fuel conservation 700 words
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In today's environment of high fuel costs, the testing and detection
of fuel leaks should be a priority.
The evolution of air transportation has brought inevitable change to the forefront
of the aviation industry, complexities no longer belong to the mechanics and
engineers of the field. Today's obstacles challenge economics.
Fuel conservation is becoming an important part of the revenue generating
cycle in the aviation industry. According to the International Air Traffic
Association, the increase of fuel prices contributed to profit losses for the
industry around the globe. Especially for US Carriers, who lost more than $5
billion in 2004, despite a recent drop in oil prices. Standard & Poor's analysts also
expect that 2005 will not boost high profits for the aviation sector.
And there is a cyclical effect that comes from rising
petroleum costs which aid in higher ticket prices, fuel surcharges and increased
labor disputes. While there are no immediate solutions considering the economic
climate of the country, GSE specialis ts are designing, developing and thinking
about equipment that can help further test the efficiencies of fuel components
in air transportation vehicles. A New York based engineering firm (The James
A. Staley Co.) has designed a Wing Leak Cavity Test Cart to assist GSE technicians
with detecting fuel leaks in an airplane's wing cavity.
Developing a solution
A leading airframe manufacturer approached J.A.S.C.O. with the need for a
piece of equipment to test fuel leaks on a plane's wing cavity. This particular
piece was derived due to economic and environmental factors. Both factors
were considered because jet petroleum is costly, and can also require careful
treatment. After being approached, the proposal process took several weeks
to determine which variables were most important for the creation of this
piece of equipment.
Because the design process is the creative practice of identifying the exact
need and devising a product to fulfill the need, certain variables were considered.
Variables considered for this piece of equipment were portability, efficiency
and safety for the operator and the aircraft, functional characteristics
including a relatively simple way to test for leaks. Once those were identified
through team discussions, consideration of specific materials and parts used
to build the equipment were carefully itemized for a cost analysis. After the
design and cost analysis were completed, ordering the parts and the actual
assembling and building the cart from the blue prints begins in the shop.
Detecting a leak
The cart basically supplies either air pressure or a partial vacuum to one
of the aircraft's dry fuel tanks and then precisely monitors any pressure
changes occurring. Only very low amounts of either pressure or vacuum are
used to avoid jeopardizing the aircraft's structural integrity. Two
6-inch dial compound gauges and a rate of climb indicator provide the means
to accurately check pressure changes.
Operation of the cart is completely pneumatic, no electrical power is required.
Facility shop air is simply hosed to the cart. A 60-foot coil of hose with
quick-disconnects is stored on the cart for hook-up to the shop air. The
inlet pressure gauge indicates the shop air supply pressure. Air is filtered
and then sent to either a high volume reducing pressure regulator for pressurizing
or to the vacuum generator for evacuating. Vacuum is created with an on-board
ejector type vacuum pump.
A large diameter 50-foot long hose supplies the test tank with the pressure
or vacuum from the cart. Monitoring the pressure or vacuum condition in the
tank under test can be done with the cart's gauges. Note that the maximum
pressure/vacuum applied to the tank should be ascertained from the airframe
manufacturer before any testing is done. Any loss of pressure/vacuum can be
noticed quickly with the rate of climb .
In today's environment of high fuel costs, the testing and detection
of fuel leaks should be a priority.
The evolution of air transportation has brought inevitable change to the forefront
of the aviation industry, complexities no longer belong to the mechanics and
engineers of the field. Today's obstacles challenge economics.
Fuel conservation is becoming an important part of the revenue generating
cycle in the aviation industry. According to the International Air Traffic
Association, the increase of fuel prices contributed to profit losses for the
industry around the globe. Especially for US Carriers, who lost more than $5
billion in 2004, despite a recent drop in oil prices. Standard & Poor's analysts also
expect that 2005 will not boost high profits for the aviation sector.
And there is a cyclical effect that comes from rising
petroleum costs which aid in higher ticket prices, fuel surcharges and increased
labor disputes. While there are no immediate solutions considering the economic
climate of the country, GSE specialis ts are designing, developing and thinking
about equipment that can help further test the efficiencies of fuel components
in air transportation vehicles. A New York based engineering firm (The James
A. Staley Co.) has designed a Wing Leak Cavity Test Cart to assist GSE technicians
with detecting fuel leaks in an airplane's wing cavity.
Developing a solution
A leading airframe manufacturer approached J.A.S.C.O. with the need for a
piece of equipment to test fuel leaks on a plane's wing cavity. This particular
piece was derived due to economic and environmental factors. Both factors
were considered because jet petroleum is costly, and can also require careful
treatment. After being approached, the proposal process took several weeks
to determine which variables were most important for the creation of this
piece of equipment.
Because the design process is the creative practice of identifying the exact
need and devising a product to fulfill the need, certain variables were considered.
Variables considered for this piece of equipment were portability, efficiency
and safety for the operator and the aircraft, functional characteristics
including a relatively simple way to test for leaks. Once those were identified
through team discussions, consideration of specific materials and parts used
to build the equipment were carefully itemized for a cost analysis. After the
design and cost analysis were completed, ordering the parts and the actual
assembling and building the cart from the blue prints begins in the shop.
Detecting a leak
The cart basically supplies either air pressure or a partial vacuum to one
of the aircraft's dry fuel tanks and then precisely monitors any pressure
changes occurring. Only very low amounts of either pressure or vacuum are
used to avoid jeopardizing the aircraft's structural integrity. Two
6-inch dial compound gauges and a rate of climb indicator provide the means
to accurately check pressure changes.
Operation of the cart is completely pneumatic, no electrical power is required.
Facility shop air is simply hosed to the cart. A 60-foot coil of hose with
quick-disconnects is stored on the cart for hook-up to the shop air. The
inlet pressure gauge indicates the shop air supply pressure. Air is filtered
and then sent to either a high volume reducing pressure regulator for pressurizing
or to the vacuum generator for evacuating. Vacuum is created with an on-board
ejector type vacuum pump.
A large diameter 50-foot long hose supplies the test tank with the pressure
or vacuum from the cart. Monitoring the pressure or vacuum condition in the
tank under test can be done with the cart's gauges. Note that the maximum
pressure/vacuum applied to the tank should be ascertained from the airframe
manufacturer before any testing is done. Any loss of pressure/vacuum can be
noticed quickly with the rate of climb .
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