Systems and methods for determining a fuel level measurement of a fuel tank using optical sensor

• Main Authors: Kasim, Kawthar, Truzzi, Paul Scott, Carralero, Michael A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.11.2018
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; MEASURING; MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUIDLEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

An example fuel quantity indicating system includes a fuel tank, optical sensors mounted inside the fuel tank that each include a sensor chip and a diaphragm that deflects when ambient pressure differs from a reference pressure of the sensor chip, an optical fiber bundle that has an optical fiber connected to each of the optical sensors for guiding light to each of the optical sensors, and a processor connected to the optical fiber bundle for receiving outputs of the optical sensors indicative of respective pressures, and for determining a fuel level measurement of the fuel tank based on the outputs of the optical sensors.