Fuel Tank Water Drain Filter Using Graphene Oxide Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for draining water from aircraft fuel tanks are inefficient, as they fail to discriminate between water and fuel, leading to fuel loss and incomplete removal, which can cause ice formation, gauging errors, and microbial contamination, and require manual intervention, making the process expensive and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A tank assembly with a filter fitted to the floor, utilizing a permeation member such as graphene oxide or carbon nanotubes that allows water to drain while preventing liquid hydrocarbons from passing through, enabling automatic and reliable water removal without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional water drain valves are used on the fuel tank floor, then water can be drained from the tank, but fuel is lost along with the water and insufficient water is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydrophilic porous membrane as a filter fitted to the fuel tank floor. This membrane allows water to pass through while blocking fuel due to its hydrophilic properties and controlled pore structure. The membrane enables selective separation of water from fuel, preventing fuel loss while ensuring adequate water removal from the tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is specifically positioned at the lowest point of the fuel tank floor where water accumulates. The local hydrophilic property of the membrane at this critical location enables preferential water drainage while maintaining fuel containment in the bulk tank volume.
2Quantity of substance
If manual draining of water from fuel tanks is performed when the aircraft is grounded, then water can be removed, but the process is expensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophilic porous membrane filter operates automatically without requiring manual intervention. Water drains through the membrane filter under gravity or pressure differential automatically, eliminating the need for ground crew intervention and reducing both time and operational costs associated with manual water removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter enables continuous or near-continuous water removal operation. The membrane filter can operate during fueling operations and throughout aircraft ground time, providing ongoing water separation rather than requiring periodic manual draining interventions.
3Ease of operation
If conventional water drain valves are used, then water draining is possible, but the operator requires manual intervention which increases operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophilic porous membrane provides automatic water separation through its inherent material properties. The membrane's pore structure and surface chemistry enable selective water permeation without requiring complex control systems, valves, or manual operation mechanisms, thus achieving automatic operation with relatively simple device structure.
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 allows for the efficient and automatic removal of water from fuel tanks, preventing fuel loss and microbial contamination, and can operate under varying pressures, reducing operational costs and time by ensuring water is drained without losing fuel.
Implementation Method 1
the filter being arranged to allow liquid water in the tank to drain out of the tank through the filter but substantially prevent the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank from doing so
Implementation Method 2
a permeation member, such as a membrane, which is formed from a material which allows liquid water in the tank to permeate through it but substantially prevents the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank from doing so
Implementation Method 3
A support grid may support the permeation member to prevent it from rupturing under the weight of the liquid hydrocarbon
Implementation Method 4
the filter provides a path for the flow of electric current across the hole. For instance the permeation member/membrane may be electrically conductive to provide a path for the flow of electric current across the hole
Data Source
AI summary
A tank assembly with a tank for storing liquid hydrocarbon, the tank having a floor for supporting a weight of the liquid hydrocarbon. A filter is fitted to the floor of the tank. The filter is arranged to allow liquid water in the tank to drain out of the tank through the filter but substantially prevent the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank from doing so. The filter has a permeation member, such as a membrane, which is formed from a material such as graphene oxide which allows liquid water in the tank to drain out of the tank by permeating through the permeation member but substantially prevent the liquid hydrocarbon in the tank from doing so.