A fuel system for a mobile platform is provided. The system includes a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly having a single crossfeed valve that controls fuel consumption from a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank. The system additionally includes a balancing fuel transfer assembly fluidly conne
A fuel system for a mobile platform is provided. The system includes a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly having a single crossfeed valve that controls fuel consumption from a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank. The system additionally includes a balancing fuel transfer assembly fluidly connected to the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly. The balancing fuel transfer assembly includes a plurality of fuel balancing valves for controlling a transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks. The fuel system further includes a fuel balancing controller for automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to automatically control the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel system for a mobile platform, said system comprising: a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly including a single crossfeed valve that controls fuel flow from a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank; a balancing fuel transfer assembly fluidly connected to the crossfeed
What is claimed is: 1. A fuel system for a mobile platform, said system comprising: a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly including a single crossfeed valve that controls fuel flow from a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank; a balancing fuel transfer assembly fluidly connected to the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly, the balancing fuel transfer assembly including a plurality of fuel balancing valves for controlling a transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks; and a fuel balancing controller for automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to control the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly further comprises at least one first fuel boost pump fluidly connected to a crossfeed pipe fluidly connected between the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank for pumping fuel from the first fuel tank, and at least one second fuel boost pump fluidly connected to the cross feed pipe for pumping fuel from the second fuel tank. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the balancing fuel transfer assembly further comprises: the first and second boost pumps; a first fuel pressure orifice included in a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks for maintaining proper fuel pressure to a first engine supplied fuel from the first fuel tank; and a second fuel pressure orifice included in the balancing pipe for maintaining proper fuel pressure to a second engine supplied fuel from the second fuel tank. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel balancing valves comprise: a first defuel valve and a first refuel valve that control fuel flow out of the first fuel tank and into the second fuel tank through a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks; and a second defuel valve and a second refuel valve that control fuel flow out of the second fuel tank and into the first fuel tank through the balancing pipe. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel balancing valves comprise: a first defuel valve and a first refuel valve that control fuel flow out of a center fuel tank and into the second fuel tank through a first portion a crossfeed pipe and a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks; and a second defuel valve and a second refuel valve that control fuel flow out of the center fuel tank and into the first fuel tank through a second portion of the crossfeed pipe and the balancing pipe. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a mobile platform operator manually controlled fuel balance switch electronically connected to the fuel balancing controller for initiating the transfer of fuel to first and second fuel tanks via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically controls the fuel balancing valves to automatically control the direction of fuel flow through a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically controls the fuel balancing valves to terminate the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 9. A method for approximately balancing fuel levels between a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank of a mobile platform, said method comprising: reducing the fuel level in whichever of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank contains a higher level of fuel using a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly to pump fuel from whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains the higher level of fuel through a crossfeed pipe to both a first engine and a second engine to provide fuel for substantially simultaneously operating both the first and the second engines until the level of fuel contained in the first and second fuel tanks is approximately equal, wherein the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly includes the crossfeed pipe fluidly connected between the first and second fuel tanks and a single crossfeed valve for controlling fuel flow through crossfeed pipe; and increasing the fuel level in whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains a lower level of fuel using a balancing fuel transfer assembly to transfer fuel to whichever of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank contains the lower level of fuel through a fuel balancing pipe until the level of fuel contained in the first and second fuel tanks is approximately equal when a failure occurs in the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly, wherein the balancing fuel transfer assembly includes a plurality of fuel balancing valves automatically controlled by a fuel balancing controller for controlling the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks through a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein reducing the fuel level using the balancing fuel transfer assembly comprises manually activating a fuel balance switch electronically connected to the fuel balancing controller for initiating the transfer of fuel to whichever of the first and second fuel tanks contains the lower level of fuel, via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein increasing the fuel level using the balancing fuel transfer assembly comprises automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to control the direction of fuel flow through the balancing pipe, via the fuel balancing controller. