Fuel quantity indicating system

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel quantity indicating system. The fuel quantity indicating system comprises a fuel sensor; a data concentrator; bus bars, the bus bars including a first bus bar and a second bus bar, each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar being capable of supplying power to a data concentrator; the power supply selection module is connected between the bus bar and the data concentrator and is used for selecting the bus bar to supply power to the data concentrator; and the fuel oil computer receives the data from the data concentrator, calculates the fuel oil amount of the corresponding oil tank, and then transmits the calculated fuel oil amount to avionics equipment of the aircraft for display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fuel quantity indicating system. Background Art

[0002] Civil aircraft fuel systems are usually equipped with a fuel quantity indication system, whose function is to measure the fuel quantity in the fuel tank and indicate it in the cockpit, which is used to indicate the current available fuel quantity of the aircraft to the pilot. At present, the fuel sensor data acquisition function is integrated into the fuel computer (FQC), that is, the fuel computer realizes fuel sensor data acquisition, conversion and fuel quantity calculation. The fuel computer is generally a dual-channel configuration, and the left and right channels are powered by different first and second buses.

[0003] In this way, when the first or second bus fails, the channel on the corresponding side of the fuel computer loses power supply, and cannot collect the fuel sensor data of the corresponding fuel tank and cannot calculate the fuel quantity, resulting in the loss of the fuel quantity indication of the fuel tank on this side and the total fuel quantity indication of the aircraft tank. Other control functions that the channel is responsible for will also be lost, affecting the dispatch of the aircraft.

[0004] The present disclosure has been improved with respect to but not limited to the above-mentioned factors. Summary of the invention

[0005] To this end, the present disclosure provides a fuel indication system and method with high availability, which can achieve power supply redundancy for each channel of a fuel sensor data acquisition device (FRDC), so that when any power supply bus is lost, the fuel sensor data can still be powered normally, the acquisition function is normal, and the fuel quantity indication function is normal, which can make up for the shortcomings of the existing technical solutions.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a fuel quantity indication system is provided, comprising: a fuel sensor, the fuel sensor comprising a first plurality of fuel sensors arranged at a left wing fuel tank of an aircraft, a second plurality of fuel sensors arranged at a right wing fuel tank of the aircraft, and a third plurality of fuel sensors arranged at a center fuel tank of the aircraft; a data concentrator, the data concentrator comprising a first data concentrator receiving sensing data from fuel sensors arranged at the left wing fuel tank and the center fuel tank of the aircraft, and a second data concentrator receiving sensing data from fuel sensors arranged at the center fuel tank and the right wing fuel tank of the aircraft; a bus bar, the bus bar comprising a first bus bar and a second bus bar, each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar being capable of supplying power to the first data concentrator and the second data concentrator; a power supply selection module, the power supply selection module being connected between the bus bar and the data concentrator and being used for selecting power supplied by the bus bar to the data concentrator; and a fuel computer, the fuel computer receiving data from the data concentrator and calculating the fuel quantity of the corresponding tank, and then transmitting the calculated fuel quantity to an avionics device of the aircraft for display.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the fuel sensor provided in each fuel tank is respectively divided into two fuel sensor arrays, and each array is capable of sensing the fuel amount of the corresponding fuel tank.

[0008] According to another embodiment, the first data concentrator includes a first channel and a second channel, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel receives sensing data from a different one of the two fuel sensor arrays of the first plurality of fuel sensors, and wherein one of the first channel and the second channel also receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors; and the second data concentrator includes a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein each of the third channel and the fourth channel receives sensing data from a different one of the two fuel sensor arrays of the second plurality of fuel sensors, and wherein one of the third channel and the fourth channel also receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment, the other of the first channel and the second channel further receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array among the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors, and the other of the third channel and the fourth channel further receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array among the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment, both the first bus bar and the second bus bar are capable of supplying power to the first channel and the second channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator, respectively.

[0011] According to another embodiment, the power selection module includes a first power selection submodule arranged on the left wing side of the aircraft and a second power selection submodule arranged on the right wing side of the aircraft, wherein the first power selection submodule is configured to supply power to the first channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when the first bus bar is operating normally, and to supply power to the first channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the first bus bar fails; the second power selection submodule is configured to supply power to the second channel of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the second bus bar is operating normally, and to supply power to the second channel of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when the second bus bar fails.

