Laboratory

 Experiment  8  

Mohd  Ashraf  Mohd  Ismail  

 

Name : Mohammed Ashraf Bin Mohammed Ismail

Student No: N0806406
Contact No: 98225529
Date Submitted:
Lab. :  Turbine  Fuel  System
Course Instructor: Mr Roger Chua
   
Table of Contents

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 3

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 4

OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................ 5

EXPIREMENT PROCEDURE ..................................................................................... 6

DISCUSSION OF RESULT.......................................................................................... 7
Aircraft Fuel Systems ................................................................................................ 7
Engine Fuel Systems.................................................................................................. 9
Fuel Inerting............................................................................................................. 11
 
REFERENCE .............................................................................................................. 12

APPENDIX.................................................................................................................. 13

2    
Abstract
This lab work is concerned with the fuel systems that are commonly found on most
turbine engine system.

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   3  

 
Introduction
The airplane fuel system store and distributes fuel for use by engines and the auxiliary
power units. The system must have a means of safely holding the fuel, allowing
filling and draining of the tanks, preventing unwanted pressure buildups, protect from
contamination and assure a steady supply of fuel to the engines. Many portions of the
fuel system are operated automatically by a fuel management system that monitors
fuel quantities, fuel distribution in the tanks and component status. Fuel system can be
displayed on the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) by selecting
the fuel synoptic. The fuel system can signal fuel system flight conditions and/or
faults to the flight crew through EICAS and can record flight condition and faults in
the Central Maintenance Computer Systems (CMCS) for aid in maintenance.

The Fuel system is composed of four major subsystems:

• Storage – The storage subsystem consists of fuel tank ventilation systems, and
means to transfer fuel from tank to tank within the airplane.

• Distribution- The distribution subsystem consists of components (fuel pumps,

boots pumps, fuel filters) and tubing necessary to deliver fuel to the engine
and auxiliary power unit.

• Jettison – The Jettison subsystem consists of the components and fuel tubing
necessary to jettison (dump) fuel overboard through nozzles on the wingtips.

• Indicating – The Indicating subsystem contains components to provide fuel

quantity indication by electronics or mechanical means. Quantity
measurements determined by the indicating subsystem are used to
automatically control fuel feed, transfer, refueling, and jettison operations.
Indicating subsystem also contains components for indicating low fuel
pressure in the fuel feed and jettison subsystem pumps.

All these capabilities must be carried out without compromising the safety of
the aircraft or it’s occupants.

4    
Objectives
From the experiment we were able to :

I. To  familiarize  students  with  the  functions  of  a  typical  turbine  aircraft  fuel  
system.

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   5  

 
Experimental Procedure
Procedure:

1.  Turn  master  switch  to  the  "on"  position.  

2.  Fill  wing  tank  by  turning  the  "refill"  switch  to  the  "on"  position.  
3.  Turn  refill  switch  off  when  fuel  quantity  reaches  the  top  of  the  fuel  tank  window.  
4.  Turn  Transfer  pump  switch  to  the  "on"  position.  Note  the  fuel  transferring  from  
the  wing  tank  to  the  main  tank.  The  fuel  will  continue  to  fill  the  main  tank  until  the  
level  reaches  the  high  level  switch  of  the  fuel  level  transmitter.  
5.  Turn  boost  pump  to  the  "on"  position.  
6.  Open  the  firewall  shutoff  valve  by  moving  the  switch  to  the  "open"  position.  Note  
the  indicated  fuel  pressure.  
7.  Move  the  power  lever  to  the  increase  position.  Notice  the  fuel  flow  gauge  increase  
and  the  fuel  flowing  into  the  "Turbine  Engine  Combustion  Area".  
8.  The  fuel  is  now  flowing  from  the  Main  tank  to  the  Combustion  area  and  then  
draining  into  the  holding  tank.  Allow  the  fuel  to  continue  flowing,  noting  the  fuel  
level  of  the  main  tank.  When  the  level  reaches  the  refill  mark,  the  transfer  pump  will  
automatically  cut  on  and  refill  the  main  tank.  
9.  With  the  transfer  pump  switch  in  the  “ON”  position,  the  transfer  pump  is  in  on  
automatic  mode,  refilling  the  main  tank  when  needed.  If  the  wing  tank  is  allowed  to  
run  dry  with  the  transfer  switch  on,  after  approximately  30  -­‐  40  seconds  the  "no  
transfer  light"  should  illuminate  and  the  transfer  pump  will  shut  down.  
10.  Refill  the  wing  tank  from  the  holding  tank  as  needed.  This  system  is  a  closed  loop  
and  the  fluid  from  the  "Combustion  Area"  drains  back  into  the  holding  tank,  and  
then  can  be  pumped  into  the  wing  tank  by  the  refill  pump.  
 
