Fuel System Ullage Gas Drying via Pressure Differential
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Solution Overview
Problem
Water contamination in fuel systems leads to operational delays, increased maintenance, and microbiological issues due to dissolved water and moist air ingress, which existing solutions fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system incorporating a vent tank with a dehumidifying device and pump that maintains higher pressure in the ullage to drive vapor-rich gas into the vent tank, processing both ullage gas and ingress air to maintain low humidity, combined with a catalytic inerting system to reduce reactive components, forming a partially closed loop for efficient water management and inerting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gas drying system is installed in the vent tank to process ingress air, then the humidity level in the ullage is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A vent tank is introduced as an intermediary component between the ullage and the ambient atmosphere. The vent tank receives ingress air through a duct and directs it to the gas drying system for dehumidification before the dried air is returned to the ullage. This intermediary structure enables processing of moist air without directly modifying the ullage, thereby reducing humidity while maintaining system reliability without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If the pump maintains higher pressure in the ullage than in the vent tank, then vapour rich gas is driven into the vent tank for processing, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the natural pressure differential created by the pump to drive vapour-rich gas from the ullage into the vent tank automatically. The pump only needs to maintain a slight pressure difference, and the gas flow is self-driven by this differential without requiring additional pumping or forcing mechanisms. This self-service approach minimizes energy consumption while effectively transferring gas for processing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the vent tank duct is open to the ambient atmosphere for pressure equalisation, then pressure balance is maintained, but moist ambient air ingress increases humidity in the system
Solution Approach 1:
The vent tank serves as an intermediary chamber that receives moist ambient air through the open duct for pressure equalisation. Instead of allowing this moist air to直接进入 the ullage, the vent tank directs it to the gas drying system for dehumidification. The dried air is then returned to the ullage, thus maintaining pressure stability while preventing humidity increase that would otherwise occur with open atmospheric communication.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a catalytic inerting system is added to reduce reactive components, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catalytic inerting system is merged with the existing gas drying system in the vent tank. The catalytic converter is integrated into the same chamber where dehumidification occurs, allowing both functions (drying and inerting) to be performed in a single unified system. This combination reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate inerting and drying systems, while effectively reducing reactive components like oxygen and fuel vapours to improve safety.
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
This solution effectively reduces water content in the fuel tank, enhancing component reliability, minimizing maintenance, and preventing microbiological contamination by maintaining a low-humidity, inert atmosphere within the fuel system.
Implementation Method 1
the pump is operable to maintain a higher pressure within the ullage than in the vent tank so as to drive vapour rich gas from the ullage into the vent tank via the first vent line
Implementation Method 2
a gas drying system including a pump and a dehumidifying device disposed within the vent tank
Implementation Method 3
a second vent line fluidically connecting a dry gas outlet of the dehumidifying device to the ullage
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel system comprising a fuel tank, a vent tank having a duct open to the ambient atmosphere, a first vent line fluidically connecting the fuel tank ullage to the vent tank, a gas drying system including a pump and a dehumidifying device disposed within the vent tank, and a second vent line fluidically connecting a dry gas outlet of the dehumidifying device to the ullage, wherein the pump is operable to maintain a higher pressure within the ullage than in the vent tank so as to drive vapor rich gas from the ullage into the vent tank via the first vent line. Also, a method of operating the fuel system and a method of retro-fitting the gas drying system in an existing fuel system. The gas drying system may optionally be a gas drying/inerting system.