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Fuel Systems of Power Plant
Fuel Systems of Power Plant
Part 2
5.2 Fuel arrangement onboard the aircraft
Altitude performance of the fuel system is the maximum flight altitude of aircraft, at
which the fuel system provides uninterruptible fuel feeding in the engine.
Cavitation is a process of formation of air–vapor bubbles in a depression and their
following collapse in a pressure space.
Cavitation is a harmful phenomenon. Thus the two–phase medium (air + fuel) is
formed. It results in decrease of mass flow of fuel through the pump, in pressure
fluctuation, in malfunction of fuel feeding and even in stopping of engine. Cavitation
usually destroys surfaces, it appears near to which. But as fuel is multicomponent
medium, formation and collapse of the bubbles is spread in a time. Thus destruction
does not take place. A place of the most probable appearance of the cavitation is a
pump inlet. Thus the problem of designing calculation of altitude performance is
determination of conditions of fuel pumps working without cavitation. The problem of
checking calculation is definition of altitude performance of the existing fuel system.
Theoretically, the fuel system failure (cavitation) takes place, when pressure equals
to saturated vapor pressure of fuel. Practically, pressure into the pump will be less
than the pump inlet pressure. It results in appearing of the cavitation earlier, than
pressure will be lowered up to saturated vapor pressure. That is at the smaller
altitude. Therefore for reliable operation of pumps, it is necessary to create some
overpressure at the pump inlet. It is called the cavitation margin ΔPcav. Then the
minimal required pump inlet pressure providing pump working without cavitation.
This condition should be satisfied at all flight regimes, at all possible load factors and
temperatures. This condition is the main condition in the altitude performance
calculation.
The cavitation margin and the pressure difference, created by the pump, for pumps of
various purposes.
To carry out the calculation of the altitude performance of a fuel system, it is
necessary to know:
а) lay–out diagram of the fuel system in three projections, with the directions and
lengths of pipelines and the locations of units;
b) required volume flow of fuel depending on the flight regime (M, Н, throttling back);
c) characteristics of fuel (density, kinematic viscosity, saturated vapor pressure)
depending on temperature;
d) cavitation and pressure characteristics of pumps.
According to NLGS–3 the calculations are carried out for the most adverse and
heavy operating conditions.
1. Flight at the altitude of maximum speed (for airplanes with the ceiling above 11
km, it is 11 km). The engine power is full throttle power or power augmentation. The
load factors are the most adverse in their effect to pressure at FBP inlet. Designed
fuel temperature is maximum (for subsonic airplanes it is more or equal to 40°C; for
supersonic ones it is more or equal to 100°C).
2. Flight on the ceiling. The altitude is: the absolute ceiling — for non–
maneuverable; the zoom altitude — for maneuverable. The flight speed corresponds
to the ceiling. The engine power is full throttle power or power augmentation. Load
factors are nX=0, nY=1, nZ=0 , i. e. inertial losses are absent.
3. Flight on the regime corresponding to maximum fuel consumption. The engine
power is full throttle power or power augmentation. Fuel is the most viscous of used
on the airplane. Designing fuel temperature is minimal (–50...–60)°С. One BPA
feeds two engines with the cross–feed valve opened.
Conditions of operating of the fuel system with failed BPA (inertial losses are
assumed equal to zero).
4. Takeoff power. The altitude is 2000 m.
5. Cruising power. The altitude is 6000...8000 m.
To increase the altitude performance of the fuel system, we can do the following:
1. Applying of the fuel with the minimal saturated vapor pressure.
2. Applying of pumps with good cavitation characteristics. That is with the small
cavitation margin.
3. Protecting of fuel from heating:
– heat-insulating of fuel tanks, to apply the cooling system in flight;
– feeding of fuel first of all from the most heated fuel tanks;
– fuelling of the aircraft with cooled fuel.
4. Reducing of length of pipelines (by rational arrangement).
5. Reducing of the hydraulic resistance.
6. Using of the closed vent system (pressurization from the compressor or from
the neutral gas system).
7. Degassing of fuel before filling.
6 Venting and pressurization of the fuel system
The purpose of venting and pressurization system is providing the pressure inside
the fuel tanks in the definite limits, ensuring fuel feeding of engines, fuel filling and
dumping. To provide the fuel system operation without cavitation, decreasing of
fuel vaporation, keeping the shape and strength of the fuel tanks (a thin–walled
shell structure), a definite overpressure shall be supported in the fuel tanks.
