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View Full Version : How long to fill a a380?


phylosocopter
19th Sep 2017, 06:50
Someone on another forum has said this
"To fill the A380 that flies direct to Dubai requires 5 hours pumping Jet A1 down that [damaged] 10 inch/250mm diameter pipe at 200 bar/2800psi ." ( Thats auckland, dubai)

anyone know better?

Old Fella
19th Sep 2017, 11:03
I know nothing about the A380, however I am confident the pressure of 2800 psi does not apply to the aircraft refuel system nor would five hours to refuel be acceptable.

DaveReidUK
19th Sep 2017, 11:25
Given that the Auckland pipeline has been severed, so nothing is going to get pumped through it, maybe that's the time needed to gravity-fill an A380 from jerrycans. :O

PDR1
19th Sep 2017, 11:48
Don't forget to lay a muslin cloth across the filler hole to filter the fuel...

pattern_is_full
19th Sep 2017, 17:01
Fuel flow capacity into an A380's tanks is about 6800 pounds (1000 US gallons) per minute, assuming compentent equipment. To fill absolutely empty tanks with the maximum capacity of 583000 lbs of fuel thus takes about 85 minutes. What with connecting and disconnecting the hoses and such, call it two hours maximum. (All figures dependent on fuel temp and actual specific gravity ("density") on a given day).

Beyond that, it becomes a question of "how long is a piece of string?"

How much fuel was already in the tanks? (Ideally, planes don't land on fumes anymore!) Does one pump truck have to fill both wings - which means perhaps 20 minutes extra of connecting up the hoses twice, once for each fueling point? Does the airport have the ground tanks for direct pumping into the plane, or does all the fuel have to brought to the plane in individual tank (as opposed to pumping) trucks?

I'm not sure the A380 even has gravity-feed (top of wing) fueling points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BiYQbD-mVk

Exup
20th Sep 2017, 02:37
Fuel pressure from the Truck or Hydrant to Aircraft will not be 2400 psi, more along the lines pf 40 to 50 psi.