[0012] According to yet another embodiment, each of the first power selection submodule and the second power selection submodule includes a switch element that switches depending on conditions of the first bus bar and the second bus bar.

[0013] According to yet another embodiment, the switching element comprises a rectifier diode and / or a relay.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the fuel computer includes a first channel and a second channel having the same functions, and the first bus bar also supplies power to the first channel of the fuel computer, and the second bus bar also supplies power to the second channel of the fuel computer.

[0015] According to yet another embodiment, the fuel computer is also powered via a battery for implementing fuel quantity indication during ground refueling.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an aircraft is provided, comprising the fuel quantity indicating system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0017] Aspects generally include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, and processing systems substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying figures.

[0018] The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of examples according to the present disclosure so that the following detailed description can be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be easily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures for implementing the same purpose as the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both in terms of their organization and method of operation, and the associated advantages will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the accompanying drawings is provided for illustration and description purposes and does not define limitations on the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to understand in detail the manner in which the above-stated features of the present disclosure are used, the above briefly summarized content may be described in more detail with reference to various aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered to limit its scope, as the description may allow for other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an existing aircraft fuel quantity indicating system;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a fuel quantity indicating system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a power selection module according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a power selection module according to another example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example aircraft in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The inventors have realized that the fuel system of civil aircraft usually uses a method of installing a capacitive fuel sensor in the fuel tank to measure the fuel quantity, and determines the fuel level according to the capacitance value output by the capacitive fuel sensor, calculates the fuel volume, and obtains the fuel quantity data in combination with the fuel density. The capacitance value output by the fuel sensor in the fuel tank is an analog value, and the fuel sensor data acquisition device converts the collected analog value into a digital value and sends it to the fuel computer for fuel quantity calculation.

[0026] The fuel computer (FQC) is generally a dual-channel configuration, with the left and right channels powered by different bus bars. The left channel collects data from the left wing tank fuel sensor to calculate the fuel quantity in the left tank; the right channel collects data from the left wing tank fuel sensor to calculate the fuel quantity in the right tank. Both the left and right channels are independently powered, and the Power Slection on the refueling control panel selects whether the two channels are powered by the bus bar or the battery. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an existing aircraft fuel quantity indicating system of this type is shown.

[0027] However, existing aircraft fuel quantity indication systems have several drawbacks. First, when Figure 1 When bus 1 or bus 2 fails, the channel (CHA or CHB) on the corresponding side of the fuel computer loses power supply and cannot collect the fuel sensor data of the corresponding tank to calculate the fuel quantity, resulting in the loss of the fuel quantity indication of the tank on that side and the total fuel quantity of the aircraft tank. Other control functions that the channel is responsible for will also be lost, thus affecting aircraft dispatch. In addition, the fuel computer (FQC) integrates fuel sensor data collection and conversion, fuel quantity calculation, system control functions, inherent safety and other designs, which makes it difficult to develop. Third, the fuel computer is usually installed in the EE cabin, which is far away from the fuel tank. The fuel measurement cable connecting the fuel computer and the sensor in the tank is long, which increases the weight of the aircraft.

