Do you know where a plane is filling up with nearly a hundred tons of fuel at a time?

The speed of the plane makes it easy to travel, but even for a short trip, the plane consumes a lot of fuel, which is stored in the plane's three fuel tanks.

Even on a seemingly flimsy wing, it can hold a lot of fuel! How does this thin wing hold such a huge amount of fuel?

In the early days of aircraft design, designers agonized over where to store fuel.

They were faced with a complex problem: how to maximize the storage of enough fuel in a limited space to meet the needs of the plane for long flights?

How do you find a position that can withstand the weight of nearly 100 tons of fuel?

The wing is like the wings of a bird for an aircraft, it is one of the core components in flight and undertakes the important task of keeping the aircraft flying smoothly.

The design of the wing is very elaborate, usually using an airfoil structure, the upper surface is raised, and the lower surface is relatively flat.

When the plane is in the air, the air on the upper surface of the wing flows faster and the pressure is lower, while the opposite is true on the lower surface, creating a pressure difference.

Known as Bernoulli's law, this pressure difference creates the lift that allows the plane to fly smoothly.

Although the wing looks weak, it actually hides a huge oil storage space inside, and can even support tens of tons of weight.

The trusses of modern aircraft are usually composed of high-strength metal alloys or advanced composite materials, such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, carbon fiber composite materials, etc., which not only have sufficient strength and stiffness, but also can provide excellent durability and life while ensuring the lightweight of the wing.

The skin of the wing is the covering layer on the outside of the wing, similar to the skin of the human body, which can protect the internal structure from the influence of the external environment, improve the aerodynamic performance of the wing, reduce drag, and improve flight efficiency.

Usually, the skin is also made of high-strength metal materials to ensure the overall performance and safety of the wing.

But even if the wing is capable of carrying such a huge amount of weight, why do designers attach fuel tanks to the wing? Wouldn't it be better to put it in a more spacious place?

Considering the overall layout of the aircraft, internal space resources are very valuable, and almost all of the space is used to provide passengers with comfortable environment and services, such as first class, business class, cockpit, kitchen, toilet, etc.

As a result, it was not practical to put the fuel tank in these places, so the designers looked to the wings.

As one of the main structures of the aircraft, the wing has a large volume and space, so it has become one of the preferred locations for fuel storage.

Installing the fuel tank inside the wing not only makes full use of the aircraft's internal space, but also reduces wind resistance and improves fuel efficiency.

The fuel supply system is one of the key components of the aircraft, responsible for transporting fuel from the tank to the engine, providing the power the aircraft needs to fly.

Conventional fuel supply systems typically have tanks mounted inside the fuselage or on the outside of the wing, and then deliver fuel to the engine through long fuel lines.

However, this design is susceptible to the external environment, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and failures.

The installation of fuel tanks inside the wings simplifies the design and layout of the fuel supply system, reducing the length and complexity of pipelines.

The interior space of the wing is usually more spacious and composed of robust structures and materials, which effectively protect the fuel tank and pipe from external impact and damage, reduce the resistance of fuel flow, reduce the risk of fuel leakage and failure, and improve the reliability of the fuel supply system.

In addition, placing the fuel tank on the wing can also distribute some of the weight of the fuel on the wing, reducing the weight of other components, making the center of gravity of the aircraft more stable, and flying more smoothly and safely.

How to prevent oil from shaking during flight?

The aircraft is equipped with special shock-proof devices, such as shock absorbers, buffers, etc., installed at the junction of the wing and fuselage, which can absorb and disperse turbulence and vibration from the flight

The energy of the aircraft prevents severe turbulence in flight and reduces the impact of airflow on the oil in the wing fuel tank.

Even the most advanced anti-vibration devices can not completely eliminate the aircraft's shaking.

In this case, the aircraft will adjust the order of fuel consumption of each tank through the fuel balance system to maintain the balance of the aircraft. The designers use partitions inside the tank to divide the space into multiple independent areas, limiting the free flow of oil inside the tank.

In addition, the inside of the fuel tank is also used to absorb vibration and shock materials to protect the internal structure of the fuel tank and improve the reliability and safety of the aircraft.

As environmental awareness grows, the aviation industry is looking for renewable alternatives to conventional fuel.

Hydrogen fuel has attracted attention due to its clean and environmentally friendly properties and is considered as one of the potential alternative fuels for the aviation industry.

However, in order to realize the commercial application of hydrogen aircraft, there are still a number of challenges, including storage, safety and other issues.

Nevertheless, as technology continues to advance, the aviation industry is expected to evolve in a more environmentally friendly and efficient direction.