Operational Liaison Meeting FBW aircraft

Fuel accuracy

Content
Introduction
What systems to determine Fuel quantity in the aircraft?
Fuel Quantity Indicator (FQI) System
Manual Magnetic Indicators (MMI)

Why Fuel quantity discrepancies:

On ground?
In flight?

Conclusion

Fuel accuracy

FQI System description

The FQI system is a computerized system that
measure:
the total fuel mass
the total fuel volume
fuel quantity in each tank

Fuel Volume and mass are determined using

Fuel probes (capacitance is proportional to fuel level)
densitometers

Fuel accuracy

FQI System description

Example of Probes
location in an
A320 aircraft

Fuel accuracy

FQI System description

Fuel Quantities are displayed on the ECAM
A320

Fuel accuracy

A330

FQI System description

Fuel Quantities are displayed on the ECAM
A320
FQI is inaccurate

Fuel accuracy

Manual magnetic Indicators

MMIs are installed in each wing tanks.
Each tanks fuel quantity on ground can be determined:
reading the MMI dipstick number
reading the aircraft attitude (grid square letter and number)
using the MMI table

A320 MMI
Fuel accuracy

Wing Tanks MMI Table (Liters)

7

Content
Introduction
What systems to determine Fuel quantity in the aircraft?
Fuel Quantity Indicator (FQI) System
Manual Magnetic Indicators (MMI)

Why Fuel quantity discrepancies:

On ground?
In flight?

Conclusion

Fuel accuracy

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

At the end of refueling, discrepancies reported between:
uplifted quantity measured by the bowsers
uplifted quantity measured using FQI

Those discrepancies may be due to:

Bowser quantity and density error
APU fuel used
FQI accuracy

Fuel accuracy

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

Bowser quantity and density tolerances:
Volume tolerance: generally less than 0.5% of fuel uplifted
Density tolerance (both temperature accuracy and density
reading error): 0.25% of fuel uplifted
Total bowser tolerance: 0.75% of fuel uplifted

APU fuel used:

To be taken into account when comparing FOB pre-refuel
and FOB post-refuel
depends on external condition and generator load
APU fuel consumption: between 100 and 150Kg/h

Fuel accuracy

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Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

The FQI is a gauging system.
Bias and tolerances can affect FQI system accuracy:
tank manufacturing tolerances
FQI computer inaccuracies
tolerances in density determination
water that causes FQI over-reads
wing deflection

Fuel accuracy

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FQI accuracy on ground

Single Aisle Aircraft
FOB
0 to 0.5% Max FOB
0.5%Max FOB to Max FOB

OVERREAD
0
1% FOB

UNDERREAD
- (0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

Long Range Aircraft:

FOB
Below 2% Max FOB
2% Max FOB to Max FOB

Fuel accuracy

OVERREAD
Decrease linearly to 0
+(0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

UNDERREAD
Decrease linearly to -1% Max FOB
- (0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

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FQI accuracy on ground

Single Aisle Aircraft
FOB
0 to 0.5% Max FOB
0.5%Max FOB to Max FOB

OVERREAD
0
1% FOB

UNDERREAD
- (0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

Long Range Aircraft:

FOB
Below 2% Max FOB
2% Max FOB to Max FOB

OVERREAD
Decrease linearly to 0
+(0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

UNDERREAD
Decrease linearly to -1% Max FOB
- (0.5% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

FAR/JAR 25.1337: Each fuel quantity indicator shall be calibrated

to read zero during level flight when the quantity of fuel
remaining in the tank is equal to the unusable fuel supply
Fuel accuracy

13

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

Single Aisle FQI Accuracy (GROUND) MAX FOB= 19T
0.25

0.2

0.15

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.1

0.05

-0.05

-0.1

-0.15

-0.2

-0.25
0

10

12

14

16

18

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

14

20

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

LONG RANGE FQI ACCURACY (GROUND) MAX FOB=113T
1.5

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.5

-0.5

-1

-1.5
0

20

40

60

80

100

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

15

120

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

Max discrepancy =
Max [Fuel load(per bowser)- Fuel added on ECAM (FQI end-FQI start)]=
[Bowser dev FQI dev(end) FQI dev(start) +APU fuel (refuel)]

Fuel accuracy

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Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

EXEMPLE: (A320-200)
ACTUAL FOB before refueling: 3T
ACTUAL FOB after refueling: 18T
Max TOTAL Bowser inaccuracy :
APU Fuel used for 30minutes
Max FQI deviation*
TOTAL:

