Waste-gas line for a battery in an aircraft

Abstract

A waste-gas line has a first pipe section connectable to a battery and having an inlet end and a first flange, a separate second pipe section having a second outlet end and a second flange, and an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, both of a non-conductive material. The inner sleeve is positioned on an outer side of the first flange and of the second flange. The outer sleeve surrounds the first flange, the second flange and the inner sleeve. The first and the second flanges are fastened to one another in such a way that at least the second pipe section is electrically insulated by the inner and the outer sleeves and, by the combination of inner and outer sleeves, is heat-resistant up to a temperature of at least 1100 C. and pressure-resistant up to a pressure of at least 8 bar, for a duration of at least 120 seconds.

Claims

1. A waste-gas line for a battery in an aircraft, comprising: a first pipe section connectable to the battery and having an inlet end at a first end and a first flange at a second end opposite the first end; a separate second pipe section having a second outlet end at a first end and a second flange at a second end opposite the first end; an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are composed of a non-conductive material, wherein the inner sleeve is positioned on an outer side of the first flange and of the second flange, wherein the outer sleeve surrounds the first flange, the second flange and the inner sleeve, and wherein the first flange and the second flange are fastened to one another in such a way that at least the second pipe section is electrically insulated by the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, and the combination of inner sleeve and outer sleeve is heat-resistant up to a temperature of at least 1100 C. and pressure-resistant up to a pressure of at least 8 bar, in each case for a duration of at least 120 seconds.

2. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein in each case one spacer is attached to the first flange and to the second flange in order to space the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve apart from one another in a radial direction.

3. The waste-gas line according to claim 2, wherein the spacers attached to the first flange and the second flange are dimensioned such that the inner sleeve fills a spacing predefined by the spacers.

4. The waste-gas line according to claim 2, wherein the spacers attached to the first flange and the second flange have, at least over a spacing defined by the spacers, an additional heat-resistant material.

5. The waste-gas line according to claim 2, wherein the outer sleeve is configured to surround the first flange, the second flange and the spacers.

6. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the non-conductive material is silicone.

7. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve is connected in positively locking and/or non-positively locking fashion to the first flange and the second flange in order to thus connect the first pipe section and the second pipe section.

8. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the waste-gas line further comprises at least two pipe clamps for the purposes of fastening the outer sleeve to the first pipe section and to the second pipe section.

9. An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage with a fuselage skin and with a rupture disk arranged therein; a battery; and a waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the inlet end is connected to the battery, and the outlet end is connected to an inner side of the rupture disk, and wherein the rupture disk is configured to rupture in the presence of a predetermined pressure within the waste-gas line in order to discharge the waste gases from the aircraft.

10. The aircraft according to claim 9, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery.

11. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe section is connectable to the battery at the inlet end.

12. The waste-gas line according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe section is connectable to an electrolyte outlet of the battery.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the figures. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional illustration of the waste-gas line and an embodiment of a battery of said type as a connection between a battery and a fuselage skin;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a further schematic cross-sectional illustration of the waste-gas line with a spacer according to an embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the waste-gas line;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an aircraft with a waste-gas line according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a waste-gas line 10 for a battery 130 in an aircraft 100. The waste-gas line 10 has a first pipe section 12, which is connectable to the battery 130 and which has an inlet end 14 and a first flange 16, and a separate second pipe section 18 which has a second outlet end 20 and a second flange 22, and also an inner sleeve 24 and an outer sleeve 26. The inner sleeve 24 and the outer sleeve 26 are composed of a non-conductive material. The inner sleeve 24 is positioned on an outer side 28, 29 of the first flange 16 and of the second flange 22. The outer sleeve 26 surrounds the first flange 16, the second flange 22 and the inner sleeve 24. The first flange 16 and the second flange 22 are fastened to one another in such a way that at least the second pipe section 18 is electrically insulated by the inner sleeve 24 and the outer sleeve 26 and is at the same time heat-resistant up to a temperature of at least 1100 C. and pressure-resistant up to a pressure of at least 8 bar, in each case for a duration of at least 120 seconds.

(7) Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a battery 130, to which the inlet end 14 of the first pipe section 12 is fastened, and an exemplary section of a fuselage skin 110, which has a rupture disk 120, to which the outlet end 20 of the second pipe section 18 is connected.

