PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Boeing 737 Center Pumps INOP: Fuel Really Unusable?
Old 18th Mar 2004, 01:51
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DDG
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
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LEM
1)The rate of fuel transfer will not be enough to support the fuel flow rates required by the engines,as it uses a small jet pump
2)The scavenge jetpump will only operate after a centre tank pump is switched off and will run for 20min to remove residual fuel in the centre tank
3)If you cycle the centre pump swictches every 20min you will have the scavenge jet pump running .
However you do run a risk of cavitating both the centre tank pumps as the inlets will be no longer sumerged(scavenge pump has done its job for 20min removing fuel),the reprime line for the centre tank boost pumps will be drained of fuel and be full of air.
By doing this the next time someone operates the centre tank pumps they will cavitate and destroy themselves as to reprime the centre tank reprime lines requires a minimium of 3000 to 4000kg of fuel in the centre tank.
Regards,DDG
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