Efficient Multi Fuel Tank Inerting System

Operating airplanes with flammable vapors in the fuel tank presents an avoidable risk of explosion. In fact, the elimination of flammable vapors in fuel tanks has made it to the National Transportation Safety Board''s (NTSB) "Most Wanted" list of aviation safety improvements. Inerting systems displace air in the fuel tank with inert gas and thus lower the oxygen content to a level that does not support combustion. INTERSPACE proposes to develop an efficient inerting system based on a non-thermal plasma and reversible oxidation process. The system does not consume any inerting material and is designed to work safely in an aircraft fuel tank environment. INTERSPACE proposes to develop a laboratory prototype inerting system for Phase I and a field version for Phase II. This effort leverages our prior work in developing and testing oxygen sensors for aircraft fuel tank inerting systems.