CiES Fuel Level Senders for Jet Aircraft

Series Production For Jet Senders 

This week we are producing multiple shipsets for a production jet aircraft.  The use of our technology on jet aircraft is in keeping with the reliability, simplicity and accuracy of our aircraft fuel level sensing solutions.  These units can output fuel level and local fuel temperature.  

The CiES Fuel Level System solution does not rely on complex electronics to limit the energy in the fuel tank.  We simply keep the electronics out of the fuel environment.  

The CiES Fuel Level System does not have to correct for fuel temperature or entrained air.  We simply measure the position of the fuel surface, and we measure it to an repeatable accuracy of 0.03 in.  In all temperatures and under all aircraft conditions.


The CiES Fuel Level System does not require a summing or conversion box all calculations for summing and output conversion are handled internally to the unit.

The CiES Fuel Level System can output a variety of formats compatible with most aircraft, from the same internal system.  

This sophisticated Fuel Level System  is just as happy providing accurate fuel level in any class of aircraft.

We recently completed a set of fuel senders with the same technological advancements for a 1938 Fairchild 24.

Something new in the sky - An FAA  TSO'd Fuel Level Sending System applicable to the breadth of aviation. 

FAA TSO'd Fuel & Oil Level Senders

Another Milestone Accomplished 

We received our second TSO C55a designation for our aviation fuel level senders. 

To meet this requirement our senders were rigorously tested in in harsh environmental and electrical conditions.

In these conditions, the CiES senders had to provide a stable and effective fuel level output.

Our output quality level met the most rigorous FAA TSO standard for fuel level sending @ 0.75% of full tank volume.  A fuel level standard that the big iron fuel senders can only hope to achieve. 

Meeting these standards proves that CiES technology provides an accurate fuel level output for any aircraft or rotorcraft type.

The fact that a float based sensor meets this critical FAA requirement - proves our technological and patent advantages, as

only CiES produces FAA TSO Approved Float Sensors. 

Additionally there are no wires or electrical components in the fuel volume.  The requirements of the FAA Advisory Circular AC 25.981-1C - Fuel Tank Flammability are inherently met in our fuel sender design.

What was Added to the New Sensor

• Universal Level Output
• Resistance 
• Voltage
• Frequency
• Fuel Temperature Output 
• Lbs or Kilos Fuel Level Capability
• Flying Lead Connection
• Better Connection Flexibility
• Unlimited Connection Interface.
• Can Accommodate Limited or Tight Connection Clearance  
• Simpler Data Transmission Between Senders.
• 7 fold Increase in Output Sensitivity
• Improved Flexibility in Meeting Future Fuel Level Challenges
• Larger Data Processing Headroom
• Filtering and Smoothing 
• Internal Fuel Tank Mapping Capability  

TSO'd Turbine Helicopter Fuel Level Sender

Turbine Helicopter                Fuel Level Sender 

It is interesting to us to see where our unique fuel level technology turns up next.   We are making rapid progress making CiES the company to turn to for aviation fuel level.

This is the 3rd new configuration we have revealed this week alone, and there are several we can't talk about at the moment.  Each one is on a more sophisticated platform than the next.

Our technology is simple, reliable and not in contact with the fuel.  It makes for a robust and effective helicopter or turboprop fuel level system.

We had several new challenges to measure a tank of 40" or 100 cm.  We rose to the opportunity and we developed new technology to effectively handle this fuel depth, as well as reporting fuel temperature.

Our combination of simple float and sophisticated sensor technology has proven itself to be the "Go To" technology to provide fuel level in all aviation applications. 

This design is an expansion of our Cirrus SF50 Jet design.

Measuring Fuel ... How Do you Measure Up?

I have been trying to track down this exact "Pilot Folklore" regarding fuel level in aircraft.
  
Specifically the widespread pilot belief that the FAA doesn't require for you to have working fuel gauges in your aircraft.

The gauges only need to tell you when you're empty.

Sure enough in a FAA Safety Bulletin in April 2002
The FAA said just that - the exact words as follows:

 As you can see, the regulations only require that the aircraft fuel gauge read “zero” during level flight when the quantity of fuel remaining in the tank is equal to the unusable fuel supply determined under 14 CFR §23.959(a).  Therefore, the gauge cannot be depended upon for checking the fuel quantity in a tank. This is especially true of the smaller, less sophisticated general aviation aircraft. Visual or physical checking or both are the only safe means of determining the actual quantity of fuel onboard such aircraft. How do you measure fuel? Do you measure up?  H. Dean Chamberlain 

In fact,  as recently as February 2013, the FAA allowed this to be reprinted in a blog site... unbelievable.   Supporting a culture where it is acceptable for "Fuel Exhaustion" to be one of the TOP 5 GA Incidents, and according to the AOPA Nall Report the second highest cause of pilot death.

