What fuel do civil aircraft fly on? What fuel do airplanes fly on? How does refueling work?

Many of us have flown not only with a well-known air carrier, but also with other airlines. Someone might I paid attention to refueling the plane before departure, but not many people know what route the fuel takes from the supplier to delivery aircraft. And the path is very interesting and challenging.

02. As they say, “I managed to get in,” but in fact I was invited to visit the fuel refueling complex of Moscow Domodedovo Airport. The main task of the fuel filling complex (TZK) is to ensure uninterrupted and safe refueling aircraft quality fuels and lubricants taking into account the requirements of international standards.

03. One of the aircraft refueling operators in Domodedovo is Domodedovo Fuel Services - on this moment the largest operator in Russia and the CIS (about the others below). The discharge rack for receiving fuel is where the route of aviation fuel entering Domodedovo Fuel Services by rail begins.

04. The discharge rack ensures the simultaneous discharge of aviation kerosene from 22 railway tanks. Draining is carried out on average three times a day, i.e. 66 tanks per day, which is ~ 5000 m3 of aviation fuel. Fuel supplies are also carried out through the pipeline; the percentage of rail/pipeline deliveries is 70/30.

05. Where is the fuel drained? Domodedovo Fuel Services has two tank farms (receiving and supply) for receiving, storing and preparing aviation fuel before it is supplied for refueling aircraft. The capacity of the receiving and supply tank farms is 15,000 and 34,000 m3, respectively.

These facilities are connected to each other by a main fuel pipeline with a length of about 5 kilometers.

06. The supply and sale of fuel to airlines at Domodedovo Airport is carried out by various operators: LukOil, GazpromNeft, TNK-BP, Shell and Aerofuels and Domodedovo Fuel Services itself.

07. But let's go back a little earlier. How does our fuel feel? Did you just take it and pour it into the tank? NO! All fuel that arrives at the airport is already under control before being discharged into tanks. The first is incoming control. Upon receipt of each batch, samples are taken to identify the product received from the means of transportation. On average, this is three liters for laboratory research, as well as an arbitration sample.

08. All samples are sent to a high-tech laboratory. The laboratory is equipped the latest equipment, part of which was purchased by Domodedovo for the first time among airports in Russia and the CIS. Some devices were specially installed by equipment manufacturing companies in the laboratory for testing. And after testing, this equipment was purchased for the laboratory.
The laboratory studies not only aviation fuel, but also special fluids (for example, anti-icing, anti-crystallization), aviation oils and hydraulic fluids used in aircraft systems.

09. Input check is not the only one. After the product is drained into the warehouse tanks, the fuel undergoes a second control - acceptance. Here the fuel is tested strictly in accordance with GOST according to 11 indicators: density, fractional composition...

10. kinematic viscosity, acidity, flash point in a closed crucible...

11.

14. Fuel, having arrived from the receiving tank to the supply tank, undergoes acceptance analysis according to 11 GOST indicators and, after checking, a Quality Passport is issued for it, which is the basis for issuing jet fuel for refueling in aircraft.

The third control - at the airfield - is an additional check of the preparedness and purity of aviation fuel before being issued to the aircraft. At this control stage, a dedicated tank in the second park - the consumable warehouse (total capacity of the consumable warehouse is 34,000 m3) - is checked for cleanliness and a Quality Certificate is issued to it. At this stage, fuel tankers and refueling units are checked, they are issued a control coupon, which confirms that the refueling facility is working properly and dispenses high-quality fuel.

15. How does jet fuel get into airplane fuel tanks? For this purpose, the airport uses special equipment: fuel tankers,

and refueling units that pump jet fuel into aircraft fuel tanks directly from the Central Aircraft Refueling Fuel Pipe System (located under the artificial turf of the airfield apron). At a number of parking places in DME, hydrant wells with fuel hydrants were found, to which a refueling unit is connected.

At Domodedovo Airport, tankers and refueling units are used in a 60/40 ratio.

16. To maintain constant pressure in the central heating system system, a pumping station operates.

17. There are special filters in the dispensing tank, in the pumping station, and in fuel tankers that provide additional filtration of fuel.

18. The fleet of fuel filling equipment includes vehicles equipped with a hydraulic suspension that allows height adjustment.