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein increasing the fuel level using the balancing fuel transfer assembly comprises automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to terminate the transfer of fuel to whichever of the first and second fuel tanks contains the lower level of fuel, via the fuel balancing controller. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein increasing the fuel level using the balancing fuel transfer assembly comprises automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to transfer fuel from a center fuel tank to whichever of the first and second fuel tanks contains the lower level of fuel, via the fuel balancing controller. 14. The method of claim 9, wherein increasing the fuel level using the balancing fuel transfer assembly comprises automatically controlling the fuel balancing valves to transfer fuel from whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains the higher level of fuel to the respective first or second fuel tank containing the lower level of fuel, via the fuel balancing controller. 15. A mobile platform fuel system, said system comprising: a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly including: a single crossfeed valve that controls fuel flow through a crossfeed pipe fluidly connected at a first distal end portion to a first fuel tank and fluidly connected at an opposing second distal end portion to a second fuel tank; at least one first fuel boost pump fluidly connected to the crossfeed pipe for pumping fuel from the first fuel tank; and at least one second fuel boost pump fluidly connected to the cross feed pipe for pumping fuel from the second fuel tank; a balancing fuel transfer assembly including: the first and second boost pumps and the first and second distal end portions of the crossfeed pipe; a first defuel valve that controls fuel flow out of the first fuel tank through a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks; at least one first refuel valve that controls fuel flow into the second fuel tank through the balancing pipe; a second defuel valve that controls fuel flow out of the second fuel tank through the balancing pipe; and at least one second refuel valve that controls fuel flow into the first fuel tank through the balancing pipe; and a fuel balancing controller for automatically controlling a transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks, via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the balancing fuel transfer assembly further comprises: a first fuel pressure orifice included in the balancing pipe for maintaining proper fuel pressure to a first engine supplied fuel from the first fuel tank; and a second fuel pressure orifice included in the balancing pipe for maintaining proper fuel pressure to a second engine supplied fuel from the second fuel tank. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further includes a mobile platform operator manually controlled fuel balance switch electronically connected to the fuel balancing controller for initiating the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically controls the first and second defuel valves and the first and second refuel valves to control a transfer of fuel between the first and second fuel tanks. 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically controls the first and second defuel valves and the first and second refuel valves to control a transfer of fuel from a center fuel tank to one of the first and second fuel tanks. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile platform operator manually controlled fuel balance switch is further adapted to terminate the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks, via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first boost pump is adapted to: pump fuel from the first fuel tank to the first engine; and substantially simultaneously pump fuel through the balancing pipe from the first fuel tank to the second fuel tank as controlled by the first defuel valve. 22. The system of claim 15, wherein the second boost pump is adapted to: pump fuel from the second fuel tank to the second engine; and substantially simultaneously pump fuel through the balancing pipe from the second fuel tank to the first fuel tank as controlled by the second defuel valve. 23. The system of claim 15, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically controls the first and second defuel valves and the first and second refuel valve to automatically control the direction of fuel flow through the balancing pipe. 24. The system of claim 15, wherein the fuel balancing controller automatically terminates the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks via the balancing fuel transfer assembly. 25. A method for approximately balancing fuel levels between a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank of a mobile platform, said method comprising: increasing the fuel level in whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains a lower level of fuel using a balancing fuel transfer assembly to transfer fuel to whichever of the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank contains the lower level of fuel through a fuel balancing pipe until the level of fuel contained in the first and second fuel tanks is approximately equal, wherein the balancing fuel transfer assembly includes a plurality of fuel balancing valves automatically controlled by a fuel balancing controller for controlling the transfer of fuel to the first and second fuel tanks through a balancing pipe fluidly connecting the first and second fuel tanks; and reducing the fuel level in whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains the higher level of fuel using a crossfeed fuel transmission assembly to pump fuel from whichever of the first and second fuel tank contains the higher level of fuel through a crossfeed pipe to both a first engine and a second engine to provide fuel for substantially simultaneously operating both the first and the second engines until the level of fuel contained in the first and second fuel tanks is approximately equal when a failure occurs in the balancing fuel transfer assembly, wherein the crossfeed fuel transmission assembly includes the crossfeed pipe fluidly connected between the first and second fuel tanks and a single crossfeed valve for controlling fuel flow through crossfeed pipe.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
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