Title: Fuel management computer

• Summary
• Claims
• Description
• View all

Abstract: An aircraft fuel management computer for notifying a pilot at a predetermined point of time to switch the fuel selector valve to begin draining fuel from a different fuel tank. A frequency divider provides a logic level at the end of time segments, each having a predetermined length, which are transmitted through an automatic/manual count circuit to activate a decoder to provide output logic levels each of which is coupled to the associated stages of a plurality of automatic program switches each preset to a position corresponding to a predetermined number of time segments. Each of the automatic program switches is coupled to a mode switch which may be set to one of the automatic program switches to time the usage of one of the fuel tanks of the aircraft for a period of time corresponding to the setting of the automatic program switch. The mode switch is coupled to reset means and alarm means so that at the end of the time segments determined by the setting of the automatic program switch to which the mode switch is set, the alarm is activated to notify the pilot to switch the mode switch to the next automatic program switch which causes the frequency divider to be reset and switch the fuel selector valve to begin using a different fuel tank. The automatic/manual count circuit has means to provide manual incrementing of the decoder. LED (light emitting diode) means provide a real time display of the setting of the mode switch and the time segment of the automatic program switch to which the mode switch is set. A final mode switch is operative in conjunction with final mode circuitry to initiate a final mode function to provide a display on the LEDs and activate the alarm to notify the pilot that the final mode has expired and the pilot is travelling on reserve fuel. The final mode switch has sufficient flexibility to initiate the final mode function either at the end of the time segments corresponding to the setting of a predetermined one of the intermediary automatic program switches or at the end of the time segments corresponding to the setting of the last program switch.


Do you think this is a good invention? Vote now: