High accuracy fuel system
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsWilliam E. Rhoden, Charles E. Reuter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a fuel system can include, a fuel device, a fuel characterization device operatively connected to the fuel device configured to measure performance data of the fuel device before installation into an engine fuel system, and an electronic engine controller operatively connected to the fuel characterization device to receive the measured performance data of the fuel device on start up and calculate a metered mass flow based at least in part on the measured performance data of the fuel device. The electronic engine controller can be configured to control the fuel device to direct, meter, or pump fuel to the engine through the fuel device based on the calculated metered mass flow.
Claims17
A method of metering fuel by a fuel system, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring performance data of each respective fuel device of a plurality of fuel devices before installation of the plurality of fuel devices into the fuel system, wherein each fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices comprises at least one fuel channel;
- storing the performance data of the plurality of fuel devices on a plurality of characterization devices, wherein each characterization device of the plurality of characterization devices is assigned to a respective fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices, and wherein each characterization device comprises a memory chip storing the performance data corresponding to the respective fuel device;
- installing the plurality of fuel devices and the plurality of characterization devices within the fuel system;
- identifying each fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices to an electronic engine controller;
- transferring the performance data from the plurality of fuel characterization devices to the electronic engine controller;
- calculating mass flow through the plurality of fuel devices based at least in part on an aggregate of the performance data of the plurality of fuel devices, a metering area or orifice area of the at least one fuel channel of each fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices, a pressure drop across the orifice area or metering area of the at least one fuel channel of each fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices, and a specific gravity of fuel;
- and
- metering flow through the plurality of fuel devices by the electronic engine controller based on the calculated mass flow through the plurality of fuel devices.
A fuel system, comprising:
- a plurality of fuel devices;
- a plurality of fuel characterization devices, wherein each fuel characterization device of the plurality of fuel characterization devises is operatively connected to a respective fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices and comprises performance data of the respective fuel device measured and stored in memory on the respective fuel characterization device before installation of the respective fuel device into the fuel system;
- and
- an electronic engine controller operatively connected to each fuel characterization device of the plurality of fuel characterization devices and configured to receive the performance data of each fuel device of the plurality of fuel devices on start up of the fuel system and calculate a metered mass flow based at least in part on an aggregate of the performance data of the plurality of fuel devices, and wherein the electronic engine controller is operatively connected to the plurality of fuel devices and configured to control the plurality of fuel devices to direct, meter, or pump fuel to an engine through the plurality of fuel devices based on the calculated metered mass flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.