Otherwise during feeding or fuel dumping, pressure in the fuel tank will be
decreased. It complicates feeding and makes contortion of the fuel tank possible.
At closed fueling the venting system shall provide a free vent of air from the fuel
tanks. Otherwise the fuel tank can be torn by overpressure.
Depending on type and purpose of the aircraft the vent system is designed under
various schemes. The system connecting the tank airspace with an atmosphere is
called an open vent system. The system connecting the tank airspace with any
source of air (the compressor of the engine, bottles with gas) is called a closed
vent system. The system connecting the tank airspace either with an atmosphere,
or with any source of air, depending on flight conditions, is called a combined vent
system.
Venting of group of fuel tanks can be separate (personal) or joint (collective). In the
latter case, the consecutive or parallel connection of fuel tanks is possible (fig. 10).
Fig. 10 Venting of group of fuel tanks
At supersonic flight speed, an oblique shock appears in front of the vent air intake.
Behind the oblique shock, the increased pressure is formed. It results that the
overpressure in the tank can appear too big. In this case it is necessary to use safety
valves. Other solution of this problem is application of the air intake with blowing out.
Such air intake can work at both supersonic, and subsonic flight speeds (fig.11, c).
The vent air intake is usually arranged on a top surface of the aircraft, to prevent dust
and mud getting into the fuel system on ground jointly with air.
To prevent flowing out of fuel through a vent system at changes of aircraft attitude,
the venting pipeline is designed as a loop in a vertical plane (fig.12). However in the
lower part of such loop–shape segment of pipeline, fuel is accumulated and overlaps
the venting. For collecting and removing the fuel from the vent system in such
cases, drain tanks are installed.
It is necessary to protect the vent air intakes from icing.
At the closed vent system, the fuel tank pressurization is carried out by air from
compressor of the engine, air or neutral gas from onboard bottles. The closed vent
system allows supporting the required pressure in over–fuel space. However
disadvantages of the closed vent system is a big mass of bottles and lower
survivability of fuel tanks at damage.
There are two ways of fueling: overwing fueling and pressure fueling.
At overwing fueling, the filtered fuel is fed by the flexible hose through the fuel
discharge nozzle directly to the filler neck from the fueling device. It is arranged on the
upper side of the fuel tank. In case of grouping of fuel tanks, fuel can overflow into the
other fuel tanks by connecting pipes. The filler necks are designed according to used
standards. The fueling time of all fuel tanks should not exceed the specified value
(about 10 minutes).
Overwing fueling has a number of disadvantages.
– Long fueling time. (The fueling rate in connecting pipelines is low. It is required to
open and close each filler neck, to move the discharge hose, to switch on and off the
pump of priming device for filling.).
– Necessity of location of ground maintenance personnel near the filler necks
arranged usually on the wing. Ladders, step-ladders, long hoses are required for this
purpose. These movements lead to damages of paint coating of the wing. In winter
these movements on icy wing surface are dangerous for the people.
– Fire danger is increased at fuel vaporation.
– A moisture and a dust can probably get into the fuel tank through the upper filler
necks.
These disadvantages can be removed at pressure fueling. In this case the filtered fuel
is fed by the flexible hose to the fueling connection of the aircraft from the fueling
device.
The pressure fueling provides a number of advantages.
– Low fueling time.
– The fueling is carried out through one or two fueling connection. (Therefore such
fueling may also be referred to as «single–point pressure fueling»).
– To decrease the length of discharge hoses and for maintainability, these fueling
connections are arranged in the lower parts of aircraft. Thus people movement on
wings is not needed.
The fueling connections and nozzles of discharge hoses are designed by the
international standards.
The sequence of the pressure fueling can be different (serial or joint). Serial tank
fueling takes more time, than joint. But the serial fueling provides a capability to fill
not all fuel tanks with fuel, but only specified.
Thus there are also a number of disadvantages:
– A high speed of fuel flow within the pipelines (more than 25 dm3/s), a big length of
fueling pipelines and presence of special control devices cause in the big hydraulic
pressure losses. Hence, the high power of the pumps installed at fueling devices is
required.
– The fueling pipelines and the control devices are arranged onboard the aircraft
and increase its mass.
– The maximum fuel quantity is impossible to be filled by pressure fueling owing to
response of maximum level valves. Therefore devices for overwing fueling are kept
onboard the aircraft.