Fuel calculation device, fuel calculation method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480797-B2
Application number	US-202218035857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2022
Priority date	Nov 10, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

This fuel calculation device comprises: a remaining fuel amount calculation unit that periodically calculates and stores an approximate value of the remaining fuel amount on the basis of the measurement value of the remaining fuel amount remaining in a fuel container, and the fuel flow rate of fuel supplied from the fuel container; a failure determination unit that determines whether a remaining fuel amount meter that outputs the measurement value of the remaining fuel amount has failed; and a display control unit that controls so as to display the measurement value of the remaining fuel amount when the remaining fuel amount meter has not failed, and to display the approximate value of the remaining fuel amount when the remaining fuel amount meter has failed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A fuel management system comprising:
a plurality of fuel containers connected in series via a supply line to supply fuel to an engine; a plurality of fuel gauges, each of the plurality of fuel containers having a respective one of the plurality of fuel gauges associated therewith; a remaining fuel amount calculation unit that periodically calculates and stores an estimated current total measured value of a remaining fuel amount remaining in the plurality of fuel containers based on a previous total measured value of the remaining fuel amount remaining in the plurality of fuel containers and a fuel flow rate of fuel supplied from the plurality of fuel containers; a failure determination unit that determines whether any of the plurality of fuel gauges that output a measured actual value of the remaining fuel amount is in failure; and a display control unit that performs control to perform:
a normal display to display an actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when none of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure, and
a backup display to display an estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure;
wherein the remaining fuel amount calculation unit is configured to use a determination formula to determine whether a respective one of the plurality of fuel containers associated with a failed one of the plurality of fuel gauges is empty based on an upstream or downstream positional relationship of all of the plurality of fuel containers connected in series, and wherein the display control unit is configured to:
perform the normal display of the actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount even if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed if the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to be empty by the determination formula, and
perform the backup display of the estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed and the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to not be empty by the determination formula.

2 . The fuel management system according to claim 1 , wherein the remaining fuel amount calculation unit calculates the estimated current total measured value of the remaining fuel amount by subtracting an integral value of the fuel flow rate from the previous total measured value of the remaining fuel amount.

3 . The fuel management system according to claim 1 , wherein, when any of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure, the remaining fuel amount calculation unit recalculates and stores a new estimated current total measured value of the remaining fuel amount based on the estimated previous total measured value of the remaining fuel amount and the fuel flow rate.

4 . A fuel management method comprising:
periodically calculating and storing an estimated current total measured value of a remaining fuel amount remaining in a plurality of fuel containers connected in series via a supply line, each of the plurality of fuel containers having a respective one a plurality of fuel gauges associated therewith, the calculating and storing being based on a previous total measured value of the remaining fuel amount remaining in the plurality of fuel containers and a fuel flow rate of fuel supplied from the plurality of fuel containers; determining whether any of the plurality of fuel gauges that output a measured actual value of the remaining fuel amount is in failure; causing the remaining fuel amount to be displayed;
as a normal display of an actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when none of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure, and
as a backup display of an estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure; and
using a determination formula to determine whether a respective one of the plurality of fuel containers associated with a failed one of the plurality of fuel gauges is empty based on an upstream or downstream positional relationship of all of the plurality of fuel containers connected in series, wherein the remaining fuel amount is displayed:
as the normal display of the actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount even if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed if the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to be empty by the determination formula, and
as the backup display of the estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed and the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to not be empty by the determination formula.

5 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to operate a fuel management system to perform:
periodically calculating and storing an estimated current total measured value of a remaining fuel amount remaining in a plurality of fuel containers connected in series via a supply line, each of the plurality of fuel containers having a respective one a plurality of fuel gauges associated therewith, the calculating and storing being based on a previous total measured value of the remaining fuel amount remaining in the plurality of fuel containers and a fuel flow rate of fuel supplied from the plurality of fuel containers; determining whether any of the plurality of fuel gauges that output a measured actual value of the remaining fuel amount is in failure; causing the remaining fuel amount to be displayed;
as a normal display of an actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when none of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure, and
as a backup display of an estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount when at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is in failure; and
using a determination formula to determine whether a respective one of the plurality of fuel containers associated with a failed one of the plurality of fuel gauges is empty based on an upstream or downstream positional relationship of all of the plurality of fuel containers connected in series, wherein the remaining fuel amount is displayed:
as the normal display of the actual total measured value of the remaining fuel amount even if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed if the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to be empty by the determination formula, and
as the backup display of the estimated total measured value of the remaining fuel amount if at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to have failed and the respective one of the fuel containers associated with the failed at least one of the plurality of fuel gauges is determined to not be empty by the determination formula.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Goto Hiroki
• Maruyama Takamasa

Classifications

• B64D37/00

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

• F23N5/18

  using detectors sensitive to rate of flow of air or fuel · CPC title

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• F23N5/265

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23N2005/185

  using detectors sensitive to rate of flow of fuel · CPC title