As promised, today I show and talk about how planes are refueled using the example of Rosneft at Vnukovo airport.

Fuel is supplied to the fuel and lubricants receiving warehouse in two ways:

By rail.
It all starts from the terminal railway, where trains with aviation kerosene arrive, which is delivered from the oil refineries closest to Vnukovo in Ryazan and the plants of the Samara Group and YANOS (Yaroslavl);

Via a ring pipeline directly from the refinery.

2.

3. Fuel is pumped from tanks and through pipelines into these huge 5-thousand-ton (m3) tanks.

4. View from an airplane of the Rosneft fueling complex and Vnukovo airport. Below are thousand-ton tanks; five-thousand-ton tanks remain behind the engine.

5. Each such tank contains a maximum of 4.25 thousand liters of aviation kerosene. At the bottom there is piping - it serves to receive and dispense jet fuel.

6. The Vnukovo logo is placed on the roof of the 5,000-capacity tank.

7. Jet fuel enters the supply tanks through the pipeline.

8. We move to the pre-loading point, where kerosene is directly filled into tankers at the white and red striped loading points.

9. The hose is connected to the fuel tank fitting.

In the TZK, the procedure is as follows. About 10 liters of kerosene are drained through a special tap and a sample is taken into a clean jar for more detailed analysis.

11. First, visual control occurs - the kerosene is untwisted in a spiral until a funnel is formed and inspected for bubbles or sediment.

12. The second stage takes place using a special device (POZ-T).
POZ-T is washed twice with kerosene, and then a test is carried out. The used kerosene is then drained into an underground reservoir.

13. Special indicators (ICT) are installed inside the POZ-T, through which jet fuel is drawn for 8-10 seconds.
If the kerosene contains water or mechanical impurities, three spots will appear on the indicator. If there are mechanical impurities, 3 black spots will appear, if there is water, three blue spots will appear.

14. Everything is clear, it’s time to refuel the plane!

15. In Vnukovo, Rosneft fuels the airlines Transaero, Rossiya, Turkish Airlines, Nordwings, Yakutia, UTair, Lufthansa, Fly Dubai, Hainan Airlines, Air Arabia, as well as Federal consumers.

16. I was lucky; on the morning of the shoot, a Transaero Boeing 747 was refueling.

17. Such a large aircraft can be served simultaneously by two tankers.

18. The fuel tanker, depending on the size of the tank, can hold 60 thousand liters.

19. On the other side there is one more.

20. This is a new tanker - it has a lifting platform behind the cabin to make it convenient to get to the wing to connect the fuel hose.

21. Refuelers are equipped with 2 independent bottom filling nozzles, this will make the process go faster...

22. Fuselage Control and Refueling Control Panel
From the indications: a toggle switch for setting the amount of fuel, a toggle switch for turning on/off the automatic refueling mode, as well as valve controls in the case of manual refueling.

23. Refueling module of the tanker.

24. Refueling the 747 lasts about an hour, the plane takes on board up to 241,140 liters of kerosene and to completely refuel it, you will need 6 tankers.

25. Range with maximum load 14200 km. Almost to Melbourne (14400), Buenos Aires 13500, Santiago (Chile) 14100. Almost the whole world - with the exception of the western coast of Australia.

26. The gas station operator controls the approach and departure of the fuel tanker, helps the car to position itself correctly under the wing, controls differences in the filter elements, controls the pumping unit, and also monitors the quality of the fuel.

27. While the 747 is being refueled, let’s drive around the airport and see where else the planes are being “fed.”

28. They found a Boeing 737 and it’s Transaero again.

29 Here the wing is lower and the hose is connected using a stepladder.

30. What is most interesting is that information about how much fuel to fill into which aircraft now occurs not on paper, but through modern means of communication.

31. In our case, this is a specially trained telephone with a program, to which the dispatcher sends all data on the amount of fuel for a specific aircraft.

