This document discusses aircraft fuel systems. It begins by noting that an aircraft's fuel system has a profound impact on performance and that without fuel the mission ends abruptly. It then describes the different types of fuel used for civilian and military aircraft. It outlines the typical fuel tank configurations including integral, rigid removable, and bladder tanks. It details the main components of a fuel system including main tanks, header tanks, gravity feed, electric pumps, and how fuel is distributed around the center of gravity. The document discusses fuel dumping systems, in-flight refueling techniques, and provides references for further information.

1. Aircraft Fuel Systems
AIAA Team 1 (Shelley Biagi & Curtis Black)
A/C Design Class
Tuesday, September 19, 2006

2. Business and Commercial Aviation Magazine
 “An aircraft's fuel system has a more
profound effect on aircraft performance than
any other airframe system. Without fuel, the
mission inevitably comes to an abrupt stop
and, unless the flight crew is very, very lucky,
the ensuing forced landing will cause severe
or catastrophic aircraft damage.” ~ Fred
George, 6/20/06 http://www.avweek.com/avnow/news/channel_bca_story.jsp?
id=news/fuel0606.xml

3. Fuel Types
 Civilian
 Jet A
 Jet A-1
 Jet B
 Military
 JP-4
 JP-5
 JP-8

4. Typical Fuel Tanks
 Integral
 Rigid Removable
 Bladder
 Rule of Thumb for max. fuel volume: 85% for wing
tanks and 92% for fuselage tanks, measured to the
external skin surface (exception: bladder tanks, 77%
and 83%, respectively)
 External

5. Components
Main Tanks
Header Tank (separate from main tanks, holds
enough fuel for engines to run during
complicated maneuvers)
Gravity Feed (small aircraft only)
Electric/Engine-driven Fuel Pumps

6. Fuel distributed around center of
gravity

7. Fuel Dumping Systems
 Needed to meet landing weight limits of
landing gear or runway length
 System of fuel pumps and valves
 Usually ejected from wingtips
 Sometimes from aft-most point of fuselage
 Usually designed to allow the plane to go
from max take-off weight to max landing
weight in 15 minutes or less.

8. 777 Fuel Dumping http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/planes/q0245b.shtml

9. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/refueling/Tech22G5.htm

10. In-Flight Refueling
 Original motivation: endurance records
 Currently used only in the military sector
 Two main types:
 Boom and Receptacle
 Probe and Drogue
http://www.answers.com/topic/aerial-refueling

11. References
 Ask A Scientist
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99417.htm
 Aerospaceweb.org
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/planes/q0245b.shtml
 Refueling
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology
/refueling/Tech22G5.htm
 PBS http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/concorde/anat-nf.html
 Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_tank
 Raymer Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach 4th ed. By
Daniel Raymer
 George, Fred Business and Commercial Aviation
Magazine, June 2006 issue.
http://www.avweek.com/avnow/news/channel_bca_story.jsp?
id=news/fuel0606.xml

12. Any Questions?