19. Refueling units, which are connected directly to the central filling station on the apron and refuel ships. The plans include additional equipping of aircraft stands with a central control system as part of the implementation of the program for the reconstruction of the airfield apron.

20. Refuelers with a capacity from 10 to 60 m3, providing refueling of all types of domestic and foreign aircraft, including the world's largest passenger aircraft Airbus airliner A380.

21. The fleet also has low-profile tankers that refuel A319 and A320 aircraft “in the wing” without the use of additional devices.

22.

23. Computerized fuel filling stations.

24. When refueling a tanker and then an aircraft, all parameters for filling fuel are displayed on a special control panel.

25. A small digression. Fueling an aircraft isn't as simple as sticking a hose in and waiting for the fuel to flow from the tanker. When refueling an aircraft, it is mandatory to ground the aircraft and the tanker. The tanker operator (see right hand) holds the DEADMAN operator control device. After a certain amount of time, the operator must press the button, thereby confirming that everything is fine with him. If the operator does not respond, refueling is stopped.

A fuel tank is a container in which liquid fuel is stored and is located directly on board the aircraft. Fuel wires go from the fuel tanks to the power plant, which supplies it with fuel. Also on board the aircraft can be placed tanks to supply fuel to heating systems.

Turboprop and turbojet aircraft engines use aviation kerosene with additional additives in their operation. Light-engine aircraft equipped with piston engines power plants, uses high octane gasoline as fuel.

Fuel tank in an airplane wing

In modern aircraft construction, caisson tanks are used; they look like sealed cavities. They are mainly installed in the wings, stabilizer and fin. These are soft tanks made of rubber materials, this allows them to maintain their integrity during overloads and impacts. In addition, such material is very reliable and effectively occupies the allotted space.

Sometimes compartment tanks are used, which serve both as a fuel container and as a power element. To prevent fuel from spilling from the caisson tanks, fighter aircraft use a sponge filler like foam rubber.

Large airliners, which are designed for long-distance flights, have several fuel tanks, which are additionally equipped with pumps. All fuel tanks are connected to each other by a system of fuel wires, which allow the use of fuel from any tank or its transfer. Transferring fuel from one tank to another is possible due to more efficient alignment of the aircraft. Fuel is pumped from consumable tanks to spare tanks according to the developed in-flight fuel consumption program.

Fuel tanks made from standard aluminum cans

It should be noted that the process of filling fuel into the aircraft tanks also occurs in accordance with the alignment plan. Fuel is supplied to the tanks of the device under pressure from a special tanker through the neck, after which it is distributed between the tanks.

Every fuel tank on an airplane has what is called a drain port through which all the fuel can be drained. After each refueling, this neck is opened, which allows condensate or water that has settled at the bottom of the tank to be drained. Naturally, there should be no impurities in the tank, otherwise this may cause engine failure and an accident.

Airplanes also have emergency fuel dump systems in the air. This system is necessary when performing emergency landings, immediately after takeoff, since the permissible landing weight of the aircraft is significantly less than the take-off weight.

Fuel tank in side member

Combat aircraft that need to carry out combat operations at a great distance from the base can be equipped with additional drop tanks. They are streamlined to improve overall aerodynamics and are suspended from the fuselage or wing of the aircraft. After all the fuel has been used up, they are dumped. Also, similar devices are used to ferry aircraft to other airfields; they are usually installed in the middle of the hull.

Outboard fuel tanks

Fuel tank safety

Combat aircraft and some passenger cars use neutral gas to fill their tanks, which is supplied as fuel is consumed. The gas used is carbon dioxide or nitrogen. This helps prevent a fire on board or a fuel tank explosion due to mechanical damage. A similar scheme for filling a fuel tank with gases was used back in World War II, only cooled exhaust from the engine manifold was used as gas.

(about the SU-15) in the comments one reader wrote that I talk about airplanes as if they were living beings. I answered that this is apparently how it is, not in the literal sense, of course, but close :-).

And now, continuing this half-joking line, I will say that any living creature needs to be fed tasty and plenty, so that it is always cheerful and healthy. For example, I really like to eat delicious food (although you can’t tell from me :-)) and my mood depends to a large extent on this :-). However, jokes are jokes, but aviation fuel is a kind of food for aircraft, and their work directly depends on its quantity and quality. So what do planes feed?

