COMMUNICATION OF SIGNALS OVER FUEL LINES IN A VEHICLE

• US 20170366225A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (General Electric Co. (Italy))
• Inventors: Bobrek, Pavlo
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/00 Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks tanks in general B65D, F17C; supplying combustion engines with combustible mixtures or constituents F02M
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/01 Arrangement of fuel conduits chassis frame forming fluid conduit means B62D21/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/00 Arrangements in connection with fuel supply for power plant refuelling during flight B64D39/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/00 Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/34 Adaptation for use in or on ships, submarines, buoys or torpedoes for subaqueous use H01Q1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating a signal over a fuel line in a vehicle are provided. In one embodiment, a system can include a fuel line. The fuel line can include at least one communication medium for propagating a communication signal. The system can also include at least one signal communication device configured to receive the communication signal communicated over the fuel line. The system can also include at least one vehicle component in communication with the at least one signal communication device.

Claims

1. A system for communicating a signal over a fuel line on a vehicle, comprising:

a fuel line, the fuel line comprising at least one communication medium for propagating a communication signal;

at least one signal communication device configured to receive the communication signal communicated over the fuel line; and

at least one vehicle component in communication with the at least one signal communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal communication device is further configured to send a communication signal over the fuel line.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal communication device is further configured to encode the communication signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal communication device is further configured to decode the communication signal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a common ground electrically connected to the fuel line,

wherein the communication medium comprises an electrical conductor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fuel line and the common ground together act as an antenna to receive a communication signal from a remote signal communication device, wherein the communication signal is communicated over the electrical conductor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication medium comprises a waveguide for sonic, microwave, millimeter wave, or optical signals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication medium comprises fuel flowing through the fuel line.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal communication device comprises a first signal communication device configured to send a signal over the communication medium and a second signal communication device configured to receive a signal sent over the communication medium.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal communication device comprises a transceiver and a transducer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle component comprises at least one of a controller and a communication network.

12. A method of communicating a communication signal via a fuel line on a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a communication signal by a communication medium of a fuel line on a vehicle;

communicating the communication signal via the communication medium;

receiving the communication signal communicated via the communication medium by a signal communication device; and

providing the communication signal to one or more components of the vehicle by the signal communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

decoding the communication signal by the signal communication device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein prior to receiving the communication signal by the communication medium, the method comprises:

sending the communication signal by a second signal communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein prior to sending the communication signal by the second signal communication device, the method comprises:

encoding the signal by the second signal communication device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication signal comprises at least one of a sonic, optical, electrical, microwave, or millimeter wave signal, or a periodic turbulence in a laminar flow of a fuel flowing in the fuel line.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal communication device comprises a transceiver and a transducer.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the communication signal to one or more components of the vehicle by the signal communication device comprises providing the signal to a controller or a communication network.

19. An aircraft, comprising:

at least one engine;

a controller configured to control the at least one engine;

an avionics network;

at least one fuel tank;

at least one fuel line configured to transfer fuel from the at least one fuel tank to the at least one engine, the at least one fuel line comprising a communication medium for propagating a communication signal;

a first signal communication device in bidirectional communication with the avionics network, the first signal communication device coupled to the at least one fuel line;

a second signal communication device in bidirectional communication with the controller, the second signal communication device coupled to the at least one fuel line; and

wherein the first signal communication device and the second signal communication device are in bidirectional signal communication with each other over the at least one fuel line.

20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the first signal communication device and the second signal communication device each comprise a transceiver and a transducer.