Aircraft Fuel Tank Inerting by Catalytic Fuel Combustion 740856

A flight-configured catalytic reactor suitable for aircraft fuel tank inerting by oxidation of jet fuel in flight has been successfully developed. Inert gas stream oxygen concentrations below 1% were achieved repeatedly when operating at near-stoichiometric fuel-air ratios. Reactor construction and thermal control features were validated through 60 h of testing over a wide range of operating conditions. The weight of a complete fuel tank inerting system capable of delivering 52 lb/min of inert gas is estimated at 305 lb, and its size is 19 X 24 X 55 in; this represents a significant savings when compared to current techniques of fuel tank inerting.