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US 12,320,689 B2Granted
Method for determining characteristics of a fuel supplied to an aircraft engine
AssigneeSafran Aerosystems
InventorsSylvain Hauzeray, Gilles Delaitre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
On board an aircraft, a method is perform in which the following steps are implemented in the following order: measuring a first density value, a first dielectric constant value and a first temperature value of the fuel at a first time, measuring a second density value, a second dielectric constant value and a second temperature value of the fuel, determining parameters of a function for calculating a density from a temperature or a dielectric constant, measuring a volume flow rate value and at least one of a third temperature value and a third dielectric constant value of the fuel in a fuel injection duct in the engine, and determining a density value of the fuel and a mass flow rate of the fuel in the injection line.
Claims12
A method,
- the method comprising determining properties of a fuel supplying an engine of an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes the engine, a fuel tank, a chamber included in a portion of the fuel tank, and an injection system configured to inject fuel from the fuel tank into the engine through a fuel injection line,
- wherein the chamber is equipped with first sensors including a density sensor, a dielectric constant sensor, and a temperature sensor, and
- wherein the injection line is equipped with second sensors including a volumetric flow meter, a second temperature sensor, and a second dielectric constant sensor,
- the method, implemented by the aircraft, comprises the following steps in order:
- measuring a first density value, a first dielectric constant value and a first temperature value of the fuel in the chamber at a first time with the first sensors,
- measuring a second density value, a second dielectric constant value and a second temperature value of the fuel in the chamber at a second time with the first sensors, the second time chosen so that the first temperature value and the second temperature values are different;
- based on the first density value, the first dielectric constant value, the first temperature value, the second density value, the second dielectric constant value and the second temperature value, determining parameters of at least one function for calculating a density from a temperature or from a dielectric constant;
- measuring a volume flow rate value and at least one from among a third temperature value and a third dielectric constant value with the second sensors of the fuel in the fuel injection line into the engine;
- based on at least one of the third temperature value and the third dielectric constant value, and the at least one function, determining a density value of the fuel in the fuel injection line, and
- based on the volume flow rate and the determined density, determining a mass flow rate of the fuel in the fuel injection line.
7 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- at least one engine,
- at least one fuel tank comprising a chamber provided therein,
- a system for injecting fuel from the at least one fuel tank and into the engine through a fuel injection line,
- first sensors provided in the fuel tank and comprising a density sensor, a dielectric constant sensor and a temperature sensor, for measuring a density, a dielectric constant and a temperature of the fuel in the chamber,
- second sensors provided in the fuel injection line and comprising a volumetric flow meter, a second temperature sensor, and a second dielectric constant sensor for measuring a volumetric flow, a temperature and a dielectric constant of the fuel in the fuel injection line, and
- a memory, and at least one processor configured to:
- control the first sensors to measure a first density value, a first dielectric constant value and a first temperature value of the fuel in the at least one fuel tank at a first time with the first sensors,
- control the first sensors to measure a second density value, a second dielectric constant value and a second temperature value of the fuel in the at least one fuel tank at a second time, the second time chosen so that the first temperature value and the second temperature values are different;
- based on the first density value, the first dielectric constant value, the first temperature value, the second density value, the second dielectric constant value and the second temperature value, determine parameters of at least one function for calculating a density from a temperature or from a dielectric constant;
- control the second sensors to measure a volume flow rate value and at least one from among a third temperature value and a third dielectric constant value of the fuel in the fuel injection line into the engine;
- based on at least one of the third temperature value and the third dielectric constant value, and the at least one function, determine a density value of the fuel in the fuel injection line, and
- based on the volume flow rate and the determined density, determine a mass flow rate of the fuel in the fuel injection line.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.