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的金属部件数量。因此，非常需要从机翼上移除导体(导线)，因为它们提供了闪电传导路径，并且必须相应地隔离和粘合以满足规定。同样，移除飞机油箱内部的所有电源也是可取的。现有的燃油量指示系统(FQIS)是安全和极其可靠的，但由于未来一代商用飞机机翼的金属材料较少，从机翼和油箱中移除任何导体(导线)和电源非常有吸引力。燃油传感合作建立在波音和AFE之间三年多的技术研究基础上，以开发燃油探头和询问电子设备。一个完整的FQIS系统包括一个密度计，这个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。传感器将与燃料无关，这意味着它将被开发来测量所有燃料，包括可持续航空燃料(SAF)，并可能包括氢气。该项目与开发有助于减少二氧化碳的未来推进技术和支持可持续航空而不是现有技术的系统保持一致。

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.