Fault-tolerant fuel isolation from engine firebay
AssigneeGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
InventorsJason B. Newlin, Brett C. Bonner, Graham Feasey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fuel isolation systems, apparatuses and methods are described. In some embodiments, a system comprises a connector coupled inline with a fuel line on a cold side of the fuel line, a valve coupled to the connector, a fluid feed line coupled to a fluid source and to the valve. In the event of an engine fire condition, a control unit outputs signaling to stop pumping the fuel and to operate the valve to introduce fluid from the fluid source into the fuel line. The introduced fluid provides a siphon break in the fuel line such that the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the remaining fuel in the fuel line downstream of the connector and the introduced fluid.
Claims40
A system for use in isolating fuel in a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a connector coupled inline with a fuel feed line of the vehicle at a location of a cold side portion of the fuel feed line extending from a fuel tank to a firewall, wherein the fuel feed line includes a hot side portion extending through the firewall to an engine in a vehicle firebay;
- a valve coupled to the connector;
- a fluid feed line coupled to a fluid source and to the valve;
- and
- a control unit configured to control operation of at least a fuel pump and the valve, wherein the control unit is configured to output control signaling to:
- stop pumping the fuel through the fuel feed line;
- and
- operate the valve to introduce a fluid from the fluid source into the fuel feed line, wherein the fluid introduced by the valve provides a siphon break in the fuel feed line such that the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the fuel remaining in the fuel feed line downstream of the connector and the fluid introduced.
A method for isolating fuel in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- outputting, by a control circuit, control signaling to stop pumping the fuel through a fuel feed line passing through a firewall to an engine within a vehicle firebay, wherein firewall separates the vehicle firebay from a volume containing a fuel pump and a fuel tank;
- outputting, by the control circuit, control signaling to operate a valve coupled to a connector coupled inline with the fuel feed line at a location of a cold side portion of the fuel feed line, wherein the cold side portion of the fuel feed line extends from the fuel tank to the firewall, and wherein a hot side portion of the fuel feed line extends from the firewall to the engine;
- and
- wherein through operation of the valve, fluid is introduced from a fluid source via a fluid feed line into the fuel feed line to provide a siphon break in the fuel feed line such that the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the fuel remaining in the fuel feed line downstream of the connector and the fluid introduced.
An apparatus for isolating fuel in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions;
- and
- control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to:
- output control signaling to stop pumping the fuel through a fuel feed line from a fuel tank to an engine within a vehicle firebay and passing through a firewall that separates the vehicle firebay from a volume containing a fuel pump and the fuel tank;
- and
- output control signaling to operate a valve coupled to a connector coupled in line with the fuel feed line at a location of a cold side portion of the fuel feed line, wherein the cold side portion of the fuel feed line extends from the fuel tank to the firewall, and wherein a hot side portion of the fuel feed line extends from the firewall to the engine, wherein fluid from a fluid source is introduced into the fuel feed line to provide a siphon break in the fuel feed line such that the only fuel passing the firewall is the fuel remaining in the fuel feed line downstream of the connector and the fluid introduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.