TURBINE FUEL SYSTEM

Turbine coding
Introduction
• To provide the engine with fuel in a form
suitable for combustion and control the flow of
fuel at the required quantity for:
– Starting
– Acceleration
– Stable running at all operating condition.
• Provides with dumping operation.
• Central refueling provision.
• Cross-feeding operation
Fuel Requirement
• Be pumpable and easily flow under all operating
condition.
• Permit engine start:
– On ground
– Flight relighting.
• Efficient combusting under all condition.
• Minimal harmful effect on combustion system
and turbine section.
• Positive adequate lubrication for moving part.
• Reduce fire hazard to minimum.
Turbine fuel properties and
characteristic
• High calorific and heating value (source of
energy).
– Heating value depend primarily on the type of
hydrocarbon present.
• Freezing point:- ranging from -40 to -76
deg F ( -40 to 60 deg C).
Type of turbine fuel
• Currently been used are:
– Jet A
– Jet A – 1
– Jet B
• Jet A and Jet A-1
– Both are kerosene type
– Freezing point – 40 deg C (Jet A) and -47 deg (Jet A1)
– Colorless or straw.
• Jet B
– Blended of kerosene and gasoline (30 kerosene & 70 gasoline)
– Freezing point -50 deg C
– Colorless or straw.
Fuel additives

• Prevent fuel icing

– PRIST to prevent ice and bacterial
contamination in aviation fuel.
– Pure EGME (ethylene glycol monomethyl
ether) primary ingredient of Prist additive.
Turbine fuel system

Fuel tank

Booster Baro
pump Lp cock Px ctrl

Lp wrn trx Lp filter Hp Accel

pump Ctrl unit
Manifold &
Mtr burners
valve

Throttle Hp Px
valve cock valve
Booster pump
• Located in lowest position in the fuel tank.
• Electrical driven.
• Purpose of booster pump:
– Maintained in the fuel line.
• prevent vapour lock.
• Ensure sufficient fuel supply to the engine driven pump
during high demand:
– Take-off
– Landing
– High power setting
– High altitude
• Fuel transfer - jet pump.
Low pressure cock

• Purpose isolate fuel supply from the

aircraft fuel tank to the engine during an
emergency.
• Manually or electrically controlled
Low pressure filter

• Consist of:
– Filter body
– Bowl
– Filter element.
• Prevent any
contaminates
reaching the
components of the
engine fuel system.
Low pressure filter
Fuel transfer ejectors

• Sometime called jet pump

• Located at lowest point in the tank.
• Function:
– Scavenge fuel to the boost pump sump.
Fuel heater
• Consist of:
– Series of joined tubes
– Oil shut-off valve and solenoid
– Control switch (manual).
• Purpose:
– To prevent ice formation in
fuel system.
– Maintained fuel temperature
between 35 to 37 deg F.
– Preheat fuel for improved
combustion.
– Cooled the oil.
• Used oil or bleed air.
• Continuously flow thru and oil
is regulated by shut-off valve.
Fuel heater
• Manual or automatic operation.
– Manual operation.
• Actuated by switch at the cockpit by pilot.
• Illumination of filter by-pass light when fuel temp
approaches 32 deg F.
• Energized the solenoid – open the shut off valve, allow oil
flow through the heater.
• On one minute prior to take-off.
• On one minute during each 30 minute in flight.
• Operation of the heater during;
– Take-off
– Approach
– Go-round
Causes engine surging and flameout
Fuel heater

• Automatic operation
– Set maintained fuel temp between 35 to 37
deg F.
– Cycle time automatically control by electric
time and gate valve.
– System operation verify by the
• EPR gauge
• Filter by-pass warning light.
Engine-driven pumps
• Positive displacement.
• Driven by the engine accessories gears.
• Designed to delivered continuous fuel supply to
the FCU.
• Ensure satisfactory atomization.
• One or two gear elements.
• Incorporated with centrifugal boost pump.
– Reduce pump cavitations.
• Check valve to prevent fuel draining out during
engine shutdown.
Engine driven fuel pump
Engine driven pump assembly
High pressure fuel filter

• Utilized fine mesh filter.

