Ground State Theory Study of Aircraft Fuel Tank Cool-Oxygen Reductive Inerting System

The performance of an aircraft fuel tank inerting system is critical to aircraft safety. To explore a novel aircraft fuel tank inerting method, this paper proposes an inerting approach that integrates fuel-vapor condensation and oxidation. The working process of the cool-oxygen reductive inerting system is elaborated, and mathematical models for each component of the system are developed based on the principles of mass conservation and energy conservation. The dynamic simulation toward equilibrium is conducted using Modelica, and the impact of key system component parameters on the inerting performance is systematically analyzed. The results show that the higher the compressor pressure ratio is, the slower the oxygen concentration in the tank decreases, and the effect on the fuel-vapor concentration is not significant. The higher the pumping flow rate of the system, the better the inerting effect of the tank, but the higher the compressor power consumption. Improving the efficiency of the catalytic reactor can further improve the conversion rate of fuel vapor and oxygen to shorten the inerting time.