An aircraft hybrid fuel system includes a main tank and a set of flexible bladders, the main tank and the set of flexible bladders defining a fuel containment space. The system further includes a set of pathways coupling the set of flexible bladders to the main tank. The set of pathways is construct
An aircraft hybrid fuel system includes a main tank and a set of flexible bladders, the main tank and the set of flexible bladders defining a fuel containment space. The system further includes a set of pathways coupling the set of flexible bladders to the main tank. The set of pathways is constructed and arranged to vent gas out of the set of flexible bladders into the main tank while fuel from a fuel source is provided into the fuel containment space defined by the main tank and the set of flexible bladders. Along these lines, each flexible bladder can be provisioned with a fuel port to provide fuel, and a separate vent port to vent gas to the main tank.
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1. An aircraft hybrid fuel system, comprising: a main tank;a set of flexible bladders, the main tank and the set of flexible bladders defining a fuel containment space; anda set of pathways coupling the set of flexible bladders to the main tank, the set of pathways being constructed and arranged to
1. An aircraft hybrid fuel system, comprising: a main tank;a set of flexible bladders, the main tank and the set of flexible bladders defining a fuel containment space; anda set of pathways coupling the set of flexible bladders to the main tank, the set of pathways being constructed and arranged to vent gas out of the set of flexible bladders into the main tank while fuel from a fuel source is provided into the fuel containment space defined by the main tank and the set of flexible bladders; wherein each flexible bladder includes a venting end and a sealed end; wherein the set of pathways couples the venting end of each flexible bladder to the main tank; and wherein, when the aircraft is oriented at an angle in which the venting end of each flexible bladder is positioned above the sealed end of that flexible bladder, fuel provided into the fuel containment space fills the sealed end of each flexible bladder prior to filling the venting end of that flexible bladder. 2. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 1 wherein each flexible bladder includes (i) a container portion, (ii) a venting port coupling the container portion to the main tank through a respective venting tube of the set of pathways, and (iii) a fuel port constructed and arranged to allow fuel to pass into and out of the container portion, the fuel port being separate from the venting port. 3. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 2, further comprising: a transfer pump which is interconnected between the fuel port of each flexible bladder and the main tank, the transfer pump being constructed and arranged to pump fuel from the set of flexible bladders to the main tank during operation. 4. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 3, further comprising: a bypass valve which is interconnected between the fuel port of each flexible bladder and the main tank, the bypass valve being constructed and arranged to transition between (i) a closed state in which no fuel passes therethrough and (ii) an open state which provides a bypass valve path between the main tank and the set of flexible bladders, the bypass valve path running parallel to a transfer pump path provided by the transfer pump during operation. 5. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 4 wherein the main tank includes a hard tank; and wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system further comprises: a positive pressure check valve coupled to the hard tank to permit fuel to escape from the hard tank under a predefined positive pressure, anda negative pressure check valve coupled to the hard tank to permit air to pass into the hard tank to prevent occurrence of negative pressure in the hard tank. 6. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 1 wherein the set of flexible bladders includes a left wing bladder disposed in a left wing of the aircraft and a right wing bladder disposed in a right wing of the aircraft; and wherein the left wing bladder and the right wing bladder are constructed and arranged to expand in response to fueling from the fuel source, and collapse as fuel is pumped from the left wing bladder and the right wing bladder into the main tank. 7. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 1, further comprising: a fuel delivery regulator coupled to the main tank, the fuel delivery regulator being constructed and arranged to deliver fuel from the main tank to an engine of the aircraft. 8. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 7, further comprising: a transfer pump which is interconnected between the set of flexible bladders and the main tank, the transfer pump being constructed and arranged to pump fuel from the set of flexible bladders to the main tank during operation. 9. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 8 wherein the fuel delivery regulator and the transfer pump are constructed and arranged to operate independently to enable discontinuation of operation of the transfer pump once fuel originally within the set of flexible bladders has been transferred to the main tank while continuing to operate the fuel delivery regulator to continue delivery of fuel from the main tank to the engine of the aircraft. 10. