Design of a fuel transfer pump for

general aviation aircraft.

Tafadzwa Nigel Ncube (R201971T)

Supervisor: Mr Takawira
Introduction.
Fuel transfer in this case refers to the movement of fuel from the aircraft fuel tanks tsafe storage unit and vise versa.

General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft
operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work.

Aircraft defueling is mostly carried out for maintenance purposes.

It can also be done so as to reduce the aircraft weight in order to make it easy for placing it on jacks.

Once maintenance has been carried out there is need to refuel the aircraft.
Background.
For pressure fueled aircraft normally defuel through the pressure fueling port, this is usually for multi crew
aircraft.

Gravity defueling is the process of draining the tanks by opening the drain valves or petcocks of the aircraft fuel
system, this is normal for small aircraft in the general aviation sector.

It is a slow and dangerous process. (Global Security, 2023).

Problem statement.

Defueling through sump tank drains and refueling the aircraft with the fuel by means of a funnel and a special
bucket is time consuming, risks fuel contamination and is a hazard when improperly done.
Aim.
To design and fabricate external portable, cost effective, safe, adequate rate fuel pump prototype which can be
used in fuel transfer for small aircraft for maintenance purposes.
Objectives.

To design a pump which can be used to pump AVGAS or JET A1 aircraft fuels in
compliance with FAA, ICAO and CAAZ regulations.
To design a fuel pump which can pump fuel at a minimum rate of 40 litres per minute.
To design a pump with a maximum static head of 4.5 m
To inc-operate fuel quality monitoring system for the pump, and the use of special filters
to avoid the refueling of contaminated fuel.
To fabricate pump parts instead of ordering already manufactured parts
Questions.
What will be the primary use of the pump?

Why must the pump be used?

Where will the pump be used?

Who will use the pump?

When must the pump be used?

Hypothesis.
The use of a pump to drain and refill small aircraft with fuel will reduce the time and amount of labour required
to perform these tasks.

Proper transfer of fuel from the tank to proper storage facility, has an effect of not compromising the fuel quality
and can be reused.
Timeline.
Chapter Two: Literature Review.
1. Aviation fuel transfer standards and guidelines:
a) As per ICAO, FAA and CAAZ standards.
b) General Guidelines to be followed in fuel maintenance procedures.
2. Pump Technologies and Types:
a)Pump definition and general use
b) Types of pumps
c) Performance of a pump and factors affecting performance.
d) Sources of power
3. Jet A1 and AVGAS chemical and physical properties, contaminants they prone to.
cont…
4. Fuel contamination.
a)Common AVGAS and JET A1 contaminants and effects
b)Case study on Incidents involving contaminants.
c) Technologies in contamination detection.
5. Requirements for an ideal pump for AVGAS/ JET-A1.
a) Operational standards and specifications.
b) Material used for pump the fuel.
c) Safety and environmental considerations requirements.
cont…

6. Critique of pumps used as solutions to the project problem.

Chapter three: Methodology.
Possible solutions.

1. Centrifugal pump.
2. Membrane Pump.
3. Gear pump
Concept selection.

The diaphragm pump was chosen through the

matrix dominance method using criteria as shown
below.
 %

% A B C D E F G H I J

A % 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

B 0 % 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

C 0 1 % 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

D 0 0 0 % 1 0 1 1 0 0

E 0 0 0 0 % 0 1 1 0 1

F 0 0 0 1 1 % 1 1 0 0

G 0 0 0 0 0 0 % 0 1 0

H 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 % 0 0

I 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 % 0

J 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 %A