SHUT  DOWN  PROCEDURE  
1.  Transfer  all  fuel  to  the  holding  tank  located  at  the  rear  of  the  trainer.  This  is  
accomplished  by  operating  the  trainer  and  moving  all  of  the  fuel  out  of  the  wing  and  
main  fuel  tanks  to  the  combustion  chamber.  The  fuel  will  gravity  drain  from  the  
"Turbine  Engine  Combustion  
1) Area"  back  into  the  holding  tank.

2) Make  sure  all  switches  on  the  front  panel  are  in  the  "down/off'  position

3) .  Disconnect  AC  power  cord.

(NOTE:  Storing  fuel  in  the  wing  or  main  tank  for  an  extended  period  of  time  will  cause  
staining  and  discoloration  of  the  clear  tank  walls)  

6    
 Discussion of Result

REPORT  
(1)  Draw  a  schematic  diagram  of  an  aircraft  (any  aircraft  type)  fuel  system.  Explain  
the  function  of  the  various  components  used  in  the  system.  

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   7  

 
The schematic diagram previous page is from the aircraft Boeing 777-200/300 The
fuel is distributed in 4 main tanks, two outboard reserve tank and a center-wing tank.

A fuel vent systems provides positive venting to the atmosphere of all fuel tanks, fuel
cells, thereby preventing excessive internal or external pressure.

The engine fuel-feed systems consists of fuel lines, pumps and valves which distribute
the fuel to the engines. This system includes all the tanks are interconnected by a fuel
manifold such that fuel from any of the tanks can be delivered to any the engines

Main fuel pumps deliver a continuous supply of fuel at the proper pressure during
operation of the aircraft engine. Engine-driven fuel pumps must be able to deliver the
maximum flow needed at high pressure to obtain satisfactory nozzle spray and
accurate fuel regulation. The fuel-feed line from each tank is pressurisied by boost
pumps. The distribution of fuel to the engines is controlled by electric motor driven
slide valve in the fuel lines.

Fuel Filters
All gas turbine engines have several fuel filters at various points along the system. It
is common practice to install at least one filter before the fuel pump and one on the
high-pressure side of the pump. In most cases the filter will incorporate a relief valve
set to open at a specified pressure differential to provide a bypass for fuel when filter
contamination becomes excessive.

Pressurizing and Drain (Dump) Valves

The pressurizing and drain valve prevents flow to the fuel nozzles until sufficient
pressure is reached in the main fuel control. Once pressure is attained, the servo
assemblies compute the fuel-flow schedules. It also drains the fuel manifold at engine
shutdown to prevent post-shutdown fires

Fuel Shutoff Valves

The engine fuel shutoff valve is installed in the main fuel supply line or tank outlet to
the engine. It is controlled from the pilot's compartment. A fuel shutoff valve is
usually installed between the fuel control unit and the fuel nozzles. When the throttle
is placed in the closed position, this ensures positive shutoff of fuel to the engine.

Fuel Heater
Fuel heater operates as a heat exchanger to warm the fuel. The heater can use engine
bleed air, an air-to-liquid exchanger, or an engine lubricating oil, a liquid-to-liquid
exchanger, as a source of heat. Fuel deicing systems are designed to be used
intermittently
 
 

8    
(2)  Draw  a  schematic  diagram  of  an  engine  (any  engine  type)  fuel  system.  Explain  
the  function  of  the  various  components  used  in  the  system.  

