Alternately operating regeneratable air-drying filters - for bleed pipe in large propellant fuel storage tank

摘要

Since the moisture content of air entering a fuel tank during filling and extn operations can produce long term deterioration, incoming air (35) is filtered by the silica gel (21) in one of a pair of units, with the transparent casing showing the progressive rise in collected moisture before the air enters a two-way valve (13). When the rising level reaches a sensor (27), the two-way valve is actuated to transfer entering air into the compression filter unit. A heating coil (33) in the first unit is taken to about 110 deg C to provide thermal regeneration of the first unit silica gel; thermal insulation protects the valve against transmitted heat. ADVANTAGE - Humidity, which can produce damage to engines esp of aircraft, is made too low to produce sludge. One filter is always operative.