Fuel system

Chapter 7 Section A
Fuel Storage and Delivery
 Introduction
Airframe fuel system must be able
to store (maintain) and deliver and
distribute it to power plant under
proper pressure without
interruption or contamination.

Aviation technicians must be

familiar with aircraft fuel system
design, operation and
maintenance before start
performing inspection or
maintenance.
 Fuel Systems
Fuel systems basic sections
1- Airframe system which includes storage and
delivery components (from filer neck to engine
driven pump).
2- Powerplant system starts from engine driven
pump till it distributed into combustion chamber.

Fuel systems should provide positive and reliable fuel

flow through all phases of flight including:
 Changes in altitude.
 Violent maneuvers.
 Sudden acceleration and deceleration.
 FUEL System Requirements
Any fuel system certified or
registered in US should meet
specific requirements in
14 CFR Part 23 of federal
Aviation Regulation

Refer to page 7-2 and 7-3

read and understand.
 Types Of Fuel System
Fuel system classified according to fuel feed system
and they are two types:
1- Gravity feed system.
2- Pressure feed system.
 1- Gravity Feed System
This system depend upon gravity to supply fuel to the system so the
bottom of the fuel tank must be high enough to provide adequate
pressure to the system.

Used in high wing light aircrafts.

 2- Pressure Feed System
This system depend upon pressure pumps (electrical booster
pumps) to supply fuel to the system.
Used in low wing and huge aircrafts.

There are two main reasons to use this system:-

1- The fuel tanks are too low to provide enough pressure
from gravity by gravity.
2- The fuel tanks are a great distance from the engine.

Also, most large aircraft with high power engines require a

pressure system regardless of the fuel tank location because
of it’s large volume of fuel consumed by engines.
2- Pressure Feed System
 Aircraft Fuel System Components
1- Fuel tanks.
2- Fuel lines.
3- Fuel filtering units.
4- Fuel pumps.
5- Gages (indication system).
6- Fuel priming system.
7- Refueling point.
8- Drain valves.
9- Dump valves.
 Fuel Storage
This will be accomplished by fuel
tanks which it’s construction and
condition have tremendous effect on
engine operation.

Neglect or improper maintenance to

the fuel tank can lead to contaminate
fuel being deliver to engine.

Many multi engines aircrafts has cross

feed system which to transfer fuel
between tanks and allow any engine
to feed from any tank and for balance
reasons.
 Types of Fuel Tanks
1- Welded or riveted metal tank
(made of like 3003 and 5052 aluminum alloy).
2- Composite tanks
(made of composite material).
3- Wet wings tanks
(formed by sealing section).
4- Bladder tanks
(Neoprene-impregnated fabric).

Notes
Corrosion might be occur in fuel storage system any time water enters
fuel tanks.
Corroded parts might fail to work properly and released debris will
lead to fuel contamination.
 Fuel Tank Accessories
Fuel system return normally pumps supply more fuel than
engines need so unburned fuel should be returned back to tanks.
Tank vent system venting prevent pressurizing and allows air to
take place of the fuel tank (two way passage).
If fuel vent blocked it will effect fuel supply pressure that will be low
supply pressure.
Tank scupper used to prevent the fuel entering the fuselage
during refueling and it installed near tank filler neck.
Sump and drain required to get water collected for drainage and
servicing, drain installed at their lowest point.
Expansion Space and venting , that provide room for the fuel to
expand when exposed to warm temperature
 Fuel Lines

We have two types of fuel

lines:-
1- Rigid tubes
2- Flexible hoses.

Line diameter will be

determined according
system flow requirements.
 Safety Precautions
With Fuel Lines Routing
1- Fuel lines should be separate from other systems.
2- Fuel lines should be supported to avoid stress.
3- Rigid lines should have at least one bend.
4- Fuel lines should be bonded to structure.
5- Ensure that lines can’t be used as hand hold.
6- Fuel lines should be routed along the top and side of
compartment.
7- Avoid sharp bends and steep raise to prevent vapor lock.
 Flexible Hoses
It made of Neoprene and Teflon
because of their chemical
resistance.

Fire sleeve is hollow silicone

coated fiberglass used to
reduce fire possibility.
Sleeve will limit your visibility so
you should follow manufacturer
replacement intervals.
 Lay Line
Flexible hoses can be bended
but it shouldn’t twisted
because twist will weaken it.

Lay line will give visual

indication for hose twist.

Instead of solid lay line they

use their identification marking
line to give two jobs same
time.
 Rigid Tubes
They made of:-
1-Copper lines
They are weaker than other
rigid lines but they transfer
heat well and can be coiled .

This type of lines used for

engine primer.
 2- Aluminum Tubes
Made of aluminum
alloy 5052-O.
Because aluminum
dose not conduct heat
well, it rarely used in
engine nacelle.
 3- Stainless Steel

This type of tubes used

when high temperature
and corrosive condition
presented.

This type mostly used in

turbine engine
 Fuel Strainers and Filters
Remove contamination and provide
means of contamination drainage.

Filter effectiveness measured in

micro which’s equal 0.000001 Meter
or 0.000039 inch.
Human eyes can distinguish 40
microns and larger.
Turbine engine filtering from 10 to
25 microns.

Type of filter element :-

1-Cellulose fiber filter.
2-Steel element (screen).
 Two Stage Filter
For Fine And Coarse Filtration
 Engine Driven Pump
It is the primary source of
pressure in pressure feed
system and it deliver
continues supply of fuel at
necessary pressure to
support engine operation.
 Positive Displacement Fuel Pump
It fitted on reciprocating
engines and deliver a specific
fuel quantity for every crank
shaft revaluation.

