Aircraft Fuel System Pump Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft fuel systems require multiple pumps and filters, leading to complexity, weight, and inefficiency, as they are designed without considering engine integration, resulting in suboptimal performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system utilizing three-phase DC electric variable speed airframe pumps to provide main stage boost pressure, eliminating the need for engine boost pumps and upstream filters, with centrifugal pumps driven by the engine and integrated with a heat exchanger and cross-feed valves for efficient fuel management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional airframe level fuel systems are designed without engine integration, then fuel pumping can be simplified, but system complexity and weight increase due to requiring separate boost pumps and gear pumps for each engine
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the airframe fuel pump and engine fuel pump into a single integrated pump unit. The airframe fuel pump provides both airframe fuel delivery and engine fuel delivery functions, eliminating the need for separate engine boost pumps and gear pumps. This integration reduces system complexity while maintaining reliable fuel supply to both airframe systems and engine combustors.
Solution Approach 2:
The airframe fuel pump is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple purposes: it provides fuel to the airframe fuel system and simultaneously provides fuel to the engine. The pump includes separate outlets for airframe fuel delivery and engine fuel delivery, allowing a single pump to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate pumps, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple pumps and filters are used in conventional fuel systems, then fuel delivery reliability is maintained, but system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple pump functions into a single airframe fuel pump unit that provides both airframe fuel delivery and engine fuel delivery. This eliminates the need for separate engine boost pumps and gear pumps, significantly reducing the total weight of the fuel system while maintaining reliable fuel delivery through the integrated pump's multiple outlets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant components from the conventional fuel system. By removing the separate engine boost pump and gear pump, and the associated upstream filters, the system achieves weight reduction while the integrated pump maintains fuel delivery reliability through its multi-functional design with separate outlets for different fuel destinations.
3Reliability
If engine boost pump and upstream filters are included, then fuel filtering reliability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the engine boost pump and its associated upstream filters from the conventional fuel system architecture. The integrated airframe fuel pump provides fuel directly to the engine without requiring these intermediate components, thereby reducing system complexity and weight while maintaining fuel delivery reliability through the pump's direct engine outlet.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces system complexity and weight, enhances reliability, and improves fuel efficiency by eliminating redundant components and optimizing pump sizing for cruise conditions, while maintaining high pressure for reliable engine operation.
Implementation Method 1
The main stage boost pressure is about 1723.69 kPa (250 psi). Each airframe fuel pump can be a three phase DC electric variable speed pump
Implementation Method 2
The one or more engine fuel pumps can be a centrifugal pump mechanically connected to the engine to be driven by the engine
Implementation Method 3
The system can include an engine heat exchanger disposed between the airframe fuel pump and the engine fuel pump
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A fuel system (100) for an aircraft can include one or more airframe fuel lines (101) configured to transfer fuel from one or more fuel tanks to an engine, one or more engine fuel pumps (109) in fluid communication with the one or more airframe fuel lines and configured to pressurize fuel from a main stage boost pressure to a combustor pressure to be injected into a combustor of an engine, one or more airframe fuel pumps (107) configured to pressurize fuel within the one or more airframe fuel lines to the main stage boost pressure used by the engine fuel pump. For example, the main stage boost pressure can be about 250 psi.