INVESTIGATION OF MECHANISMS OF POTENTIAL AIR CRAFT FUEL TANK VENT FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the important mechanisms involved in the ignition of fuel vapors issuing from a fuel tank vent under con ditions of atmospheric electrical activity. The study included a literature review and ex perimental and analytical investigation of (a) the mixing of the fuel vent effluent with am bient air for three vent configurations at sim ulated flight conditions, (b) the electrical environment in the vicinity of an aircraft dur ing lightning activity, including measurements of the far field pressures associated with a high energy discharge, (c) a study of ignition and flame propagation through channels smaller than the normal quenching distance using high energy spark sources, and (d) a study of sim ulated lightning discharges as to their capa bility of producing flames capable of propaga ting through a typical fuel vent with and with out a flame arrester.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 31, 1963
Accession Number
AD0417246

Entities

Organizations

  • Lockheed Martin

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Atmospheric Electricity
  • Electricity
  • Far Field
  • Fires
  • Flame Arresters
  • Flame Propagation
  • Flames
  • Fuel Tanks
  • High Energy
  • Lightning
  • Literature Surveys
  • Measurement
  • Tank Vents
  • Vents

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Petroleum Engineering
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