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Amt 1201 - Prelim - Module 1 - Delgado

This document appears to be a student assignment containing responses to enrichment activity questions about aircraft fuel systems. The student describes the importance of the fuel system in providing clean fuel to the engine for combustion. They then enumerate the main components of a reciprocating fuel system and their functions, including fuel tanks, strainers, selectors, gauges, pumps, lines, valves, and carburetor. Finally, the student compares reciprocating and turbine fuel systems, noting differences in how fuel is metered and delivered to the combustion chambers.

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Brendan Lewis Delgado
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112 views4 pages

Amt 1201 - Prelim - Module 1 - Delgado

This document appears to be a student assignment containing responses to enrichment activity questions about aircraft fuel systems. The student describes the importance of the fuel system in providing clean fuel to the engine for combustion. They then enumerate the main components of a reciprocating fuel system and their functions, including fuel tanks, strainers, selectors, gauges, pumps, lines, valves, and carburetor. Finally, the student compares reciprocating and turbine fuel systems, noting differences in how fuel is metered and delivered to the combustion chambers.

Uploaded by

Brendan Lewis Delgado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Philippine State College of Aeronautics

Institute of Engineering and Technology


Piccio Garden, Villamor, Pasay City

AMT 1205– Aircraft System


PRELIM ACTIVITY MODULE #1

Delgado, Brendan Lewis A.


AAMT 1-7
04/16/2021
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
Answer the following in essay form.

1. In your opinion, how does the fuel system important in aircraft?


The importance of fuel system is to give a flow of clean fuel without any disturbance
from the fuel tanks to the engine. The engine needs heat in order to create kinetic energy and
fuel is the combusting agent for the operation of the engine. With the right amount of fuel, the
engine can generate enough power to start the system such as electrical, propulsion, and
make a complete flight from airport to airport. The fuel has to undergo some processes in
order to have a better ignition process for the fuel to be ignited in the combustion chamber.

2. Enumerate the reciprocating fuel system components and its function.


The components of the fuel system components are the fuel tanks, fuel strainers,
sumps, and drains, fuel gauges, fuel selectors, fuel grades, lines, valves, carburetor, pump
system, and a primer.
The fuel tanks have a purpose of storing fuel for the power supply for the aircraft.
They are located in the wings of the aircraft which have a filler opening at the top of the wing
for refilling the aircraft and it also has a filler cap for covering the fuel tanks. The tanks also
have an overflow drain that is located at the fuel tank vent. It has a purpose of the vent is to
expand the fuel with increase in temperature that doesn’t affect or damage the fuel tank. It is
not usual for the fuel flowing out of the overflow drain if the fuel is filled on a hot weather.
The strainer’s purpose is to remove moisture and other sediments from the fuel that
enters the system after the fuel leaves the fuel tank and before entering the carburetor. The
sump catches the contaminants that are heavier than the aviation fuel. It is located at the
bottom of the strainer assembly. It is also a low point in a fuel system. The strainer must be
drained before each flight in order for the contaminants to not block the fuel. The water in the
sump must be removed due to its hazardous content and can be frozen when at a cold
weather and block the fuel lines that can cause disaster. The water can enter the carburetor
and stop the engine in a warm weather. It also can enter the fuel tanks and needed to be
removed immediately.
The fuel selector is a control for the fuel system for selection of fuel from the tank. It
can be positioned ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘both’ and ‘off.’ Switching ‘left’ or ‘right’ position allows the fuel
to be used from either left or right tank. Switching at ‘both’ position can use fuel from both
tanks. Either left and right position can be used to balance both tanks consumption from each
wing. The fuel selector must be observed always during flight in order to save fuel. Running
on low fuel on one of the tanks can unbalance the aircraft fuel loads. It makes more difficult
for engine restart when air enters the fuel system and enters vapor lock.
The fuel gauge indicates the amount of fuel in the tank and measured by a sensing
unit. The gauge indicates the fuel in pounds or gallons. The accuracy of fuel gauge is required
when they read ‘empty’ as indicated at aircraft certification rules. It is verified to read the
gauge other than ‘empty’. Don’t rely on the accuracy of quantity of the fuel gauge. During
preflight, always do a visual check on each of the tank and compare with the corresponding
fuel quantity indication.
The fuel-pump system includes the main pump system and auxiliary pumps. The
main pump system is engine-driven and provides use for engine starting and in the event the
pump fails. The auxiliary is electrically driven and also called ‘boost pump’ that provides
reliability to the fuel system. The auxiliary pump is controlled by a switch in the flight deck.
The fuel primer has a purpose of drawing fuel from the tanks and directly vaporize
the fuel in the cylinders as the ignition of fuel starts. The engines are hard to start in cold
weather, the primer helps due to the fact that it doesn’t create enough heat for vaporization
of fuel in the carburetor. Another important thing is to lock the primer in place when not in
use. The primer can vibrate out of place if it is not locked and cause more excess fuel-air
mixture. Read the priming instruction in order to avoid over priming.
The aviation gasoline is identified by performance number. The fuel grade designates
the antiknock value or knock resistance of the fuel mixture in the engine cylinder. The higher
grade means there is more pressure the fuel can resist without blowing it up. Lower grade
indicates the fuel is used in lower-compression engines due to low temperature, the fuel can
be ignited. The higher-grade fuel can be ignited at high temperatures and used at high
compression engines. The type of fuel is used on the recommended fuel grade. If not
followed, engine can result in detonation due to the temperature of both cylinder head and oil
is over normal operating ranges. Red for AVGAS 80, green for AVGAS 100, blue for AVGAS
100LL, and black for JET A. The AVGAS 100LL is same as AVGAS 100 but the ‘LL’ indicates
low lead content.
The fuel lines can be rigid or flexible that depends on the location and application.
The fuel lines are used for the flow of fuel in different sections of fuel system. They don’t leak
with the proper torque, pressure, and correct fitting.
The valves are used to shut off fuel slow or route the fuel to a desired location. The
valves can be manually operated, solenoid operated, or operated by electric motor. There are
different kinds of valves such as one valve, selector valve, shut off valve, transfer valve, and
cross feed valve.
The carburetor is a device for supplying spark-ignition engine with fuel/air mixture. Its
components include storage chamber, a choke, an idling jet, a main jet, a venturi-shaped air-
flow restriction, and an accelerator pump. It is mounted on the engine so that air can pass
through the barrel that contains the venturi. It is used in vaporizing the gasoline and mixed
with oxygen for it to burn. It can cause the temperature to drop and form ice.

