Apparatus for refueling aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9108738-B1
Application number	US-46812809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 19, 2009
Priority date	May 19, 2009
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a refueling system for a number of fuel tanks, a primary valve, and a secondary valve. The refueling system has branches capable of distributing fuel into the number of fuel tanks. The primary valve is associated with a primary branch in the branches. The primary valve and the secondary valve are independently controlled to change a distribution of the fuel through the branches into the number of fuel tanks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a number of fuel tanks, each fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks comprising a number of branches;
a refueling system for the number of fuel tanks, wherein the refueling system has a manifold configured to supply fuel to the number of fuel tanks through the number of branches, each of the number of branches comprising:
a primary branch in the number of branches, the primary branch connected to the manifold at a first end of the primary branch, a second end of the primary branch providing fuel to a fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks;
a primary valve associated with the primary branch downstream of the first end of the primary branch;
an orifice plate positioned in the primary branch downstream of the primary valve, the orifice plate sized for a vent overfill condition at a maximum allowed fueling pressure;
a secondary branch having a first end and a second end, each end connected to the primary branch, wherein a first end of the secondary branch is connected to the primary branch in a location downstream from the primary valve and upstream from the orifice plate in the primary branch and the second end of the secondary branch is positioned downstream from the orifice plate; and
a secondary valve associated with the secondary branch, between the first end and the second end of the secondary branch, wherein the primary valve and the secondary valve are independently controlled, and wherein the secondary valve is downstream from the primary valve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an opening in the primary branch has a size equal to or smaller than a size of the primary branch.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary valve and the secondary valve are operated based on at least one of a rate of fuel flow, a fuel level, a time interval, and a pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the primary valve and the secondary valve is selected from one of a shutoff valve and a variable opening valve.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary branch comprises a primary distribution system and the secondary branch comprises a secondary distribution system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a number of branches connected to the primary branch downstream from the opening in the primary branch, wherein the number of branches connected to the primary branch and the primary branch comprises a first distribution system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve has a variable opening capable of having a number of sizes between a fully open position and a closed position.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve is operated based on at least one of a rate of fuel flow, a fuel level, a time interval, and a pressure.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the secondary valve has a variable opening capable of having a number of sizes between a fully open position and a closed position in response to at least one of the rate of fuel flow, the fuel level, the time interval, and the pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve is a shutoff valve.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary valve is connected to at least one of a fuel level sensor, a fuel flow sensor, a timer, and a pressure sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the refueling system is located in a vehicle selected from one of an aircraft, a spacecraft, a space shuttle, a ship, and a submarine.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the refueling system is located in a storage vessel or tank.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary valve and the secondary valve are associated with a first fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a number of primary valves associated with a number of primary branches, each primary branch in the number of primary branches connected to the manifold; and
a number of secondary valves associated with a number of secondary branches in the branches, wherein each secondary branch in the number of secondary branches is connected to a corresponding primary branch in the number of primary branches downstream from a corresponding primary valve in the number of primary valves.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the number of primary valves and the number of secondary valves are independently controlled.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each primary valve in the number of primary valves is associated with a corresponding single fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks, but wherein each fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks is associated with one or more primary valves in the number of primary valves.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each primary valve in the number of primary valves is independently controlled to change a distribution of the fuel into a corresponding single fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks, but wherein fuel flow to each fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks is changed by one or more primary valves in the number of primary valves.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary valve and the secondary valve are independently controlled to change a distribution of the fuel into a first fuel tank in the number of fuel tanks.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary valve controls fuel flow through the secondary branch.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first controller and a second controller, the first controller configured to control the primary valve and the second controller configured to control the secondary valve, the first controller controlling the primary valve independent of the second controller controlling the secondary valve.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary valve transitions between an open position and a closed position, and the secondary valve transitions between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a higher fueling rate to a fuel tank when the primary valve and the secondary valve are open compared to when the primary valve is open and the secondary valve is closed.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second orifice plate in the secondary branch positioned downstream of the secondary valve.

Assignees

• Tweet Tracy Lee
• Nazir Arshad
• Seibold Dennis W
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Tweet Tracy Lee
• Nazir Arshad
• Seibold Dennis W

Classifications

• B64D37/16 Primary

  Filling systems (ground installations for fuelling aircraft B64F1/28) · CPC title

• B64D37/14 Primary

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

• B64D37/00

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

• F17C2250/043

  Pressure · CPC title