This is not to say that the menu has much variety :-). First- This aviation gasoline. It is used in piston aircraft engines, that is, in fact, in internal combustion engines and is not fundamentally different from motor gasoline. Of course, certain of its characteristics have a slightly different meaning, because aviation specifics and more stringent quality requirements dictate this. In extreme cases, a car from bad gasoline will simply stall and stop, but an airplane in the sky does not have a shoulder. However, for example, on some modern piston engines, regular 95 gasoline is successfully used. At the moment, two types of aviation gasoline are produced in Russia: B-91/115 and B-92. In addition, GOST has been developed for aviation gasoline B-100/130 and B-100/130 unleaded. This was done to ensure compliance with European gasolines 100 and 100LL. Well, they also produce B-70 gasoline. But it's just a solvent. They don't fly on it, but it cleans filters incredibly well. I remember this from my own experience :-).

IL-14. Consumer of previously produced B-95/130 gasoline. Unfortunately, it no longer flies.

Second menu item:-)… However, still in modern conditions, using the term “ aviation fuel", we mean aviation kerosene. It is also called jet fuel, and it is intended for use in turbojet engines and its varieties. It is his aircraft flying around the world that eats up huge quantities. Back in high school, I read somewhere interesting fact and remembered it for the rest of my life: at that time, someone calculated that one flight shift of the entire regiment of TU-22 missile carriers was equal in fuel to the monthly fuel budget of the Belarusian SSR. And there are at least two such shifts a week. And such regiments... 🙂 These are the things. As time goes by, the shortage of jet fuel is becoming increasingly acute. However, there is no full-fledged replacement for it yet, and it continues to be produced.

Missile carrier TU-22. Big fan of kerosene :-).

There are currently six types of aviation kerosene in Russia. TS-1 is a so-called sulfur fuel. Produced from petroleum with a high sulfur content, it is the main fuel for subsonic military and civil aviation. Can also be used in supersonic flights with short flight durations. The fact is that during long-term supersonic conditions, intense heating of the aircraft skin occurs due to friction with the air and, accordingly, heating of the fuel. In addition to high altitude the pressure in the above-fuel space of the fuel tanks drops noticeably. If the fuel consists of sufficiently light fractions, then they can begin to evaporate, vapor locks form in the fuel system, and this threatens to stop the engine. Therefore for supersonic aviation specifically, there is a “heavier” fuel T-6 (as well as its substitute T-8B). It was this fuel that the MIG-25RB was refueled with when I was at the airfield (Poland), when these planes were going, as we said then, for acceleration. And our planes were often refueled with RT fuel (jet fuel). This is the fourth type produced in Russia. It is chemically very stable aviation fuel, having good anti-wear properties. And most importantly, it complies with international standards and even exceeds them in certain indicators. This is important because TS-1 kerosene in many ways does not meet these standards (mainly due to the large amount of sulfur).

MIG-25RB. One of the consumers of T-6 kerosene.

There are two more species left. This is T-1 kerosene. This is a fairly good kerosene, the only drawback of which is its rather low thermal-oxidative stability. This means that when heated, resin deposits remain on the internal parts of the engine, which significantly reduces the engine's life. This fuel is produced in small quantities, partly due to the lack of raw materials, which are scarce types of oil with very low sulfur content. AND last view- this is T-2 kerosene. This is a fairly light fuel, containing up to 40 percent of light gasoline fractions, and therefore low-altitude. It is spare in relation to T-1 and TS-1.

For dessert:-)…Modern aviation fuel, just like motor gasoline, cannot do without special additives that improve their performance properties. There are four types:
Antistatic. The fact is that when large flows of kerosene move through pipelines, intense accumulation of static electricity occurs. A possible discharge may result in an explosion. Therefore, a special additive is added that increases the electrical conductivity of the fuel. This is an additive with interesting name Sigbol. But the plane and the tanker are still grounded when refueling :-).

Refueling with grounding.

Anti-wear. Kerosene, for example, serves as a working fluid and, a kind of lubricant, in the delicate mechanisms of fuel automatics, and its lubricity is very important. Sigbol is also used here.
Antioxidant. These additives greatly reduce the ability of kerosene to oxidize and deposit resinous formations, including at high temperatures. Usually this is the Agidol-1 additive.

