Method and kit for preserving a fuel system of an aircraft engine

• US 10,287,909 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Girard, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Linderman, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US14/800,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/00 Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, other groups
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/002 Cleaning of turbomachines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/04 Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines cleaning of fuel injection apparatus F02M65/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/236 Fuel delivery systems comprising two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/72 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/95 Preventing corrosion coating or surface treatment F05D2230/90

Abstract

A method and kit for preserving a fuel system of an aircraft engine outside of an engine test cell in preparation for a period of inactivity of the aircraft engine are disclosed. The method comprises: supplying preservation fluid to the fuel system of the aircraft engine; generating a signal to cause the opening of a valve of the fuel system using a control device other than the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine; and driving a fuel pump of the fuel system to cause some of the preservation fluid to flow through the open valve and in at least part of the fuel system of the aircraft engine.

Claims

1. A method for preserving a fuel system of an aircraft engine, the method being performed outside of an engine test cell in preparation for a period of inactivity of the aircraft engine and comprising:

supplying preservation fluid to the fuel system of the aircraft engine;

opening a valve of the fuel system using a control device, other than an electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine, coupled to the fuel system via a connector configured to provide an interface between the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine and the fuel system of the aircraft engine, the opening of the valve being performed without powering the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine; and

driving a fuel pump of the fuel system without starting the aircraft engine using a driver coupled to an accessory gearbox of the aircraft engine to cause some of the preservation fluid to flow through the open valve and in at least part of the fuel system of the aircraft engine and to flush out fuel from the fuel system.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the driver is coupled to an interface of the accessory gearbox configured for interfacing a starter of the aircraft engine to the accessory gearbox.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, comprising uncoupling the starter from the interface of the accessory gearbox and coupling the driver to the interface of the accessory gearbox.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve is a fuel metering valve of a hydro-mechanical metering unit of the fuel system.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, comprising, when a trigger button of the control device is depressed, causing the control device to generate a signal to cause opening of the fuel metering valve.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising uncoupling the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine from the fuel system via the connector and coupling the control device to the fuel system via the connector.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising using a bracket to facilitate coupling of the driver to the interface of the accessory gearbox.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising:

uncoupling the control device from the fuel system via the connector;

uncoupling the driver from the accessory gearbox; and

closing the fuel system in preparation for the period of inactivity.

9. A method for preserving a fuel system of an aircraft engine, the method being performed outside of an engine test cell in preparation for a period of inactivity of the aircraft engine and comprising:

supplying preservation fluid to the fuel system of the aircraft engine;

opening a valve of the fuel system using a control device other than an electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine and without powering the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine; and

driving a fuel pump of the fuel system without starting the aircraft engine to cause some of the preservation fluid to flow through the open valve and in at least part of the fuel system of the aircraft engine and to flush out fuel from the fuel system.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the control device is coupled to the fuel system via a connector configured to provide an interface between the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine and the fuel system of the aircraft engine.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein driving the fuel pump is done using a driver, other than a starter of the aircraft engine, coupled to an accessory gearbox of the aircraft engine.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the driver is coupled to an interface of the accessory gearbox configured for interfacing the starter of the aircraft engine to the accessory gearbox.

13. The method as defined in claim 9, comprising uncoupling the electronic engine controller of the aircraft engine from the fuel system via a connector and coupling the control device to the fuel system via the connector.