Inside Aircraft Fuel Tank - Ventilation and drainage are supplied in areas near the fuel tank, in the wing and part of it. This keeps dangerous fumes and liquid fuel from accumulating. To avoid dumping combustible substances into potentially hazardous regions, ventilation and drain outlets are strategically placed.
Flight tests are conducted to ensure that vent regions are adequate and that no pressure buildup has occurred. Fume-proof and fuel-proof barriers are always used to separate fuel tanks from occupied compartments. An aircraft fuel tank can be damaged by an uncontrolled engine failure, resulting in a fuel leak.
Inside Aircraft Fuel Tank
On passenger planes, fuel tanks are sometimes built-in into the wings, and when there are also tanks contained in the body of the aircraft, the wing tanks are used preferentially. The position reduces the stress on the wings throughout take off and flight, by placing the heavy fuel directly contained in the supply of lift.
Placement Of Fuel Tanks
Engine fuel feed must be manually selected on airplanes without autonomous fuel management systems. To avoid a lateral imbalance and a reduction in fuel supply, alternate feed from both tanks regularly. Furthermore, if this fuel tank swapping schedule is disregarded for an extended period, the engine may become fuel-starved, resulting in a forced landing.
When it comes to fuel management, the design goal is to reduce the risk of fire and explosion. A fire or explosion requires three elements: combustible material, oxygen, and an igniting source. The risk of fire is reduced to zero if any of these items are removed and ignition sources are under the control of the designer.
The vent tank is a storage tank for the fuel that spills over from the main tanks. Each wing has a total fuel capacity of 120 tons. The trim tanks hold 18800 kg of fuel, which is equivalent to an Airbus A320's fuel capacity.
The total fuel capacity is 2*120 (wing tanks) = 240 tons + 18.8 tons (trim tanks), for a total of 258.8 tons (323500 liters) of fuel. Adding a second engine to an aircraft, by necessity, increases the complexity of the fuel system and its management.
Aircraft Fuel Tank Design | Aircraft Fuel Tank Construction
Additional features normally found in small multi-engine aircraft include in-tank fuel pumps, a more robust fuel quantity indicating system and the provision for fuel "crossfeed". Refueling is still normally accomplished on a tank by tank basis.
On 27 July 2019, a fuel configuration advisory was announced on a Boeing 767-300 about to depart Auckland as a result of wing tank imbalance. Having established that there was no evidence of a fuel leak, they planned to correct the imbalance in flight but then delayed this until it had exceeded the permitted limits.
The fault was only verbally reported after the flight and the aircraft continued to operate without center tank use with maintenance remaining unaware of the fault for several days. The cause of imbalance was a fuel system fault subject to a crew response which was not followed.
On 26 November 2008, a Boeing 777-200 powered by RR RB211 Trent 800 series engines and being operated by Delta AL on a scheduled passenger flight from Shanghai Pudong to Atlanta was in the cruise at FL390 in day VMC in the vicinity of Bozeman MT when
Light Twin Engine Ga Aircraft
there was an uncommanded thrust reduction or rollback of the right engine. Fuel systems differ greatly from aircraft to aircraft due to the relative size and complexity of the aircraft in which they are installed. In the most basic form, a fuel system will consist of a single, gravity feed fuel tank with the associated fuel line connecting it to the aircraft engine.
In a modern, multi-engine passenger or cargo aircraft, the fuel system is likely to consist of multiple fuel tanks which may be located in the wing or the fuselage (or both) and, in some cases, in the empange.
Each tank will potentially be equipped with internal fuel pumps and have the associated valves and plumbing to feed the engines, allow for refueling and defueling, isolate the individual tanks and, in some applications, allow for fuel dumping or for optimization of aircraft center of gravity
. But such a location of the Aircraft Fuel Tank attributes to few disadvantages as well. Fuel sloshed laterally in the tanks due to turbulence or uncoordinated flight might result in lateral weight shift and possibly lateral instability.
General Description
When there is a lack of fuel and the flight is uncoordinated, the engine may suffer from fuel starvation merely because the fuel has poured out of the sumps in the tanks. These issues can be solved by properly baffled fuel tanks and the use of feeder hoppers fed by the main tanks from which the engine drinks.
The fuel tanks are normally found within the airplane's wing box. A minimum of one tank is provided for each engine. A twin-engine plane, for example, has one main tank on each side of the fuselage and if the plane's size and range necessitate more fuel, the middle wing box is built to accommodate it.