 
 

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   9  

 
10    
The main fuel systems is composed of several components, mounted in the airframe
and on the engine. The common airframe components are the fuel tanks, fuel boot
pump, fuel shutoff valve and the low-pressure fuel filter. The engine mounted
components are main fuel pump, fuel filter, main engine control, fuel /oil heat
exchanger, flow divider and fuel nozzles. The fuel system is can be divided into Low-
and high pressure systems. The low pressure systems must supply the fuel to the
engine at a suitable pressure, constant rate of flow and temperature to ensure
satisfactory engine performance.
The fuel pump receives fuel from the Aircraft and pressurises it sufficiently.
Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger (FOHE) transfers the heat from the engine oil to the fuel to
prevent ice formation in the fuel. Heat is transferred from the oil to the fuel in the core
of the FOHE. It then proceeds to the IDG fuel/oil heat exchanger to warm the fuel
further.
LP Fuel Filter removes contaminants from the fuel before passing the fuel flow meter.
Metering of fuel to the engine and basic engine control computations are performed in
the hydromechanical control unit .The electrical and hydromechanical control units
compute the fuel quantity to satisfy power requirements of the engine. from electrical
inputs received from the following:
• EEC
• Overspeed Protection System (OPS)
• Cockpit engine master switch
Fuel Flow meter provides a signal of fuel flow to the EEC for onward transmission to
the cockpit for display. It also provide information for calculation of fuel usage. The
fuel flow metering system controls fuel flow to the engine
After the fuel control meter the fuel, the fuel then flow through the fuel flow
transmitter before entering the engine oil cooler. The engine oil cooler use the fuel
entering the engine to cool the oil and warms the fuel.
After exiting the oil cooler, fuel pass through the pressurizing and dump valve and
into the fuel manifold where the high pressure fuel is brought to the fuel spray nozzles
(FSNs). It is an assembly of flexible hoses at equal distances around the combustion
outer case. The manifold distributes the fuel to the 20 FSNs that provide the necessary
atomisation of fuel into the combustion chamber and is ignite and burn efficiently.

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   11  

 
3)  As  a  result  of  the  TWA  800  crash,  what  is  the  current  FAA  rule  on  fuel  tank  
inerting?  
Explain  the  operation  of  a  system  in  use  for  fuel  tank  inerting.

Significant emphasis has been placed on fuel tank safety since the TWA flight 800
accident in July 1996. NTSB determined that the "probable cause of the TWA flight
800 accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT), resulting from
ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank.

Fuel tank inerting is the process of replacing potentially flammable gas space above
the fuel tank (ullage) with a non-flammable atmosphere. 2 main types of fuel inerting
1) Fuel scrubbing - Air, and particularly oxygen, readily dissolves in fuel. When a
commercial transport airplane takes off after fueling, the resulting change in altitude
causes a decrease in atmospheric pressure in the fuel tank. This decrease in pressure
allows for some of the air to escape solution and enter the ullage space of the fuel
tank. Fuel scrubbing is a process by which most of the oxygen dissolved in the fuel is
displaced with nitrogen. Fuel and nitrogen are combined through a series of nozzles in
a large container with the resulting combination having a very small amount of
oxygen in solution.

2) Ullage washing - Is a process that requires displacing the air in the fuel tank empty
space, also known as ullage, with nitrogen gas or nitrogen enriched air (NEA). Ullage
washing would be accomplished by providing the nitrogen or NEA to a supply line
that feeds a simple fuel tank gas supply manifold.

Under much contention this working group published a final report (2001 ARAC
Report) which recommended that no rule making actions be taken at this time and
stated that additional research and development was needed

12    
Reference
1) Fuel Tank Protection. Federal Aviation Administration
<http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/systems/fueltank/intro.stm.> 6th October
2008.

2) Micheael J. Kroes, Willism A. Watkins, Frank Delp. “Aircraft

Maintenance & Repair”. Sixth Edition. Macmillan/McGrraw-
HillSchool Publishing Company, 1993.

3) Micheael J. Kroes, Thomas W. Wild, “Aircraft Powerplant” Seventh

Edition Macmillan/McGrraw-HillSchool Publishing Company, 1994.

4)

Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   13  

 
Appendix
Right Side (From Front View)