Also it’s widely used in

turbine engine.
 Vane Type Pump
It is widely used and
deliver more fuel than
required.

To prevent over
pressurization of metering
device it installed with
spring loaded valve to
return excess fuel to pump
inlet.
 Vane Type Pump
With Balance Relief Valve
This way pump
will feed fuel
according to
aircraft altitude.
 Gear Type Pump
A typical engine driven
pump for turbine engine
which contain centrifugal
impeller, dual gear pump,
check valve and relief
valve.

Impeller increase
pressure from 30-60 PSI,
pump will produce
pressure up to 1,500PSI
with flow volume
30,000pounds.
 Auxiliary Fuel Pumps
An aircraft with engine driven pump also equipped with
auxiliary pump (or boost pump) to maintain positive
pressure on engine driven pump inlet.

Purpose of auxiliary fuel pump

1-To prevent pump cavitations.
2-To prevent vapor lock.
3-Providing fuel pressure for starting.
4-Transferring fuel between tanks.
5-Backup source if the engine fuel pump becomes clogged or
fails.
 1- Manual Pump
Primer pump Wobble pump
 2- Centrifugal Pump
It is a centrifugal pump
driven by electric motor
with two operating
speeds (low and high).

It can be mounted on
aircraft structure or
submerged in a fuel
tank.

Submerged one should

be vented outside.
 3- Pulsating Electric Pump
Similar to pump used
in automotive fuel
system.
It uses calibrated
spring and an
electromagnet to force
plunger up and down
to pump fuel.
Used in small low wing
aircrafts.
 Bypass Valve
Bypass valve will be installed
when the two pumps are in
series.

Check valve will be installed

when pumps are in parallel.

When boost pump pressure

exceeds engine driven pump
pressure fuel flow directly to
the engine.
 Characteristics of aviation fuel
Volatility
The ability of fuel to change from a liquid into gas (vapor).
The volatility is critical to the engine performance because fuel
must vaporize readily in the carburetor to burn evenly in the
cylinder.
Partially atomized fuel lead to hard starting and rough running
Too readily vaporize fuel can evaporate in fuel line lead to vapor
lock.
Carburetor engines excessively volatile fuel causes cooling
carburetor body which cause ice, the aviation fuel has high volatility
that not excessive to the point of causing vapor lock or carburetor
ice.
 Reid Vapor Pressure
Represent to the partial pressure of 100LL gasoline at 100 degree
Fahrenheit.
The vapor pressure of 100LL avgas is approximately seven pounds per
squire inch at 100 degree Fahrenheit.
Low grade automotive gasoline has a Reid vapor pressure of 7.8 to 9
PSI.

Aviation gasoline the higher the number the more detonation

resistance.

The air pressure above a liquid required to prevent vapors from

escaping from the liquid at given temperature.
 Fuel Grading
The fuels are numerically graded according to ability resist detonation,
the higher the number the more fuel resistant to knocking.

The most grading system (octane rating system) it compares the anti-
knocking properties of that fuel to the mixture of ISO-octane and
normal heptane's.
Heptane's: Getty solve-C, CH3(CH2)5CH3

Some fuels have two performance number as 100/130

100=lean mixture, 130=rich mixture
To avoid confusion and minimized errors in handling , they design the
fuel by their lean mixture performance number.
 Fuel Additives
To prevent engine detonation the fuel added
with tetraethyl lead (forming corrosive
component in the combustion chamber)

Additional additives such as ethylene bromides

are added to the fuel.
Aviation Fuel (Reciprocating)
 Turbine Engine Fuel System
Function
Store, transfer, and meter fuel for turbine engine in the proper
amount and at right pressure.

Fuel system component

1- Tanks.
2- Lines.
3- Valves.
4- Pumps.
5- Filter.
6- Gauge (indication system).
7- Fuel control unit.
8- Transferring fuel between tanks.
9- Cross feed system.
 Turbine Fuel And Additives
The difference between avgas and turbine fuel is that
turbine fuels contain kerosene .

The types of turbine fuel

1- Jet A 2- Jet A-1 3-Jet B

Turbine fuel more viscous than used in reciprocating

engine, act as lubricant in the pump and fuel control
unit , allow fuel to hold water and solid material .

Fuel additives like anti-icing and anti-microbial agents.

 The difference between turbine engine fuel
types is (Freezing point)
Jet A JetA-1 Jet B similar to JP4
Freezing point Freezing point Freezing point

-40C -47C -50C

(-40F) (-52.6F) (-58F)
Blend of (kerosene 30%
and 70% gasoline)
Turbine Fuel Colors Or Straw Color
Jet A Jet A-1 Jet B
 Fuel Heater (Heat Exchanger)
Fuel heater used to warm
up turbine fuel and melt
any ice crystals in fuel.

We use bleed air or

engine oil to warm up
fuel.

Fuel over heating will

lead to vapor lock.

Systems use bleed air

EPR will effected.
 Fuel Transfer Ejectors (Jet Pumps)
Purpose: to help the
primary and boost pump
scavenge fuel from fuel
tank and transfer fuel from
the main tank to the boost
pump or supply tank.

Location : in the lowest

point in the fuel tank.
 Water Injection
It is one of thrust augmenting
which depend upon injection
water and methanol mixture into
engine inlet or diffuser in order to
increase air density which lead to
increase thrust.

Methanol also function as anti

freeze too.

Current production engine rarely

have water injection system
Water Injection System