32. And the employee can only monitor the readings of the sensors.

33. For example, here is a device that needs to be pressed every minute and a half for safety.

34. This is a differential pressure gauge. It serves as a pressure drop indicator. If the value deviates from the norm, the filters need to be changed.

35. They finished refueling the Gazprom superjet, it’s a pity we didn’t have time. It usually takes 16 minutes to refill.

36. Rosneft is one of the leaders in the Russian aviation fuel market. The sale of aviation fuel produced at 9 Rosneft refineries is carried out by the Company's specialized subsidiary - RN-Aero LLC.

37. Since 2008, the company has been selling aviation fuel, and also provides a full range of services for the supply of aviation kerosene and organizing the refueling of aircraft at airports in Russia and abroad.

38. The presence network of RN-Aero LLC for aircraft refueling on the territory of the Russian Federation has increased to 29 airports, including 13 of its own refueling complexes.

39. Refuelers with a recognizable company logo can be seen at the capital’s Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports...

40. ...at the airports of Ekaterinburg, Vladivostok, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Krasnodar, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Abakan, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk.

This is such beauty.

The quality of fuel plays an important role when refueling aircraft; the level of flight and safety directly depend on it. The most common type of fuel is jet fuel (kerosene), and it is important to consider that each airliner model is designed for a specific type of aviation fuel, the use of which allows you to achieve the best possible results. Sometimes it is allowed to use analogues that are safe for engine performance.

Many passengers are interested in what airplanes are fueled with, what fuel they fly on; modern airliners most often use the following types of fuel:

  • aviation gasoline for piston engines - it can also be used as a solvent for maintenance;
  • aviation kerosene for jet aircraft- deeply processed fuel, its subtypes are designed for different operating conditions.

Aviation fuel

Aviation gasoline is practically no different from its automobile counterpart; the main features are related to the specific use. It is synthesized by oil distillation or catalytic cracking; there are two main types of composition, the difference lies in the octane number. Fuel of this type has been used less and less recently as aircraft fuel, this is due to the fact that piston engines are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Its main area of ​​application is technical inspections of the engine and components.

Advantages of the composition:

  • detonation resistance;
  • fractional composition;
  • chemical stability - resistance to chemical changes during transportation, use, etc.

Aviation kerosene

Jet kerosene is a diesel fuel that is obtained as a result of deep oil refining. In accordance with the requirements for the operation of turbojet engines, the fuel must be thoroughly purified from hydrocarbons and impurities; the octane number of aviation kerosene is 45. Aviation kerosene is used when refueling military and passenger aircraft, goes through 8 stages of cleaning.

There are 2 main types of aviation kerosene:

  • for subsonic aviation;
  • for supersonic airliners.

The difference is that supersonic flight is accompanied by a strong increase in fuel temperature, and fine-grained compounds evaporate.

Types of kerosene

The following types of aviation fuel are used in Russia:

  • RT - high-quality fuel, used to refuel the SU-27 and other models, there are no analogues in the West
  • TS-1 is a mixture of fractions, the closest analogue is Jet-A, one of the most common types of fuel in the Russian Federation and CIS countries, suitable for refueling modern airliners, old turbojet models, subsonic and turboprop aircraft;
  • T-8V and T-6 - used for refueling military aircraft, incl. supersonic fighters (MIG-35, for example), due to the complex, lengthy processing process, the price is very high.

To improve the characteristics of aviation kerosene, the following additives are used:

  1. Antistatic - helps to increase the electrical conductivity of kerosene; their use reduces the accumulation of static electricity, the presence of which increases the risk of explosion of the fuel tank.
  2. Antioxidant - its presence reduces oxidative processes and prevents the processes of resin synthesis.
  3. Anti-wear - increases the performance properties of mechanisms in the fuel compartment.
  4. Anti-water crystallization - even a small amount of water in the fuel high altitude crystallizes, small particles of ice can cause damage to the engine, including stopping its functioning, the additive will help prevent such processes.

Amount of fuel required for refueling

The main technical characteristic of an aircraft is considered to be fuel consumption; maintenance costs directly depend on this. The amount of jet fuel depends on the aircraft model and flight parameters; savings are expected for short-distance flights.

