The US Navy awarded a contract to Skyhaven Systems, LLC to develop an inert gas generation system for Navy aircraft fuel tanks.

The military desires a multi-tank fuel inerting system to protect the craft from ballistic fire and accidental fires. Traditional systems have used either stored suppressants that are often heavy, costly, and create logistical resupply challenges or systems that produce an inert gas such as an on-board inert gas generating system that can generate an inert gas to fill the ullage during flights. The Navy desires an improved inerting system that can support multiple independent fuel tanks that does not use engine bleed air, uses a minimum of electrical power, and that can reduce the oxygen content in the tanks to less than 9% by volume.

Toward these requirements, Skyhaven Systems will be developing an inert gas generator that can operate with multiple independent fuel tanks for Navy aircraft. Applications of Skyhaven’s inert gas generation system to commercial aircraft are also feasible in that commercial aircraft manufacturers are considering adding inert gas generators to their fuel tanks to prevent explosions that have been the cause of some accidents. Skyhaven’s inert gas generator could be used on these newer as well as older airliners helping to mitigate this risk. Other applications under consideration for Skyhaven’s inert gas generator include companies or utilities that need inert gas generated on-site for logistically challenged or remote locations