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Marv,
Regarding the two fuel vent options you mentioned;
Running the vent back into the fuselage and up the seat back will trap
some fuel in the vent line at its lowest point. The fuel system will
have to pull a bit of a vacuum to overcome pulling this trapped fuel
up hill out to the wing tip back into the tank. Depending on the
diameter of the this line and given its length and the vibration it
will see, the line may never clear itself of fuel. Unless the line is
very small in diameter, the vacuum created will start fuel on its way
out to the tip, the fluid column will break down flowing back to the
low point while allowing an air bubble to get past the fuel into the
tank, for the moment eliminating the vacuum. If vibration were not
present the line would most likely clear itself, as soon as, fuel was
drawn from the tank. Also, if the diameter is very small it will
clear itself. Is this a bad situation? Probably not, but I would
prefer using the vents to slightly positively pressurize the tanks
instead of potentially applying a small vacuum and forever trapping
fuel in the tubing.
The concept of venting back to the tank could create a problem
depending on the details of the plumbing. If the vent line to the fuel
tank is submerged in fuel and the transfer pump is off, the engine
will create a vacuum inside the header tank. Fuel will then be drawn
into the header tank, continuously, through either the fuel supply
line or vent, whichever offers the least resistance. (This assumes
the wing tank is still vented otherwise everything locks up) If you
route the header vent line to the highest point in the wing tank
everything works great until you get fuel in the vent line. Now your
looking at the same situation as described in the first paragraph.
I have fuel out to the tips and find I rarely have to worry about
dumping fuel overboard. With completely topped off tanks, turns on
the ground and uncoordinated flight will dump fuel, but that just
doesn't occur very often. The vent line is as critical as the fuel
supply line in that, if it gets blocked, your fuel supply is useless.
I would suggest keeping it simple, inspectable and removable.
Chris Zavatson
N91CZ
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