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Fuel Tank Inerting Systems

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Impressive solutions with broad applications

As the premier world leader in fuel tank inerting systems, Parker Fluid Systems has turned over 60 years of inerting technology leadership into an unequalled inerting system pedigree that translates into durable, world-class products that last, flight after flight. 

We’ve honed our core competencies and experience in supporting fully integrated fuel, inerting, and vent systems. This combination is being employed on military fighter and commercial aircraft alike. Our unmatched expertise in the design, manufacture, integration, and support of fuel systems enables us to bring fuel tank inerting systems to market quickly and cost effectively, meeting the highest military and commercial specifications and standards.

Leading-edge fuel tank inerting experience with the most extensive pedigree in the industry

By approaching fuel tank inerting from a fuel system perspective, FSD has developed extensive onsite analytical and test capabilities that allow us to provide an integrated solution. It’s the kind of expertise that makes us a high-value, low-risk partner. Our flight experience for permeable membrane inerting is unmatched by any other supplier.

 

Our Inerting laboratory capabilities include: system integration testing • air separation module pressure endurance testing • temperature-humidity testing • pressure-temperature cycling • fuel cell/inerting system testing • contamination testing • automated performance mapping • ozone testing

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Analytical tools that enable optimized system solutions

At the Fluid Systems Diviision, our inerting system integration lab (SIL) puts us at the forefront of inerting technology by simulating a complete range of aircraft operating conditions, including climbing, cruising, and descent. In addition to “flying” the system through a flight profile, our SIL equipment can perform contamination and endurance testing, as well as rapid performance mapping across a wide range of parameters.

 

We employ a broad array of analytical tools that integrate fuel system knowledge, including Monte Carlo analysis, nitrogen enriched air (NEA) distribution, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Matlab/Simulink® computational analysis modules, and our proprietary tank modeler tool to predict in-tank oxygen concentration.

 

Together, these tools allow us to properly size inerting systems while streamlining the distribution of nitrogen-enriched air. 

Fuel Test Rig

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Fuel Tank Inerting Systems pedigree of excellence

Parker's fuel inerting experience began in the 1960s with demonstration programs for the XB-70, C-135, C-141 and DC-9.  In 1972, Parker was selected by the United States Air Force as the prime contractor for the C-5 fuel tank inerting system and has subsequently provided inerting systems or equipment for military programs including the F-16, F-117, C-17, P-8A, F-22 and F-35.  Moreover, on the F-22, Parker provided the first Hollow Fiber Membrane based On-Board Inert Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) to go into production on an aircraft.

Now, on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Parker is the lead integrator of arguably the most comprehensive single engine military fuel system ever developed.  

Our flight test experience with permeable membrane inerting is unmatched by any other supplier.  Our personnel have directly participated in or supported flight tests on programs for all major aerospace primes. Parker Inerting systems are on over over thirty platforms (including 16 major programs).

Parker also leads the industry supplying systems for 85 percent of the commercial inerting market today.