Refueling
The refueling is filling a fuel tank with a liquid or gaseous fuel . It is to be distinguished from the bunkering of solid operating materials. Therefore, depending on the type of use, fuel is mainly filled with products made from crude oil and natural gas .
The following vehicles are referred to as refueling:
technology
When refueling, a connection is established between the tanker and tanker - where necessary atmospheric-tight - which enables the fuel to be transferred immediately and quickly. The geometric complexity of the tank and the physical behavior of the fuel are particular challenges when refueling. One goal is to minimize foaming . Most fuels are flammable and highly flammable, which means that special protective measures must be taken around refueling. When refueling with gas, the positive fit must be observed.
Refueling by type of drive
aviation
.jpg)
In civil aviation , refueling on the ground is particularly common. For this purpose, large amounts of kerosene are kept at commercial airports . Here, the refueling usually takes place through a pipeline system to the gate and parking positions of the aircraft. Sometimes, especially at small airports or airports that do not have a fuel line system, fuel is pumped directly into the aircraft from a tanker truck. Because the refueling of the aircraft is usually the most time-consuming section between two flights, the refueling is carried out by the ground crew during the unloading and loading of the aircraft after the flight captain requests the amount of fuel .
Air refueling is mainly used for aircraft in military aviation . Development began in the 1920s. However, it only made a leap during the Cold War when the Strategic Air Command of the US Air Force was looking for a way to keep the bomber fleet in constant readiness and to be able to reach any point on earth with it at short notice. Since the range of heavily armed aircraft was insufficient, the already known concept of in-flight refueling was used. Nowadays, in- flight refueling is mainly used for fighter aircraft , which can achieve higher maneuverability and speeds by using smaller amounts of fuel on board. The amount of fuel on board is divided into several sub-amounts.
| designation | meaning |
|---|---|
| Taxi fuel | For rolling between gate and runway |
| Trip Fuel | For the flight |
| Contingency Fuel | Fixed percentage / minimum value for unforeseen deviations from the flight plan |
| Alternate fuel | Reserve to the alternate airport |
| Final reserve fuel | 30 min rest to circling over the alternate airport |
Space travel
Refueling is also used in space travel. For example, liquid rockets without fuel are placed on the launch pad and only refueled shortly before departure. The International Space Station is refueled at regular intervals so that it can maneuver independently in Earth orbit .
Motor vehicles
→ Main articles: Gas station and gas pump
In the case of motor vehicles, refueling usually takes place via a pump at a gas station. With the increasing spread of motorized individual transport in the early 20th century, these became the primary method of refueling. Reserve canisters are used to fill up with fuel in places where petrol stations were rare or still are . The position of the filler neck has been different in the history of the automobile, for a time tank openings near the rear license plate were common, today the neck of vehicles with a front engine is located at the rear on the side opposite the exhaust pipe. Vehicles constructed in countries with right-hand traffic usually have the nozzle on the right-hand side, vehicles from countries with left-hand traffic and the USA on the left-hand side. This should enable safe refueling with the reserve canister from the roadside. In the majority of vehicles, the fuel filler cap is now covered by a fuel filler flap, which in many cases is opened from the inside of the vehicle using a remote release. In newer vehicle models, the side of the filler neck is indicated by an arrow in the fuel gauge.
The so-called pit stop in motorsport is a special case . Refueling must be completed as quickly as possible during the race, which is achieved through the use of high pressure pumps ( pressure refueling ).
Rail transport
On the railways, diesel and steam vehicles are refueled in designated operating points . Depots and operations centers that use the corresponding vehicles also have petrol stations with petrol pumps.
Web links
- Fraunhofer ITWM - Refueling vehicles