Water Management within Fuel Tanks

摘要

Aircraft fuel system is (obviously) an important and critical system. A major concern regarding thefuel system is fuel tanks water contamination. Water accumulates in fuel tanks due to precipitationfrom the fuel itself, as well as condensation from atmospheric moister. The refining process ofaviation fuel from crude oil generates water, which is removed in several stages. However, watercan not be removed completely and accumulates during storage.Accumulated water leads to corrosion, formation of ice, malfunction of fuel system components andfuel quantity indication system, affecting performance of the fuel system, as well as engines. This isultimately related to flight safety and increased maintenance burden. The problem of watercontamination is complex. Therefore, any single solution may not be sufficient. This paper discusesaircraft fuel tanks water contamination management. It also reviews water scavenging systems andanalysis of wing tank geometry for water contamination minimization.Water Management within Fuel Tanks.