Fuel pump management system and method of operating a fuel pump management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006058-B2
Application number	US-202016850361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A method of and a system for operating a fuel pump management system of an aircraft. The method comprises receiving, from a fuel gauge, an electronic reading of a level of fuel fluid contained in a fuel tank; and analysing the electronic reading of the level of the fuel fluid, the analysing comprising upon determining that the level of fuel fluid is equal or below a predetermined fuel level threshold, causing a fuel pump in communication with the fuel tank to be shut down.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel pump management system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a fuel gauge configured to electronically read a level of fuel fluid contained in a fuel tank;
a fuel pump in fluid communication with the fuel tank and a power unit to be alimented in fuel fluid, the fuel pump avoiding inclusion of a ground fault interrupter in said fuel pump; and
a controller connected to the fuel gauge and the fuel pump, the controller being configured to (1) analyze the level of fuel fluid read by the fuel gauge and (2) upon determining that the level of fuel fluid is equal or below a predetermined fuel level threshold, cause the fuel pump to be shut down, wherein prior to causing the fuel pump to be shut down, the controller determines whether the aircraft in which the fuel pump management system is installed is on the ground, and wherein the controller causes the fuel pump to shut down only if it has previously determined that the aircraft is on the ground, and wherein the fuel pump remains operational during taxiing or in-flight even though the level of fuel fluid is equal or below the threshold.

2. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel gauge is located within the fuel tank.

3. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel gauge comprises at least one of a capacitance probe and a proximity sensing unit.

4. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel gauge comprises at least one of an ultrasonic transducer, a magnetoresistive level transmitter, a laser transmitter and a guided wave radar.

5. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel gauge is configured to transmit one or more readings of the level of fuel fluid contained in the fuel tank to the controller.

6. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined fuel level threshold is a minimum threshold determined so that the fuel pump is not subjected to one of a drop of fuel pressure and a foreign object ignition before being shut down.

7. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein shutting down the fuel pump comprises switching off current flowing to the fuel pump.

8. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel pump comprises a solenoid and wherein shutting down the fuel pump comprises sending a signal to the solenoid so that the solenoid causes switching off current flowing to the fuel pump.

9. The fuel pump management system of claim 1 , wherein the power unit is one of an aircraft engine and an auxiliary power unit (APU).

10. A method of operating a fuel pump management system of an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving, from a fuel gauge, an electronic reading of a level of fuel fluid contained in a fuel tank;
determining whether the aircraft in which the fuel pump management system is installed is on the ground; and
analyzing the electronic reading of the level of the fuel fluid, the analyzing comprising:
upon determining that the level of fuel fluid is equal or below a predetermined fuel level threshold and that the aircraft is on the ground, causing a fuel pump in communication with the fuel tank to be shut down, wherein the fuel pump avoids inclusion of a ground fault interrupter in said fuel pump, and wherein the fuel pump remains operational during taxiing or in-flight even though the level of fuel fluid is equal or below the threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel gauge is located within the fuel tank.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel gauge comprises at least one of a capacitance probe and a proximity sensing unit.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel gauge comprises one of an ultrasonic transducer, a magnetoresistive level transmitter, a laser transmitter and a guided wave radar.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel gauge is configured to transmit one or more readings of the level of fuel fluid contained in the fuel tank to a fuel controller.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined fuel level threshold is a minimum threshold determined so that the fuel pump is not subjected to one of a drop of fuel pressure and a foreign object ignition before being shut down.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein shutting down the fuel pump comprises switching off current flowing to the fuel pump.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel pump comprises a solenoid and wherein shutting down the fuel pump comprises sending a signal to the solenoid so that the solenoid causes switching off current flowing to the fuel pump.

Assignees

• Bombardier Inc

Inventors

• Furgiuele Vincenzo

Classifications

• B64D37/02

  Tanks (tanks constructed integrally with aircraft wings B64C3/34) · CPC title

• B64D37/00 Primary

  Arrangements in connection with fuel supply for power plant (refuelling during flight B64D39/00) · CPC title

• B64D37/32

  Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions · CPC title

• B64D37/005

  Accessories not provided for in the groups B64D37/02 - B64D37/28 · CPC title

• B64D41/00

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title