Functional Compatibility Analysis of Aircraft - Engine Fuel Systems

The range of performance demands placed on fuel systems incorporated on piston business aircraft is rapidly expanding with the continued rise in operating altitudes, rates of climb, cabin pressurization levels, and turbocharging capabilities. Fuel systems cannot be considered any longer as separate links of a chain leading the fuel from the tanks to the fuel injector or carburetor, since incompatible component characteristics at any point can defeat an otherwise ideal system.

Compatibility requirements between engine and airframe supply systems are discussed in this paper, and several component features are analyzed in an effort to categorize and group these components in integrated systems with degrees of sophistication or simplicity in accord with the particular application.