Apparatus for supplying fuel under negative gravity conditions

Apparatus for supplying fluid from a tank to a pump without interruption when the condition of the tank is changed from a first gravity condition to a second gravity condition reversed of said first gravity condition, said pump having a low pressure inlet and a high pressure outlet, comprising:

• a hollow body, said body having at least two fluid admission inlet openings, a first inlet opening in communication with said fluid at a lower level in said tank, and a second inlet opening in communication with said fluid at a higher level relative to said first opening when said tank is in the first gravity condition;
• first dividing means dividing said hollow body into three compartments, a first compartment in fluid communication with said first opening, a second compartment in fluid communication with said pump inlet and a third compartment in fluid communication with said second opening and the outlet of the pump;
• first fluid passage means for passing fluid through said dividing means between said first and second compartments;
• second fluid passage means for passing fluid through said dividing means between said second and third compartments;
• second dividing means in said third compartment for separating said third compartment into lower and upper portions said upper portion in fluid communication with said second inlet, the pump outlet in fluid communication with said lower portion of said third compartment;
• third fluid passage means for passing fluid between said upper and lower portions of said third compartment;
• first valve means for enabling or prohibiting fluid flow through said first passage means, said first valve means having a first condition enabling flow through said first fluid passage means and a second condition prohibiting flow through said first fluid passage means;
• second valve means for enabling or prohibiting fluid flow through said second fluid passage means, said second valve means having a first condition prohibiting flow through said second fluid passage means and a second condition enabling flow through said second fluid passage means;
• third valve means for enabling or restricting fluid flow through said third fluid passage means, said third valve means having a first condition partially prohibiting flow through said third passage means and a second condition enabling flow through said third passage means;
• control means for controlling the conditions of said first, second and third valve means, said control means changing the conditions of said valve means from the first conditions to the second conditions responsive to a change of said tank from said first gravity condition to said second gravity condition.