Fuel intelligent crossfeed valve for detecting leakage in aircraft fuel tanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016122004-A1
Application number	US-201414531599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 3, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel management system may include a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank. The fuel management system may also include an intelligent crossfeed valve positioned between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank and configured to allow fuel to flow between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank. The fuel management system may also include a sensor configured to detect an amount to which the intelligent crossfeed valve is open. The fuel management system may also include an engine controller connected to the sensor and configured to cause the intelligent crossfeed valve to close in response to the intelligent crossfeed valve being open a third predetermined amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel management system comprising:
a first fuel tank; a second fuel tank; an intelligent crossfeed valve positioned between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank and configured to allow fuel to flow between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank; a sensor configured to detect an amount to which the intelligent crossfeed valve is open; and an engine controller connected to the sensor and configured to cause the intelligent crossfeed valve to close in response to the intelligent crossfeed valve being open a third predetermined amount.

2 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , wherein the intelligent crossfeed valve comprises:
a first valve window configured to receive fuel from the first fuel tank; a second valve window in fluid communication with the first valve window and configured to provide fuel to the second fuel tank; a third valve window configured to receive fuel from the second fuel tank; a fourth valve window in fluid communication with the third valve window and configured to provide fuel to the first fuel tank; and a shaft moveably positioned within the intelligent crossfeed valve and configured to allow fuel to flow from the first fuel tank through the first valve window and the second valve window to the second fuel tank and from the second fuel tank through the third valve window and the fourth valve window to the first fuel tank based on a position of the shaft.

3 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a position sensor.

4 . The fuel management system of claim 3 , wherein the position sensor is a linear variable differential transformer.

5 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , further comprising an alert system connected to the sensor and configured to provide a warning signal in response to the intelligent crossfeed valve being open the third predetermined amount.

6 . The fuel management system of claim 5 , wherein the alert system is further configured to provide a caution alert in response to the intelligent crossfeed valve being open a first predetermined amount.

7 . The fuel management system of claim 6 , wherein the alert system is further configured to provide a warning alert in response to the intelligent crossfeed valve being open a second predetermined amount.

8 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , wherein the engine controller is at least one of a full authority digital engine control or an electronic engine control.

9 . The fuel management system of claim 5 , wherein the alert system is at least one of an engine-indicating and crew-alerting system or an electronic centralized aircraft monitor.

10 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , further comprising a pipe positioned between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank and in fluid communication with the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank, wherein the intelligent crossfeed valve is positioned along the pipe.

11 . The fuel management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first engine; a second engine; a first fuel pump configured to pump fuel to the first engine from the second fuel tank via the intelligent crossfeed valve; and a second fuel pump configured to pump fuel to the second engine from the first fuel tank via the intelligent crossfeed valve.

12 . An intelligent crossfeed valve for use in a fuel management system having a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank, the intelligent crossfeed valve comprising:
a first valve window configured to receive fuel from the first fuel tank; a second valve window in fluid communication with the first valve window and configured to provide fuel to the second fuel tank; a third valve window configured to receive fuel from the second fuel tank; a fourth valve window in fluid communication with the third valve window and configured to provide fuel to the first fuel tank; a shaft moveably positioned within the intelligent crossfeed valve and configured to allow fuel to flow from the first fuel tank through the first valve window and the second valve window to the second fuel tank and from the second fuel tank through the third valve window and the fourth valve window to the first fuel tank based on a position of the shaft; and a position sensor configured to detect the position of the shaft.

13 . The intelligent crossfeed valve of claim 12 , wherein the position sensor is a linear variable differential transformer.

14 . The intelligent crossfeed valve of claim 12 , wherein the position sensor is connected to an alert system of the fuel management system and is configured to provide a displacement of the intelligent crossfeed valve to the alert system based on a position of the shaft.

15 . The intelligent crossfeed valve of claim 12 , wherein the position sensor is connected to the engine controller of the fuel management system and is configured to provide a displacement of the intelligent crossfeed valve to the engine controller based on the position of the shaft.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Ribarov Lubomir A
• Veilleux Jr Leo J

Classifications

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64C17/10 Primary

  Transferring fuel to adjust trim · CPC title

• B64D37/02

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

• G05D7/0641

  using a plurality of throttling means (G05D7/067 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64D37/28

  Control thereof · CPC title