Aircraft Fuel Systems

By: Eric Spoor

Information in this section was taken from:

Aircraft Maintenance and Repair p.467-504
Transport Category Aircraft Systems p.6-1 through 6-28

Aircraft Fuel
Reciprocating engine fuels
Turbine engine fuels

Jet A which is Kerosene

Jet B a blend of kerosene and
gasoline
Jet A-1 used for operation at
extremely low temperatures

Jet A and Jet B are the most common

Fuel System Contamination

The higher the viscosity of the fuel, the greater

its ability to hold contaminants in suspension
This is why jet fuels, which have a higher viscosity
than av-gas, are also more susceptible to
contamination than av-gas
The main contaminants that reduce the quality of
fuel are:

Other petroleum products

Water
Rust
Scale
Dirt

Water Contamination

Water contamination in fuel can be in two

forms:

Water in fuel can cause icing in the aircraft

fuel system, usually in:

Dissolved in the fuel

Entrained or suspended in the fuel

Boost pump screens

Low pressure filters

Large amounts of water can cause engine

stoppage

Microbial Growth

Microbial Growth is produced by various

forms of micro-organisms that live and
multiply in water which is in jet fuel
These micro-organisms form slime that can
be red, brown, green, or black
The organisms feed on hydrocarbons in the
fuel but require water to multiply
This buildup can:

Interfere with fuel flow and quantity indications

Start electrolytic corrosive action

Contamination Detection
Coarse fuel contamination can be
detected visually
Uncontaminated fuel should be:

Clean
Bright
Contain no perceptible free water

Contamination Detection
(cont.)

Clean means the absence of any readily

visible sediment or entrained water
Bright refers to the shiny appearance of
clean, dry fuel
Free water is indicated by a cloud, haze,
or water slug

Water saturated in fuel is not always visible

Perfectly clear water can contain as much as
three times the acceptable limit

Contamination Detection
(cont.)

There is no accurate method of detecting

fuel entrained water when it is frozen
For this reason, it is important that fuel is
checked when the water is in a liquid state

This should not be done following a flight at

altitude when the fuel would be below 32
degrees F
It is more effective to drain the fuel after the
fuel has set undisturbed for a period of time,
allowing the water to precipitate and settle to
the drain point

Fuel Systems

The purpose of an aircraft fuel system is

to store and deliver the proper amount of
clean fuel at the correct pressure to the
engine
Fuel systems should provide positive and
reliable fuel flow through all phases of
flight including:

Changes in altitude
Violent maneuvers
Sudden acceleration and deceleration

Fuel Systems (cont.)

Fuel systems should also

continuously monitor system
operation such as:
Fuel pressure
Fuel flow
Warning signals
Tank quantity

Types of Fuel Systems

Fuel systems can be classified in two

broad categories:
Gravity-Feed Systems
Pressure-Feed Systems

Gravity-Feed Systems
Gravity-Feed Systems use only the
force of gravity to push fuel to the
engine fuel-control mechanism
The bottom of the fuel tank must be
high enough to provide adequate
pressure to the fuel-control
component

This type of system is often used in

high-wing light aircraft

Pressure-Feed Systems

Pressure-Feed Systems require the use of a fuel

pump to provide fuel-pressure to the engines
fuel-control component
There are two main reasons these systems are
necessary:

The fuel tanks are too low to provide enough pressure

from gravity
The fuel tanks are a great distance from the engine

Also, most large aircraft with higher powered

engines require a pressure system regardless of
the fuel tank location because of the large
volume of fuel used by the engines

Fuel System Components

Pumps
Tanks
Lines
Valves
Fuel Flow-meters
Filters and
Strainers

Quantity Indicators
Warning
Components
Fuel Drains
Heaters

Fuel Pumps

Fuel pumps are used to move fuel

through the system then gravity feed is
insufficient
There are three main functions of fuel
pumps, they are to move fuel from:

The tanks to the engines

One tank to another
The engine back to the tanks

Fuel-Pump Requirements
Engine fuel systems require main
pumps and in some systems
emergency pumps
These requirements depend on the
type of engines installed on the
aircraft

Reciprocating-Engine FuelPump Requirements

Reciprocating-engines which are not

gravity-fed require:
At least one main pump for each engine
These pumps must be engine-driven
The pump capacity must capable of
providing enough fuel flow for all
operations

Turbine-Engine Fuel-Pump
Requirements

Turbine-Engines require:
At least one main pump for each engine
Main pump power supply must be
independent of all other main pump
power supplies
Each positive-displacement main pump
must be able to be bypassed

Turbine-Engine Fuel-Pump
Requirements (cont.)