(8) The inner sleeve 24 is arranged on the first pipe section 12 and on the second pipe section 18 (see dashed line). Here, the inner sleeve 24 bridges the spacing between the first and second flange 16, 22. It would be possible for stops (not shown) to be provided on the outer side of the first and of the second pipe section 12, 18 in order to position the inner sleeve at a desired position. By means of said stops, it is ensured that the inner sleeve 24 bridges or fills the spacing between first and second flange 16, 22. The outer sleeve 26 serves as a further connection between first and second pipe section 12, 18.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the waste-gas line 10 with two spacers 30. The spacers 30 are welded to the first flange 16 and to the second flange 22 respectively, in order to space the inner sleeve 24 and the outer sleeve 26 on the two flanges 16 and 22 apart from one another in the radial direction. A spacer 30 has preferably one or more L-shaped holders. The relatively short limb is in each case welded to the outer side of the first flange 16 and of the second flange 22 respectively. The relatively long limb of the spacer is straight or slightly curved.

(10) In the example shown here, the spacers 30 are designed such that the inner sleeve 24 bridges a spacing, predefined by the spacers 30, between the first and second flange 16, 22.

(11) Furthermore, the spacers likewise have an additional heat-resistant material 31 at least over a section 31. In the embodiment shown here, the heat-resistant material 31 extends such that the heat-resistant material 31 additionally covers the spacing between the flanges 16 and 22. This may consequently be a ring composed of a heat-resistant material, which lies on the inner sleeve 24.

(12) In another embodiment which is not shown, the spacers 30 are composed of a heat-resistant material. In another embodiment which is not shown, the spacers are not manufactured from a heat-resistant material.

(13) In the example shown here, the outer sleeve 26 is dimensioned such that the first flange 16, the second flange 22 and the spacers 30 are surrounded. The non-conductive material is for example silicone.

(14) In one example, the outer sleeve 26 is connected in positively locking and/or non-positively locking fashion to the first and second flange 16, 22 in order to thus connect the first pipe section 12 and the second pipe section 18. In the example shown here, the waste-gas line 10 furthermore has at least two pipe clamps 32, 33 for the purposes of fastening the outer sleeve 26 to the first pipe section 12 and to the second pipe section 18 or to the spacers 30 situated thereon. In the example shown, the outer sleeve 26 is fixed by means of two pipe clamps 32.

(15) FIG. 3 shows the waste-gas line 10 in a perspective view. It is intended here to illustrate the installation sequence of the inner sleeve 24 and of the outer sleeve 26 into or onto the first and the second pipe section 12, 18. The inner sleeve 24 is partially mounted onto the first flange 16, such that a part still projects beyond the first flange 16. The inner sleeve is then situated between the first flange 16 and the spacer 30 situated thereon.

(16) That part of the inner sleeve 24 which is mounted onto the first flange 16 is preferably of similar length to that part of the inner sleeve 24 which projects beyond the first flange 16. Subsequently, the outer sleeve 26 is mounted onto the second pipe section 18 directly onto the spacer 30 and is pushed onto the spacer 30 such that the outer sleeve 26 no longer projects over the second flange 18. In a subsequent step, the first flange 16 with the inner sleeve 24 is arranged on the second flange 18 such that the inner sleeve 24 is inserted into a ring-shaped gap between the second flange 18 and the spacer 30 situated thereon. In a further step which is not shown in detail, the outer sleeve 26 is finally pushed over the arrangement composed of spacer 30 and inner sleeve 24. Here, the outer sleeve 26 is, in a manner shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, arranged on the first and the second pipe section 12, 18 symmetrically relative to a centreline 40. The fastening of this arrangement is then performed as a final step.

(17) FIG. 4 shows an aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 has a fuselage 110 with a fuselage skin and with a rupture disk 120 arranged therein. The aircraft 100 furthermore has a battery 130 and a waste-gas line 10. An inlet end 14 (see FIG. 1) of a first pipe section 12 (see FIG. 1) of the waste-gas line 10 is connected to the battery 130, and the outlet end 20 (see FIG. 1) is connected to an inner side of the rupture disk 122 (see FIG. 1). The rupture disk 120 is designed to rupture in the presence of a predetermined pressure within the waste-gas line in order to discharge the waste gases from the aircraft.

(18) The position of the rupture disk 120 in the fuselage 110 is dependent on the position of the battery 130 in the aircraft. That side of the second pipe section 18 which faces towards the rupture disk 120 is welded to an inner side of the rupture disk 120.

(19) The above-described exemplary embodiments may be combined in a variety of ways.

(20) It is additionally pointed out that comprising does not rule out other elements or steps, and a or an do not rule out a multiplicity. It is also pointed out that features that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as limiting.

(21) While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.