation is improved, but fuel leakage protection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a few large drainage holes, the system uses many small holes that collectively provide sufficient flow area. Each small hole maintains leakage protection capability while the aggregate of all holes achieves the required fuel flow rate
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of hole diameter from large to small, while compensating for the reduced individual flow capacity by increasing the number of holes, thus maintaining both protection and flow performance
3Volume of stationary object
If unidirectional valves are added to enable fuel flow from beneath the liner, then usable tank volume is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unidirectional valves are designed to operate automatically based on pressure differential, opening when fuel accumulates beneath the liner and closing when pressure equalizes. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for external control systems, reducing overall complexity despite adding valve components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution increases the usable tank volume by reducing the remaining fuel portion, ensuring safe fuel pump operation and compliance with safety regulations by allowing fuel to be pumped efficiently, thus minimizing weight and meeting authority requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the liner segment base body is adapted to float on fuel on the bottom of the fuel tank structure
Implementation Method 2
the at least one valve is adapted to provide an unidirectional fluid connection from the bottom side of the liner segment to the upper side of the liner segment, such that the unidirectional fluid connection is blocked in the opposite direction
Data Source
AI summary
A liner segment for a frame bay of a fuel tank structure includes a liner segment base body adapted to float on fuel in the fuel tank structure, a liner segment side wall extending from the liner segment base body, a multitude of drainage holes arranged in the liner segment base body, and adapted to provide a bidirectional fluid connection from an upper side to a bottom side of the liner segment facing the fuel tank structure, a valve, arranged in a cut out of the liner segment and adapted to provide an unidirectional fluid connection from the bottom side of the liner segment to the upper side of the liner segment, such that the unidirectional fluid connection is blocked in the opposite direction, such that a remaining portion of fuel within the fuel tank structure is reduced.