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 1, further comprising: a fuel port which provides direct access to the main tank; andwherein the aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);wherein the fuel source is an external portable fuel tank; andwherein the fuel port supports delivery of fuel from the external portable fuel tank into the main tank, the fuel filling the set of flexible bladders and venting gas from the set of flexible bladders into the main tank as the fuel is delivered through the fuel port of the UAV. 11. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: an airframe;an engine supported by the airframe; andan aircraft hybrid fuel system supported by the airframe and coupled to the engine, the aircraft hybrid fuel system including:a main tank,a set of flexible bladders, the main tank and the set of flexible bladders defining a fuel containment space, anda set of pathways coupling the set of flexible bladders to the main tank, the set of pathways being constructed and arranged to vent gas out of the set of flexible bladders into the main tank while fuel from a fuel source is provided into the fuel containment space defined by the main tank and the set of flexible bladders; wherein each flexible bladder includes a venting end and a sealed end; wherein the set of pathways couples the venting end of each flexible bladder to the main tank; and wherein, when the UAV is oriented at an angle in which the venting end of each flexible bladder is positioned above the sealed end of that flexible bladder, fuel provided into the fuel containment space fills the sealed end of each flexible bladder prior to filling the venting end of that flexible bladder. 12. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 11 wherein the airframe includes a left wing and a right wing; wherein the set of flexible bladders includes a left wing bladder disposed in the left wing and a right wing bladder disposed in the right wing; andwherein the left wing bladder and the right wing bladder are constructed and arranged to expand in response to fueling from the fuel source, and collapse as fuel is pumped from the left wing bladder and the right wing bladder into the main tank. 13. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 11 wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system further includes: a fuel delivery regulator interconnected between the engine and the main tank of the aircraft hybrid fuel system, the fuel delivery regulator being constructed and arranged to deliver fuel from the main tank to the engine. 14. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 11 wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system further includes: a fuel port which provides direct access to the main tank;wherein the fuel source is an external portable fuel tank; andwherein the fuel port supports delivery of fuel from the external portable fuel tank into the main tank, the fuel filling the set of flexible bladders and venting gas from the set of flexible bladders into the main tank as the fuel is delivered through the fuel port. 15. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 1 wherein each flexible bladder of the set of flexible bladders is constructed and arranged to collapse as fuel volume shrinks within that flexible bladder due to fuel being drawn from that flexible bladder. 16. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 15 wherein, after each flexible bladder has been depleted of fuel, the main tank sustains positive pressure due to deactivation of at least some of the pathways connecting the main tank to the set of flexible bladders. 17. An aircraft hybrid fuel system as in claim 2 wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system is constructed and arranged to be tilted from an initial angle to a refueling angle in which the venting port of each flexible bladder resides at a higher height than the fuel port of that flexible bladder when refueling the aircraft hybrid fuel system to express gas from that flexible bladder into the main tank through the venting port while, concurrently, fuel flows from the main tank into that flexible bladder through the fuel port. 18. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 11 wherein each flexible bladder of the aircraft hybrid fuel system includes (i) a container portion, (ii) a venting port coupling the container portion to the main tank through a respective venting tube of the set of pathways, and (iii) a fuel port constructed and arranged to allow fuel to pass into and out of the container portion, the fuel port being separate from the venting port. 19. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 18 wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system further includes: a transfer pump which is interconnected between the fuel port of each flexible bladder andthe main tank, the transfer pump being constructed and arranged to pump fuel from the set of flexible bladders to the main tank during operation. 20. An unmanned aerial vehicle as in claim 19 wherein the aircraft hybrid fuel system further includes: a bypass valve which is interconnected between the fuel port of each flexible bladder and the main tank, the bypass valve being constructed and arranged to transition between (i) a closed state in which no fuel passes therethrough and (ii) an open state which provides a bypass valve path between the main tank and the set of flexible bladders, the bypass valve path running parallel to a transfer pump path provided by the transfer pump during operation.
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