Refueling the TU-154M from an airfield tanker.

Anti-water crystallization. This is a very important additive. The fact is that at altitude during a long subsonic flight the fuel is cooled quite strongly. When flying for more than 5-6 hours at altitudes above 7000 meters down to -45 degrees. And if there is at least a little water in the fuel (at least 0.002%), then it freezes and falls out in the form of small crystals, which can then end up on the fine fuel filters of the engine. If there are a lot of crystals, then the filters simply become clogged and the flow of fuel stops. The engine stops. These additives are quite reliable (these are the so-called liquid “I”, THF, THF-M, I-M) and there is already a lot of practice in their use. But nevertheless, kerosene is checked before each refueling for the presence of water and foreign impurities, and before each flight, samples are also taken, checked and stored until the plane lands.

That's how it is aviation fuel, currently used in aviation. Unfortunately, it is not at all environmentally friendly.

Control doesn't always help :-).

And the raw materials for its production (oil) are becoming less and less, and the fuel itself is more expensive. And although control over its consumption is being tightened, it is still not enough.

Therefore, its long-term future is unclear. Currently, new types of aviation fuel are being developed using synthetic materials (liquid hydrogen and liquid methane). But all this is still at the level of very initial experiments. So we will continue to feel the characteristic smell of exhaust gases from the engine nozzle on the airport tarmac for a long time...

By the way, the smell is dear to me :-)... Exciting memories and only good ones... :)

P.S. And they also say aviation kerosene healing properties

has :-). Some people in our regiment drank it for colds. I didn't drink :-). But I will develop this topic in the future...

Photos are clickable. Refueling the aircraft. The total capacity of the aircraft's fuel system is 190 liters. Fuel system

Before refueling the aircraft, it is necessary to: check the presence and serviceability of fire-fighting equipment at the aircraft parking lot, the fuel passport and the sealing of the tanker tank, the cleanliness of the fuel in the tank and make sure that there are no mechanical impurities, free water, and in winter, ice crystals; check the grounding of the aircraft and tanker; make sure that the refueling nozzle is clean and in good working order and that the aircraft's electrical network is de-energized.

Refueling is carried out from fuel dispensers that have a combined silk-felt filter in the system and a fine mesh filter in the refueling nozzle. If there is no combination filter or frequency mesh filter in the gun, refilling must be done through a funnel with a silk filter.

Warnings

1. It is prohibited to refuel an aircraft during rain (snow), when there is a lot of dust in the air, unless measures have been taken to prevent the penetration of precipitation and dust into the filler necks, as well as during a thunderstorm.

2. While the aircraft is being refueled, starting the engines is prohibited; turning on the power supply; use of explosive electric lamps; installation and dismantling work on the aircraft.

3. It is prohibited to refuel an aircraft if there is another aircraft with a running engine at a distance of less than 25 m.

Fueling into the aircraft tanks can be done simultaneously from two hoses or alternately into each tank.

To refuel, you must: open the filler hatch covers, remove any water or dust that has accumulated in them from the neck cups with a napkin; open the filler cap of the left tank and, by inserting the filling nozzle into the neck and ensuring reliable contact of the nozzle with the body of the neck cup, fill the tank with fuel.

Approximate control of the amount of fuel filled can be done visually by looking at the fuel level in the tank and using a measuring stick on the filler cap. An accurate measurement of the filled fuel should be made at the end of refueling according to the readings of the fuel meter in the cabin. The right tank is refilled in the same way. After refueling, it is necessary to check the serviceability of the gaskets, close the filler caps and lock the screws of the clamping crossbars.

No earlier than 5 minutes after the end of refueling, drain 0.4-0.5 liters of fuel sludge from the drain valves of both fuel tanks.

Warning.

If water, ice crystals, or mechanical impurities are found in the drained fuel, the fuel sludge should be drained until the drained fuel is clean. If the entire volume of fuel is contaminated, it must be drained, the fuel tanks must be washed and refilled with quality fuel.

Oil filling. The maximum oil tank filling capacity is 20 liters. Oils MS-20 and MK-22 GOST 1013-49 are used for refueling.