• Located between high pressure pump and
FCU.
• Between 10 to 25 micron.
Water injection
• Increased the engine thrust.
• Compensated for the;
– Density and
– Weight of air flow through the engine.
• Utilized mixture of water and methanol.
• Injected of water into;
– Air inlet or
– Diffuser section just a head of combustion or
– Both location.
Water injection
• Consist of;
– Cockpit switch;
• Arm the circuit
– Water pump control relay
– Power to fuel control microswitch.
– Throttle
• Advance throttle to ‘Take Off’;
– Actuate switch power the water pump ctrl valve.
– Allowing bleed air valve drive the water pump.
– The pump provide 200 to 300 psig.
– Pressure sensing tube – alert the FCU schedule more fuel when
water injection is activated.
– Deactivated by cockpit switch.
– Tank float switch – automatically close water pump ctrl valve
when tank is empty. And prevent system operation if the circuit
is activated with the empty tank.
– Purge provision to prevent freezing.
Water injection
Fuel control unit
Fuel Control Unit (FCU)
• Heart of the engine.
• Control and metered fuel by weight.
• Metered the correct fuel to combustion chamber
– fuel and air mixture 15:1 by weight.
• Prevent:
– Flameout
• Acceleration (rich blown out)
• Deceleration (lean die out)
– Over temperature
– Over speed
Fuel Control Unit
• Control and metered fuel flow in accordance to the:
– Throttle setting.
– Compressor inlet air pressure.
– Compressor inlet temperature.
– Compressor discharge pressure.
– Engine RPM.
– Turbine temperature;
• Inlet
• Tailpipe
• 3 type of FCU:
– Hydro mechanical.
– Hydro-pneumatic.
– Electronic forces.
Hydro-mechanical
• Divided into two metering section:
– Metering section.
– Computing section.
• Metering section consist of:
– Fuel pump assembly (engine driven).
– Metering valve.
• Metered fuel flow by the inputs.
• Minimum fuel stop – ensure adequate fuel supply during
idle power setting.
– Fuel shut-off valve (Hp cock).
• Provide positive mean of cut fuel flow
• Ensure correct fuel pressure build up within FCU during
engine start cycle.
• Electrically, mechanically or pneumatic control.
Hydro-mechanical
• Computing section consist of:
– Governor (RPM).
• Input by throttle.
• Engine RPM
– Servo valve.
• As dampener, slow and smooth movement of the metering
valve.
– Two bellows;
• Burner pressure bellows.
– Inc px – inc fuel flow.
• Inlet pressure bellows.
– Inc px – inc fuel flow.
Hydro-mechanical
Thrust vs. acceleration time
Hydro-pneumatic

• Utilized pneumatic computation.

– Base on power lever.
– Governor RPM.
– Compressor discharge air (P3).
– Outside air pressure (P0).
Hydro-pneumatic
Electronic

• Function
– Schedule proper amount of fuel.
– Fuel saving.
– Increased reliability.
– Reduce pilot workload.
– Reducing maintenance cost.
– Prolong engine life.
• Prevent engine over temperature.
• Prevent engine over speed.
• Utilized
– Supervisory electronic engine control (EEC).
– Full-Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).
Supervisory EEC
• Consist of;
– Hydro-mechanical FCU.
• Starting
• Idle
• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Shutdown
– Electronic control
• Monitor engine parameter and schedule the fuel flow
obtained selected EPR.
• Limit engine’s operating speed and temperature.
• Should supervisory EEC malfunction, control
automatically revert back to hydro-mechanical
FCU.
Full-Authority Engine Digital Control

FADEC
• Virtually support engine operation during all phase of flight.
– Starting, acceleration, deceleration, takeoff, climb, cruise and idle.
• Data received from aircraft system and issue command to engine control
actuators.
• Fully redundant.
• Two-channel EEC. A primary and B secondary.
– Information from either two channel.
– Input from
• Engine speed (N1 and N2)
• Throttle position
• Bleed air status
• Aircraft altitude
• Total air inlet pressure and temperature
• Stator vane angle
• Fuel flow rate
• Oil temperature
• Turbine exhaust pressure and temperature
• Burner pressure
• Should both channel fail, the actuators are spring loaded to fail safe
position – minimum fuel flow
Parameter sensed and control
FADEC
Fuel nozzle

• Received fuel from fuel manifold.

• Located/attached at the diffuser extended
into the inlet of the combustion.
• Provide the fine fuel droplet.
• Classified as:
– Atomizing
– Vaporizing
Atomizing Nozzles

• Delivered fuel in atomized spray pattern.

