The Yakovlev engineering center has patented a new inerting system for aircraft fuel tanks. The technology is designed to prevent fuel vapors from igniting or exploding by replacing oxygen with nitrogen or nitrogen-enriched air within the tank.
The proposed system introduces gas directly beneath the fuel layer rather than distributing it throughout the entire space above the liquid. By eliminating the need for uniform gas distribution, engineers can replace complex pipe networks and nozzles with a simplified collector design.
The design also features a new, simplified valve to prevent fuel from entering the inert gas generation equipment, replacing traditional complex check valves. These modifications are intended to reduce the overall weight, production costs, and installation complexity of the system.
The development was led by specialists from the Yakovlev Engineering Center, including members of the MC-21 chief designer's technical group and the powerplant department.
