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Thermal fuel transfer and tank isolation to reduce unusable fuel - Patent 5251852 |
 | | 3, the heaters associated with tank 13 are represented by a resistor symbol 382, and a resistor symbol 384 represents the electrical heaters associated with tank 314. |
 | | The temperature of tank 13 is raised relative to that of tank 11, which tends to increase the pressure in tank 13 relative to that in tank 11, driving the remaining fuel from tank 13 through branch 330, normally-open valve 334, and through branch 328 to tank 11. |
 | | A similar procedure may be performed with tanks 312 and 314, by heating tank 314 by way of heater 384 to drive fuel from tank 314 to 312, and then activating valve 344 to isolate tank 314 from the combination of tank 312 and even mode thrusters 2, 4, 6, and 8. |
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