Valve State Detection System and Assembly for Aircraft Fuel System and Method

An aircraft fuel control valve assembly state detection system for determining an aircraft fuel control valve assembly state, said aircraft fuel control valve assembly state detection system comprising:

• an aircraft fuel control valve assembly positioned within an aircraft fuel line, said aircraft fuel control valve assembly comprising:
• a fuel control valve housing, said fuel control valve housing comprising;
• a valve body;
• a valve inlet;
• a valve outlet;
• a valve chamber, said valve chamber established by an area within the aircraft fuel control valve assembly, said valve chamber further established between the valve inlet and the valve outlet;
• a movable valve, said movable valve positioned substantially within valve chamber;
• a primary electromagnetic energy transmitter integrated into the aircraft fuel control valve assembly, said primary electromagnetic energy transmitter configured to direct a primary electromagnetic energy beam from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter into and across the valve chamber, said primary electromagnetic energy transmitter further comprising an electromagnetic energy source;
• and
• a primary electromagnetic energy receiver integrated into the aircraft fuel control valve assembly, said primary electromagnetic energy receiver configured to receive the primary electromagnetic energy beam from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter, said primary electromagnetic energy receiver configured to generate a valve condition primary signal;
• and
• a processor in communication with the primary
• electromagnetic energy receiver, said processor configured to receive the valve condition primary signal, said processor further configured to interpret the valve condition primary signal generated by the primary electromagnetic energy receiver to form an interpreted valve condition primary signal, said interpreted valve condition primary signal corresponding to the aircraft fuel control valve state.

A method for directly monitoring an aircraft fuel control valve state in an aircraft fuel control valve assembly, the method comprising:

• positioning the aircraft fuel control valve assembly in an aircraft fuel line, said aircraft fuel control valve assembly comprising:
• a fuel control valve housing, said fuel control valve housing comprising:
• a valve body;
• a valve inlet;
• a valve outlet;
• a valve chamber established by an area within the fuel control valve housing, said valve chamber further established between the valve inlet and the valve outlet;
• a movable valve, said movable valve positioned substantially within the valve chamber;
• a primary electromagnetic energy transmitter integrated into the aircraft fuel control valve assembly, said primary electromagnetic energy transmitter configured to direct a primary electromagnetic energy beam from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter into and across the valve chamber, said primary electromagnetic energy transmitter further comprising an electromagnetic energy source;
• and
• a primary electromagnetic energy receiver integrated into the aircraft fuel control valve assembly, said primary electromagnetic energy receiver configured to receive the primary electromagnetic energy beam from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter, said primary electromagnetic energy receiver configured to generate a valve condition primary signal;
• generating an electromagnetic energy beam at the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter;
• transmitting from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter and into the valve chamber the primary electromagnetic energy beam to form a transmitted primary electromagnetic energy beam;
• and
• receiving at the primary electromagnetic energy receiver the primary electromagnetic energy beam transmitted from the primary electromagnetic energy transmitter;
• and
• directly monitoring the aircraft fuel control valve state based on at least one of receipt and non-receipt of the transmitted primary electromagnetic energy beam by the primary electromagnetic energy receiver.