We established the generic fluid simulation requirements in Chapter 7, Writing the Imported Program. Now we will determine the requirements for creating a fuel farm. A fuel farm is a storage and transfer location for fuel, often seen at airports, trucking companies, and so on.
The fuel tanks can be above or below ground, and often comprise both large storage tanks (holding millions of gallons of fuel) and service tanks (holding hundreds of gallons of fuel). Storage tanks are just that, storage for fuel prior to its transfer to the service tanks. Service tanks hold the fuel that is pumped into a vehicle, or otherwise put to use. Typically, there is equipment to separate water and particulate matter from the fuel as it is moved from the storage tank to the service tank. In addition, sample lines allow fuel to be tested for a number of factors such as color, clarity, and so on.
Our project is based on the schematic drawing that we saw before in Chapter 7, Writing the Imported Program, and which is reprinted in the following image:
In this drawing, there are no service tanks, so the fuel is taken directly from the storage tanks, through the pumps, and out to either the airport flight line or a fuel truck. In our code, we will only model the following components:
- Pumps 1-3
- Gate valves 1-10
- Pressure relief valves 1-3
- Outlet pressure regulating valves 1-3
- Storage tanks 1 and 2
The reason we will only model these components is that these have the largest effect on the system. After the pressure regulating valves, it doesn't really matter what the valves are doing, as the regulating valves will ensure that the outlet pressure of the pumps remains constant. In addition, these devices can be remotely operated, which will be a key component when we make a graphical interface.
In addition, the fluid characteristics will be based on JP-8/Jet A aviation fuel. It is a kerosene-based fuel that is commonly used by military jets, as well as commercial airliners. While we don't currently model the viscosity of fluids (a key factor if we want to show what happens as temperature fluctuates), we do account for density and specific gravity; of course, new characteristics can always be added at a later time, if necessary.