The amount of fuel on board depends on the following factors:

  • route;
  • additional transfer points;
  • weather.

Accurate calculation of fuel is difficult; this indicator very rarely coincides with the parameters specified in the technical documentation. Civil airliners consume the most fuel, but in terms of the number of passengers, the cost of the flight pays off. Boeings are filled with an average of 15 tons, Airbuses - 15 - 25 tons, distances are taken into account when calculating the parameter, 5% is poured “in reserve”.

Refueling at airports is carried out in two ways:

  • by pumps from reservoirs;
  • via pipeline.

All fuel is thoroughly tested according to 12 parameters, the average refueling time is 40 minutes, and if necessary, refueling can be done in the air.

Conclusion

When refueling aircraft, aviation kerosene is most often used; different types of fuel are intended for different aircraft models. To improve the quality characteristics of fuel, special additives are used; they improve engine performance. Fuel is supplied to all airports; pre-checks prevent low-quality fuel from entering the aircraft.

A fuel tank is a container in which liquid fuel is stored and is located directly on board the aircraft. Fuel wires go from the fuel tanks to the power plant, which supplies it with fuel. Also on board the aircraft can be placed tanks to supply fuel to heating systems.

Turboprop and turbojet aircraft engines use aviation kerosene with additional additives in their operation. Light-engine aircraft equipped with piston power plants use high-octane gasoline as fuel.

Fuel tank in an airplane wing

In modern aircraft construction, caisson tanks are used; they look like sealed planes. They are mainly installed in the wings, stabilizer and fin. These are soft tanks made of rubber materials, this allows them to maintain their integrity during overloads and impacts. In addition, such material is very reliable and effectively occupies the allotted space.

Sometimes compartment tanks are used, which serve both as a fuel container and as a power element. To prevent fuel from spilling from the caisson tanks, fighter aircraft use a sponge filler like foam rubber.

Large airliners, which are designed for long-distance flights, have several fuel tanks, which are additionally equipped with pumps. All fuel tanks are connected to each other by a system of fuel wires that allow the use of fuel from any tank or its transfer. Transferring fuel from one tank to another is possible due to more efficient alignment of the aircraft. Fuel is pumped from consumable tanks to spare tanks according to the developed in-flight fuel consumption program.

Fuel tanks made from standard aluminum cans

It should be noted that the process of filling fuel into the aircraft tanks also occurs in accordance with the alignment plan. Fuel is supplied to the tanks of the device under pressure from a special tanker through the neck, after which it is distributed between the tanks.

Every fuel tank on an airplane has what is called a drain port through which all the fuel can be drained. After each refueling, this neck is opened, which allows condensate or water that has settled at the bottom of the tank to be drained. Naturally, there should be no impurities in the tank, otherwise this may cause engine failure and an accident.

Airplanes also have emergency fuel dump systems in the air. This system is necessary when performing emergency landings immediately after takeoff, since the permissible landing weight of the aircraft is significantly less than the takeoff weight.

Fuel tank in side member

Combat aircraft that need to carry out combat operations at a great distance from the base can be equipped with additional drop tanks. They are streamlined to improve overall aerodynamics and are suspended from the fuselage or wing of the aircraft. After all the fuel has been used up, they are dumped. Also, similar devices are used to ferry aircraft to other airfields; they are usually installed in the middle of the hull.

Outboard fuel tanks

Fuel tank safety

Combat aircraft and some passenger cars use neutral gas to fill their tanks, which is supplied as fuel is consumed. The gas used is carbon dioxide or nitrogen. This helps prevent a fire on board or a fuel tank explosion due to mechanical damage. A similar scheme for filling a fuel tank with gases was used back in World War II, only cooled exhaust from the engine manifold was used as gas.

Most passenger planes are refueled jet fuel. Each aircraft model is designed for a specific type of fuel, the use of which will ensure maximum performance. There are also acceptable analogues in which the engines do not lose their characteristics.

