Fueling schedule
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsPeter Swann, Craig W Bemment, Alastair G Hobday, Benjamin J Keeler, Christopher P Madden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power system for an aircraft includes at least one gas turbine engine arranged to burn a fuel so as to provide power to the aircraft; at least one first fuel tank arranged to be used to power ground-based operation of the aircraft; at least one secondary fuel tank arranged to contain a fuel to be used to power the aircraft in flight; and a fuel manager arranged to control fuel supply so as to take fuel from only the at least one first fuel tank to power at least the majority of ground-based operations.
Claims20
A power system for an aircraft comprising:
- at least one gas turbine engine arranged to burn a fuel so as to provide power to the aircraft;
- at least one first fuel tank arranged to be used to power ground-based operation of the aircraft;
- at least one secondary fuel tank arranged to contain a fuel to be used to power the aircraft in flight;
- and
- a fuel manager arranged to control fuel supply so as to take fuel from only the at least one first fuel tank to power at least the majority of ground-based operations.
A propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
- a gas turbine engine;
- at least one first fuel tank arranged to be used to power ground-based operation of the aircraft;
- at least one secondary fuel tank arranged to contain a fuel to be used to power the gas turbine engine in flight;
- and
- a fuel manager arranged to control fuel input to the gas turbine engine so as to take fuel from only the at least one first fuel tank to power at least the majority of ground-based operations.
A method of operating an aircraft comprising:
- a gas turbine engine arranged to burn a fuel so as to provide power to the aircraft;
- at least one first fuel tank arranged to be used to power ground-based operation of the aircraft;
- and
- at least one secondary fuel tank arranged to contain a fuel to be used to power the aircraft in flight,
- the method comprising controlling fuel supply so as to take fuel from only the at least one first fuel tank to power at least the majority of ground-based operations.
A method of modifying an aircraft comprising at least one gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- providing at least one first fuel tank which is fluidly isolated from at least one secondary fuel tank of the aircraft;
- and
- providing a fuel manager arranged to control fuel input to the at least one gas turbine engine so as to take fuel from only the at least one first fuel tank when the aircraft is performing ground-based operations, and to take fuel from the at least one secondary fuel tank for other operations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.