Turbine-engines also require emergency

pumps

The emergency pump must be immediately

available to supply fuel to the engine in the event
of a main pump failure
Emergency pump power supplies must be
independent of that of the corresponding main
pump
If both the emergency and main pumps operate
continuously, there must be some means of
alerting the flight crew of a failure of either pump

Fuel Pump Classification

One way to classify fuel pumps is
according to the pumps function
These classifications are:

Boost Pump
Scavenge Pump
Cross-feed Pumps

Fuel Pump Classification

Another way to classify fuel pumps
is by their method of operation
These pumps are:

Vane-type
Variable-volume

Centrifugal
Ejector

Vane-Type Pumps
Vane-type fuel pumps are the most
common
They use a rotor which turns vanes
in a cylinder, the vanes act to push
the fuel through the system
Vane-type pumps can have from two
to six vanes and they may be
variable volume also

Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps are used to move
fuel from one tank to another or
from the fuel tank to the engine
They are electrically driven and
some may operate at different
speeds

Ejector Pumps
An ejector pump is normally used to
scavenge fuel from remote areas
These pumps have no moving parts
they rely on return fuel from the
engine to pump the fuel
Ejector pumps work on the venturi
principle

Fuel Tanks
Fuel systems on different aircraft
may use several types of fuel tanks
The three basic types of fuel tanks
used on aircraft are:

Integral
Rigid Removable
Bladder

Integral Fuel Tanks

Integral Fuel Tanks are commonly located in the

aircrafts wings or fuselage
These tanks are ones that are built into the structure
of the aircraft and generally can not be removed
Integral Fuel Tanks are formed by the actual
structure of the aircraft
The seams are sealed, usually with synthetic rubber,
to produce an area inside the aircraft structure which
will contain the fuel
This type of tank is used in some light highperformance aircraft and turbine-powered transports

Rigid Removable Fuel Tanks

Rigid removable fuel tanks are often made

of aluminum components that are welded
together
These tanks are installed in compartments
specifically made for the tank
The tanks may be held in place with
padded straps
This type of tank is often found on more
expensive light aircraft and reciprocatingengine-powered transports

Bladder Type Fuel Tanks

Bladder type fuel tanks are basically a

reinforced rubberized bag
These tanks are installed in compartments
which support the weight of the fuel
The tank is held in place with buttons or
snaps on the bottom and sides of the tank
This type of tank is usually found on light
aircraft and some turboprop and turbinepowered aircraft

Fuel Lines

Fuel lines on aircraft are either made of

rigid metal tubing or flexible hose
Most of the fuel lines are the rigid type
which are usually made of aluminum
alloys
The flexible hose fuel lines are either
made of synthetic rubber or Teflon
The diameter of tubing used is decided by
the engines fuel requirements

Valves

Fuel selector valves are used in

aircraft fuel systems to:
Shut off fuel flow
Cross-feed
Transfer fuel

Selector valves may be operated

manually or electrically depending
on the installation

Filters and Strainers

Fuel is usually strained at three points in

the system
Through a finger or bootstrap strainer in
the bottom of the fuel tank
Through a master strainer which is
usually located at the lowest point in the
system
Through a third strainer near the fuel
control unit

Quantity Indicators

Mechanical
Inverted float gauge
Rotating dial gauge
Upright float gauge
Sight-glass gauge

Resistance
Capacitance

Fuel Subsystems
Some aircraft fuel subsystems allow
for fuel:
Jettison
Heating
Cross-Feeding

Fuel Jettison
The fuel jettison system comprises a
combination of fuel lines, valves,
and pumps provided to dump fuel
overboard during an in-flight
emergency
This will reduce the weight of the
aircraft so an emergency landing is
possible

Fuel Heating
Fuel heating is necessary for turbine
engines to thaw ice particles in the
fuel that would otherwise clog the
filters
Fuel is routed through a heat
exchanger that uses either engine oil
or compressor bleed air to bring the
fuel up to an acceptable temperature

Cross Feeding
Cross feed systems allow the flow of
fuel from any of the tanks to any of
the engines
Some reasons that this system might
be used are:

Engine failure
Problem with one or more fuel tanks
Redistribute fuel for weight and balance
purposes