Improved Fuel Capacity Estimation Method

摘要

In this paper a new semi-analytical fuel tank capacity estimation method is developed for use in the conceptualndesign optimization of transport aircraft. It is based on a simplified spanwise thickness-to-chord ratio distributionnmodel. Three variables are required to define thismodel, but reasonable simplifications can bemade to use only one.nThe new method accounts for different geometries of the inboard and outboard integral tanks as well as the centernwing tank. Rigorous statistical tests demonstrate the new method’s superiority in both relative accuracy andnconsistency to all the othermethods tested. The 95%confidence interval ofmean prediction error of the newmethodnis u00015:96 to u00022:45% for conventional short- to medium-haul transport aircraft, which compares favorably withnu000113:37 to u00026%of a control method representing the current practice. Prediction error bandwidth observed in thensample is u00016:7to u00025%. This improvement reduces the uncertainty about maximum fuel capacity and enablesnpayload-range performance constraints to be more clearly defined.