Method of operating an aircraft fuel management system

• US 9,517,836 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Sjungargard, Petter, Case, Ian, Burckhart, Antoine, Spottiswoode, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US13/130,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,940 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/8, 701/9, 701/14, 73/17.3, 73/65, 731/130.1, 7311408-11417, 7311438-11443, 731/145.4, 731/180.3, 733/04, 364/442, 364/450, 364/463, 364/466, 364/567, 364/623
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/10 Transferring fuel to adjust trim
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/00 Arrangements in connection with fuel supply for power plant refuelling during flight B64D39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/14 Filling or emptying transferring fuels to adjust aircraft trim B64C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability

Abstract

A method of operating an aircraft fuel management system for an aircraft having at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method comprising calculating a value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) the aircraft to be utilized by the fuel management system in the event of a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, the amount of fuel on board being calculated as a value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) minus the amount of fuel used. Additionally or alternatively a value for the gross weight center of gravity of the aircraft is calculated using an assigned value of fuel for each of the fuel tanks having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically managing fuel, in an aircraft including an automatic aircraft fuel management system, the aircraft having at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method including;

experiencing a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators during a first temporal period such that at least one of the fuel quantity indicators no longer works;

during the first temporal period, automatically calculating, by a processor, a value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) the aircraft to be utilised by the fuel management system, the amount of fuel on board being calculated as a value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) minus the amount of fuel used; and

flying the aircraft in the air during the first temporal period while experiencing the failure of the at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, wherein the action of flying the aircraft in the air occurs at least one of during or after the action of automatically calculating, by a processor, the value for the amount of fuel on board the aircraft, wherein

the value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) is determined at the time when all the aircraft engines are running as the sum of an assigned value of fuel for each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator plus the sum of fuel in each of the remaining fuel tanks provided by each associated fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is manually entered.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating respective fuel tank quantities by the respective fuel quantity indicator(s) during a second temporal period with working respective fuel quantity indicator(s), wherein the second temporal period occurs before the first temporal period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating respective fuel tank quantities by the respective fuel quantity indicator(s) during a second temporal period with working respective fuel quantity indicator(s), wherein the second temporal period occurs before the first temporal period and occurs before the action of flying the aircraft, wherein

the action of experiencing a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators during the first temporal period such that at least one of the fuel quantity indicators no longer works begins before flying the aircraft.

4. A method, comprising:

operating an aircraft during a first temporal period, the aircraft including an aircraft fuel management system, the aircraft having at least one fuel tank and at least one engine;

during operation of the aircraft during the first temporal period, automatically indicating with respective fuel quantity indicators respective amounts of fuel in respective fuel tanks of the aircraft;

during a second temporal period subsequent to the first temporal period, during which at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed, automatically operating the aircraft fuel management system by;

calculating, by a processor, a value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) the aircraft to be utilised by the fuel management system, the amount of fuel on board being calculated as a value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) minus the amount of fuel used, wherein the value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) is automatically determined at the time when all the aircraft engines are running as the sum of an assigned value of fuel for each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator plus the sum of fuel in each of the remaining fuel tanks provided by each associated fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is automatically set to zero.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the fuel tank having the associated failed fuel quantity indicator is a trim tank.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising operating the aircraft during the second temporal period while the at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed.

7. A method according to claim 4, further comprising operating the aircraft during the second temporal period while the at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed such that all the engines are running and wherein the value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) is automatically determined during operation of the aircraft during the second temporal period.

8. A method, comprising;

operating an air vehicle, wherein the air vehicle includes at least one engine, the action of operating the air vehicle including running all engines of the aircraft; and

executing the following method while operating the air vehicle with all engines running;

automatically operating an air vehicle fuel management system of the air vehicle, wherein the air vehicle has at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method comprising calculating, by a processor, a value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) the air vehicle to be utilised by the fuel management system in the event of a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, the amount of fuel on board being calculated as a value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) minus the amount of fuel used, wherein the value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) is determined at the time when all the air vehicle engines are running as the sum of an assigned value of fuel for each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator plus the sum of fuel in each of the remaining fuel tanks provided by each associated fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is automatically set equal to the amount of fuel in another fuel tank in the system that has a working fuel quantity indicator.

9. A method, comprising;

operating an air vehicle, wherein the air vehicle includes at least one engine, the action of operating the air vehicle including running all engines of the aircraft; and

executing the following method while operating the air vehicle with all engines running;

operating an air vehicle fuel management system of the air vehicle, wherein the air vehicle has at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method comprising calculating, by a processor, a value for the gross weight centre of gravity of the air vehicle to be utilised by the fuel management system in the event of a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, the calculation using an assigned value of fuel in each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is automatically set equal to the amount of fuel in another fuel tank in the system that has a working fuel quantity indicator.

10. A method of automatically operating an aircraft fuel management system for an aircraft having at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method comprising calculating, by a processor, a value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) the aircraft to be utilised by the fuel management system in the event of a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, the amount of fuel on board being calculated as a value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) minus the amount of fuel used, wherein the value for the initial amount of fuel on board (FOBinit) is determined at the time when all the aircraft engines are running as the sum of an assigned value of fuel for each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator plus the sum of fuel in each of the remaining fuel tanks provided by each associated fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is automatically set equal to the amount of fuel in another fuel tank in the system that has a working fuel quantity indicator, wherein the method further comprises:

operating the aircraft during a first temporal period in which the respective amounts of fuel in respective fuel tanks are indicated by respective fuel quantity indicators; and

operating the aircraft during a second temporal period subsequent to the first temporal period, during which at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed, wherein

the action of calculating a value for the amount of fuel on board and the action of determining the value for the initial amount of fuel on board occur during the second temporal period during which at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises calculating a value for the aircraft gross weight (GW) equal to the sum of the calculated value for the amount of fuel on board (FOB_FailedFQI) and a predetermined value for the weight of the aircraft with zero fuel on board.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the assigned value of fuel in at least one of the tanks with an associated failed fuel quantity indicator is in the range of zero to the maximum capacity of the tank.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically controlling transfer of fuel from any one of the aircraft fuel tanks in dependence of the calculated values.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of fuel tanks and a tank associated with a failed fuel quantity indicator is automatically declared empty at the same time as another tank is declared empty, where both tanks ordinarily contain substantially the same amount of fuel.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a tank associated with a failed fuel quantity indicator is declared empty when a fuel pressure signal from a pump located within the tank is below a threshold value for longer than a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the fuel tank having the associated failed fuel quantity indicator is a wing tank, and wherein the assigned value is automatically set equal to the amount of fuel in the corresponding tank in the other wing.

17. A method of automatically operating an aircraft fuel management system for an aircraft having at least one fuel tank, each fuel tank having an associated fuel quantity indicator arranged to provide an indication of the amount of fuel in the associated fuel tank, the method comprising calculating, by a processor, a value for the gross weight centre of gravity of the aircraft to be utilised by the fuel management system in the event of a failure of at least one of the fuel quantity indicators, the calculation using an assigned value of fuel in each fuel tank having an associated failed fuel quantity indicator, wherein the assigned value is automatically set equal to the amount of fuel in another fuel tank in the system that has a working fuel quantity indicator, wherein the method further comprises:

operating the aircraft during a first temporal period in which the respective amounts of fuel in respective fuel tanks are indicated by respective fuel quantity indicators; and

operating the aircraft during a second temporal period subsequent to the first temporal period, during which at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed, wherein

the action of calculating a value for the amount of fuel on board and the action of determining the value for the initial amount of fuel on board occur during the second temporal period during which at least one of the fuel quantity indicators has failed.