Aircraft Fuel Systems

By: Naeem Shaikh

Information in this section was taken from: Aircraft Maintenance and Repair p.467-504 Transport Category Aircraft Systems p.6-1 through 6-28

Aircraft Fuel
Reciprocating engine fuels  Turbine engine fuels


Jet A which is Kerosene  Jet B a blend of kerosene and gasoline  Jet A-1 used for operation at extremely low temperatures


Jet A and Jet B are the most common

Fuel System Contamination

 

The higher the viscosity of the fuel, the greater its ability to hold contaminants in suspension This is why jet fuels, which have a higher viscosity than av-gas, are also more susceptible to contamination than av-gas The main contaminants that reduce the quality of fuel are:
    

Other petroleum products Water Rust Scale Dirt

Water Contamination


Water contamination in fuel can be in two forms:

 

Dissolved in the fuel Entrained or suspended in the fuel

Water in fuel can cause icing in the aircraft fuel system, usually in:
 

Boost pump screens Low pressure filters

Large amounts of water can cause engine stoppage

Microbial Growth


  

Microbial Growth is produced by various forms of micro-organisms that live and multiply in water which is in jet fuel These micro-organisms form slime that can be red, brown, green, or black The organisms feed on hydrocarbons in the fuel but require water to multiply This buildup can:
 

Interfere with fuel flow and quantity indications Start electrolytic corrosive action

Contamination Detection
Coarse fuel contamination can be detected visually  Uncontaminated fuel should be:


Clean  Bright  Contain no perceptible free water



Contamination Detection (cont.)



Clean means the absence of any readily visible sediment or entrained water Bright refers to the shiny appearance of clean, dry fuel Free water is indicated by a cloud, haze, or water slug
 

Water saturated in fuel is not always visible Perfectly clear water can contain as much as three times the acceptable limit

Contamination Detection (cont.)

 

There is no accurate method of detecting fuel entrained water when it is frozen For this reason, it is important that fuel is checked when the water is in a liquid state


This should not be done following a flight at altitude when the fuel would be below 32 degrees F It is more effective to drain the fuel after the fuel has set undisturbed for a period of time, allowing the water to precipitate and settle to the drain point

Fuel Systems


The purpose of an aircraft fuel system is to store and deliver the proper amount of clean fuel at the correct pressure to the engine Fuel systems should provide positive and reliable fuel flow through all phases of flight including:
  

Changes in altitude Violent maneuvers Sudden acceleration and deceleration

Fuel Systems (cont.)



Fuel systems should also continuously monitor system operation such as:
Fuel pressure  Fuel flow  Warning signals  Tank quantity


Types of Fuel Systems



Fuel systems can be classified in two broad categories:

Gravity-Feed Systems  Pressure-Feed Systems


Gravity-Feed Systems
Gravity-Feed Systems use only the force of gravity to push fuel to the engine fuel-control mechanism  The bottom of the fuel tank must be high enough to provide adequate pressure to the fuel-control component



This type of system is often used in high-wing light aircraft

Pressure-Feed Systems


Pressure-Feed Systems require the use of a fuel pump to provide fuel-pressure to the engines fuel-control component There are two main reasons these systems are necessary:
 

The fuel tanks are too low to provide enough pressure from gravity The fuel tanks are a great distance from the engine

Also, most large aircraft with higher powered engines require a pressure system regardless of the fuel tank location because of the large volume of fuel used by the engines

Fuel System Components

     

Pumps Tanks Lines Valves Fuel Flow-meters Filters and Strainers

 

 

Quantity Indicators Warning Components Fuel Drains Heaters

Fuel Pumps


Fuel pumps are used to move fuel through the system then gravity feed is insufficient There are three main functions of fuel pumps, they are to move fuel from:
  

The tanks to the engines One tank to another The engine back to the tanks

Fuel-Pump Requirements
Engine fuel systems require main pumps and in some systems emergency pumps  These requirements depend on the type of engines installed on the aircraft


Reciprocating-Engine FuelPump Requirements



Reciprocating-engines which are not gravity-fed require:

At least one main pump for each engine  These pumps must be engine-driven  The pump capacity must capable of providing enough fuel flow for all operations


Turbine-Engine Fuel-Pump Requirements



Turbine-Engines require:
At least one main pump for each engine  Main pump power supply must be independent of all other main pump power supplies  Each positive-displacement main pump must be able to be bypassed


Turbine-Engine Fuel-Pump Requirements (cont.)



