System and method for delivering fuel to an aircraft from a vehicle

Abstract

A fueling control system for providing fuel from a vehicle to an aircraft, and a method of providing fuel from a fuel vehicle to an aircraft are disclosed herein. The fueling control system includes a pressure transducer for sensing back pressure in a fluid path to a fuel tank of an aircraft, and a digital controller coupled to the pressure transducer for receiving the back pressure in the fluid path and controlling fuel flow in the fluid path to the aircraft. The method includes the steps of sensing back pressure in a fluid path from the aircraft; receiving the sensed back pressure by a digital controller; and controlling fuel flow to the aircraft in the fluid path based on the sensed back pressure.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A fueling control system for providing fuel from a vehicle to an aircraft comprising:
 a pressure transducer for sensing back pressure in a fluid path to a fuel tank of an aircraft, and 
 a digital controller coupled to the pressure transducer for receiving the back pressure in the fluid path and controlling fuel flow in the fluid path to the aircraft, 
 wherein the digital controller is coupled to a pump in the vehicle for controlling speed of the pump for pumping the fuel in the fluid path, and 
 the digital controller includes at least two relationships between the back pressure in the fluid path and the flow rate of the fuel in the fluid path stored in a memory device; 
 wherein one relationship sets a first speed of the pump to control pumping of the fuel at a first rate, and 
 a second relationship sets a second speed of the pump to control pumping of the fuel at a second rate; and 
 the first and second rates are dependent on the sensed first and second back pressures back pressure in the fluid path, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  including an engine coupled between the pump and the digital controller, wherein the digital controller is configured to control speed of the engine. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  including a valve coupled between the pump and the fluid path for activating flow of fuel from the fuel tank of the vehicle to the fluid path, wherein the digital controller controls activation of the valve. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital controller is configured to control (a) the back pressure in the fluid path and (b) the flow rate of the fuel in the fluid path. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the relationship is based on a type of nozzle used for fueling the aircraft. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  including a fuel tank of an aircraft, and
 wherein the relationship includes a plot of (a) pressure drop between the fuel tank of the aircraft and the fluid path versus (b) a flow rate of the fuel. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital controller communicates with an engine of the vehicle by way of a digital data bus. 
     
     
       8. A method of providing fuel from a fuel vehicle to an aircraft comprising the steps of:
 (a) sensing back pressure in a fluid path from the aircraft; 
 (b) receiving the sensed back pressure by a digital controller; and 
 (c) controlling fuel flow to the aircraft in the fluid path based on the sensed back pressure; 
 wherein step (c) includes controlling the rate of flow based on data depicting (i) pressure drop between the aircraft and a pressure sensor and (ii) a flow rate of the fuel, and 
 said data includes first and second pressure drops correspond to first and second flow rates, wherein the first and second flow rates are different from each other. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein
 step (c) includes controlling fuel flow by the digital controller. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein
 step (c) includes controlling rate of flow of the fuel by the digital controller. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein step (c) includes activating a valve coupled to the fluid path by the digital controller. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein step (c) includes controlling the rate of flow based on a type of nozzle used to fuel the aircraft. 
     
     
       13. A fueling control system for providing fuel from a vehicle to an aircraft comprising:
 a pump configured to generate a flow of fuel from the vehicle to the aircraft via a fluid path;   an engine of the vehicle configured to drive the pump to generate the flow of fuel, the engine controllable to run at different engine speeds;   a pressure transducer configured to sense back pressure in the fluid path; and   a digital controller configured to receive data representing the back pressure from the pressure transducer, the digital controller configured to control the speed of the engine to adjust a rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump based on the data representing the back pressure,   wherein the digital controller controls the speed of the engine based on a first relationship between the data representing the back pressure and the speed of the engine, and the digital controller controls the speed of the engine based on a second relationship between the rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump and the speed of the engine.    
     
     
       14. The fueling control system of claim 13, further comprising a fuel meter configured to detect the rate of the flow of fuel in the fluid path,
 wherein the digital controller is configured to receive data representing the flow rate from the fuel meter.    
     
     
       15. The fueling control system of claim 13, wherein the fluid path includes a nozzle at the aircraft,
 the digital controller is configured to determine a pressure at the nozzle based on the data representing the back pressure sensed by the pressure transducer, and   the digital controller is configured to control the speed of the engine based on the pressure at the nozzle determined by the digital controller.    
     
     
       16. The fueling control system of claim 13 wherein the digital controller is configured to maintain the speed of the engine below a predetermined engine revolutions per minute (RPM) limit.  
     
     
       17. A method for providing fuel from a vehicle having an engine to an aircraft comprising the steps of:
 driving a pump to generate a flow of fuel from the vehicle to the aircraft via a fluid path with the engine of the vehicle;   sensing back pressure in the fluid path;   controlling a speed of the engine to adjust a rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump based on a first relationship between the back pressure and the speed of the engine: and   controlling the speed of the engine to adjust the rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump based on a second relationship between the rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump and the speed of the engine.    
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
 detecting the rate of the flow of fuel in the fluid path with a fuel meter.    
     
     
       19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining a pressure at a nozzle of the fluid path based on the back pressure; and controlling the speed of the engine based on the pressure at the nozzle.  
     
     
       20. A vehicle for providing fuel to an aircraft comprising:
 a fuel tank configured to store the fuel;   a pump configured to generate a flow of fuel from the fuel tank of the vehicle to the aircraft via a fluid path;   an engine configured to drive the pump to generate the flow of fuel, the engine controllable to run at different engine speeds;   a fuel meter configured to detect a rate of the flow of fuel in the fluid path;   a pressure transducer configured to sense back pressure in the fluid path;   a digital controller configured to store data representative of a pressure drop between the pressure transducer and a nozzle of the fluid path, the digital controller configured to (i) receive data representing the back pressure from the pressure transducer and data representing the flow rate from the fuel meter, (ii) determine a pressure at the nozzle based on the stored data and at least one of the data representing the back pressure and the data representing the flow rate, (iii) control a speed of the engine to adjust a rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump to prevent the pressure at the nozzle from exceeding a predetermined nozzle pressure limit: (iv) control the speed of the engine based on a first relationship between the data representing the back pressure and the speed of the engine: and (v) control the speed of the engine based on a second relationship between the rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump and the speed of the engine.    
     
     
       21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the digital controller is further configured to control the speed of the engine to prevent the rate of the flow of fuel from exceeding a predetermined flow rate limit, and maintain the speed of the engine below a predetermined engine revolutions per minute (RPM) limit.  
     
     
       22. The vehicle of claim 20, further comprising:
 a valve provided in the fluid path downstream of the pump, the valve configured to permit or prevent the flow of fuel through the fluid path;   a control coupled to the valve, the control configured to enable an operator of the vehicle to operate the valve.    
     
     
       23. A fueling control system for providing fuel from a fuel source to an aircraft comprising:
 a pump configured to generate a flow of fuel from the fuel source to the aircraft via a fluid path;   an engine configured to drive the pump to generate the flow of fuel, the engine controllable to run at different engine speeds;   a pressure transducer configured to sense back pressure in the fluid path; and   a digital controller configured to receive data representing the back pressure from the pressure transducer, the digital controller configured to control the speed of the engine to adjust a rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump based on the data representing the back pressure,   wherein the digital controller controls the speed of the engine based on a first relationship between the data representing the back pressure and the speed of the engine, and the digital controller controls the speed of the engine based on a second relationship between the rate of the flow of fuel generated by the pump and the speed of the engine.    
     
     
       24. The fueling control system of claim 23, wherein the fuel source is a fuel tank of a vehicle and the engine is an engine of the vehicle.