Fuel delivery system and method providing regulated electrical output

• US 20050254960A1
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Watkins
• Original Assignee: Owen Watkins
• Inventors: Watkins, Owen
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/53
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0357 For producing uniform flow

Abstract

In a mobile fuel delivery vehicle, providing bulk aircraft fuel from a pressurized fuel reservoir to an aircraft, a method of regulating electrical output of an electrical power source, includes the steps of: (a) receiving, in a fluid path, the bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized reservoir; (b) controlling flow rate of the fuel along the fluid path; (c) fluidically rotating a shaft of the electrical power source in the fluid path, in response to step (b); (d) sensing rotation speed of the electrical power source by measuring number of revolutions per a time period; (e) setting a predetermined rotation speed for the electrical power source; (f) measuring a difference between the sensed rotation speed of step (d) and the set predetermined rotation speed of step (e); and (g) modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the fluid path based on step (f) and, in turn, the electrical output of the electrical power source.

Claims

1. In a mobile fuel delivery vehicle, providing bulk aircraft fuel from a pressurized fuel reservoir to an aircraft, a method of regulating electrical output of an electrical power source, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, in a fluid path, the bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized reservoir;

(b) controlling flow rate of the bulk aircraft fuel along the fluid path;

(c) fluidically rotating a shaft of the electrical power source in the fluid path, in response to step (b);

(d) sensing rotation speed of the electrical power source by measuring number of revolutions per a time period;

(e) setting a predetermined rotation speed for the electrical power source;

(f) measuring a difference between the sensed rotation speed of step (d) and the set predetermined rotation speed of step (e); and

(g) modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the fluid path based on step (f) and, in turn, the electrical output of the electrical power source.

2. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 1 wherein

sensing the rotation speed of the electrical power source includes coupling a speed sensor to the electrical power source, and

directly sensing the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) of the electrical power source.

3. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 2 wherein

coupling the speed sensor to the electrical power source includes attaching the speed sensor to the electrical power source and mounting the electrical power source on the vehicle.

4. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 1 including the step of:

supplying the electrical output from the electrical power source to devices requiring electrical input signals in the vehicle.

5. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 1 wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the fluid path includes

placing a valve in the fluid path for controlling the flow rate of the fuel in the fluid path, and

electrically operating the valve based on the measured difference between the sensed rotation speed of the electrical power source and the set predetermined rotation speed.

6. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 5 including

dynamically moving the valve at least 5 degrees in less than about 50 milliseconds.

7. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 5 including

dynamically moving the valve from a fully opened position to a fully closed position in less than about 1 second.

8. In a mobile fuel delivery vehicle, providing bulk aircraft fuel from a pressurized fuel reservoir to an aircraft, a method of regulating electrical output of an electrical power source, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized fuel reservoir;

(b) dividing the bulk aircraft fuel to flow along a primary fluid path and a secondary fluid path;

(c) controlling flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path;

(d) fluidically rotating a shaft of the electrical power source in the secondary fluid path in response to step (c);

(e) sensing rotation speed of the electrical power source by measuring number of revolutions per a time period;

(f) setting a predetermined rotation speed for the electrical power source;

(g) measuring a difference between the sensed rotation speed of step (e) and the set predetermined rotation speed of step (f); and

(h) modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path based on step (g) and, in turn, the electrical output of the electrical power source.

9. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 8 wherein

sensing the rotation speed of the electrical power source includes coupling a speed sensor to the electrical power source, and

directly sensing the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) of the electrical power source.

10. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 8 including the step of:

supplying the electrical output from the electrical power source to devices requiring electrical input signals in the vehicle.

11. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 8 wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path includes

placing a valve in the primary fluid path for controlling the flow rate of the fuel in the primary fluid path, and

electrically operating the valve based on the measured difference between the sensed rotation speed of the electrical power source and the set predetermined rotation speed.

12. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 11 including

dynamically moving the valve at least 5 degrees in less than 50 milliseconds.

13. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 11 including

dynamically moving the valve from a fully opened position to a fully closed position in less than 1 second.

14. In a mobile fuel delivery vehicle, providing bulk aircraft fuel from a pressurized fuel reservoir to an aircraft, a method of regulating electrical output of an alternator driven by a turbine, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized fuel reservoir;

(b) dividing the bulk fuel to flow along a primary fluid path and a secondary fluid path;

(c) controlling flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path;

(d) fluidically rotating a shaft of the turbine in the secondary fluid path in response to step (c);

(e) sensing rotation speed of the turbine;

(f) setting a predetermined rotation speed for the turbine;

(g) measuring a difference between the sensed rotation speed of step (e) and the set predetermined rotation speed of step (f); and

(h) modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path based on step (g) and, in turn, the electrical output of the alternator.

15. The fuel delivery system of claim 14 wherein controlling the rotation speed of the turbine includes

executing a control loop algorithm in a programmable logic controller (PLC).

16. The fuel delivery system of claim 14 wherein controlling the rotation speed of the turbine includes

controlling rotation speed of the turbine at nearly constant speed, at varying pressures of fuel flowing in the primary fluid path and the secondary fluid path.

17. The fuel delivery system of claim 14 wherein controlling the rotation speed of the turbine includes

controlling rotation speed of the turbine at nearly constant speed, at varying output loads on the alternator driven by the turbine.

18. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 14 wherein

sensing the rotation speed of the electrical power source includes coupling a speed sensor to the electrical power source, and

directly sensing the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) of the electrical power source.

19. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 14 including the step of:

supplying the electrical output from the electrical power source to devices requiring electrical input signals in the vehicle.

20. The mobile fuel delivery vehicle of claim 14 wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path includes

placing a valve in the primary fluid path for controlling the flow rate of the fuel in the primary fluid path, and

electrically operating the valve based on the measured difference between the sensed rotation speed of the electrical power source and the set predetermined rotation speed.

21. A mobile fuel delivery vehicle, providing bulk aircraft fuel from a pressurized fuel reservoir to an aircraft, comprising

a fluid path receiving bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized reservoir,

a valve disposed in the fluid path for controlling flow rate of the bulk aircraft fuel along the fluid path,

a turbine, for generating regulated electrical power, fluidically coupled to the bulk aircraft fuel in the fluid path,

a rotation speed sensor sensing rotation speed of the turbine by measuring number of revolutions per a time period,

a controller, coupled to the fluid path and the rotation speed sensor, for controlling a predetermined rotation speed of the turbine,

wherein the controller controls the rotation speed of the turbine by measuring a difference between the sensed rotation speed of the turbine and the predetermined rotation speed of the turbine, and then modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the fluid path by changing a position of the valve disposed in the fluid path.