[0028] To this end, the present disclosure provides a fuel quantity indication system and method with high availability, which can realize power supply redundancy of each channel of a fuel sensor data acquisition device (FRDC), so that when any power supply bus is lost, the fuel sensor data can still be powered normally, the acquisition function is normal, and the fuel quantity indication function is normal, which can make up for the shortcomings of the existing technical solutions. For example, when any bus is lost, both channels of the fuel sensor data acquisition device (FRDC) of the present disclosure still have power supply, ensuring that the fuel sensor data acquisition function is normal, and the single point failure of the bus will not affect the fuel quantity indication function, and will not affect the total fuel quantity indication of the wing, center wing and aircraft tank, and the aircraft can be dispatched normally. In addition, the power selection module of the present disclosure can realize bus priority selection, and the left channel of FRDC1 and the right channel of FRDC2 give priority to the first bus of the two buses for power supply. When the first bus fails, the second bus of the two buses is used for power supply; the right channel of FRDC1 and the left channel of FRDC2 give priority to the second bus for power supply. When the second bus fails, the first bus is used for power supply. Thus, the two channels of FRDC are guaranteed to have independent power supply in any scenario. The design of the power selection module disclosed in the present invention is also flexible and can be installed as a separate line replaceable unit LRU or can be integrated into the hardware design of FRDC. If installed as a separate LRU, when a power supply failure occurs in FRDC, the fault location is accurate, the equipment maintenance is convenient, and the maintenance cost is low. When optimizing the power supply redundancy of the FRDC that has been delivered to the aircraft, it is only necessary to add a power selection module, without the need to re-develop the certified FRDC, thereby reducing the equipment development and testing costs; if integrated into the hardware design of FRDC, the number of installed equipment can be reduced, and the weight of the aircraft can be reduced.

[0029] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details.

[0030] refer to Figure 2 , which shows a schematic diagram of a fuel quantity indicating system 200 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the fuel quantity indicating system 200 may include a fuel sensor 201 , a data concentrator 203 , a bus bar 205 , a power selection module 207 , and a fuel computer 209 .

[0032] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fuel sensor 201 may include a first plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a left wing fuel tank of the aircraft, a second plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a right wing fuel tank of the aircraft, and a third plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a center fuel tank of the aircraft. Figure 1 As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , six fuel sensors are respectively provided in the left wing tank, the right wing tank and the center tank of the aircraft. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this is merely an example, and any other suitable number of fuel sensors may be provided, and different numbers of fuel sensors may be provided in each tank. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will also understand that the fuel sensor may be a commonly used sensor in the art (e.g., a capacitive fuel sensor) or any other suitable fuel sensor developed in the future, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the fuel sensor disposed in each fuel tank is divided into two fuel sensor arrays, each array being capable of sensing the fuel level of the corresponding fuel tank. Figure 1 As shown, the six fuel sensors disposed on the left wing fuel tank of the aircraft are divided into two fuel sensor arrays, each array including three fuel sensors (in Figure 1 In this way, the two arrays are mutually redundant, and the fuel amount of the fuel tank will be more accurately obtained by combining the sensing data of the two arrays.

[0034] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the data concentrator 203 may include a first data concentrator that receives sensing data from fuel sensors disposed in the left wing tank and the center tank of the aircraft, and a second data concentrator that receives sensing data from fuel sensors disposed in the center tank and the right wing tank of the aircraft. Figure 1 As shown in the example, the first data concentrator is arranged on the left side of the aircraft to receive sensing data from fuel sensors arranged on the left wing tank and the center tank of the aircraft, and the second data concentrator is arranged on the right side of the aircraft to receive sensing data from fuel sensors arranged on the center tank and the right wing tank of the aircraft.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the first data concentrator may include a first channel and a second channel, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel receives sensing data from a different one of two fuel sensor arrays in the first plurality of fuel sensors disposed in the left wing tank. In addition, one of the first channel and the second channel also receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array in the third plurality of fuel sensors disposed in the center tank, and preferably, the other of the first channel and the second channel also receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array in the third plurality of fuel sensors disposed in the center tank.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the second data concentrator may include a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein each of the third channel and the fourth channel receives sensing data from a different one of two fuel sensor arrays of a second plurality of fuel sensors arranged in the right wing fuel tank, and wherein one of the third channel and the fourth channel also receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array of two fuel sensor arrays of a third plurality of fuel sensors arranged in a central fuel tank, and preferably, the other of the third channel and the fourth channel also receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array of the third plurality of fuel sensors arranged in the central fuel tank.

[0037] For example, Figure 1 As shown in the example of , the first data concentrator provided on the left side of the aircraft includes a first channel LANE1 and a second channel LANE2. The first channel LANE1 is connected to a first fuel sensor array among a first plurality of fuel sensors provided in a left wing fuel tank and a first fuel sensor array among a third plurality of fuel sensors provided in a center fuel tank, and thereby receives sensing data from them, and the second channel LANE2 is connected to a second fuel sensor array among the first plurality of fuel sensors and thereby receives sensing data from it. In a further preferred embodiment, the second channel LANE2 is also connected to a second fuel sensor array among a third plurality of fuel sensors provided in a center fuel tank and thereby receives sensing data from it ( Figure 1 In this further preferred embodiment, at the expense of adding a connecting line, the oil level sensing of the central tank is made more robust against a single point failure of the bus bar.

