Fuel delivery system and method providing regulated electrical output

• US 7,327,045 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owen Watkins
• Original Assignee: Owen Watkins
• Inventors: Watkins, Owen
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg; Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas; Pedro J.
• Application Number:
  US11/124,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.A, 290/1.R, 137/8
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• 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 first fluid path, the bulk aircraft fuel from the pressurized reservoir;

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

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

(d) sensing rotation speed of the electrical power source in the second fluid path 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 first fluid path based on step (f) and, in turn, the electrical output of the electrical power source;

wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the first fluid path includes

placing a valve, separate from the electrical power source, in the first fluid path for controlling the flow rate of the fuel in the first fluid path, and

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

2. The method 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 method 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 method 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 method of claim 1 including

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

6. The method of claim 1 including

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

7. 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;

wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path includes

placing a valve, separate from the electrical power source, 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 in the secondary fluid path and the set predetermined rotation speed.

8. The method of claim 7 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.

9. The method of claim 7 including the step of:

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

10. The method of claim 7 including

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

11. The method of claim 7 including

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

12. 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;

wherein modifying the flow rate of the fuel along the primary fluid path includes

placing a valve, separate from the electrical power source, 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 in the second fluid path and the set predetermined rotation speed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling the rotation speed of the turbine includes

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

14. The method of claim 12 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.

15. The method of claim 12 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.

16. The method of claim 12 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.

17. The method of claim 12 including the step of:

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

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

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

a valve disposed in a second 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 first fluid path, the turbine separate from the valve,

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

a controller, coupled to the first and second fluid paths 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 modifies the flow rate of the fuel along the second fluid path by changing a position of the valve disposed in the first fluid path.