Turbine-engines also require emergency pumps



The emergency pump must be immediately available to supply fuel to the engine in the event of a main pump failure Emergency pump power supplies must be independent of that of the corresponding main pump If both the emergency and main pumps operate continuously, there must be some means of alerting the flight crew of a failure of either pump

Fuel Pump Classification

One way to classify fuel pumps is according to the pumps function  These classifications are:


Boost Pump  Scavenge Pump  Cross-feed Pumps



Fuel Pump Classification

Another way to classify fuel pumps is by their method of operation  These pumps are:



Vane-type
Variable-volume

Centrifugal  Ejector


Vane-Type Pumps
Vane-type fuel pumps are the most common  They use a rotor which turns vanes in a cylinder, the vanes act to push the fuel through the system  Vane-type pumps can have from two to six vanes and they may be variable volume also


Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps are used to move fuel from one tank to another or from the fuel tank to the engine  They are electrically driven and some may operate at different speeds


Ejector Pumps
An ejector pump is normally used to scavenge fuel from remote areas  These pumps have no moving parts they rely on return fuel from the engine to pump the fuel  Ejector pumps work on the venturi principle


Fuel Tanks
Fuel systems on different aircraft may use several types of fuel tanks  The three basic types of fuel tanks used on aircraft are:


Integral  Rigid Removable  Bladder



Integral Fuel Tanks

 

 

Integral Fuel Tanks are commonly located in the aircrafts wings or fuselage These tanks are ones that are built into the structure of the aircraft and generally can not be removed Integral Fuel Tanks are formed by the actual structure of the aircraft The seams are sealed, usually with synthetic rubber, to produce an area inside the aircraft structure which will contain the fuel This type of tank is used in some light highperformance aircraft and turbine-powered transports

Rigid Removable Fuel Tanks



 

Rigid removable fuel tanks are often made of aluminum components that are welded together These tanks are installed in compartments specifically made for the tank The tanks may be held in place with padded straps This type of tank is often found on more expensive light aircraft and reciprocatingengine-powered transports

Bladder Type Fuel Tanks

 

Bladder type fuel tanks are basically a reinforced rubberized bag These tanks are installed in compartments which support the weight of the fuel The tank is held in place with buttons or snaps on the bottom and sides of the tank This type of tank is usually found on light aircraft and some turboprop and turbinepowered aircraft

Fuel Lines
 

 

Fuel lines on aircraft are either made of rigid metal tubing or flexible hose Most of the fuel lines are the rigid type which are usually made of aluminum alloys The flexible hose fuel lines are either made of synthetic rubber or Teflon The diameter of tubing used is decided by the engines fuel requirements

Valves


Fuel selector valves are used in aircraft fuel systems to:

Shut off fuel flow  Cross-feed  Transfer fuel


Selector valves may be operated manually or electrically depending on the installation

Filters and Strainers

  

Fuel is usually strained at three points in the system Through a finger or bootstrap strainer in the bottom of the fuel tank Through a master strainer which is usually located at the lowest point in the system Through a third strainer near the fuel control unit

Quantity Indicators


Mechanical
Inverted float gauge  Rotating dial gauge  Upright float gauge  Sight-glass gauge


Resistance  Capacitance


Fuel Subsystems
Some aircraft fuel subsystems allow for fuel:  Jettison  Heating  Cross-Feeding

Fuel Jettison
The fuel jettison system comprises a combination of fuel lines, valves, and pumps provided to dump fuel overboard during an in-flight emergency  This will reduce the weight of the aircraft so an emergency landing is possible


Fuel Heating
Fuel heating is necessary for turbine engines to thaw ice particles in the fuel that would otherwise clog the filters  Fuel is routed through a heat exchanger that uses either engine oil or compressor bleed air to bring the fuel up to an acceptable temperature


Cross Feeding
Cross feed systems allow the flow of fuel from any of the tanks to any of the engines  Some reasons that this system might be used are:


Engine failure  Problem with one or more fuel tanks  Redistribute fuel for weight and balance purposes