Patent ID: 11971167
Assignee: HS MARSTON AEROSPACE LIMITED
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  B | IPC B  F

Claim 5:
6. A method of fuel tank inerting, comprising:
supplying liquid fuel from a fuel tank to a porous wick located within a shell so that there is a gap between an outer surface side of the porous wick and an inner surface of the shell;
supplying heat to the shell;
evaporating liquid fuel in the wick to produce fuel vapour in the gap by the application of heat from the shell to the liquid fuel in the wick;
collecting the fuel vapour produced in the gap and removing said vapour from the shell;
directing said vapour to a catalytic device comprising a catalyst for combusting the fuel vapor and oxygen; and
directing a product of the combusted fuel to the fuel tank,
wherein the wick includes a primary porous wick facing the inner surface of the shell, and a secondary porous wick located within the primary porous wick, the liquid fuel being supplied to the secondary porous wick, then from the secondary porous wick into the primary porous wick, so that the fuel vapour is produced in the gap between the porous wick and the shell by the application of heat from the shell to the liquid fuel in the primary porous wick,
wherein heat is supplied to the shell via a hot air supply obtained by cooling the catalyst.