Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. In addition to a fuel tank, the system includes a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source, and to react the fuel and air along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an inert gas flow path from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. The system also includes a non-uniform catalyst composition along the reactive flow path.

Abstract: A method for startup of a catalytic oxidation unit includes flowing air from an air source into the catalytic oxidation unit, recycling air from an outlet of the catalytic oxidation unit to an inlet of the catalytic oxidation unit through a recycle duct, and flowing a fuel from a fuel source into the catalytic oxidation to cause a catalytic reaction.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system includes a primary catalytic reactor comprising an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source that are mixed to form a combined flow, and to react the combined flow along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an input sensor that measures a property of the combined flow before it enters the primary catalytic reactor and an output sensor that measures the property of the combined flow after it exits the primary catalytic reactor.

Abstract: An inerting system includes a fluid circuit, a reactor within the fluid circuit, at least one particulate removal device (PRD) downstream from the reactor, and a fluid tank. The fluid tank is downstream from the at least one PRD. A method for removing particulates from a fluid stream in a fluid circuit includes receiving a fluid stream in a reactor within a fluid circuit, outputting an exhaust stream from the reactor, receiving the exhaust stream in at least one PRD downstream from the reactor, removing particulate from the exhaust stream, and receiving the exhaust stream with particulate removed in a fluid tank downstream from the at least one PRD.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system includes a primary catalytic reactor comprising an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source that are mixed to form a combined flow, and to react the combined flow along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an input sensor that measures a property of the combined flow before it enters the primary catalytic reactor and an output sensor that measures the property of the combined flow after it exits the primary catalytic reactor.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a space velocity through the catalytic reactor.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a space velocity through the catalytic reactor.

Abstract: A system produces inert gas and generates electrical power with an electrochemical cell with an anode and a cathode separated by a proton transfer medium separator. The anode includes an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst and a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst, and the system is operated in alternate modes: a first mode in which water is electrolyzed at the anode with an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst to form protons and oxygen, the protons are transported across the separator to the cathode and reacted with oxygen at the cathode, and an inerting gas depleted of oxygen is discharged from the cathode; and a second mode in which protons and electrons are produced from a fuel at the anode with a hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst, protons are transported across the separator to the cathode, and electrons are transported to the cathode through an electrical circuit to produce electrical power.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. The system includes a fuel tank and a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from a fuel flow path in operative communication with the fuel tank and oxygen from an oxygen source, and to catalytically react a mixture of the fuel and oxygen along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. An inert gas flow path provides inert gas from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. An adsorbent is disposed along the fuel flow path or along the reactive flow path.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. In addition to a fuel tank, the system includes a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source, and to react the fuel and air along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an inert gas flow path from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. The system also includes a non-uniform catalyst composition along the reactive flow path.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises an inlet temperature of a gas at an inlet of the catalytic reactor.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a space velocity through the catalytic reactor.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a temperature of the catalytic reactor.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a condensing heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling a light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein at least one light-off parameter comprises an air-to-fuel ratio.

Abstract: In one aspect, a coating for protecting a component exposed to a corrosive environment includes an epoxy phenolic resin, a non-chromated corrosion inhibitor pigment additive and a dispersing agent. In another aspect, a method of protecting an article exposed to a corrosive environment includes applying a corrosion-resistant epoxy phenolic coating to a surface of the article exposed to a corrosive environment and curing the corrosion-resistant epoxy phenolic coating. The epoxy phenolic coating contains up to 15 percent by volume of a non-chromated corrosion inhibitor pigment additive having a particle size less than 10 micrometers.

Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are described. The systems include a fuel tank, a pressurized air source, an air separation module arranged between the pressurized air source and the fuel tank, the air separation module configured to generate an inerting gas from pressurized air supplied from the pressurized air source and supply the inerting gas to the fuel tank, an upstream thermal conditioning system arranged upstream of the air separation module, the upstream thermal conditioning system configured to increase a temperature of the pressurized air prior to entry into the air separation module, and a downstream thermal conditioning system arranged downstream of the air separation module, the downstream thermal conditioning system configured to decrease a temperature of the inerting gas prior to entry into the fuel tank.

Abstract: A method of applying a trivalent chromium or chromium-free conversion coating to a metallic substrate including mixing a dye compound that interacts with electromagnetic radiation outside the human visual spectrum but not electromagnetic radiation that is within the human visual spectrum to produce an observable emission into the trivalent chromium or chromium-free conversion coating mixture to allow for inspection of the coating after applied with a correlating electromagnetic radiation source.

Abstract: A method of adhering a first component to a second component includes priming the first component with an adhesive bond primer containing a primer material, a corrosion inhibitor, and a chemical additive (such as a dye compound), and using an adhesive to attach the second component to the first component through the adhesive bond primer applied on the surface of the second component. The chemical additive allows inspection of the adhesive bond primer with a corresponding radiation source.

Abstract: A system and method for providing dried inert gas to a protected space is disclosed.

Abstract: A fuel tank inerting system is disclosed. In addition to a fuel tank, the system includes a catalytic reactor with an inlet, an outlet, a reactive flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and a catalyst on the reactive flow path. The catalytic reactor is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel tank and air from an air source, and to react the fuel and air along the reactive flow path to generate an inert gas. The system also includes an inert gas flow path from the catalytic reactor to the fuel tank. The system also includes (a) an air distributor in the catalytic reactor arranged to distribute air along the reactive flow path, or (b) non-uniform catalyst loading or non-uniform catalyst composition along the reactive flow path, or both (a) and (b).