Aviation Fuel Quality Control

By Gammon Technical Products, Inc.

An Overview of Fuel Quality Control Guidelines and Test Equipment

Keep Them Flying!

Standards

ATA-103 (Airlines)NFPA-407 (Fire Safety)

Your Oil CompanyAirline Specific Policy

ASTM Manual 5FAA

Even Professionals Make Mistakes

The Old Way

DART

Reed Fuller

What Do You Do When You Have A QC Problem?

Eliminate Any Risks Fix the Problem Educate Your People

But everybody will avoid calling the Associated Press, and that is why you rarelyhear of problems at other locations, but believe it, there are problems!

What is Our #1 Job?

To put the correct clean, dry, unadulterated fuel into the correct aircraft

To do the job safely To prevent fire To prevent spills To follow the QC program and make sure others

do also To properly operate and maintain the

equipment To always be on the lookout for potential

problems

Utilize the Latest Equipment

Rampmaster .2

Velco

n V

F-1

Grounding Cable

Truck Internal Valves

NFPA 407 Precheck even if Scully is used Make sure emergency shutoff

closes valve Do not use truck unless internal

valve operates properly

Quality Control is: Having the Correct Equipment Tests and Procedures - To ATA-103,ASTM API

and Other Standards A Pain in the Butt Making Sure You Don’t Damage the Aircraft Not a Profit Center An Indispensable Policy That Must Permeate

Your Entire Company From The Top to the Bottom Covering Personnel, Environmental and Flight Safety

MOST IMPORTANTLY It must be followed!

Make sure the paperwork matches the aircraft?

Do You Check Your People to Make SureThe Paperwork System is Being Followed?

Worn Equipment Is a Sign Of Use!

LOOKING FOR CHANGES

The Key to Quality Control is to take note of anything out of the ordinary. Even if the results are still within “acceptable”

limits, a sudden change to any characteristic or the performance of any

piece of equipment may indicate a serious problem

Testing and Sampling is Meant to Find Little Problems Before

They Become Big Ones!

Changes To Look For Any and All Test Results -Even if the Results are “Acceptable” “Too Good” or “Too Consistent” Results (Pencil whipping) Outside of Prefilter Elements Inside of Coalescer Elements Strainers Nozzle - Coffee grounds and metal shreds???? Differential Pressure / Flow Rate White Buckets - All Aspects, color, odor, haze, “lace”, water,

etc. Membrane Test Time Paperwork Labor Times for Inspection Employees Equipment Appearance DID YOU MAKE A CHANGE? - Nozzle pressure changes with hose

length or size!

True?

A check is in the mail

I’ll love you in the morning

We only use dedicated tractor trailers

Our pipeline always makes perfect “cuts”

Our equipment never breaks down

Our membranes are always A-0

We never see any differential pressure

We never have any water in our fuel

In 20 years we’ve never had a problem

====up until now===

Receiving Fuel

The Most Overlooked Aspect of Fuel Quality Control

Oh, you're the picky guys. (Actually said by a terminal employee.)

Jet Fuel, Avgas, same thing, right (Actually said by a transport truck driver.)

One Rejected Load Was Actually Delivered to the Next Door FBO

Pumping Fuel Into Storage

Stick Tank to Make Sure You Have Room

Sump any Water From Tank and Filter FIRST

Monitor Differential Pressure on Filter

Sample the Fuel With MiniMonitor or Millipore Tester

Check the Filter Sump after Unloading

Check Tank Volume Net Gallons will

vary! Record the Data

White Bucket Test Color - Jet Consistent and NOT Pink! Odor Haze / Cloudiness Liquid water in the bottom of the bucket Spill coffee, food coloring or other water based

liquid in to be sure the bucket isn’t pure water Particles or Debris Filmy or lace- like floating material Anything else different from the usual Fuel Should be Clear and Bright - No Visible

Contamination

CLOUDY FUEL OBSERVED WHILE PERFORMING A WHITE PORCELAIN

BUCKET TEST INDICATES ENTRAINED WATER, SURFACTANT OR BOTH

CLEAR WHITE BUCKET SAMPLE INDICATING NO WATER

OR PARTICULATES. USE ANY COIN.

A Jar Makes An Inexpensive Test Device

For Detecting Haze

Is There Water In The Bottom?

Spill In a Little Coffee or Food Coloring

And Water is More Distinct

Haze is Free Water

0.75”, 2” and 3” bottles with 100PPM of water

Accurate Hydrometer Readings(Mercury Issue)

Spin the hydrometer gently

Do not allow it to touch the jar

Keep it clean

A Centering Device

Can Make

Correct Readings

Easier

When You Raise Your View To Be Level With The Surface This Will Indicate API

43.5

Indicated API 40.3

Using A Spill-Over Type

Hydrometer Jar

1. Align measured fuel temperature against measured API

If You Read 43.5 at 81.6 degrees F 2. Read corrected API at 60 F mark

3. Result is API gravity at 60 F of 41.65

“Normal”Contaminants in Aviation Fuels

Dirt Dust (From Tank

Vents) Rust Water (Lots of

Water!) Surfactants

Pieces of Burst Filters Tank Lining Paint

Chips Other fuels Microorganisms Rubber from failed

hose

And MUCH More!

Real Contamination in Aviation Fuels

Lavatory “Blue Fluid”

Fuel Oil Fertilizer Outlet Prist Can

Tubes Lizards Dead Birds Sand Metal Shavings

Transmission Fluid Insects Caustic Soda Gloves Rags Eyeglasses Fish Bolts / Other

Hardware

What is the Most Common Way Gross Water Gets into Aircraft?

