Patent ID: 11858326
Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A system for use in isolating fuel from a vehicle firebay, the system comprising:
a fuel tank;
a fuel pump;
an engine located within the vehicle firebay;
a firewall separating the vehicle firebay from a volume containing the fuel tank and the fuel pump;
a fuel feed line extending from the fuel tank to the fuel pump and through the firewall to the engine, wherein the fuel feed line comprises a cold side portion extending from the fuel tank to the firewall and a hot side portion extending from the firewall to the engine;
a connector coupled inline with the fuel feed line at a location of the cold side portion of the fuel feed line;
a valve coupled to the connector;
a feed line coupled to a fluid source and to the valve; and
a control unit configured to control operation of at least the fuel pump and the valve, wherein the control unit is configured to output control signaling to:
turn off the fuel pump to stop pumping the fuel through the fuel feed line; and
operate the valve to introduce a fluid from the fluid source into the fuel feed line, wherein the fluid introduced by the valve provides a siphon break in the fuel line such that the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the remaining fuel in the fuel feed line downstream of the connector and the introduced fluid.