Aircraft aerial refuelling system
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsFranklin Tichborne, Mark Lawson, Hugh Freeman, Arnaud Epifanie, Adrian Edwards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft aerial refueling system including at least one pressure controlled fuel pump having a control system adapted to regulate the pump outlet fuel pressure using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback. Also, methods of operating an aircraft aerial refueling system.
Claims31
An aircraft aerial refueling system including at least one pressure controlled fuel pump, the fuel pump comprising:
- a pump outlet and
- a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism adapted to regulate a pump outlet fuel pressure at the pump outlet using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback.
A method of operating an aircraft aerial refueling system including at least one pressure controlled fuel pump, the fuel pump comprising:
- a pump outlet, and
- a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism,
- the method comprising controlling a pump outlet fuel pressure at the pump outlet using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback.
A method of operating an aircraft aerial refueling system including
- a plurality of fuel tanks,
- a plurality of aerial refueling dispense stations, and
- at least one pressure controlled fuel pump associated with each of the fuel tanks, the at least one pressure controlled fuel pump comprising a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism, and
- the method comprising automatically substantially maintaining fuel balance between the tanks during a high flow rate fuel dispense from the plurality of fuel tanks simultaneously via one or more of the aerial refueling dispense stations by controlling an outlet pressure of each fuel pump using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback.
A method of operating an aircraft aerial refueling system including
- a plurality of fuel tanks,
- a plurality of aerial refueling dispense stations, and
- at least one pressure controlled fuel pump associated with each of the fuel tanks, the at least one pressure controlled fuel pump comprises a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism, and
- the method comprising automatically substantially maintaining aircraft lateral and/or longitudinal weight balance during a high flow rate fuel dispense from the plurality of fuel tanks simultaneously via one or more of the aerial refueling dispense stations by controlling an outlet pressure of each fuel pump using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback.
An aircraft aerial refueling system, comprising:
- at least one pressure controlled fuel pump having a pump outlet, a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism adapted to regulate a pump outlet fuel pressure at the pump outlet using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback;
- and,
- a pressure sensor at the pump outlet for transmitting the outlet fuel pressure signal.
An aircraft, comprising:
- an aircraft aerial refueling system including at least one pressure controlled fuel pump having a pump outlet, a control system including a control loop feedback mechanism,
- wherein the control system regulates a pump outlet fuel pressure at the pump outlet using an outlet fuel pressure signal as control feedback.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.