| US 11,815,031 B2 | ||
| Fuelling schedule | ||
| Peter Swann, Derby (GB); Craig W Bemment, Derby (GB); Alastair G Hobday, Derby (GB); Benjamin J Keeler, Derby (GB); and Christopher P Madden, Derby (GB) | ||
| Assigned to ROLLS-ROYCE plc, London (GB) | ||
| Filed by ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, London (GB) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/853,074. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2118656 (GB), filed on Dec. 21, 2021. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2023/0193835 A1, Jun. 22, 2023 | ||
| Int. Cl. F02C 9/28 (2006.01); B64D 37/04 (2006.01); B64D 27/10 (2006.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01) | ||
| CPC F02C 9/28 (2013.01) [B64D 27/10 (2013.01); B64D 37/04 (2013.01); G08G 5/0034 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A method of operating an aircraft comprising a gas turbine engine and a plurality of fuel tanks arranged to provide fuel to the gas turbine engine, wherein at least two of the fuel tanks contain fuels with different fuel characteristics, the method comprising:
obtaining a flight profile for a flight of the aircraft; determining a fuelling schedule for the flight based on the flight profile and the fuel characteristics, the fuelling schedule governing the variation with time of how much fuel is drawn from each tank; and controlling fuel input to the gas turbine engine in operation in accordance with the fuelling schedule, the controlling including switching from taking fuel from one of the fuel tanks to another of the fuel tanks when a parameter reaches a threshold, the parameter being selected from the group consisting of fuel temperature, turbine gas temperature, oil temperature, shaft speed, and time since the engine was turned on. |