Fuel consumption of an aircraft: types, characteristics, displacement, amount of fuel and refueling

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Fuel consumption of an aircraft is one of the important indicators of the efficient operation of mechanisms. Each model consumes its own amount, tankers calculate this parameter so that the airliner is not loaded with excess weight. Various factors are considered before allowing a departure: flight range, availability of alternate airfields, weather conditions of the route.

Main technical parameters

From the first flight to modern models, thousands of different military, cargo, passenger airliners were created. Time and technological progress make them constantly improve, occupy a worthy niche in the air fleet. At any period of development, the designers were faced with the task of reducing the fuel consumption of the aircraft so that it would be profitable in operation and in demand on the market. To calculate, take 3 main parameters, fix the value:

• hourly;
• kilometer;
• specific.

On how much money will be spent onrefueling depends on the cost of the entire flight and the company's costs for servicing an expensive mechanism.

Hour characteristic

An aircraft's hourly fuel consumption refers to the use of resources for each hour in flight. Passengers are delivered at cruising speeds. Therefore, 2 main values \u200b\u200bare needed: maximum payload and cruising speed. As a fixed determinant by which the liner can be loaded, 60% of the maximum is taken to ensure safety and provide for additional weight. The units of measurement are kilograms per flight hour.

The authorized commercial load is the gross weight:

• passenger;
• luggage;
• machinery, instruments, equipment.

For the average value, the calculators take within 10 thousand kg per flight hour.

Kilometer calculation

The fuel consumption of aircraft by kilometer indicators is measured by the cost per unit of flight distance. The same measurements are taken into account: cruising speed and maximum payload. Definitions are required to find out the least cost. In this case, the units of measurement are kilograms of weight per kilometer of flight.

Specific value

What is the fuel consumption of an aircraft in terms of a specific indicator, determined by a unit of time or distance in relation to thrust or its engine power.

Units:

• by mass or volume of fuel - in kilograms orliters;
• by time and distance of movement - in hours and kilometers;
• by engine power - in horsepower or kilograms.

This technical indicator shows fuel efficiency, it allows you to find out which of the liners is able to carry cargo with a minimum amount of kerosene. Determining the fuel consumption of a passenger aircraft, they take the fuel spent per kilometer of flight to the number of citizens who entered the cabin.

What indicators affect the savings?

Every time an air vehicle takes off, technicians consider all factors. They have a number of tasks:

• refuel the liner to a minimum;
• get rid of threats to people;
• keep the car;
• create savings.

To do this, determine the factors that affect the fuel consumption of a Boeing aircraft or domestic transport:

• cruising speed;
• mass of the whole mechanism;
• commercial download;
• weather conditions;
• number of propulsion devices;
• screw, jet, combined type of engine;
• device design.

A team of professional technicians and engineers does a difficult job.

The main parameters of the "Boeing 737"

From the history of the development of aircraft "Boeing 737" have 4 generations of different technical characteristics. Liners included in this family:

1. Original.
2. Classic.
3. Simply called the next generation.
4. Max - new developments, they are going to replace outdated models.

Fuel consumption of Boeing 737-300 aircraft:

• Fuel Efficiency - 22.50g/pass km.
• hourly cost - 2.40 thousand kg/h.

"Boeing 737-400":

• fuel efficiency - 20.9g/pass. km;
• hourly consumption - 2.6 thousand kg/h.

Features of this passenger aircraft:

• passenger seats – 114;
• cargo tonnage – 2, 4 t.

Flight data parameters:

1. 793 km/h. – cruising speed value.
2. 52800 kg - maximum takeoff weight.
3. 10058 m - the device rises to this height.
4. 2518 km - moves with a similar range.
5. 276 km/h – takes off at that speed.

Leading Boeing specialists are working on the design of an aircraft that will replace the entire 737 family.

Who does the calculation

For refueling airliners, special oil fractions are used, they are called jet fuel, or jet fuel. To calculate the required amount for a particular flight, a narrow circle of specialists is involved, only they know the formulas for each model.

The calculation is made according to the following scheme:

• take the mass of aviation gasoline that will be required tofly from city M to city D with payload C;
• fix the amount of fuel needed when moving from city D to the alternate airfield site located at the maximum distance according to the flight plan;
• consumption of jet fuel during additional overflights during landing;
• add 6% to this volume of fuel for reserve storage.

In the event of an emergency landing, the aircraft must dump the remaining kerosene so that the impact does not ignite from a large amount of flammable substance.

As a conclusion, we can summarize:

• the most responsible, old and urgent task when creating an aircraft design is its fuel consumption;
• fuel efficiency is characterized by three indicators: hourly, kilometer, specific resource costs;
• fuel costs are not exact values, they are influenced by external and internal factors;
• Specific and hourly meals fluctuate for each liner in different ranges.

Calculation of aviation kerosene is carried out by specialists from the technical staff, separately for each aircraft before its route they apply formulas developed for certain airliners. The result is increased so that there is always a margin. For long flights there is a special refueling in the air. Cargo refuelers fly to the point to carry out scrupulous, responsible work at the calculated altitude.