The engine fuel system fault analysis

Yong Zhang, Hanqiang Song, Changsheng Yang, and Wei Zhao

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1839, 020077 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4982442

View online: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4982442
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1839/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics

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 The Engine Fuel System Fault Analysis
Yong Zhang1,a), Hanqiang Song2, Changsheng Yang2 and Wei Zhao2
1
Naval Aeronautical and Astronautically University, Shandong, Yantai, 264001, China
2
Navel Accouter academy, Shanghai, 201900, China.
a)
Corresponding author: 15963528162@163.com

Abstract. For improving the reliability of the engine fuel system, the typical fault factor of the engine fuel system was
analyzed from the point view of structure and functional. The fault character was gotten by building the fuel system fault
tree. According the utilizing of fault mode effect analysis method (FMEA), several factors of key component fuel regulator
was obtained, which include the fault mode, the fault cause, and the fault influences. All of this made foundation for next
development of fault diagnosis system.

THE ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM

The function of engine fuel system is mainly as follows:
1) Fuel feeding to engine in all work condition.
2) Holding invariable volume fuel flow in a stability operator condition.
3) Limiting the max fuel flow.
4) Decrease the fuel flow when the temperature limiting system started to working.
5) Control the engine to idle condition when the limiting protect operator.
6) Cutoff the fuel providing when the engine is closing down both in normal state and in fault state.
7) Realization the instant fuel pressure lifting and unloading during the engine starting process for satisfy the
starting fuel needing.
8) Satisfy fuel improving character during accelerator.
Fig 1 shows the engine fuel system operating principle and compositions.

C5
Shutdow C18
PS16 PS6
n switch PS2
1
Fuel Gear wheel Starting Starting
Filter pump Regulator electroma-
entry igniter
gnetic valve
PA24 23
PA22 Limiting protect
22 electromagnetic PS10 PS11
PA20 C3
valve

Fuel injection
nozzle way I
Fuel
distributor
Fuel injection
nozzle way II

PS12

FIGURE 1 The engine fuel system structure

Materials Science, Energy Technology, and Power Engineering I

AIP Conf. Proc. 1839, 020077-1–020077-5; doi: 10.1063/1.4982442
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1509-6/$30.00

020077-1
 The engine fuel system is composed by 12 components, which are gear wheel pump, fuel distributor, blow-down
valve, fuel filter, fault blow-down valve, 2 electromagnetic valves, restriction chock, 2 check valves, grease packing
switch, fuel pressure signal index gage and 6 fuel pressure sensors.
1) The Gear wheel is used for provide high pressure fuel to injection nozzle, which is installed in the down
compound box. And the gear wheel is driven by low pressure compressor.
2) The fuel distributor’s function contains four aspects. Firstly, it is used for provide fuel during engine starting
process. Secondly, it is used for assignment fuel to all kinds of oil circuit. Thirdly, it is used for limiting the fuel flow
mass when the gas temperature is above the given value under the idle state. Fourthly, it is used for breaking the fuel
providing to injection nozzle when the fault protection system is started.
3) The blow-down valve is used for discharge the residual fuel which is in oil injection main line and pipe when
the engine is disorderly closedown.
4) The fuel filter is used for cleaning the oil before it is deliver to fuel pump.
5) There are two electromagnetic valves in the system. The one is used for controlling the starting fuel injection
nozzle. And the other is used for controlling fuel drain from the pressure lifting boundary member plunger when it get
the limiting protection signal form the control center, which is making the engine load down to idle state.
6) The restriction chock is used for discharge the residual fuel from the starting injection nozzle after the
electromagnetic closedown.
7) The one of the check valve is used for avoiding the gas leak out from combustor to fuel system when the engine
is working. And the other is used for avoid the fuel leak out to lubrication system.
8) The grease packing switch is used for control the engine lubrication channel.
9) The fuel pressure signal index gage is used for providing necessary signal to control center.
10) The six pressure sensors are used for measure the fuel pressure. The position of PS16 is in the front of fuel
filter, the position of PS21 is after the fuel filter, the position of PS6 is in starting oil circuit, and the position of PS10,
PS11 and PS12 are all in the oil circuit II.

TYPICAL FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

1) The Engine starting failure fault tree analysis
Once the engine starting failure, firstly, we should check the fuel quantity in fuel tank. And the fuel quantity
according to the fuel index gauge is ensured [1] [2]. Then starting the engine could be permission. What’s more, the
common reasons for the fault mainly contain ignition system fault, fuel feeding system fault and fuel injection nozzle
fault. In ignition system, several faults would making the starting failure such as the weaken spark, no high pressure
spark and a rather large error between the ignition advance angle and the standard angle. And the low pressure in fuel
system would cause injection mass shortage [3].
Above of all, the causes of engine starting failure mainly have several reasons as follows: ignition system failure,
fuel shortage in tank, fuel pump failure, injection system failure, low fuel system pressure, fuel filter chocking or
pipeline chocking.
Fig 2 shows the fault tree of engine starting failure.

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 T1

E11 W1

E12 E13 X1 X2

E14 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7 X8

X9 X10

FIGURE 2 Engine starting failure fault tree

Table 1 indicates the fault event list in Fig 1.