On a 4-engined plane, there are two major tanks on each side of the fuselage, with the central tank providing additional capacity. Reserve and surge tanks, as well as body tanks, may be included in the fuel system.
The shroud is drained overboard, and the drain outlet is placed somewhere safe and visible, allowing leaks to be spotted and rectified before they become dangerous. Fuel lines that pass through pressurized areas are encased in a drainable and vented shroud.
Light Single Engine Ga Aircraft
The vent line is connected to a drain mast that is situated safely. In high-wing aircraft, gravity propels the fuel from the tank to the carburetor, and fuel pumps may not be necessary. However, a low-wing airplane—and high-wing craft with fuel-injected engines—will need an engine-driven pump to move the fuel.
There should be an electrically powered pump for engine start and use as a backup. You'll also see a fuel pressure gauge, so you can know that the pumps are working properly. Small piston-engine powered aircraft often have a single tank fuel system.
On newer aircraft, two fuel tanks, with one in each wing, are more common. A two tank system requires additional components to allow controlled provision of fuel to the single engine. Fuel tank boost pumps may or may not be incorporated depending upon the location of the tanks.
The design of each fuel tank must allow it to sustain the vibration, inertia, and various kinds of impact load that it may experience while operating, without any error whatsoever. The total exhaustible volume for any tank must be enough to support 30 minutes of continuous operation at the very least, at maximum power.
Aircraft Fuel Tank Load Test
In addition, the useless fuel supply must be factored into each fuel quantity indicator. On 9 May 2019, a Cessna 550 level at FL 350 experienced an unexplained left engine rundown to idle and the crew began descent and a diversion to Savannah.
When the right engine also started to run down passing 8000 feet, an emergency was declared and the already-planned straight-in approach was successfully accomplished without any engine thrust. The ongoing investigation has already established that the likely cause was fuel contamination resulting from the inadvertent mixing of a required fuel additive with an unapproved substance known to form deposits which impede fuel flow when they accumulate on critical fuel system components.
On 27 March 2016 an ATR 42-500 had just departed Esbjerg when the right engine flamed out. It was decided to complete the planned short flight to Billund, but on the night IMC approach there, the remaining engine malfunctioned and lost power.
The approach was completed and the aircraft evacuated after landing. The Investigation found the left engine failed due to fuel starvation resulting from a faulty fuel quantity indication probably present since recent heavy maintenance and that the right engine had emitted flames during multiple compressor stalls to which it was vulnerable due to in-service deterioration and hot section
Why Are Aircraft Fuel Tanks Vented?
damages. There are a variety of tank testing standards available to ensure that the aircraft fuel tank is capable of enduring the stresses and forces encountered during the entire flight operation. One of the key goals is to make sure that tanks are sturdy enough to stay functioning and not distort under varying loads.
The ability to withstand vibrations without leaking is also a consideration. Tanks are put through their paces in the most extreme conditions possible. The structure supporting the fuel tank shall be designed for critical loads which could arise when flying or landing with fuel pressure loads.
For the primary filler aperture, each filler cap must offer a fuel-tight seal. Small apertures in the fuel tank cap may, however, be included for venting or allowing the passage of a fuel gauge through the lid.
The airplane must be electrically connected to the ground fueling equipment at all fueling stations (except pressure fueling connection points). since elsewhere I've read of technicians having to wear respirators and protective overalls. Presumably the lighter fuel fractions can be driven out with forced ventilation, but is a specific cleaning process required to remove less volatile compounds?
Safety Of Fuel Tanks
The venting system also helps to prevent fuel evaporation. As the aircraft climbs due to the reduction in pressure, the boiling point of fuel decreases. This evaporates fuel. The duct in the picture allows ram air to enter the fuel vent system, which pressurizes the fuel tanks and prevents the evaporation of fuel.
The fuel system in the aircraft that you fly has one purpose: Delivering a steady flow of fuel from the tanks to the engine so it doesn't miss a beat, regardless of power settings, the aircraft's altitude, or attitude.
Systems are either gravity fed—primarily used in high-wing aircraft—or employ fuel pumps, required by low-wing aircraft and those with fuel-injected engines. On 31 August 2019, all six occupants of an Airbus AS350 B3 being used for a sightseeing flight in northern Norway were killed after control was suddenly lost and the helicopter impacted the terrain below where the wreckage was immediately consumed by an intense fire.
