Liquid Measurement Using Optical Technologies

用于制造下一代商用飞机机翼的新型复合材料大大减少了机翼中金属部件的数量。因此，非常希望从机翼移除电导体（电线），因为它们提供雷电传导路径并且必须相应地被隔离和结合以满足规定。同样地，希望从飞行器燃料箱内部移除所有电源。现有的燃料量指示系统（FULIS）是安全的并且非常可靠，但在未来一代商用飞机机翼中金属材料较少，以及机翼和油箱的电力来源是非常有吸引力的。燃料传感合作建立在三年多的技术基础上波音公司和AFE之间的研究，开发燃料探头和询问电子设备。一个完整的航空燃料密度计系统包括一个密度计，该NATEP项目将寻求开发密度计，这将确保在油箱环境中不需要电动传感器。该传感器将是燃料不可知的，这意味着它将被开发用于测量所有燃料，包括可持续航空燃料（SAF），并可能包括氢气。该项目旨在开发有助于减少二氧化碳排放的未来推进技术，以及支持现有技术的可持续航空系统。

New composite materials used to build next generation commercial aircraft wings create a significant reduction in the number of metallic parts in wings. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to remove electrical conductors (wires) from the wing as they provide a lightning conduction path and have to be isolated and bonded accordingly to meet regulations. Likewise, it is desirable to remove all electrical power sources from inside the aircraft fuel tanks.Existing Fuel Quantity Indication Systems (FQIS) are safe and extremely reliable, but with less metallic material in future generation commercial aircraft wings the removal of any electrical conductors (wires) and electrical power sources from the wings and fuel tanks is extremely attractive.The fuel sensing collaboration builds on over three years of technology research between Boeing and AFE to develop fuel probes and interrogation electronics. A full FQIS system includes a densitometer and this NATEP project will seek to develop the densitometer, which will ensure there will be no requirement for electrically powered sensors within the fuel tank environment.The sensor will be fuel agnostic, meaning it will be developed to measure all fuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and potentially including Hydrogen. The project aligns with developing future propulsion technologies contributing to CO2 reduction and systems which support sustainable aviation over existing technologies.