Fuel Tank One-Way Valve Emergency Draining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel tank designs fail to prevent the propagation and burning of fuel inside a vehicle when the tank is pierced, leading to uncontrolled fires and safety risks during projectile attacks, despite passive or active armor protection.
Innovation Solution
A fuel tank equipped with a one-way valve featuring a calibrated rupture threshold and an emergency emptying device that allows rapid evacuation of fuel outside the vehicle in case of overpressure, optionally integrated with a flame extinguishing product and adaptable to various vehicle geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If armor protection is added to protect the tank, then the tank protection against projectiles is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protection system is segmented into multiple functional components: armor plates for external protection, a one-way valve for pressure relief, and an emergency emptying device for fuel evacuation. Each component addresses specific aspects of the protection problem independently, allowing the system to maintain reliability while managing complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The one-way valve and emergency emptying device are pre-configured with calibrated rupture thresholds that activate automatically when specific pressure conditions are met. This preliminary action ensures that protective measures are already in place before a projectile attack occurs, eliminating the need for complex active detection and response systems
2Productivity
If a one-way valve with calibrated rupture threshold is installed, then the emergency emptying capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The one-way valve is designed to activate automatically based on pressure differential alone, without requiring external control systems, sensors, or power sources. The calibrated rupture threshold ensures the valve opens at the precise moment needed for emergency emptying, achieving rapid fuel evacuation while maintaining simple passive operation
Solution Approach 2:
The valve's rupture threshold is calibrated to specific pressure parameters that distinguish normal operation from emergency conditions. This parameter-based activation allows the system to respond rapidly to overpressure events while ignoring normal pressure variations, achieving high productivity without complex control logic
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the tank is designed to evacuate fuel rapidly during overpressure, then the safety against fire propagation is improved, but the loss of fuel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful overpressure condition into a beneficial trigger for fuel evacuation. The same pressure that indicates a dangerous situation (projectile penetration) automatically activates the emergency emptying device, using the harmful pressure wave to force fuel out through the one-way valve and away from the vehicle, thereby preventing fire propagation while accepting controlled fuel loss
4Strength
If the one-way valve is made resistant to external forces, then the protection against blast mines is improved, but the opening response to internal overpressure may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The valve structure exhibits different mechanical properties in different directions: it is designed with high strength and rigidity to resist external compressive forces from blast mines, while incorporating calibrated weak points or flexible elements that allow rapid opening when subjected to internal overpressure from projectile attacks. This anisotropic design enables the valve to respond differently to opposite forces
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 enables rapid fuel evacuation outside the vehicle during overpressure events, preventing fuel propagation and burning, while maintaining tank protection against blast mines and not reducing fuel volume, and can be easily integrated into different vehicle types.
Implementation Method 1
the one-way valve is in the form of a stopper secured to the tank by means of fixing with a calibrated rupture threshold
Implementation Method 2
allows rapid evacuation of the fuel outside the vehicle in the event of overpressure inside the tank
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
An emergency evacuation device for a vehicle fuel tank comprises a one-way valve (1), located in the lower part of the fuel tank and ensuring evacuation of the fuel by gravity in the case of excessive interior pressure in the fuel tank. Independent claims are included for: (1) a vehicle fuel tank, equipped with the emergency evacuation device in the lower part (19) of the tank; and (2) a military vehicle with a thermal engine, a passenger compartment, at least two sets of wheels and a fuel tank with the evacuation device, located in a side compartment above a wheel or in a casing in front of or behind the passenger compartment.