Before refueling an aircraft with oil, it is necessary to: check the oil passport and make sure that the oil tanker has MK-22 or MS-20 oil that meets GOST standards; make sure that there is no water or mechanical impurities in the oil; to do this, drain the oil sediment from the oil filler tank; Check the sealing of the container and the cleanliness of the filling nozzle and its filter. It is allowed to fill oil directly into the tank only from oil dispensers that have a filter in the system and a working mesh in the filling nozzle.

To refuel an aircraft with oil, you need to open the hatch in the engine hood, unscrew the oil tank filler cap, use a measuring ruler to determine the amount of oil required for refueling, insert the gun into the filler neck and fill the tank with oil. The amount of oil poured must be controlled using the measuring ruler of the neck cap. After refueling, you should check the serviceability of the gasket on the lid, close the neck with the lid, screw it tightly and seal it.

Charging the air system. The capacity of the main cylinder of the air system is 12 l, the emergency cylinder is 3 l, the operating pressure in the cylinders is 50 kgf/cm 2.

It is allowed to charge on-board cylinders with air only from airfield cylinders painted black with the inscription “AIR”. Before charging, you need to make sure that there is no water in the airfield cylinder, for which you tilt the cylinder 10-15° with the valve down and smoothly open the cylinder valve for 1-2 seconds. If there is water in the airfield cylinder (the air stream from the cylinder is white, and moisture settles on the hand placed under the stream), charging on-board cylinders from it is prohibited. When filling on-board cylinders with compressed air, the airfield cylinder should be in an inclined position, with the bottom down by 10-15°.

Charging of on-board cylinders with compressed air is supposed to be done in the following order:

· bring the cylinder from the left side of the fuselage to the leading edge empennage;

· connect a charging hose with a reducer and a pressure gauge to the airfield cylinder;

· open the valve of the airfield cylinder and blow out the charging hose;

· open the hatch near frame No. 14 and connect the charging hose to the charging connection;

· make sure that there are no foreign objects near the propeller and that the chassis and brake flap valves are in the neutral position;

· open the network tap, and then the airfield cylinder valve and charge the onboard cylinders with air to a pressure of 50±5 kgf/cm2. Check the charging of on-board cylinders with air according to the reading of the pressure gauge on the charging hose, and finally - according to the reading of the on-board pressure gauge;

· close the valve of the airfield cylinder and the network tap;

· disconnect the charging hose, having previously bleed the air from it, close the charging fitting with a lid and close the hatch.

When refueling the air system, you should check the adjustment of the pressure relief valve. The network pressure reducing valve must bleed air at a pressure of 50±5 kgf/cm2. If necessary, the valve must be adjusted. It is carried out by changing the length (degree of pre-tension) of the pressure reducing valve spring. The greater the preload of the spring (smaller its length), the greater the pressure in air system. After adjusting the pressure reducing valve, the valve cover must be locked and sealed.

Warning. Before starting the engine and when releasing the aircraft into flight, the network valve must be open.

Draining fuel and oil. The fuel must be drained through the drain plug of the sediment filter in the following order:

· check the grounding of the aircraft;

· prepare a container for draining fuel and ground it;

· open the bottom cover of the engine hood;

· open the drain plug of the sediment filter installed on the inclined frame and drain the fuel from the tanks into a container;

close the drain plug;

If necessary, you can drain fuel from the system and through the drain valve of the supply tank.

Warnings

1. When draining fuel, it is prohibited to: carry out work on the aircraft associated with possible spark formation; use airfield heaters for work; include sources of electricity.

To drain oil from the tank and oil system, you must:

Prepare a container for draining the oil and open the engine hood;

· put a hose on the fitting of the drain valve of the oil tank, lower the other end of the hose into a container for draining;

Open the drain valve of the oil tank and drain the oil;

· open the access hatch to the oil cooler drain plug, unlock it, unscrew it 1-2 turns and drain the oil;

· Drain the oil from the engine oil sump.

Note.

If after a flight or shutdown of the engine it is necessary to drain the oil from the aircraft's oil system, then this must be done immediately after stopping the engine, since hot oil drains more completely.

For long and uninterrupted operation of an aircraft, it needs aviation fuel. Of course, like regular fuel, its price is rising.