115kg
50kg
220kg
______
385kg

The FQI deviation is only significant when FQI

Over/ Under-readings before and after refueling are
very different
Fuel accuracy

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Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

Single Aisle FQI Accuracy (GROUND) MAX FOB= 19T
0.25

0.2

0.15

MAX FQI
deviation
during
refueling

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.1

0.05

-0.05

-0.1

-0.15

-0.2

-0.25
0

10

12

14

16

18

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

18

20

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

LONG RANGE FQI ACCURACY (GROUND) MAX FOB=113T
1.5

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.5

-0.5

-1

-1.5
0

20

40

60

80

100

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

19

120

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

What about MMI use?
MMI accuracy: +/-5% FOB

Fuel accuracy

20

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

Single Aisle FQI Accuracy (GROUND) MAX FOB= 19T
1.5

FQI/MMI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.5

FQI

MMI

-0.5

-1

-1.5
0

10

12

14

16

18

20

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

21

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

LONG RANGE FQI ACCURACY (FLIGHT) MAX FOB=113T
8

FQI/MMI TOLERANCE Tonnes

FQI

0
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

-2

-4

-6

-8
Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

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MMI

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies on ground?

What about MMI use?
MMI accuracy: +/-5% FOB

Do not use MMI to check FQI system

Only use MMI when FQI is inoperative

Fuel accuracy

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Content
Introduction
What systems to determine Fuel quantity in the aircraft?
Fuel Quantity Indicator (FQI) System
Manual Magnetic Indicators (MMI)
Why Fuel quantity discrepancies:
On ground?
In flight?

Conclusion

Fuel accuracy

24

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

Fuel accuracy

25

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

Fuel accuracy

26

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

When performing this check, discrepancies come from:
BLOCK FUEL accuracy
FU accuracy
FOB accuracy

Fuel accuracy

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FU accuracy
FU is the integration of the Fuel Flow over time
The accuracy of the Fuel Flow meter depends on:
Fuel flow rate
Temperature conditions

But, keep in mind that the FU indication

does not take into account APU fuel
consumption
Fuel accuracy

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FU accuracy

FU accuracy:
Estimated to be better than +/-1.5%
For normal Cruise conditions ~+/-1%

Fuel accuracy

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FU accuracy on long Range Aircraft

Maximum F.USED Deviation
0.7
0.6
0.5

Deviatio n tonnes

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
-0.7
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100 110

FOB tonnes
F.USED 31 tonnes
Fuel accuracy

F.USED 67 tonnes

F.USED 103 tonnes

30

FQI accuracy in flight

Single Aisle Aircraft
FOB
0 to 0.5% Max FOB
0.5%Max FOB to Max FOB

OVERREAD
0
1% FOB

UNDERREAD
- (1% Max FOB +0.5% FOB)

Long Range Aircraft:

FOB
Below 2% Max FOB

OVERREAD
Decrease linearly to 0

2% Max FOB to Max FOB

+(0.3% Max FOB +0.95%FOB)

Fuel accuracy

UNDERREAD
Decrease linearly to 0.64% Max
FOB
- (0.3% Max FOB +0.95% FOB)

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Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

Single Aisle FQI Accuracy (Flight) MAX FOB= 19T
0.3

0.2

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.1

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4
0

10

12

14

16

18

Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

32

20

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

LONG RANGE FQI ACCURACY (FLIGHT) MAX FOB=113T

1.5

FQI TOLERANCE Tonnes

0.5

0
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2
Actual FOB Tonnes

Fuel accuracy

33

Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

The maximum theoretical Combined FOB and FU
deviation in indication is possible when:
At departure the FQI system has the maximum deviation
(positive or negative)
At time X, the FQI system has the maximum deviation,
but with the opposite sign to the FQI at departure, and the
F. USED deviation moves in the same sense

Fuel accuracy

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Why Fuel Quantity discrepancies in flight?

EXEMPLES:
A340 aircraft which takes off with 113 Tons on board.
Fuel check with 10 Tons on board:
MAX Theoretical Combined FOB and FU deviation:

2.554 Tons
A340 aircraft which takes off with 41 Tons on board.
Fuel check with 10 Tons on board:
MAX Theoretical Combined FOB and FU deviation:

1.749 Tons
Comparing FOB departure-FOB+FU is a good practice !
Fuel accuracy

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Conclusion
Your FQI system has a good accuracy
On ground, only use MMI when FQI is inoperative
In flight, continue to perform the FOB check, being
confident on the Fuel Quantity Indications displayed on
ECAM

Fuel accuracy

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