Types of aviation fuel

There are 2 types of fuel for aircraft:

  • Aviation gasoline for aircraft with piston engines, as well as for maintenance of parts as a solvent.
  • Jet fuel. Suitable for jet engines. This is diesel fuel after deep processing.

Kerosene also differs in subtypes, depending on the conditions of use.

For passenger airliners Kerosene is mainly used for subsonic aviation. These include brands T-1 and T-2. This is fuel with fine gasoline fractions; the higher their percentage, the lower the aircraft’s practical altitude ceiling. T-1 with a lower content of fractions is a very stable fuel that meets the standards for international flights.

For subsonic and supersonic aviation, kerosene will be different. For military aircraft exceeding the speed of sound, there are heavier fuels - T-6 and T-8B. These are heavier types because in jet engines the fuel evaporates quickly at high speeds.


How much fuel is needed for refueling?

Fuel consumption is almost the main parameter of an aircraft. After all, the less fuel is consumed, the less costs the company has to maintain the aircraft.

The amount of fuel on board directly depends on the flight parameters and type of aircraft. On close quarters You will most likely save a lot of fuel.

The flight route and the presence of intermediate landing points are also important. Even weather conditions along the route are taken into account.


It is very difficult to calculate the exact amount of fuel required to refuel an aircraft. This number rarely coincides with what is indicated in technical specifications. However, it is still possible to approximately calculate this figure.

For a certain flight, the plane will be refueled taking into account:

  1. Fuel required to cover the distance to the destination airport.
  2. Fuel for the flight from the destination airport to the alternate airfield.
  3. Fuel to wait for landing for 30 minutes at low altitude.
  4. 5% surcharge for unforeseen circumstances.

Video of how planes are refueled:


How much does it cost to refuel a plane for one flight? As an example, let’s take the cost of a ton of kerosene at Domodedovo airport - approximately 47,300 rubles per ton, including VAT. For an approximate calculation, we will rely on this price.

Fuel consumption on Boeing 737-300 aircraft is indicated as 25.5 g per passenger per 1 km.

Let’s take the flight Moscow – St. Petersburg as an example. The flight distance in this case will be 633 km. By multiplying, we get the cost per passenger = 16.14 kg, and taking into account the price of kerosene at Domodedovo airport, this is 763.5 rubles. The average capacity of the airliner 737 is 150 people, so refueling it will cost 114,523 rubles. This figure is naturally not the final expense. Taking into account the conditions described above, it can increase to 150,000 rubles.

Let's consider one of the most large airliners modern Boeing 747. Despite its gigantic size and high cost, the aircraft can boast of its high efficiency. For model 100 it consumes 32g. per passenger per kilometer, and the 300 series - 22.4 g. Hourly fuel consumption is 14,500 km, that is, purely hypothetically, about 700,000 rubles will be spent on the Moscow-St. Petersburg flight. Nevertheless, the aircraft is very popular and is owned by most of the world's leading companies.


How planes are refueled

Refueling is a very important process when servicing aircraft.

There are two types of refueling:

  • in-flight refueling (military aircraft);
  • full refueling at the airport.

Each type is complex in its own way. Let's look at them in order.


This is one of the most difficult and, at the same time, spectacular elements of flight. military equipment. It was in Russia that air refueling was invented more than 100 years ago. She was not always the way we see her now. There were unique methods, in particular for Tu-16 bombers, when planes were refueled “wing to wing.” To this day, our military aviation is at the forefront of aerial refueling technology. Unfortunately, this process is not so easy for ordinary viewers to see. This is because it is simply dangerous due to the extreme proximity of the aircraft (about 20 meters).

Watch the video of how the Stealth bomber is refueled:

Video of how to refuel a Su-24:


IN this moment Many types of military aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have the ability to refuel in the air.

  1. Fighters - Su-27, Mig-31, Mig-29;
  2. Attack aircraft - Su-24M;
  3. Bombers - Tu-95, Tu-160.

The tanker is now mainly the modernized Il-78M.

