Evaluation of Red-Dye Contamination in Jet Fuel and the Identification of a Screening Method for Thermal Stability Issues

摘要

An experimental study was conducted to quantify the effects of red-dye contamination on the thermal stability of jet fuel and subsequent fouling rates of critical fuel system components. The effect of red-dye contamination on fouling rate is linear, but each nozzle has a different slope. A concentration of 0.55 mg/L caused a four-fold increase in the fouling rate of the most sensitive nozzle. The effect of a concentration just above the visible level, 0.055 mg/L, was measurable. The results are to be used by the aircraft engine manufacturers to define the minimum acceptable level of red-dye contamination in jet fuel. A methodology was developed based on the determination of the fouling rate of fuel nozzles, which can be used to evaluate the effect of additives and contaminants.