14    
Fuel Tank Protection
Significant emphasis has been placed on fuel tank safety since the TWA flight 800
accident in July 1996. After the accident, the NTSB determined that the "probable
cause of the TWA flight 800 accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank
(CWT), resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank (NTSB
Report). The NTSB further concluded that contributing factors to the accident were
that the design and certification of the aircraft required only the preclusion of all
potential ignition sources in order to prevent a fuel tank explosion.
Following the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued
numerous Airworthiness Directives and has enacted a comprehensive regulation to
correct potential ignition sources (SFAR 88) in fuel tanks as well as conducting
research into methods that could eliminate or significantly reduce the exposure of
transport airplanes to flammable vapors. The latter has been in response to a new
FAA policy that strives to eliminate or reduce the presence or consequences of
flammable fuel tank vapors. This has included fuel tank inerting, which is commonly
used by the military. Fuel tank inerting is the process of replacing potentially
flammable gas space above the fuel tank (ullage) with a non-flammable atmosphere.
However, the systems weight, resource requirements, and relatively low dispatch
reliability have indicated that military fuel tank inerting systems would not be
practical for application to transport airplanes.
A fuel tank inerting working group was formed by the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory
Committee (ARAC) in response to a task assigned by the FAA to evaluate a proposed
rule that would require a reduction in flammability of some or all commercial
transport fuel tanks. A previous ARAC working group (1998 ARAC Report) has
stated that a potentially cost-effective method of fuel tank flammability reduction was
ground-based inerting (GBI). The new working group was charged with examining
fuel tank inerting methods to reduce or eliminate the flammability of all or some fuel
tanks in the commercial transport fleet while developing regulatory text as well as
determining the cost and benefit of the proposed rule change. Under much contention
this working group published a final report (2001 ARAC Report) which
recommended that no rule making actions be taken at this time and stated that
additional reserach and development was needed. Since the inception of the 2001
ARAC WG the FAA has performed extensive research into the lower oxygen
concentration (LOC) required to render a fuel tank ullage inert as well as the
equipment and methods needed to develop a fuel tank inerting system.
The Fuel Tank Protection Task has two research areas working closely together in an
attempt to find practical solutions to this problem. The Fuel Flammability Research
examines and defines the effects of various parameters on the flammable vapors
existing within a fuel tank ullage, while the Fuel Tank Inerting Research is aimed at
the validation of inerting requirements and the design of an economical and practical
method of rendering inert the CWT of a commercial transport airplane.

Fuel Tank Inerting

The FAA has focused research to support two primary methods of fuel
tank protection, both involving fuel tank inerting. Ground-based fuel tank
inerting would involve some combination of fuel scrubbing and ullage
washing with Nitrogen Enriched Air (NEA) while the airplane is on the
Introduction  to  Aerospace  Engineering  Lab  8   15  

 
ground. On-board fuel tank inerting would involve ullage washing during
some or all aircraft operations with a system that generates NEA on the
aircraft with the APU and/or engine bleed air. FAA research has
evaluated Hollow Fiber Membrane (HFM) gas separation technology.
HFM technology could be used to develop on-board inerting systems
that are much lighter with greatly improved dispatch reliability than
current military aircraft systems. Thus there is an interest in ground-
based fuel tank inerting, with either airport supplied or on-board
generated NEA, and also in an on-board inert gas generating system
(OBIGGS) with the capability of providing NEA, as required throughout
the ground/flight profile. OBIGGS also has the potential to improve
commercial transport airplane fire safety as NEA generated on-board
the aircraft could be used in an emergency for fire suppression in other
parts of the aircraft.

Ullage Washing and Fuel Scrubbing

Ullage Washing
Ullage washing is a process that requires displacing the air in the fuel
tank empty space, also known as ullage, with nitrogen gas or nitrogen
enriched air (NEA). NEA is a term used to describe low purity nitrogen
(90-98% pure), generally generated via a gas separation process.
Ullage washing would be accomplished by providing the nitrogen or
NEA to a supply line that feeds a simple fuel tank gas supply manifold.
Fuel Scrubbing
Air, and particularly oxygen, readily dissolves in fuel. When a
commercial transport airplane takes off after fueling, the resulting
change in altitude causes a decrease in atmospheric pressure in the
fuel tank. This decrease in pressure allows for some of the air to escape
solution and enter the ullage space of the fuel tank. Since oxygen
dissolves more readily than nitrogen, this can increase the oxygen
concentration of the fuel tank ullage above ambient, although the total
amount of gas evolving from the fuel is small. This can have a profound
effect on the fuel tank oxygen concentration for both inert fuel tanks as
well as fuel tanks with ambient air in the ullage space. Fuel scrubbing is
a process by which most of the oxygen dissolved in the fuel is displaced
with nitrogen. Fuel and nitrogen are combined through a series of
nozzles in a large container with the resulting combination having a very
small amount of oxygen in solution. The military has used fuel scrubbing
to allow for fuel tank inerting systems to operate more effectively and to
increase survivability to ballistic impact in combat.

16