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Integrated aerobatic fuel tank with exotic engine

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Scheny

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
314
Location
Vienna, Austria
Hi,
for my project I would like to build integrated wing tanks located between double spars (like Cirrus and Diamond but without the aluminum). The wing is is built from carbon over honeycomb and it will use Jet A1. Short durations of inverted flight should be possible (5min). I have knowledge of how this is normally done with gasoline engines, but unfortunately my new project is quite exotic.

The engine is using a built-in electrical fuel pump (which is mainly used as sort of a throttle and not for suction) and is located in the vertical CoG position approximately one foot above the tanks. The fuel pump is assuming the fuel to be coming at pressures >=0.

My plan would be to have a fuel pump (or redundant one) getting the fuel into a really small aerobatic center tank (directly next to the engine) under slight pressure and relieving any trapped air back into the main tanks (this way no problem if they are steadily kept on, then fuel just flows back instead or I have a fuel detector switch to turn pump off). The engine pump could then get fuel from the aerobatic center tank. The center tank would have a fuel strainer for checking/draining.



  • Is this design OK or flawed?
  • Can I have a Left/Both/Right fuel switch or do I need Left/Right for a low wing (why?)?
  • When sticking to Jet A1, is CFK/GFK over honeycomb OK, or should I go for Jeffco/Rhino (to be paranoid about future changes in Jet A1 composition)?
  • Does it make sense to segment the left/right tank into main/AUX or is it enough to have baffle walls?
  • Does it make sense to go for redundant pumps while engine pump (and ECU) is not redundant?

Thanks very much in advance for all your inputs!
 
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