Al-Najaf Technical Institute

Aeronautical Technologies Department

Year Two
Subject: - Aircraft Maintenance
Lecturer Notes by Dr. Essam Al-Zaini
Source 1: - Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook—Airframe Volume 1, 2012, U.S.
Department of Transportation FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Source 2: - Part 66 Cat. B1 Module 7 MAINTENANCE PRACTICES Volume 1
Source 3:- APPENDIX D Scope and Detail of Items (as Applicable to the Particular Aircraft) to
Be Included in Annual and I 00-Hour Inspections

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 Chapter 6 Aircraft Fuel System

6.1 INTRODUCTION

The fuel system is designed to provide an uninterrupted flow of clean fuel from the fuel tanks to
the engine. The fuel must be available to the engine under all conditions of engine power,
altitude, attitude, and during all approved flight maneuvers. Two common classifications apply
to fuel systems in small aircraft: gravity-feed and fuel-pump systems.

 Gravity-Feed System

The gravity-feed system utilizes the force of gravity to transfer the fuel from the tanks to the
engine. For example, on high-wing airplanes, the fuel tanks are installed in the wings. This
places the fuel tanks above the carburetor, and the fuel is gravity fed through the system and into
the carburetor. If the design of the aircraft is such that gravity cannot be used to transfer fuel, fuel
pumps are installed. For example, on low-wing airplanes, the fuel tanks in the wings are located
below the carburetor. [Figure 7-30].

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  Fuel-Pump System

Aircraft with fuel-pump systems have two fuel pumps. The main pump system is engine driven
with an electricallydriven auxiliary pump provided for use in engine starting and in the event the
engine pump fails. The auxiliary pump, also known as a boost pump, provides added reliability
to the fuel system. The electrically-driven auxiliary pump is controlled by a switch in the flight
deck.

 Fuel Primer

Both gravity-feed and fuel-pump systems may incorporate a fuel primer into the system. The fuel
primer is used to draw fuel from the tanks to vaporize fuel directly into the cylinders prior to
starting the engine. During cold weather, when engines are difficult to start, the fuel primer helps
because there is not enough heat available to vaporize the fuel in the carburetor.

 Fuel Tanks

The fuel tanks, normally located inside the wings of an airplane, have a filler opening on top of
the wing through which they can be filled. A filler cap covers this opening. The tanks are vented
to the outside to maintain atmospheric pressure inside the tank. They may be vented through the
filler cap or through a tube extending through the surface of the wing. Fuel tanks also include an
overflow drain that may stand alone or be collocated with the fuel tank vent. This allows fuel to
expand with increases in temperature without damage to the tank itself. If the tanks have been
filled on a hot day, it is not unusual to see fuel coming from the overflow drain.

 Fuel Gauges

The fuel quantity gauges indicate the amount of fuel measured by a sensing unit in each fuel tank
and is displayed in gallons or pounds. Aircraft certification rules require accuracy in fuel gauges
only when they read “empty.” Any reading other than “empty” should be verified. Do not
depend solely on the accuracy of the fuel quantity gauges. Always visually check the fuel level
in each tank during the preflight inspection, and then compare it with the corresponding fuel
quantity indication.

If a fuel pump is installed in the fuel system, a fuel pressure gauge is also included. This gauge
indicates the pressure in the fuel lines.

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  Fuel Selectors

The fuel selector valve allows selection of fuel from various tanks. A common type of selector
valve contains four positions: LEFT, RIGHT, BOTH, and OFF. Selecting the LEFT or RIGHT
position allows fuel to feed only from the respective tank, while selecting the BOTH position
feeds fuel from both tanks. The LEFT or RIGHT position may be used to balance the amount of
fuel remaining in each wing tank. [Figure 7-31].

Regardless of the type of fuel selector in use, fuel consumption should be monitored closely to
ensure that a tank does not run completely out of fuel. Running a fuel tank dry does not only
cause the engine to stop, but running for prolonged periods on one tank causes an unbalanced
fuel load between tanks.

Running a tank completely dry may allow air to enter the fuel system and cause vapor lock,
which makes it difficult to restart the engine. On fuel-injected engines, the fuel becomes so hot it
vaporizes in the fuel line, not allowing fuel to reach the cylinders.