[0038] Likewise, if Figure 1 As shown in the example of , the second data concentrator provided on the right side of the aircraft includes a third channel LANEA and a fourth channel LANEB. The third channel LANEA is connected to the first fuel sensor array among the second plurality of fuel sensors provided in the right wing tank and the second fuel sensor array among the third plurality of fuel sensors provided in the center tank and thereby receives sensing data from them, and the fourth channel LANEB is connected to the second fuel sensor array among the second plurality of fuel sensors and thereby receives sensing data from it. In a further preferred embodiment, the fourth channel LANEB is also connected to the first fuel sensor array among the third plurality of fuel sensors provided in the center tank and thereby receives sensing data from it.

[0039] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bus bar 205 may include first and second bus bars, each of which can supply power to the first data concentrator and the second data concentrator. Figure 1As shown, both the first bus bar and the second bus bar can respectively supply power to the first channel LANE1 and the second channel LANE2 of the first data concentrator and the third channel LANEA and the fourth channel LANEB of the second data concentrator.

[0040] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the power selection module 207 is connected between the bus bar 205 and the data concentrator 203, and is used to select the power supply from the bus bar 205 to the data concentrator 203. In a preferred embodiment, the power selection module 207 may include a first power selection submodule disposed on the left wing side of the aircraft and a second power selection submodule disposed on the right wing side of the aircraft, such as Figure 1 As shown. In this embodiment, the first power selection submodule is configured to supply power to the first channel LANE1 of the first data concentrator and the third channel LANEA of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when the first bus bar is operating normally, and to supply power to the first channel LANE1 of the first data concentrator and the third channel LANEA of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the first bus bar fails; the second power selection submodule is configured to supply power to the second channel LANE2 of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel LANEB of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the second bus bar is operating normally, and to supply power to the second channel LANE2 of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel LANEB of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when the second bus bar fails. In other words, the first channel LANE1 of the first data concentrator and the third channel LANEA of the second data concentrator are preferentially powered by the first bus bar, and the second channel LANE2 of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel LANEB of the second data concentrator are preferentially powered by the second bus bar.

[0041] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the first power selection submodule and the second power selection submodule includes a switch element that switches depending on the conditions of the first bus bar and the second bus bar, thereby being able to selectively supply power to the data concentrator. In this embodiment, the switch element may include a rectifier diode and / or a relay.

[0042] refer to Figure 3, which shows a schematic diagram of a power selection module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the power selection module 305 includes a first power selection submodule and a second power selection submodule, and each of the first power selection submodule and the second power selection submodule includes a switching element in the form of a rectifier diode, which is used to switch to selectively supply power to the two data channels LANE1, LANE2 of the first data concentrator FRDC1 and the two data channels LANEA, LANEB of the second data concentrator FRDC2 depending on the status (i.e., fault status) of the first bus bar BUS1 and the second bus bar BUS2. The specific power supply process is referred to the above for Figure 2 The described examples will not be repeated here.

[0043] refer to Figure 4 , which shows a schematic diagram of a power selection module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the power selection module 405 includes a switch element in the form of a relay, which is used to switch to selectively supply power to the two data channels LANE1, LANE2 of the first data concentrator FRDC1 and the two data channels LANEA, LANEB of the second data concentrator FRDC2 depending on the conditions (i.e., fault conditions) of the first bus bar BUS1 and the second bus bar BUS2. The specific power supply process is referred to the above for Figure 2 The described examples will not be repeated here.