In this article we will look at what modern aircraft fly on and what fuel is used for this. It has two types - aviation fuel for piston engines and jet fuel for turbojet engines. Any of them is developed for a specific type of engine and replacing it is very dangerous. Since passengers and crew depend on this, this issue is given special attention.

So, as we have already found out, There are only two types - aviation fuel or aviation gasoline and jet fuel. How are they different from each other?

Aviation fuel

At the moment it is not used to fuel aircraft, but Use only as a solvent for equipment maintenance. Previously, TU-16 and TU-22 flew on it.

It is produced by oil distillation or other special methods such as catalytic cracking.

What characteristics define it as a quality fuel?

Firstly, detonation resistance. Simply put, this is the use of gasoline in engines with high level compression of the working mixture without the appearance of detonation combustion.
Secondly, the factional composition. In other words, this is the ability of gasoline to evaporate. This speaks volumes, and mainly about its ability to form a working air-fuel mixture. This feature is determined by the boiling point and saturated vapor pressure.
Thirdly, chemical stability. That is, its resistance to any chemical changes during transportation, use, etc.

Jet fuel

What it is? This is the so-called a fraction of petroleum produced by direct distillation of sweet and sour petroleum. The hydrotreating method with the addition of additives is widely used.

That's it used for refueling passenger airliners and military aircraft. Before it gets into the hands of mechanics, it goes through 8 stages of testing! And in Russia it is also controlled by the military.

The cost of one ton is estimated 20-35 thousand rubles.

Such vehicles transport fuel to aircraft.

It has a lot of features that show its quality. Starting from thermal stability and ending with sulfur and acidity.

Several types of this fuel are used in Russia:

RT- fuel is very High Quality, since it contains an oil fraction of 135-280° C with complete hydroprocessing. It has no analogues with Western types of fuel and used to refuel aircraft such as the SU-27 etc;
TS-1 is a mixture of straight-run and straight-purified fractions. It corresponds to the foreign type - Jet-A and is spare in relation to the above-mentioned type. This is the most popular look fuel throughout Russia and the CIS countries. It is used by non-domestic aircraft, as well as for older types of turbojet, subsonic and turboprop engines;

One type of jet fuel is TS-1.

T-8V and T-6- these types are produced only for the needs of the Russian army. First of all, for supersonic fighters such as the MIG-35. The extremely long and complex process of their processing makes it very expensive.

Aircraft refueling process

Now that you know the type of aviation fuel, let's find out how planes are refueled.

First feature consists in the fact that in winter a special additive is added to it, which prevents thickening and initialing of the fuel in the tank, and also helps its complete combustion.

Where are the fuel tanks themselves located?? For different aircraft they are located in approximately the same places - in the center and near the wings. Fuel from the central tank is used to take it to the engines. There may also be one additional tank - in the tail. It is needed to better adjust the alignment of the airliner during the flight.

Any of these tanks have holes, and foreign manufacturers use the so-called drainage system. Why is this necessary? The fact is that the tank must have communication with the atmosphere, otherwise the pressure inside will increase and the fuel will stop flowing.

First you need to drain the fuel sediment. This is necessary to check whether there is at least a small percentage of water left in the tanks. This is done by a technician and a flight engineer.

The hoses are securely attached to the tanks.

Immediately before refueling, the technician names the amount of fuel required, and also requests fuel control in the technical specification for water content.

Next, fuel is poured inside through hoses. In this case, the fuel tanker must be connected to the aircraft grounding cable. Another similar cable is connected from the car to the grounding point on the platform.

Perhaps you may ask, how does it not spill? The fact is that the neck has built-in check valves. They turn on only when the pressure rises. If the pressure drops, they close automatically.

The process, of course, takes place before passengers board.

What if you add more fuel than needed? Fortunately, this is simply not possible. The taps will automatically close when such a threat occurs.. If this does not work, then the valves, under pressure from the arriving fuel, begin to drain it directly onto the ground.

In the cab you can check on the panel fuel level in tanks. This is very important, because if, say, it is different in the wing tanks, then the plane will simply begin to roll to one side.

After about a quarter of an hour, you need to drain the sediment from the tanks again and check the water level there again.

This is where the refueling ends. This is only one of the important stages of preparing an aircraft for flight.

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