The Investigation found no airworthiness issues which could have led to the accident and concluded that the loss of control had probably been due to servo transparency, a known limitation of the helicopter type. However, it was concluded that it was the absence of a crash-resistant fuel system which led to the fatalities.
How Big Is An Airplane Fuel Tank?
The fuel system has been meticulously developed to maximize system protection during both wheels-up landings and accident circumstances. To reduce the risk of gasoline leakage and ignition in the case of a wheel-up landing, fuel-system component parts are positioned in locations shielded by the aircraft structure and outside the "wipe-off" zone.
The fuselage skin and heavy structural elements absorb the energy of the landing shock and guard against scraping on the ground. Appropriate design and construction of a fuel tank play a significant function in the safety of the system of which the tank is a part.
Generally, intact fuel tanks are very safe, because the tank is filled with fuel vapor/air mixture that's effectively above the flammability limits, and thus cannot burn even when an ignition supply was present (which is limited).
On July 30 2008, a Boeing 777-200 being operated by Vietnam Airlines on a scheduled passenger flight landed at Narita in daylight and normal visibility and shortly afterwards experienced a right engine fire warning with the appropriate crew response following.
Multi-Engine Turboprop And Turbojet Aircraft
Subsequently, after the aircraft had arrived at the parking stand and all passengers and crew members had left the aircraft, the right engine caught fire again and this fire was extinguished by the Airport RFFS who were already in attendance.
There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained only minor damage. Placing tanks in the primary wings rather than close to the tail or nose additionally reduces the amount of weight that's off-center from the airplane's center of gravity, and which changes because it flies and which might make the plane much less efficient by requiring increased use
of elevators. Given their irregular shape and lack of windows, wings are sometimes unusable for the storage of cargo or seating of passengers. However, their hollow construction makes in-wing fuel storage possible and efficient use of space;
A small plane can have a fuel capacity of 4000–5000 liters, a mid-sized plane can have 26000–30000 liters, a wide-body jet can have 130000–190000 liters, and a very large jumbo jet can have 200000 to 323000 liters
Aircraft Fuel Tank System
liters. According to a maintenance person: "The residual is vacuumed or absorbed and the negative ventilation is applied. You can make entry almost immediately, although air monitoring is constant. We keep air moving through the tank anytime there is someone in the tank."
On 16 April 2014, a pre-flight concern about whether a Boeing 777-200ER about to depart Singapore had been overfueled was resolved by a manual check but an en-route fuel system alert led to close monitoring of the fuel system.
When a divergent discrepancy between the two independent fuel remaining sources became apparent, an uneventful precautionary air turnback was made and overfueling subsequently confirmed. The Investigation found that a system fault had caused overfuelling and that the manual check carried out to confirm the actual fuel load had failed to detect it because it had not been performed correctly.
Increasing the size and complexity of an aircraft will normally result in corresponding changes to the fuel system. These changes are likely to include more system automation, more fuel tanks, specific AFM requirements with respect to fuel distribution in flight and the sequence in which the tanks are to be filled on the ground or their contents used in flight, a reliable system indication and
Fuel-Carrying Components
alerting system, provisions for "single point" refueling and defueling and, in larger aircraft, provision for fuel dumping and/or for center of gravity optimization through fuel movement in flight. In our previous article, we learned about the Aircraft Fuel System and what role an Aircraft Fuel Pump plays in it.
In this article, we shall take another step ahead in this journey and learn further about another component of the aircraft fuel system, which is the Aircraft Fuel Tank. Crossfeed allows for fuel from one wing tank to be burned by the engine on the other wing.
In some cases, the fuel is routed directly from the tank to the engine while in others, it is transferred from one wing tank to the opposite wing tank before feeding to the engine. The crossfeed provision allows the pilot to use all of the fuel on board and to maintain lateral balance limitations in the event that a failure results in single engine operations.
Fuel-carrying components and lines are sometimes found in or near fire zones, posing a risk of fuel leakage. These components and wires are rendered fireproof inside the fire zones. The chance of leakage from the fuel line and components is reduced by enclosing the source with a second sealed barrier.
Aircraft Fuel Tank Outlet
Fuel systems differ enormously from aircraft to aircraft because of the relative size and complexity of the aircraft in which they're put. In essentially the most primary form, a fuel system will include a single, gravity feed fuel tank with the associated fuel line connecting it to the aircraft engine.
In a modern, multi-engine passenger or cargo aircraft, the fuel system is prone to include a number of fuel tanks that could be positioned within the wing or the fuselage (or both) and, in some instances, within the empange.
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