Improvements in or relating to fuel systems for aircraft

• Main Authors: SMEDLEY FREDERICK EDWARD SAMUEL, BOWNS DESMOND EDWARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.04.1952
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

670,428. Emptying tanks. ROLLS-ROYCE, Ltd. Feb. 9, 1950 [Feb. 9, 1949], No. 3587/49. Class 21 [Also in Group XXIX] A valve for discharging fuel from. aircraft fuel tanks simultaneously in a predetermined ratio and delivering it to a common line comprises a pressure-responsive means subjected to the fuel pressures in the individual pipelines from the tanks and operable to control valve members disposed one in each of these pipe lines. As shown, a valve body 12, Fig. 2, is provided with a common outlet 11 disposed below a box-like chamber 15 containing a de-aerated liquid, e.g. paraffin, and inlets 7-10 connected to separate tanks. The chamber 15 has rigid ends and flexible sides; the sides constituting pressure-responsive diaphragms 14 each associated with an inlet and connected by a link 22 to a valve member 13. An increased flow from any tank produces in its pipe connection to the valve an increased pressure therein to deflect the diaphragm associated therewith inwards and move its valve towards closure. Since the liquid in the chamber 15 is uncompressible the other three diaphragms will be deflected outwards to adjust the amount of opening of their valves to maintain, in this case, identical flows from each tank. To enable the ratio between the flows to be adjusted sluice plates 16 may be fitted in each inlet. In another embodiment, a valve body 23, Fig. 3, is provided with a common outlet 21 and inlets 17, 18, having a flexible diaphragm 20 mounted therebetween connected by links to valve members 19 disposed in each inlet.