To refuel a fighter in the air it will take 6 minutes, a heavy bomber - 20 minutes, a tanker - 45 minutes.

Watch a video compilation of unsuccessful mid-air refuelings:

Fuel reaches the airport in two ways:

  1. Railway This way the fuel enters tanks, from which, with careful control of all parameters, the contents are pumped into special tanks. Nearby, according to the standards, there should always be underground compartments with water, which in an emergency will be used to extinguish the fuel. There are special instruments on the tanks that show all fuel parameters. Powerful pumps are used for distillation.
  2. Pipeline. This route includes the delivery of fuel through pipes from the nearest oil refinery. At the airport there are fuel quality meters, which are checked according to 12 main parameters. After analysis of the material, distillation occurs to the central filling complex.

The process of refueling the airliner can be carried out in two ways: through a fuel tanker or special pumps located throughout the territory.


On average, the refueling speed through a tanker will be about 40 minutes - this is regulated maximum speed fuel supply according to international standards. Safety precautions are strictly observed at all stages of refueling.

In conclusion, we note that the refueling process is very important for modern flights, both civil and military. This is a very complex and dangerous procedure. It has many features based on application conditions and aircraft types.

Civil aircraft in most cases consume a huge amount of fuel, but in terms of one passenger this is an acceptable figure. Many manufacturers modify the aircraft to improve its efficiency and therefore reduce maintenance costs. Modern high-quality aviation fuel is supplied to all major airports where aircraft are refueled. And refueling in the air is one of the most exciting spectacles for spectators and important procedures for military pilots. The main factor remains one thing - compliance with safety regulations.

(about the SU-15) in the comments one reader wrote that I talk about airplanes as if they were living beings. I answered that this is apparently how it is, not in the literal sense, of course, but close :-).

And now, continuing this half-joking line, I will say that any living creature needs to be fed tasty and plenty, so that it is always cheerful and healthy. For example, I really like to eat delicious food (although you can’t tell from me :-)) and my mood depends to a large extent on this :-). However, jokes are jokes, but aviation fuel is a kind of food for aircraft, and their work directly depends on its quantity and quality. So what do planes feed?

This is not to say that the menu has much variety :-). First- This aviation gasoline. It is used in piston aircraft engines, that is, in fact, in internal combustion engines and is not fundamentally different from motor gasoline. Of course, certain of its characteristics have a slightly different meaning, because aviation specifics and more stringent quality requirements dictate this. In extreme cases, a car from bad gasoline will simply stall and stop, but an airplane in the sky does not have a shoulder. However, for example, on some modern piston engines, regular 95 gasoline is successfully used. At the moment, two types of aviation gasoline are produced in Russia: B-91/115 and B-92. In addition, GOST has been developed for aviation gasoline B-100/130 and B-100/130 unleaded. This was done to ensure compliance with European gasolines 100 and 100LL. Well, they also produce B-70 gasoline. But it's just a solvent. They don't fly on it, but it cleans filters incredibly well. I remember this from my own experience :-).

IL-14. Consumer of previously produced B-95/130 gasoline. Unfortunately, it no longer flies.

Second menu item:-)… However, still in modern conditions, using the term “ aviation fuel", we mean aviation kerosene. It is also called jet fuel, and it is intended for use in turbojet engines and its varieties. It is this that aviation flying around the world eats up in huge quantities. Back in high school, I read somewhere interesting fact and remembered it for the rest of my life: at that time, someone calculated that one flight shift of the entire regiment of TU-22 missile carriers was equal in fuel to the monthly fuel budget of the Belarusian SSR. And there are at least two such shifts a week. And such regiments... 🙂 These are the things. Over time, the shortage of jet fuel is becoming increasingly felt. However, there is no full-fledged replacement for it yet, and it continues to be produced.

Missile carrier TU-22. Big fan of kerosene :-).

