How Do Aircraft Fuel Flow Indicators Work?

It is important to check the fuel level before the start of a journey. This is necessary for any means of transportation – cars and aircrafts. This is required in order to avoid stopping and refueling alongside the delays and inconveniences that may result.

There are some devices that can be installed in an aircraft that can accurately determine the fuel level. They are necessary in order to minimize disasters that may result when an aircraft runs low on gas. These devices are called fuel flow indicators. They operate on several basic principles that are all aimed at determining the precise level of fuel in an aircraft.

Overview on how fuel flow indicators work

A typical fuel flow indicator is composed of several displays for the following items with each item represented as symbols

• Fuel used (USD)
• Fuel remaining (REM)
• Hours and minutes remaining (H.M.)
• Fuel required to waypoint and destination (REQ)
• Fuel reserve (RES)

The function of each of these symbols include

Fuel Used (USD)

This indicator shows precisely how much fuel was used after the last refueling. As the fuel level increases due to increased usage, the number displayed will increase as well. This indicator can also be programmed to show just how much fuel was used on a multi-fuel stop flight.

Fuel Remaining (REM)

With fuel indicators, the total fuel remaining in the aircraft can also be calculated. This enables the pilot to have an idea of how much longer the remaining fuel in the aircraft would last and when to refer it. The Fuel Remaining

Hours And Minutes Remaining

Fuel flow instruments are also programmed to show how long an aircraft can continue on a flight. This value is called the endurance time and it is represented in hours and minutes. The value is calculated based on the current fuel flow rate at a particular time. Variations exist in the value of the endurance time. This variation is shown in different circumstances including

• During sea-level climb: Half the actual time is shown on the indicator
• During a power reduction descent: More time than is actually available is shown on the indicator

Fuel Reserve

Based on the destination programmed on the GPS, the Aircraft Fuel Flow Instruments is able to calculate how much fuel is left in reserve when the aircraft arrives that destination.

In summary, Aircraft Fuel Flow Monitors show the level of fuel in an aircraft to the pilot. This is usually necessary to prevent fatal incidents and in determining the health of an aircraft engine. The fuel flow indicators literally show any malfunctioning so that proper care and repairs can be given. Hence, they are very important pieces that must be installed on any aircraft.