Patent ID: 8956556
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: B64D,F16L,H01B,Y02T,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A fluid carrying element for use as a dielectric isolator in a fuel system of an aircraft, and especially adapted for interconnecting opposing ends of a fluid carrying member of the fuel system in an inline configuration, the fluid carrying element comprising: at least one tube in the fuel system of the aircraft arranged in the inline configuration for carrying fluid, the at least one tube having a dielectric isolator composition including polyetheretherketone PEEK and carbon nanotubes; and a pair of fittings attached to opposing ends of the at least one tube, each fitting including a threaded portion that is threaded onto exterior threads formed on a corresponding end of the at least one tube, and each fitting further including a swaged portion that is swaged onto a facing end of the fluid carrying member; wherein the tube composition exhibits a bulk volume resistivity from about 10 wherein the tube composition includes (i) from about 50 wt % to 98 wt % of PEEK (ii) from about 0.05 wt % to 2.0 wt % of the carbon nanotubes, (iii) milled carbon fibers and (iv) glass fibers; and wherein the tube composition exhibits a five-strike bulk volume resistivity degradation of no more than a factor of 50% at an applied potential of greater than 5,000 volts DC.