Aircraft Fluid Lines and their importance
The fluid systems of a typical aircraft are crucial for its proper functionality, and they often comprise networks of fluid lines that transport fluids and protect components such as instrumentation. Fluid lines may come in numerous forms, hoses and tubing serving as the most common options. As aircraft hoses and tubing ensure the proper transportation of fuel, oil, coolant, and oxygen, as well as the protection of instrumentation and hydraulic lines, it can be important to know more about them for proper maintenance, replacement, and implementation.
Depending on the application of a particular fluid line, such assembly components may be flexible or rigid in construction. Flexible hoses are important for fluid system operations where a connection is made to a moving part or where flexibility is necessary to deter the effects of vibration. While a material such as pure rubber may exhibit high flexibility, it often falls under the requirements of aviation applications in regard to strength, durability and workability. As a result, flexible hoses and tubing are most often made from synthetic materials such as Buna-N, butyl, neoprene, EPDM, and Teflon.
When transporting materials such as petroleum, Buna-N is an optimal choice due to its resistance. Neoprene also exhibits a degree of petroleum resistance, albeit lower than Buna-N. Despite this, neoprene’s resistance to abrasion is higher, making it fit for certain uses. Butyl, meanwhile, is manufactured from raw petroleum materials, but it should not be used around petroleum products. Instead, butyl hoses and tubing are best paired with systems where phosphate ester base hydraulic fluids are handled.
Rigid fluid lines and fittings differ from their flexible counterparts, often being constructed with high integrity and little to no ability to be bent or adjusted. Generally, rigid fluid lines take advantage of various robust materials, those of which include copper, aluminum alloy tubing, steel, and titanium. While copper was once commonplace for fluid applications, it has since been superseded by other various materials such as aluminum and titanium. Aluminum alloys are often used for numerous purposes, commonly protecting instrument lines, transporting fuel and oil, and much more. High pressure hydraulic systems can benefit from corrosion resistant steel tubing, allowing for landing gear, brakes, flaps, and other equipment to be operated with ease. Lastly, titanium is best for high performance hydraulic systems, and it's intensive strength makes it reliable. Despite this, titanium should not be used in an oxygen system as fresh titanium surfaces have a chance of causing spontaneous combustion when exposed to gaseous oxygen.
Whether you are procuring fluid lines to establish an air intake hose, support the operations of a blower, or for any other use, it is important that you properly identify the materials and sizing of fluid lines, ensuring that they will optimally accommodate the requirements of your aircraft assemblies. Additionally, regular maintenance should be conducted for upholding the quality of fluid lines, and such components must be regularly replaced when they begin to deteriorate or break down. When it comes time to begin sourcing the hoses, tubing, engine filter components, and other various fluid assembly items you need, look no further than Purchasing Sphere.
Purchasing Sphere is a leading distributor belonging to the ASAP Semiconductor family of websites, and we offer customers access to over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find items that cater to a diverse set of industry verticals. With AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B accreditation, we always go above and beyond industry standards to guarantee high quality items that you can steadily depend on with ease. If there are particular items on our website that you are interested in, begin the procurement process with the submission of an RFQ form. Once received, our team members will rapidly formulate a quote for your comparisons in just 15 minutes or less. Get started today and experience how Purchasing Sphere can operate as your strategic sourcing partner for all your operational needs.
Share
