Talk:Inerting system

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I'm not 100% sure, but I think interting systems were used in military aircraft as early as world war II, and not "the 1950s" as the article says. I know for a fact that they were used on American aircraft carriers during WWII. I'm not sure about aircraft, but I think they were used on them as well. →Raul654 00:07, Feb 18, 2004 (UTC)

Earliest aircraft citation I could find was on the B-47. Please load up the article with other early references. Tempshill 16:02, 18 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I think something about ship inerting systems should be added to the article. On Modern Marvels (Engineering Disasters 14, I think), they said that this was required on oil tankers after the Sansinena blew up. They were filling the oil tanks with seawater for ballast, forcing the fumes out of the ship's deck. It wasn't windy, so the fumes did not disperse. They ignited and I think that the flames got into the tanks causing a second explosion. They said that the inerting systems used on other ships at the time was exhaust from the ship's engines. Taking a quick look online, it looks like it still might be used sometimes, along with carbon dioxide and nitrogen. -- Kjkolb 09:33, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

Indeed a ship's section should be added. For sure they are still used on ships, it is an obligation for tanker vessels above 20dwt under IMO legislation. hjooy 07:45, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

the following sentance is at odds with the CNN published report from Feb. 2004 [1]

            The new, simplified inerting system was originally suggested to the FAA through public comment.

In UK there was a significant development programme immediately post WW2. A private company appears to have received a contract to look into the possibility of inerting aircraft fuel tanks using nitrogen gas; this was called the "RAE/Teddington Air & Gas Fuel Tank Pressurisation System". (RAE = Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough; Teddington = Teddington Aircraft Controls Ltd). It used nitrogen and/or engine bleed air to raise the pressure in the fuel tanks.

It was definitely intended that this equipment be used on several aircraft then being designed. These notably included Hawker Hunter, Supermarine Swift, Handley Page Victor and Avro Vulcan. Anyway, a snag was identified - when an aircraft climbs the air/gas in a fuel tank expands therby stopping any inerting gas (nitrogen) from entering. So, no fire protection was available at those times. The consequence was that only engine bleed was used, the gas connections being either not drilled in valve castings or blanked.

By 1960 I was personally working on a proposal to bubble high pressure nitrogen gas through the fuel (using a stacked orifice restrictor) before take-off. I moved on but, as far as I know, it was never used.

Now, more than 45 years on, we are re-inventing the wheel!