Wireless Fuel Sensor System for Aircraft Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft fuel gauges with capacitance probes require long wires inside fuel tanks, posing safety and maintenance concerns, and external sensors on wing tanks force wires or optical cables into airflow, raising safety issues due to the use of conductive wires.
Innovation Solution
A wireless fuel sensor system with sensors mounted inside the tank, powered by an energy-harvesting generator, using RF communication through a tank wall window, eliminating the need for conductive wires and allowing accurate fuel measurement across various flight attitudes with minimal sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If capacitance probes are mounted inside fuel tanks to monitor fuel amount, then fuel measurement capability is achieved, but long conductive wires must be routed inside the tank creating safety and maintenance concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical capacitance probe system with a wireless sensor system that uses electromagnetic radiation (radio waves) for communication. The sensor unit contains a sensor, transmitter, antenna, and power source, eliminating the need for conductive wires extending into the fuel tank while maintaining fuel measurement capability through wireless data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the conductive wiring from the fuel tank environment by using a wireless communication system. The sensor unit is self-contained with its own power source and transmitter, allowing it to operate inside the tank without requiring external wire connections, thus removing the safety hazard associated with conductive wires in the fuel environment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If external sensors are mounted on wing tanks to avoid internal wiring, then wire routing in airflow is avoided, but conductive wires or optical cables still pose safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces both internal and external wired sensor systems with a wireless sensor system. By using electromagnetic radiation for communication instead of conductive wires or optical cables, the system eliminates safety concerns associated with wire routing while maintaining fuel measurement capability regardless of sensor location.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If wireless fuel sensors are mounted inside the fuel tank, then conductive wires are eliminated from the tank, but power supply to the sensors becomes a challenge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by providing each sensor unit with its own integrated power source (battery or generator) located within the unit itself. This eliminates the need for external power wiring into the fuel tank, as each wireless sensor is self-powered and can operate independently inside the tank environment.
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
The solution provides safe, reliable, and accurate fuel level monitoring without the hazards of conductive wires, enabling operation across all flight attitudes and reducing maintenance complexity by using energy-harvesting technology and RF communication.
Implementation Method 1
a battery and a generator configured to provide power to the sensor and the transmitter, wherein the generator is configured to harvest energy from the operating environment of the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
an antenna coupled to the transmitter... the tank wall includes a radio frequency window allowing communication
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the disclosure include wireless fuel systems (100) for an aircraft. The system includes wireless fuel sensors (106;200;300) having a sensor (202;310) configured to measure an indication of an amount of fuel in a fuel tank (104), a transmitter (206) coupled to the sensor, an antenna (316) coupled to the transmitter and a generator (204;312) configured to provide power to the sensor and the transmitter. The system also includes a controller (108) configured to receive data from each of the plurality of wireless fuel sensors and to responsively calculate the amount of fuel in a fuel tank.