 Fuel Strainers, Sumps, and Drains

After leaving the fuel tank and before it enters the carburetor, the fuel passes through a strainer
that removes any moisture and other sediments in the system. Since these contaminants are
heavier than aviation fuel, they settle in a sump at the bottom of the strainer assembly. A sump is
a low point in a fuel system and/or fuel tank. The fuel system may contain a sump, a fuel
strainer, and fuel tank drains, which may be collocated.

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The fuel strainer should be drained before each flight. Fuel samples should be drained and
checked visually for water and contaminants. Water in the sump is hazardous because in cold
weather the water can freeze and block fuel lines. In warm weather, it can flow into the
carburetor and stop the engine. If water is present in the sump, more water in the fuel tanks is
probable, and they should be drained until there is no evidence of water. Never take off until all
water and contaminants have been removed from the engine fuel system.

Fuel Grades

Fuel for aircraft with turbine engines is classified as JET A, JET A-1, and JET B. Jet fuel is
basically kerosene and has a distinctive kerosene smell. Since use of the correct fuel is critical,
dyes “color the fuel itself” are added to help identify the type and grade of fuel. [Figure 7-32].

In addition to the color of the fuel itself, the color-coding system extends to decals and various
airport fuels handling equipment. For example, all AVGAS is identified by name, using white
letters on a red background. In contrast, turbine fuels are identified by white letters on a black
background.

Fuel Contamination

Accidents attributed to power plant failure from fuel contamination have often been traced to:

• Inadequate preflight inspection by the pilot

• Servicing aircraft with improperly filtered fuel from small tanks or drums
• Storing aircraft with partially filled fuel tanks
• Lack of proper maintenance

Fuel should be drained from the fuel strainer quick drain and from each fuel tank sump into a
transparent container and then checked for dirt and water. When the fuel strainer is being
drained, water in the tank may not appear until all the fuel has been drained from the lines
leading to the tank. This indicates that water remains in the tank and is not forcing the fuel out of

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the fuel lines leading to the fuel strainer. Therefore, drain enough fuel from the fuel strainer to be
certain that fuel is being drained from the tank. The amount depends on the length of fuel line
from the tank to the drain. If water or other contaminants are found in the first sample, drain
further samples until no trace appears.

Fuel System Icing

Ice formation in the aircraft fuel system results from the presence of water in the fuel system.
This water may be undissolved or dissolved. One condition of undissolved water is entrained
water that consists of minute water particles suspended in the fuel. This may occur as a result of
mechanical agitation of free water or conversion of dissolved water through temperature
reduction.

Prevention Procedures

The use of anti-icing additives for some aircraft has been approved as a means of preventing
problems with water and ice in AVGAS. Some laboratory and flight testing indicates that the use
of hexylene glycol, certain methanol derivatives, and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME)
in small concentrations inhibit fuel system icing. These tests indicate that the use of EGME at a
maximum 0.15 percent by volume concentration substantially inhibits fuel system icing under
most operating conditions.

Refueling Procedures

Static electricity is formed by the friction of air passing over the surfaces of an aircraft in flight
and by the flow of fuel through the hose and nozzle during refueling. Nylon, Dacron, or wool
clothing is especially prone to accumulate and discharge static electricity from the person to the
funnel or nozzle. To guard against the possibility of static electricity igniting fuel fumes, a
ground wire should be attached to the aircraft before the fuel cap is removed from the tank.
Because both the aircraft and re-fueler have different static charges, bonding both components to
each other is critical. By bonding both components to each other, the static differential charge is
equalized. The refueling nozzle should be bonded to the aircraft before refueling begins and
should remain bonded throughout the refueling process. When a fuel truck is used, it should be
grounded prior to the fuel nozzle contacting the aircraft.

If fueling from drums or cans is necessary, proper bonding and grounding connections are
important. Drums should be placed near grounding posts, and the following sequence of
connections observed:

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1. Drum to ground
2. Ground to aircraft
3. Drum to aircraft or nozzle to aircraft before removing the fuel cap

When disconnecting, reverse the order

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