[0044] It will be appreciated that the power selection module may be in the form of a combination of a rectifier diode and a relay, or may be in the form of any other suitable switch element, depending on the specific implementation, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0045] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the fuel computer may receive data from the data concentrator and calculate the fuel quantity of the corresponding fuel tank, and then transmit the calculated fuel quantity to the avionics equipment of the aircraft for display. Figure 2 The fuel computer 209 can receive data from the data concentrator 203 and calculate the fuel quantity of the corresponding tank, and then transmit the calculated fuel quantity to the avionics equipment of the aircraft for display. It will be understood that the specific connection relationship of the fuel computer 209 is not described in detail. Figure 2 In one example, the fuel computer may include a first channel and a second channel with the same functions, and the first bus bar also supplies power to the first channel of the fuel computer, and the second bus bar also supplies power to the second channel of the fuel computer. Figure 2 As shown in the example, the fuel computer 209 includes a first channel CHA and a second channel CHB having the same functions, and the first bus also supplies power to the first channel CHA of the fuel computer 209, and the second bus also supplies power to the second channel CHB of the fuel computer 209.

[0046] In addition, it can be seen that the fuel computer 209 is also powered via a battery to implement fuel quantity indication during ground refueling, so that the fuel quantity measurement function is available when the aircraft is not powered on on the ground.

[0047] refer to Figure 5 , which shows a schematic diagram of an aircraft 500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the aircraft 500 may include a fuel quantity indication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, such as for Figure 2 A fuel quantity indicating system 200 is described.

[0048] As described above, the data concentrator (or fuel sensor data acquisition device) disclosed in the present invention has a power supply redundancy function. When any power supply bus fails, it will not affect the sensor data acquisition and the cockpit fuel quantity indication, thereby ensuring the availability of the fuel quantity indication function.

[0049] In addition, as mentioned above, the present disclosure uses a data concentrator to collect, convert and inherently design sensor data in the fuel tank, and the fuel computer is only responsible for fuel quantity calculation and system control, which reduces the difficulty of developing the fuel computer. In addition, the data concentrator of the present disclosure does not need to be installed in the EE compartment of the aircraft, but can be installed in the main lift compartment close to the fuel tank, thereby effectively shortening the length of the fuel measurement cable and achieving weight reduction. In addition, in the event of a failure of one of the bus bars, the fuel quantity indication of the central fuel tank will not be lost, and thus the total fuel quantity indication will not be lost, and the aircraft dispatch will not be affected.

[0050] In summary, in the fuel quantity indication system disclosed in the present invention:

[0051] a) The two channels of the dual-channel fuel computer receive one busbar power input independently, and another battery power supply is used to support the ground refueling function;

[0052] b) Each channel of the dual-channel data concentrator is configured with redundant power supply through a power selection module. The power selection module receives two busbar power inputs from the aircraft, selects the power supply according to the power selection principle, and then provides one power input to each channel of the data concentrator;

[0053] In this way, the fuel quantity indication system disclosed in the present invention realizes power supply redundancy of the data concentrator through the power selection module to ensure the availability of the indication function of the fuel quantity indication system. When any bus is lost, the two channels of the data concentrator are still powered to ensure the normal data collection function of the fuel sensor. The single point failure of the bus will not affect the fuel quantity indication function, the left and right wing tanks, the central tank and the total fuel indication of the aircraft, and the aircraft can be dispatched normally. The power selection module disclosed in the present invention can realize bus priority selection. The two channels of the first data concentrator and the two channels of the second data concentrator can preferentially select the corresponding bus to supply power, ensuring the power supply independence of the two channels of the data concentrator in any scenario. In addition, the power selection module disclosed in the present invention can be installed as a separate LRU component, or it can be integrated in the hardware design of the data concentrator, so that the design of the power selection module is flexible, and the design form can be determined according to the overall aircraft planning and system architecture analysis. If installed as a separate LRU component, when a power supply failure occurs in the data concentrator, the fault location can be accurate, the equipment maintenance is convenient, and the maintenance cost is low. When optimizing the power supply redundancy of the data concentrator that has been delivered to the aircraft, it is only necessary to add a power selection module. There is no need to re-develop the certified data concentrator, thus reducing the equipment development and testing costs. If integrated into the hardware design of the data concentrator, the number of installed equipment can be reduced, thereby achieving aircraft weight reduction.

