Patent ID: 8763712

Claim:
A system for providing fire prevention for a fuel tank on an aircraft by using cabin air for producing oxygen-depleted (hypoxic) air from the cabin air, said system comprising: an air-separation device having an inlet and first and second outlets; said air-separation device employing a first pressure difference between said inlet and said first outlet, and a second pressure difference between said inlet and said second outlet; said first pressure difference and said second pressure difference providing a driving force for separating said cabin air into oxygen-enriched and oxygen-depleted gas mixtures without preliminary compression; said inlet communicating with an interior atmosphere of the aircraft, said first outlet communicating with one of a fuel tank or a cargo compartment, and said second outlet communicating with the atmosphere outside of the said aircraft; said inlet receiving said cabin air and said first outlet transmitting an oxygen-reduced gas mixture and said second outlet transmitting an oxygen-enriched gas mixture; said oxygen-enriched gas mixture being normally vented outside the aircraft; and said oxygen-reduced gas mixture, when in use, being supplied into said fuel tank for maintaining therein a hypoxic environment in order to prevent fuel ignition or explosion; wherein an oxygen content in said oxygen-reduced gas mixture is maintained in a range from 9% to 15%.