The Boeing Company
Center fuel tank assembly with partitioned center fuel tank for an aircraft and methods of sequencing fuel for the same

Abstract:

There is provided a center fuel tank assembly for an aircraft. The assembly includes a center fuel tank disposed in a central part of the aircraft. The assembly further includes one or more fuel barrier members partitioning the center fuel tank into two or more separate volume sections comprising two or more separate sub-tanks arranged in a fore-to-aft alignment to form a partitioned center fuel tank. The assembly further includes a fuel flow control assembly coupled to each of the two or more separate sub-tanks, each fuel flow control assembly operating independently. A sequential fuel burn of fuel in the two or more separate sub-tanks is made in a fore-to-aft sequence while the aircraft is in flight, to assist in shifting aftward a center of gravity (CG) of the aircraft, to reduce aircraft drag.