TABLE 1. Engine starting failure fault event

Event Code Event Name Event Code Event Name
T1 Engine starting failure X3 Electromagnetic valve fault
E11 Fuel system fault X4 Gear pump failure
W1 Operation, control system and other aspect fault X5 Pressure regulator failure
E12 Ignition system fault X6 Fuel filter blinding
E13 Fuel feeding system fault X7 Fuel distributor fault
E14 Injection nozzle fault X8 Pipe leakage or chocking
X1 Fuel tank shortage X9 Needle valve clamping stagnation
X2 Fuel model number mismatch or heavier fuel pollution X10 Timing inaccuracy

The minimum cut set is computed by utilizing of the descending method. Table 2 shows the result.

TABLE 2. The minimum cut sets

Step 1 2 3 4
E11 E12 E14 X9
W1 E13 X3 X10
X1 X4 X3
X2 X5 X4
W1 X6 X5
X7 X6
Progress
X8 X7
W1 X8
W1

Ten minimum cut sets are gotten. They are {X1}, {X2}, {X3}, {X4}, {X5}, {X6}, {X7}, {X8}, {X9} and {X10}.

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 Aiming at the engine starting failure, if the fuel filter blinding, the pressure of PS16 would obviously arise, and
the pressure of PS21 would obviously fall down. And if the pressure of PS16 increased, pressure of PS21 increased
pressure of PS6 fall down, the gear pump or fuel regulator may be in failure. If there is control signal in C5, and there
is no signal in PS6, it may be caused by electron valve. If the pressure is abnormal in PS6, it may cause by igniter.
Table 3 shows the comprehensive analysis result.
TABLE 3. Pressure analysis monitoring table
Pressure monitoring point
PS16 PS21 PS6 PS10 PS11 PS12
Fault situation
Explicit Explicit
Fuel filter blinding Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease
increase decrease
Gear pump absorption deficiency Increase Increase Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease

Starting electromagnetic stagnation Increase Increase None change Increase Increase Increase

Fuel regulator blinding Increase Increase Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease

Remarks: There is no considering about the situation of coupled fault.

The FT (fault tree) of engine power deficiency and oversize specific fuel consumption are built utilizing the similar
method. And the detection facilities are individual analyzed. According the pressure detection, the basic fault
phenomena and the possible fault component could be gotten [4]. Table 4 indicates the fault comprehensive analysis
results.

TABLE 4. The fault comprehensive analysis results

Possible fault
Pressure detective point PS16 PS21 PS6 PS10 PS11 PS12
components
Explicit Explicit Fuel filter
Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease
increase decrease blinding
Gear pump
Increase Increase Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease absorption
Starting deficiency
Failure Starting
No
Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase electromagnetic
change
stagnation
Fuel regulator
Increase Increase Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease
Fault blinding
phenomenon Explicit Explicit Fuel filter
Decrease Decrease
increase decrease blinding
Fuel regulator
Power Increase Increase Decrease Decrease
outlet shortage
deficiency
Gear pump
Increase Increase Decrease Decrease absorption
deficiency
Oversize Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease Pipe leakage
specific fuel Fuel filter
consumption Decrease Increase Increase Increase
inactivation

Aiming at the key components, the fault mode effect and influence table method is utilized for more visualized
analysis the system fault. Table 5 shows the fuel regulator FMEA results [5] [6].

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 TABLE 5. FMEA table of fuel regulator
Fault influence
Function Fault Advised Health
Function Fault mode Higher
index reason Local Finally action grade
grade
Variable
Adjusting Performance Performance
measurement Wear, Aging, Power Clearing or
oil orifice
fuel mass
Blinding. Pollution
is is
deterioration replacement ĉ
flow influenced influenced
barrel

Centrifugal Perception Dehiscence,

Fatigue, Regulator is Periodic
departure rotational Corrosion,
Pollution
Breakage
inactivation
Accident
detection ĉ
gravity speed Desquamation

Adjusting Performance Performance

Lever unit Abruption, Power Periodic
mount
oil orifice
Wearing.
Fatigue is is
deterioration detection ĉ
barrel influenced influenced

Constant Holding
Clamping Performance
differential constant Periodic
pressure differential
Closed stagnation, Breakage is Accident
detection Ċ
Abrade influenced
valve pressure

Pressure
Pressure
increased Performance Performance
increasing Components Periodic
limiting
after Unworkable
breakage
is is Accident
detection Ċ
limiting influenced influenced
device
pump

From the analysis results, the pressure increasing limiting device and constant differential pressure valve in fuel
regulator are important for safety working.

CONCLUSIONS
According the fault tree analysis to fuel system, the typical fault deliver relationship of the fuel system and
component is gotten through the analysis to typical fault mode as example. And the relationship between the detection
parameters and fault in fuel system is indicated. The FMEA method is utilized in fuel regulator. And the influence of
all components to the fuel regulator is gotten. All of this took basis for further development of the fault diagnosis
system in technology view.

REFERENCES
1. Tingxiao Lu. Reliability Design andAnalysis[M].Beijing: Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Press,1990, pp. 62–73.
2. Tailiang Song. Equipment Support Engineering [M]. Beijing: National Defence Industry Press, 2002. , pp. 12–
16.
3. Guowei He. Reliability Engineering [M].Beijing: Beijing Aerospace Press, 1995. , pp. 35–43.
4. Daqi Zhu, Shenglin Yu. Survey of knowledge-based fault diagnosis methods [J]. Journal of Anhui University of
Technology, 2002, 19 (3):107-204.
5. Guoliang Liu, YuandaoWang, Baolin Zhou, etc al. Health detection algorithm for integrated system health
management [J]. Journal of HARBIN Institute of Technology, 2009: 41(3): 15-17.

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