Apparatus and method for improving liquid gaging system using error compensation data

• US 5,495,745 A
• Filed: 05/31/1994
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hughes, Ivor
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US08/250,973
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1 H, 73/291, 73/304 C, 73/149, 364/509, 364/551, 364/571.01, 364/571.07
• US Class Current: 73/1.73
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/022 having an ideal characteristic, map or correction data stored in a digital memory
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/266 measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/268 mounting arrangements of probes

Abstract

Apparatus for improving the accuracy of a fuel gaging system already installed on an airplane of the type having a number of fuel level sensors that each produce an output signal that can be combined to determine fuel volume. The apparatus includes control means for energizing the sensors, receiving the sensor signals and calculating a first volume value. An attitude indicator may be provided that is connected to the control means and that produces signals corresponding to the attitude of the fuel level relative to the sensors; the control means includes memory means for storing volume measurement compensation data based on predetermined volume measurement errors that are a function of fuel volume, and attitude when the attitude indicator is used; the control means compensating the first volume value to produce a second fuel volume value that is more accurate than the uncompensated first volume value.

Claims

1. Apparatus for improving the accuracy of art operational fuel gaging system previously installed on an airplane of the type having a number of fuel level sensors that each produce an output signal that can be combined to determine fuel volume within a first tolerance range, the apparatus comprising:

control means for receiving the sensor signals and calculating a first volume value; and

an attitude indicator connected to the control means and that produces signals corresponding to the attitude of the fuel level relative to the sensors;

said control means comprising memory means for storing volume measurement compensation data based on predetermined volume measurement errors that are a function of attitude and fuel volume;

said control means compensating said first volume value with selected said compensation data based on said attitude signals to produce a second fuel volume value that is more accurate than said uncompensated first volume value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attitude indicator comprises a liquid sensor that mimics changes in the fuel level attitude relative to the sensors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each sensor output is profiled based on the sensor'"'"'s location in a characterized fuel tank, and said compensation data is based on repeatable inaccuracies in volume measurements at predetermined attitudes from the profile data relative to a selected volume measurement tolerance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compensation data comprises a plurality of data values, each data value representing a predicted error compensation value for a volume measurement value at a respective fuel level attitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said memory means stores a plurality of look-up tables, there being a look-up table for each of a predetermined number of detected attitudes;

each table providing a correction value for each of a predetermined number of volume measurement values.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor excitation circuit;

the excitation circuit and said control means being combined into a single unit that further comprises a fuel quantity visual display connected to said control means for displaying fuel quantity, wherein said unit is a self-contained module that has terminals connectable to the sensors and the attitude indicator and a power supply.

7. A method for improving the accuracy of an operational fuel gaging apparatus previously installed on art airplane of the type having a plurality of fuel level sensors that each produces an output signal that corresponds to the fuel level at the sensor, which output signals can be combined to determine fuel volume accurate to within a first tolerance range, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the output signals from the, sensors;

calculating a first volume measurement value based on said sensors output signals;

detecting attitude of the fuel level relative to said sensors;

storing, for a corresponding plurality of predetermined attitudes, a plurality of predetermined volume compensation data values based on repeatable errors in the volume measurement values that are a function of the fuel volume; and

compensating said first volume value with said compensation data value selected for the detected attitude to derive a second volume value accurate within a second tolerance range that is more accurate that the first tolerance range.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of detecting attitude of the fuel level relative to the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of storing compensation data includes storing compensation data for each of a plurality of predetermined attitudes.