FUEL SYSTEMS TEST

 

RES has had a long association with the development of test solutions for various components of fuel gauging systems for commercial and military aircraft. Many of our engineers have been involved in the initail development of ultrasonic and capacitance fuel probe and gauging system for more than 20 years.

Boeing B777 Fuel Gauging System

The Boeing B777 commercial jet airliner is fitted with an ultrasonic fuel gauging system which presents some unique challenges for system and production test equipment. The fuel probes measure fuel height by stimulating a transducer to emit an ultrasonic ‘ping’ that is reflected from the fuel surface and then detected by the transducer. The time between transmission and reception of the ‘ping’ is used, with other information, to determine the fuel height on each probe. The fuel gauging system consists of:

  • Ultrasonic Fuel Probes
  • Temperature Sensor
  • Densitometers
  • Fuel Quantity Processor Unit (FQPU)
  • Integrated Refuel Panel (IRP)

The FQPU gathers information about fuel levels, density and temperature from the probes and sensors in the tanks to calculate fuel quantity (volume and mass). The information is then transmitted to other aircraft systems and displays on the ARINC 629 data bus.

FQPU System Test Rig

RES has developed the software and hardware for the FQPU system test rig enabling software and systems testing to be performed in the real-time simulated aircraft environment provided by the rig. The rig consists of:

  • Ultrasonic Probe Simulator Subsystem
  • Densitometer and Temperature Sensor Simulators
  • Rig Control PC
  • Breakout Panels

Users can perform tests defined by a script language for formal and regression testing or interact manually with the test system via the PC GUI for ad-hoc/diagnostic testing.

The ARINC 629 data bus is unique to the B777 and RES has developed software applications using the Boeing defined protocols (e.g. Directed Message) to perform functions such as software load, fault log retrieval and aircraft data generation/monitoring.

FQPU Production Test Rig

RES has developed the software and hardware for the FQPU Production Acceptance Test (PAT) rig that provides the functional testing for environmental stress screening and final pass-off the FQPU in the production process.

 

Fuel Probe Test Rig

RES maintains and updates the software for the ultrasonic probe test rigs.

 

Airbus A320 Fuel Quantity Indicating System

The A320 uses a capacitance fuel probe gauging system to measure fuel quantity. Each fuel probe is a capacitor and the fuel acts as a dielectric that varies the capacitance of the probe as the fuel height changes. The system consists of:

  • Capacitance Fuel Probes (these also measure temperature and density)
  • Level Sensors
  • Fuel Quantity Indicating Computer (FQIC)
  • Fuel Quantity Indicator Panel

 

FQIC Production Test Rig

RES has developed the software for the FQIC Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) rig that provides the functional testing for environmental stress screening and final pass-off the FQIC in the production process.

 

EFA 2000 Fuel Gauging System

The Eurofighter Typhoon uses a capacitance fuel probe gauging system.

 

Fuel Computer Production Test Rig

RES has designed the software and hardware for the EFA fuel computer Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) test set. The test set uses a mixture of COTS equipment and STTE parts. For this programme RES developed a set of Ethernet-controlled interface cards. The cards have an API for use by the ATP and stress screening application software. A GUI is also provided and accessed via a standard web browser by an operator for integration, diagnostic or calibration activities.

 

Fuel Probe Production Test Rig

RES has maintained and updated the software for the EFA fuel probe test rigs used for probe ATP and ESS.