There are currently six types of aviation kerosene in Russia. TS-1 is a so-called sulfur fuel. Produced from petroleum with a high sulfur content, it is the main fuel for subsonic military and civil aviation. Can also be used in supersonic flights with short flight durations. The fact is that during long-term supersonic conditions, intense heating of the aircraft skin occurs due to friction with the air and, accordingly, heating of the fuel. In addition, at high altitudes, the pressure in the above-fuel space of the fuel tanks drops noticeably. If the fuel consists of sufficiently light fractions, then they can begin to evaporate, vapor locks form in the fuel system, and this threatens to stop the engine. Therefore for supersonic aviation specifically, there is a “heavier” fuel T-6 (as well as its substitute T-8B). It was this fuel that the MIG-25RB was refueled with when I was at the airfield (Poland), when these planes were going, as we said then, for acceleration. And our planes were often refueled with RT fuel (jet fuel). This is the fourth type produced in Russia. It is chemically very stable aviation fuel, having good anti-wear properties. And most importantly, it complies with international standards and even exceeds them in certain indicators. This is important because TS-1 kerosene in many ways does not meet these standards (mainly due to the large amount of sulfur).

MIG-25RB. One of the consumers of T-6 kerosene.

There are two more species left. This is T-1 kerosene. This is a fairly good kerosene, the only drawback of which is its rather low thermal-oxidative stability. This means that when heated, resin deposits remain on the internal parts of the engine, which significantly reduces the engine's life. This fuel is produced in small quantities, partly due to the lack of raw materials, which are scarce types of oil with very low sulfur content. AND last view- this is T-2 kerosene. This is a fairly light fuel, containing up to 40 percent of light gasoline fractions, and therefore low-altitude. It is spare in relation to T-1 and TS-1.

For dessert:-)…Modern aviation fuel, just like motor gasoline, cannot do without special additives that improve their performance properties. There are four types:
Antistatic. The fact is that when large flows of kerosene move through pipelines, intense accumulation of static electricity occurs. Possible discharge may result in explosion. Therefore, a special additive is added that increases the electrical conductivity of the fuel. This is an additive with interesting name Sigbol. But the plane and the tanker are still grounded when refueling :-).

Refueling with grounding.

Anti-wear. Kerosene, for example, serves as a working fluid and, a kind of lubricant, in the delicate mechanisms of fuel automatics, and its lubricity is very important. Sigbol is also used here.
Antioxidant. These additives greatly reduce the ability of kerosene to oxidize and deposit resinous formations, including at high temperatures. Usually this is the Agidol-1 additive.

Refueling the TU-154M from an airfield tanker.

Anti-water crystallization. This is a very important additive. The fact is that at altitude during a long subsonic flight the fuel is cooled quite strongly. When flying for more than 5-6 hours at altitudes above 7000 meters down to -45 degrees. And if there is at least a little water in the fuel (at least 0.002%), then it freezes and falls out in the form of small crystals, which can then get onto the fine fuel filters of the engine. If there are a lot of crystals, then the filters simply become clogged and the flow of fuel stops. The engine stops. These additives are quite reliable (these are the so-called liquid “I”, THF, THF-M, I-M) and there is already a lot of practice in their use. But nevertheless, kerosene is checked before each refueling for the presence of water and foreign impurities, and before each flight, samples are also taken, checked and stored until the plane lands.

That's how it is aviation fuel, currently used in aviation. Unfortunately, it is not at all environmentally friendly.

Control doesn't always help :-).

And the raw materials for its production (oil) are becoming less and less, and the fuel itself is more expensive. And although control over its consumption is being tightened, it is still not enough.

Therefore, its long-term future is unclear. Currently, new types of aviation fuel are being developed using synthetic materials (liquid hydrogen and liquid methane). But all this is still at the level of very initial experiments. So we will continue to feel the characteristic smell of exhaust gases from the engine nozzle on the airport tarmac for a long time...

By the way, the smell is dear to me :-)... Exciting memories and only good ones... :)

P.S. And they say aviation kerosene also has healing properties :-). Some people in our regiment drank it for colds. I didn't drink :-). But I will develop this topic in the future...

Photos are clickable.