• Cone shaped sprayed pattern.
• Common type of atomization:
– Simplex.
– Duplex.
– Spill.
– Variable port.
– Air-spray
Simplex Nozzle
• Single spray pattern.
• Consist of:
– Spin chamber.
– Check valve.
• Prevent fuel dribbling out
from fuel manifold after
engine shut down.
• Open at fuel pressure
between 5 to 10 psi.
• Disadvantage; not atomized
well during:
– Low fuel pressure.
– Slow RPM.
– Primer improved engine
starting.
Duplex fuel nozzle
• Consist of;
– Two independent orifice.
• Primary
– Start
– idle
• Secondary
– Encircle the center orifice
– Increased fuel flow above idle
– Narrow the flame at high power setting
– Prevent orifice fouling
– Offer better;
• Fuel atomization.
• Uniform spray pattern.
• Atomization at low flow.
Duplex fuel nozzle
• Two type
– Single-line
• Consist of;
– Single line.
– Flow divider
– Dual discharge orifice
– Spin chamber
– Air bleed hole: cooling, prevent fuel back flow into secondary
orifice and carbonizing.
– Dual-line
• Similar to the single-line additional equipped with two supply
fuel line.
Duplex single-line
Duplex dual-line
Spill-type fuel nozzle
• Used on high pressure fuel
supply.
• Utilized the simplex fuel
nozzle.
• Fuel spilling from swirl
chamber passages.
• At low power excess fuel
return to nozzle inlet.
• Advantage improved
atomization at all speed.
• Disadvantage excess heat
generate by recirculation large
volume of fuel.
Variable-type port/Lubbock nozzle

• Utilized spring and piston to varies the orifices.

• At low fuel pressure small opening of orifices.
• Orifices fully open at high fuel pressure.
• Provide proper atomize fuel over wide range of
fuel flow rates.
• Disadvantage due to sliding piston sticking by
dirt particles in the fuel.
Variable-type port/Lubbock nozzle
Air-spray nozzle
• Utilized the primary air to
aerate fuel spray.
– Minimized local rich-fuel
concentration.
– Reduce carbon formation.
– Reduce exhaust smoke.
– Require comparatively
lighter gear-type pump for
atomizer at low pressure.
Vaporizing nozzle
• Premixed fuel and air in a
vaporizing tube.
• Extended into the combustion
chamber;
– Allow heated air surrounding
to vaporized before exiting
into combustion flame zone.
• Disadvantage inefficient spray
pattern for starting.
– Additional small atomizing-
type spray nozzles installed
aid for engine starting.
• Two type.
– Cane-shaped one outlet
– T – shaped two outlet
Nozzle malfunctions

• Distorted spray pattern due to plugged

fuel nozzle will causes:
– Combustion flame come into contact with
combustion liner.
– Hot streaking by the unatomized stream of
burning fuel strike the turbine. (immediate
correction require)
At low fuel pressure a continuous
film of fuel is formed known as
“Bubble”
At intermediate fuel pressure the
film breaks up at the edge to form
a “Tulip”.
At high fuel pressure the tulip
shortens toward the finely atomized
spray.
Fuel nozzle spray pattern
Pressurization and dump valve
• Commonly known as P&D valve.
• Incorporated with the dual line duplex nozzle.
• Purpose;
– Ensure sufficient fuel pressure within the FCU to
maintain correct fuel metering.
– Ensure sufficient fuel pressure for primary and
secondary fuel manifold
– Dump all the fuel in the two fuel manifold upon
engine shut down.
• Consist of;
– Spring loaded pressurizing valve and dump valve.
Pressurizing and dump valve
Drain valve
• Allow the unburned fuel to be drain out from
fuel manifold during engine shut down;
– Storage tank,
• Manually drain.
– Sent to recovery system.
• Drain fuel return to the supply tank when cut off lever
actuated.
– Use bleed air force fuel out the nozzle into
combustion chamber – combustion continue until fuel
starvation.
• Open by spring and closed by burner pressure.
Drain valves
Turbine fuel control maintenance

• Field maintenance;
– Control replacement.
– Adjustment.
• Idle speed.
• Maximum speed.
– Refer as trimming.

• Purpose of rimming;
– Ensure the availability of maximum thrust
obtained.
Trimming of FCU

• Carried out whenever;

– Engine change.
– Control linkage adjustment.
• Cushion and springback
– Deterioration of engine efficiency.
– Wear and tear of engine control.
Manual trimming procedure

• Refer appropriate aircraft

maintenance manual
• Installed the EPR or turbine
discharge calibrated instrument.
• Calibrated tachometer to read N2
rpm.
• Aircraft headed to the wind.
• If trimming required either on idle
or maximum power;
– Most manufacturer recommended
the final adjustment must be
made in the INCREASE
DIRECTION.
– If over adjustment, the trim
should be decrease BELOW target
value, then increased back to the
desired value.
Adjustment on the FCU
Trimming
Turbine fuel system

Fuel tank

Baro
Px ctrl

Lp wrn trx Accel

Ctrl unit

Mtr
valve

Px
valve