3. As aircraft mechanic student, what are the difference between the reciprocating fuel
system and turbine fuel system?
The turbine fuel system has the control given by varying the fuel to the combustion
chambers. The amount of fuel must be adjusted in order to correct just for the changes in
temperature or pressure. The fuel is excessive that is related to the mass airflow to the engine
if there is an exceeding temperature of the turbine. It produces a rich blowout when it
produces compressor stall. Rich blowout occurs when there is insufficient oxygen supply for
supporting combustion and when the mixture is cooled lower than the temperature of
combustion by extra fuel.
The fuel system in turbine engines must deliver the fuel directly to the combustion
chambers in the right condition and at the right amount for better combustion. The fuel nozzles
from part and atomize or vaporize the fuel so that its ignition and burning is efficient. It fuels
system must also supply fuel into the combustion chamber that has a combustible state when
engine start up and there must be a sustained combustion while the engine is at accelerating
normal idling speed. Another condition that it’s critical is the fuel system must respond when
rapid acceleration occurs. In maintaining a constant rpm, the energy must be enhanced to
the turbine in necessary excess when the engine is accelerated. There is a possibility of rich
blow out or compressor stall if the fuel flow increases too rapidly.
The aircraft with a reciprocating engine has an engine-driven fuel pump and metering
system. It consists of the main components from the point at which the fuel enters the control
unit until the fuel is forced in the intake pipe or cylinder. Its fuel metering system measures
the fuel at predetermined ratio to airflow. The airflow is manipulated or controlled by the
carburetor or fuel/air control unit.
Gasoline and other liquid fuels burn if they are mixed with air. The ratio of air to fuel
must be kept within a certain range in order for the mixture to burn properly in the cylinder of
the engine. 78% in the air is nitrogen that does not join in the burning process and 21% is
oxygen that is mixed with fuel in order to produce heat. The heat energy is absorbed and
converts it into power by expansion of nitrogen and gaseous byproducts of combustion. The
extreme importance of engine performance is the mixture of fuel and air by weight.
The turbine engine needs fuel at higher temperature and higher pressure by using a
fuel exchanger to raise the temperature. The combination of impeller and gear pump to raise
the pressure. The reciprocating engines however, also uses the heat exchanger and fuel
pump but it has a lower requirement compared to the turbine engines.

References:
https://www.flight-mechanic.com/turbine-engine-fuel-system-general-requirements/
https://www.flight-mechanic.com/basic-fuel-
system/#:~:text=In%20aircraft%20powered%20with%20a,the%20intake%20pipe%20or%20
cylinder.
https://www.flight-mechanic.com/fuel-metering-devices-for-reciprocating-engines-fuelair-
mixtures/
https://www.flightliteracy.com/aircraft-fuel-systems-part-
one/#:~:text=The%20fuel%20system%20is%20designed,during%20all%20approved%20flig
ht%20maneuvers.
https://www.aircraftsystemstech.com/2017/05/aircraft-fuel-system-components.html
https://www.britannica.com/technology/carburetor

HONESTY CLAUSE
My signature below constitutes my pledge that all of the writing is my own work, with the
exception of those portions which are properly documented.

Delgado,Brendan Lewis A. ____________________


Student’s name and signature Parent / guardian signature

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