Fuel tank's sealing controlling method for e.g. civil airplane, involves measuring absorption of incident optical beam by detection gas to detect presence of detection gas due to leakage of gas from interior of tank towards exterior of tank

摘要

The method involves pressurizing an interior of volume of a fuel tank or pressurizing an exterior of the tank by injecting detection gas e.g. methane. Presence of the detection gas due to leakage of the gas from the interior of the tank towards the exterior of the tank is detected. Absorption of an incident optical beam (76) by the detection gas is measured to detect the presence of the detection gas, where the optical beam is emitted by an optical source (72) e.g. laser diode. An independent claim is also included for an optical detector for controlling sealing of a tank of an aircraft in flight configuration.