Analysis and simulation of electrostatic charge production on the airplanes fuel tanks and pipes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master's student, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

3 Researcher., Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Due to fluid movement in fuel pipes and tanks, the electric charge will emerge in the fluid and its common surface with the pipes. As these charges become discharged the tanks and pipes are threatened; because the discharge energy becomes more than the lowest required energy of the fuel explosion and can lead to the fuel flaming and the explosion of tanks and tubes. In this article, the effect of the conductive and insulator pipes, the fluid velocity, and the pipe radius in the production of electric charge have been analyzed and studied. Always, in the calm fluid current, the produced electric charge is lesser than the turbulent fluid current counterparts. With more velocity of the fluid, the turbulent will become more occurred The results show that in the state of calm flow, the generated electric current is almost 250 dBA lower than the turbulent flow. Studies on the tanks during fueling show that accumulated electric charge has its maximum at the central axis and the charge is increasing with the filling of the tank.

Keywords

Smiley face

References

[1]. J. Taillet, “Basic Phenomenology of Electrical Discharges at Atmospheric Pressure”, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Atmospheric Electricity Aircraft Interaction. AGARD Lecture Series 1980, No.110, 
[2].  J. E. Nanevicz and R. L. Tanner, "Some techniques for the elimination of corona discharge noise in aircraft antennas," in Proceedings of the IEEE, 1964, 52(1), pp.53-64
DOI: 10.1109/PROC.1964.2742
[3].  J. E. Nanevicz, “Alleviation Techniques For Effects Of Static Charging On Avionics”, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Atmospheric Electricity Aircraft Interaction, AGARD Lecture Series,1980, No.110
[4].  R. L. Tanner and J. E. Nanevicz, “Precipitation charging and corona-generated interference in aircraft”, Stanford Res. Inst., Menlo Park, CA, Tech. Rep. 73, Contract AF 19(604)-34-58, Stanford Research Institute, 1961
[5].  H. Xie, Z. Huang, S. Guo, E. Torru, “Feasibility of an Electrostatic Energy Harvesting Device for CFCs Aircraft”, Procedia Engineering, 2015,99, pp.1213-1222
DOI:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.12.650
[6].  K.Y. Chan, D.Q. Pham, B. Demir, D. Yang, E.L.H. Mayes, A.P. Mouritz, A.S.M. Ang, B. Fox, H. Lin, B. Jia, K.T. Lau,” Graphene oxide thin film structural dielectric capacitors for aviation static electricity harvesting and storage” Composites Part B: Engineering,2020,201, pp 108375, DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.108375
[7]. Jay D. Cline,” AIRCRAFT STATC DSCHARGER”, United States Patent, 4,080,643 Mar. 21, 1978
[8]. E. Radgowski, R. Albrechtt, “Investigation of electrostatic discharge in aircraft fuel tanks during refueling”, AIAA Aircraft Systems and Technology Conference, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif, 1978, 506-512. DOI:10.2514/3.58555
[9]. J. V. Garcia, J. Rivenc, A. Agneray, T. Paillat, G. Touchard, “A critical approach to measure streaming current: Case of fuels flowing through conductive and insulating polymer pipes”, IEEE Transactions On Industry Applications,2005,41(5),pp 1335-1342, DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2005.853378
[10].                     J. Rivenc, P. Clermout, T. Paillat and et al, “Quantification of Electrostatic Charge Generation and Relaxation in Composite Aircraft Fuel Tanks,” International Conference on Lightening and Static Electricity, 2015, DOI:  10.1049/ic.2015.0162
[11].                     K. Lim, Y. Sun, W. Lim and S. Soh, “Charging Organic Liquids by Static Charge,” Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c06000
[12].                      M. R. Shafer, D. W. Baker, K. R. Benson,” Electric currents and potentials resulting from the flow of charged liquid hydrocarbons through short pipes”, Journal Of Research Of The National Bureau of Standards-Co Engineering and Instrumentation,1965, 69C(4),pp 307-317, DOI:10.6028/JRES.069C.036
[13].                      N. E. Pegg,” An electrostatic charging model for aircraft fuel tanks”, IET 7th International Conference on Computation in Electromagnetics (CEM 2008), BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre, 2008, 102 – 103, DOI:10.1049/cp: 20080232
[14].                     P. D. S. Clermont, T. Paillat, G. Peres, Y. Duval, J. Rivenc,” Materials for aircraft fuel tanks characterized for charge generation from flow electrification with jet a-1 fuel”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation,2016,23(2),pp 624-632, DOI: 10.1109/TDEI.2015.005332
[15].                     A. Sidi-Yekhlef, J. E. Sunderland, “A boundary element method analysis of electrostatics in a tank during filling operations”, International Journal For Numerical Methods In Engineering, 1989, 28, pp 315-329, DOI: 10.1002 /nme.1620280206
Applied Electromagnetics
Volume 12, Issue 1 - Serial Number 28
Spring and Summer
September 2024

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 30 March 2024
  • Revise Date: 19 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 09 July 2024
  • Publish Date: 22 July 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics