Fuel supply system for aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377225-B2
Application number	US-202016732493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2020
Priority date	Sep 23, 2019
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A fuel supply system for an aerial vehicle includes: a plurality of fixed tanks storing fuel; a variable tank provided in a fixed tank of the plurality of fixed tanks and storing fuel; a fuel supply flow path, a first end of which is connected to the variable tank and passing through the plurality of fixed tanks; and a fuel pump provided in a fixed tank which does not have the variable tank, an outlet side of the fuel pump being connected to the fuel supply flow path. According to the fuel supply system, continuous fuel supply is performed despite the change of the attitude or acceleration of an aerial vehicle, sufficient fuel is stored, and constraints on fuel tank design are minimized.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel supply system for an aerial vehicle, the fuel supply system comprising:
two fixed tanks which store fuel;
a variable tank which is provided in one of the two fixed tanks and stores fuel;
a fuel supply flow path which is connected at one end thereof to the variable tank and passes through the two fixed tanks; and
a fuel pump which is provided in another of the two fixed tanks which does not have the variable tank, an outlet side of the fuel pump being connected to the fuel supply flow path,
wherein when the fuel contained in the other fixed tank which does not have the variable tank is supplied to the fuel supply flow path by operation of the fuel pump, the fuel contained in the variable tank is not supplied to the fuel supply flow path,
wherein a first fuel control valve is provided in the fuel supply flow path on an upstream side of the fuel pump so as to control fuel supply from the variable tank,
wherein the fuel is selectively supplied from one of the variable tank and the other fixed tank which does not have the variable tank,
wherein the fuel contained in the fixed tank which does not have the variable tank is supplied through the fuel supply flow path when the fuel reaches an inlet of the fuel pump in a normal state of acceleration and attitude of the aerial vehicle,
wherein the fuel contained in the variable tank is supplied through the fuel supply flow path when the fuel does not reach the inlet of the fuel pump due to change of acceleration and attitude of the aerial vehicle.

2. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressurizing tank storing pressurizing gas to pressurize the two fixed tanks.

3. The fuel supply system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a pressurizing flow path connected to the two fixed tanks from the pressurizing tank; and
a plurality of pressure control valves provided in the pressurizing flow path at locations inside the two fixed tanks, respectively.

4. The fuel supply system of claim 3 , wherein control pressures of the plurality pressure control valves are different from each other.

5. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein a pressure discharge valve is provided in the fixed tank having the variable tank, and pressure of the fixed tank is discharged to the outside via the pressure discharge valve when refilling the variable tank with fuel.

6. The fuel supply system of claim 1 , wherein a high-pressure pump is provided in the fuel supply flow path at a location outside the fixed tanks, the high-pressure pump being configured to supply fluid to the fuel pump through the fuel supply flow path connected thereto.

Assignees

• Agency Defense Dev

Inventors

• Park Jeong-Bae

Classifications

• B64D37/10 Primary

  to facilitate fuel pressurisation · CPC title

• B64D37/14 Primary

  Filling or emptying (transferring fuels to adjust aircraft trim B64C17/10) · CPC title

• B64D37/04

  Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft · CPC title

• F02M37/0088

  Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned · CPC title

• B64D37/30

  Fuel systems for specific fuels · CPC title