Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #28556
From: Jeffrey Liegner, MD <liegner@earthlink.net>
Sender: Marvin Kaye <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: N420HP Fuel Selector, Fuel Return, "Fuel Log"
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:11:45 -0500
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
Re: N420HP Fuel Selector, Fuel Return, "Fuel Log"
to:  "SEMLOH Aviation Services Corp" <semlohav@juno.com>

Suggestion:

Regarding the fuel selector and single tank return, an alternate fix would be to insert a "fuel log" into the return between the fuel selector and the engine, which gets connected back into the fuel to the engine after the fuel selector and beofre the fuel pumps.  The "fuel log" is cylindrical and basically acts as a volume buffer, plus has a 45 micro internal filter (good for the injectors and water).  In this way, your fuel flow sensors (before the fuel log insertion before the pump after the fuel selector) will only sip fuel from the tank that it needs to keep the system replenished (no subtration calculation needed).  No fuel is returned to either tank.  This would save on fuel selector replacement and plumbing upgrade back out to tank.  Fuel temperature doesn't cool as much as when returned to the tank.

http://www.petersonfluidsys.com/fuelfilt.html


Your fuel pump probably sends a nearly constant 35 GPH through the system, only part of which is used by the engine, the rest being returned to the tank.

Curiosity: what is your fuel pressure setting?

I know of one airplane LIVP doing this.

Just a thought.

Jeff L


Listers,

Just an update for today.
N420HP completed 2.25 hours of flying today.  We had a slight delay getting going this morning as we need to replace the Gear Box temp sensor.  We had four hops of just over 40 minutes each and found that we did indeed solve the high oil temp problem.  All other systems are working very well.  Pulled the chip detector from the gear box this evening and showed no metal at all, at least none to be seen with the naked eye.  We took an oil sample that will go out tomorrow.  I shot some really fun air to air stuff which is about nine minutes long.  I have that down loaded to my computer but have no idea how to get it up where people can see it, anyone help in that department.  The file is about 23MB.  Anyhoo, the engine continues to sing.  One alteration that we are making tomorrow is to install a fuel selector that has a return to both tanks.  This comes about as the owner had selected one that only had a return to one tank.  Initially this was thought to be ok but we find that the twin fuel pumps produce much more return than we expected.  The left tank was used up fast as more fuel was being returned to the right tank than what the engine was using, so basically we were just pumping fuel to the engine and the right tank.  Not a hard problem to fix.  As a note we used a Cirrus SR22 as a chase plane for our testing and it has worked out well.  We have taken the aircraft to 8000 feet so far and just up to 180KTS IAS.  No stall work has even been considered yet.  The owner made his first solo this evening and that is where my video comes from. 

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