25 October, 2018: Lufthansa Technik AG is developing modern measuring technology to inspect aircraft tanks reliably and detect critical infestations early on. The development was sparked by the discovery that the rate of biofilm formation in the aircraft fuel tanks had been steadily on the rise for several years. Biofilm is the result of secretions from microbes, which can multiply very quickly under unique circumstances.
The microorganisms find their way into aircraft tanks both through the air vents on the wings and through the clothes and respiration of mechanics during fuel tank cleaning. The condensation that forms in the tank provides an almost perfect biotope for microbes to grow and multiply rapidly.
"The biofilm produced by microbes is more than just a form of visual pollution; it can cause significant damage to aircraft. For example, the microbes can penetrate the smallest cracks, attack the aluminum alloy and lead to corrosion on the wing," says Ralf Riemann, Coordinator in Lufthansa Technik's VIP & Special Mission Aircraft Services division.
"Heavy infestations can have an extremely negative effect on the reliability of flight operations and lead to unplanned ground time and high costs for rectifying the problem. And when larger areas are affected by corrosion, the aircraft even have to go in for repair lasting several weeks," explains Christian Siry, Head of Central Materials Technology at Lufthansa Technik.