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Showing posts with label automation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label automation. Show all posts

Thursday, January 24, 2013

What Accuracy in Fuel Level Means for General Aviation


Why would I want accurate fuel gauges in my aircraft. 

Predicting and shaping the future are the providence of engineers.  

If accurate and reliable fuel level sensing for aircraft became a common reality 

What are the effects on the aircraft/pilot interface.


Warnings and Annunciation 
With cross checkable and reliable information between the Fuel Totalizer and Fuel Quantity 

  • Low Fuel  
    • It is already exists - 
    • What if it was reliable and predictable
  • Fuel Imbalance - 
    • Let you know when you exceeded tank imbalance limits
    • Warns you of a rapidly depleting tank - safety  
  • Fuel Leakage or Venting  
    • Matched information fuel totalizer and tank volume
    • If rate of flow d not match - a leakage or venting warning 
    • With a residual power or memory input
      • Internal leaks annunciated 
      • Fuel Theft 
  • Errors - 
    • As a reliable cross check between fuel flow and fuel tank volume 
    • Provides a reliable diagnostic to errors or faulty components in each system
    • Failure to follow a predictable path can be flagged as an sensor or tank system requiring maintenance. 
  • Secondary Fuel Totalizer - Cross check to the fuel we can derive rate to give a simple totalizer function.
Automation 
With cross checkable and reliable information - Fuel Totalizer and Fuel Quantity we can use this information to relieve pilot workload 

Fuel  Management Computer - 


  • Tank Switching -
    • The aircraft system would handle switching between tanks for single engine aircraft.
    • This could be overridden manually in the cockpit.
  • Fuel Management
Allow a pilot to mange total fuel volume on the aircraft with an interconnected pump system 
      • Minimizes human refueling errors 
      • Cross-check quantity of fuel added and correct
      • Manage the fuel added or remaining to balance tank volumes.
      • Use fuselage wing tanks for weight and balance corrections or trim