[0054] The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the detailed description. The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments that can be practiced by way of illustration. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples". Such examples may include elements other than those shown or described. However, examples including the elements shown or described are also contemplated. In addition, examples using any combination or arrangement of those elements shown or described are also contemplated, or with reference to the specific examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein, or with reference to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

[0055] In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open ended, that is, systems, devices, articles, or processes having elements other than those elements listed after such terms in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Furthermore, in the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to indicate a numerical order to their objects.

[0056] In addition, the order of each operation explained in this specification is exemplary. In alternative embodiments, each operation can be performed in a different order than that shown in the drawings, and each operation can be combined into a single operation or split into more operations.

[0057] The above description is intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in conjunction with other embodiments. Other embodiments may be used, such as by a person of ordinary skill in the art, after reviewing the above description. The abstract allows the reader to quickly determine the nature of the present technology disclosure. The abstract is submitted, and it is understood that the abstract will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above specific embodiments, various features may be grouped together to make the disclosure fluent. However, the claims may not state every feature disclosed herein, because the embodiments may characterize a subset of the features. In addition, the embodiments may include fewer features than those disclosed in a particular example. Therefore, the attached claims are thus incorporated into the specific embodiments, and a claim exists independently as a separate embodiment. The scope of the embodiments disclosed herein should be determined with reference to the attached claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A fuel quantity indicating system, characterized in that: include: A fuel sensor, the fuel sensor comprising a first plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a left wing fuel tank of the aircraft, a second plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a right wing fuel tank of the aircraft, and a third plurality of fuel sensors disposed in a center fuel tank of the aircraft; a data concentrator, the data concentrator comprising a first data concentrator receiving sensing data from fuel sensors disposed at a left wing tank and a center tank of the aircraft and a second data concentrator receiving sensing data from fuel sensors disposed at a center tank and a right wing tank of the aircraft; a bus bar, the bus bar comprising a first bus bar and a second bus bar, each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar being capable of supplying power to the first data concentrator and the second data concentrator; A power selection module, the power selection module is connected between the bus bar and the data concentrator, and is used to select the bus bar to supply power to the data concentrator; as well as A fuel computer receives the data from the data concentrator and calculates the fuel quantity of the corresponding fuel tank, and then transmits the calculated fuel quantity to the avionics equipment of the aircraft for display.

2. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fuel sensor disposed in each fuel tank is respectively divided into two fuel sensor arrays, and each array is capable of sensing the fuel amount of the corresponding fuel tank.

3. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first data concentrator includes a first channel and a second channel, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel receives sensing data from a different one of the two fuel sensor arrays of the first plurality of fuel sensors, and wherein one of the first channel and the second channel also receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors; and The second data concentrator includes a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein each of the third channel and the fourth channel receives sensing data from a different one of the two fuel sensor arrays of the second plurality of fuel sensors, and wherein one of the third channel and the fourth channel also receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors.

4. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The other of the first channel and the second channel also receives sensing data from a second fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors, and the other of the third channel and the fourth channel also receives sensing data from a first fuel sensor array of the two fuel sensor arrays of the third plurality of fuel sensors.

5. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first bus bar and the second bus bar are both capable of supplying power to the first channel and the second channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator, respectively.

6. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The power selection module includes a first power selection submodule arranged on the left wing side of the aircraft and a second power selection submodule arranged on the right wing side of the aircraft, The first power selection submodule is configured to supply power to the first channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when the first bus bar is operating normally, and to supply power to the first channel of the first data concentrator and the third channel of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the first bus bar fails; The second power supply selection submodule is configured to supply power to the second channel of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator through the second bus bar when the second bus bar operates normally, and to supply power to the second channel of the first data concentrator and the fourth channel of the second data concentrator through the first bus bar when a failure occurs in the second bus bar.

7. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the first power selection submodule and the second power selection submodule includes a switch element that switches depending on conditions of the first bus bar and the second bus bar.

8. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The switching element includes a rectifying diode and / or a relay.

9. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fuel computer includes a first channel and a second channel having the same functions, and the first bus bar also supplies power to the first channel of the fuel computer, and the second bus bar also supplies power to the second channel of the fuel computer.

10. The fuel quantity indicating system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fuel computer is also powered via a battery to provide fuel quantity indication during ground refueling.

11. An aircraft comprising a fuel quantity indicating system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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