Valve system
AssigneeAirbus UK Limited
InventorsPaul Pilkington, Michael Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve system both controls fuel flow by means of a valve and senses the condition of the valve. The valve is actuated by an actuator via a rotatable shaft. Light is transmitted by a laser diode, via a polarising filter (which is mounted to rotate with the shaft), down the shaft, and is reflected by a mirror which directs the light back up the shaft via the filter to a receiver, which is able to detect different directions of polarisation of the light received. The polarisation of the light received by the receiver indicates whether the valve is open or shut. If no light is received a fault is deemed present. Thus, the condition of the valve is checked directly by means of an apparatus remote from the valve and the fuel.
Claims17
A valve system for controlling fuel flow comprising:
- a) a fuel-flow control device comprising a valve and a shaft for actuating the valve;
- b) an actuator for rotating the shaft;
- and
- c) an apparatus for sensing the condition of the fuel-flow control device comprising:
- a transmitter remote from the valve arranged to transmit a signal towards the valve;
- and
- a receiver remote from the valve arranged to receive the signal, the signal received by the receiver conveying information concerning the condition of the fuel-flow control device.
A fuel supply assembly comprising a valve system for controlling fuel flow in the fuel supply assembly, the valve system comprising:
- a) a fuel-flow control device comprising a valve and a shaft for actuating the valve;
- b) an actuator for rotating the shaft;
- and
- c) an apparatus for sensing the condition of the fuel-flow control device comprising:
- a transmitter remote from the valve arranged to transmit a signal towards the valve;
- and
- a receiver remote from the valve arranged to receive the signal, the signal received by the receiver conveying information concerning the condition of the fuel-flow control device.
An aircraft fuel tank comprising a valve system for controlling fuel flow in, to or from the fuel tank, the valve system comprising:
- a) a fuel-flow control device comprising a valve and a shaft for actuating the valve;
- b) an actuator for rotating the shaft;
- and
- c) an apparatus for sensing the condition of the fuel-flow control device comprising:
- a transmitter remote from the valve arranged to transmit a signal towards the valve;
- and
- a receiver remote from the valve arranged to receive the signal, the signal received by the receiver conveying information concerning the condition of the fuel-flow control device.
A method of sensing the condition of a valve for controlling fuel flow in an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a vessel for containing fuel or the flow thereof,
- providing a valve in the vessel and a valve actuator outside of the vessel;
- transmitting a signal, from a location remote from the valve, the signal passing towards the valve, then away from the valve, the signal then being received at a location remote from the valve, and
- sensing the condition of the valve without sensing the condition of the actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.