In most cases pilots will blame  pilot behavior and preflight.  All pilots will rally to the aviator cause, and like this FAA article, seek to change the an obviously errant pilot procedure.   .... Education is the tool to address this serious safety issue .  Despite the efforts, the number of fuel exhaustion incidents still remain high.
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So back to the fuel gauge ....  I have been through over 150 certification meetings in my life - 

But I have not yet brought in a new aircraft or new aircraft modification and told the Administrator that; 

I removed the fuel gauge and  replaced it with an idiot light letting the pilot know -

"That at this very moment you ran out of fuel"  

or propose an aural announcement like:

 "WARNING YOUR ENGINE WILL NOW STOP... PLEASE LOOK FOR A SAFE LANDING & HAVE A NICE DAY"

But according to the FAA author above - that is exactly what the administrator is looking for in an aircraft design  ....

...   REALLY,  What pilot or aviation professional believes this?


 So what do the FAR's (Federal Airworthiness Requirements) really say:

Title  14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §23.1337(b), Powerplant instruments installation.

  It reads:

(b) Fuel quantity indication. There must be a means to indicate to the flightcrew members the quantity of usable fuel in each tank during flight. An indicator calibrated in appropriate units and clearly marked to indicate those units must be used.

It says you have to have a fuel gauge and it needs to show you the amount of fuel in your tank in flight.  It says that in fairly clear language. 

In  addition:  

(1) Each fuel quantity indicator must be calibrated to read “zero” during level flight when the quantity of fuel remaining in the tank is equal to the unusable fuel supply determined under 14 CFR §23.959(a);

It says that the fuel gauge must have the capability to be be calibrated to read zero usable fuel.  This feature is an added part (In addition) to the requirement that it must  let you know how much fuel you had in total,  when the aircraft is in flight.

Does anyone believe that the FAA would have you put a fuel gauge in an aircraft and 
let that gauge

• Indicate any value fuel level other than zero.
• When you were at zero usable fuel it will read "ZERO"

According to this skewed interpretation of the regulation.

A binary gauge meets this folklore requirement   ... 

•  "SOME FUEL"

to be followed by a calibrated  

• "NO FUEL" 

Well the FAA actually expects something dramatically MORE Accurate 

in FAA TSO C55a -

- No more than 3% of full scale tank volume in the worst case -

Minimum Performance Standard for Fuel and Oil Quantity Indicating System Components, 

When you get in your aircraft and you look at your fuel gauges.

• Do they meet the real and intended FAA standard. 

or 

• Do they just give you folklore.

Press Release - TSO Granted - AOPA Summit

NEWS RELEASE                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIES Corporation receives FAA TSO approval for new digital fuel level senders

October 10, 2012, CIES Corporation of Redmond, Oregon has received FAA TSO C55a approval for its line of digital fuel level senders. The float based fuel level senders are designed to replace the majority of the existing fuel level sending systems in general aviation aircraft. The proprietary and patented system provides a new level of accuracy, reliability, and stability to fuel level indication in the cockpit. CIES meets a TSO standard of 2% variance in tank volume, a standard normally reserved for corporate and commercial aircraft with corrected capacitive solutions. No other float based system meets this stringent TSO standard while achieving the intrinsically safe (i.e. “no wires in the tank”) requirement.

Richard Kirkness, Vice President of CIES said, "As a manufacturer of aircraft systems, we see FAA certification as critical to our success and the foundation for everything we do. FAA approval is the result of months of hard work on the part of our team here in Redmond and could not have come at a better time for CIES as the company continues to grow and strives to achieve the goal of becoming a world class supplier of advanced systems and technologies.”

Charlie Babb, General Manager of CIES added, “After the successful introduction at the beginning of this year of our senders on all new Cirrus production aircraft, we began working with other manufacturers and owners groups to provide specific fuel level sending solutions for production and legacy aircraft. The next logical step was to acquire FAA certification to validate our quality control system and lean manufacturing processes while making aircraft integration and approval significantly easier to obtain.”

The CIES fuel level senders require a dedicated digital fuel level display to ensure that the 2% accuracy achieved in the fuel tank is provided in the cockpit as well. As a result, CIES partnered with Aerospace Logic in Hamilton, Ontario to utilize their digital fuel level cockpit display. Aerospace Logic updated their fuel level gauging system to accept the digital communication link from the CIES digital senders.

CIES Corporation of Redmond, Oregon USA provides a range of high-technology products and support services to aviation, aerospace, and the broader transportation marketplaces.

For additional information on CIES and its products please visit the CIES Inc Website

For additional information on Aerospace Logic and its products please visit the Aerospace Logic Website

TSO C55a Approved Fuel Float Level Sensor

CIES Inc has obtained FAA TSO Approval - C55a - at the most rigorous standard for it's line of float based digital fuel level senders.

Its official we now are producing a line of TSO'd Fuel Level senders applicable to most aircraft below 12,500 lb gross weight. 

This effort provides a real alternative to the old Stewart Warner  senders long out of production for current General Aviation Aircraft fleet.

We are working with every major manufacturer to incorporate our senders as original equipment.