Through the Vent or Roof of the Refueler Truck

Keep Rain Drains Clear

Any Leak Can Let Rainwater Into The TankWhen The Vent Opens Any Standing Water Will Enter the Tank!

The Drain LinesShould Be Transparent Plastic So You Can Inspect For Debris

Water in Aviation Fuels

DISSOLVED WATER Like Humidity in Air Cannot be

Measured With Field Equipment

Cannot be Removed by Filtration

1 PPM per Degree Fahrenheit

UNDISSOLVED WATER Free Water Like Fog In Tank Bottoms Slugs Can be Removed By

Filtration Will Settle From Fuel

Aquarius Additive – 2 to 5 years awayWater - Bio - CI/LI – FSII/Prist

What Is A Part Per Million?1 Gallon Per Million Gallons

1/10,000 of 1 percent

A Properly Operating Filter Separator or Monitor Will Remove Water Down to NO

MORE THAN 5 PPM!

Detecting Free Water In Fuel

VISUAL - Haze is Visible at 30 ppm Velcon Hydrokit - Water Detector 15 or 30 ppm Shell Water - Detector 15 or 30 ppm Metrocator - Spotted Paper Indication AquaGlo Water Detector - An Instrument For

Measuring Water Water Finding Paste? NO! Only For Water Level

In A Tank Bottom Water Probe? Only for detecting water in sumps

The Aqua-Glo Water Detector KitManufactured Under License From Exxon

As Required by ASTM and API for Measuring Free Water

A Free Video On Calibration and Use is Available - Just Call 800-524-0287

MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION

FOUND IN THE AIR AS SPORES

FOUND MAINLY IN WATER

SIDE OF TANK WALL

WATER IN TANK BIRD BATHS

IT CAN TRAVEL

FILTRATION EQUIPMENT

AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS

REMEDY/BIOCIDES

An 87 or 9 Series Coalescer Element Will Remove

About 99% of Particles over 1/3 Micron

Dirt In Aviation Fuel

Bonding And Grounding Hose Assembly

MiniMonitor Particulate Detector

to ASTM D2276

What is Bonding and Grounding?

Bonding is connecting two parts

Grounding is connecting those parts to earth

The purpose of bonding and/or grounding is to neutralize sparks between items before and during operations

MOST IMPORTANT Bonding aircraft during refuelingBonding and grounding ALLALL other operations

NFPA-407 2001 Actually forbids grounding of refueler trucks in direct refueling

F-15 Hangar Problem Auto-Fire

suppression shut off after inadvertent release

Explosion during defueling in open air from wing tank

They couldn’t be convinced that bonding was necessary

They agree now

A Ball Valve Will Aid in Operation In High Pressurized Systems

Our New QD Will NOT Spray Fuel!

Turn Valve to TEST Position to Flow Fuel Through the Plastic Monitor

Flow

Ground to Pipe, NOT Fitting as Shown!

Flow 1 or 3 Gallons of Fuel Into the Bucket

Ask Your Fuel Supplier or Airline How Much

Maintain The Bond to the Bucket!

Draw Excess Fuel From Monitor - Observe the Membrane for Unusual Color

Remove the Membrane - Dispose of the Thicker Backup Pad

Undated Books or Books Dated 1981 Or Older Are No Longer Approved Under ASTM

The ATA Standard Color Chart With Particulate Chart

Evaluation Of Membranes

GTP Rule of Thumb

Dry Color Should Be Less Than a “3”. A 2 Is Cause For Concern

If You See a Membrane Different From Your Usual Scale

(For Example, You Usually Get an “A-2” and Suddenly Get a G-2) This May Indicate A Serious Contamination Problem

If You Get a Sudden Dark Membrane, Run a Test Before and After the Filter. Look For a Change.

You Can Run The Test With Two Membranes. If The Bottom Membrane Has Color, This is “Color Bodies”, Which May Not Be a Problem

Replacement Plastic Monitors

Replacement Membranes

Save Money

Reload Your Old Plastic Monitors

Properly Label ALL Equipment Especially Emergency Controls

We have a free Test Procedure and Certificate

When The Test Valve Is Operated, The Piston Should Move Smoothly To The Bottom Of the Scale.

If It Moves Smoothly But Slowly, You May Need A New Filter.

If It Moves In Jumps, Or Does Not Move To The Bottom Of The Scale, Clean The Glass And Piston With Scotch-Brite

Return The Valve To The Normal Position, Stop Flow. The Piston Should Return To Zero. If Not, Clean The Tube And Piston, If This Does Not Solve The Problem, Replace The Spring

This Pushbutton Tester Is Simple, Inexpensive And Includes A Pressure Relief Valve

Flushing New Fuel Hoses

Repeated soak and dispose Once fluid is clear Minimum 500 gallon recirculation

flush

The interior of a hose is called the tube. This tube must be conditioned. No brand of hose is exempt. If a Salesman Says His Hose Doesn’t Need Flushing THROW HIM OUT!

Testing Your Equipment Make Sure the Water Detector Works Make Sure the Deadman Works Make Sure the Emergency Stop Works Makes Sure the “Nozzle Pressure” Gauge is Accurate at

Both No Flow and Full Flow Make Sure The Fire Extinguisher is OK Inspect the Hose Exterior for Wear Check For Leaks Check the Grounding/Bonding Reel TEST DRIVE the vehicle to test interlocks

3-Lug Adapters and Nozzles

Check Aircraft for missing lugs Check Aircraft for excessive wear Includes: Slots, Lugs and Seal Area Check Nozzle for proper fit, proper

condition Look for leakage or movement Look for slippage of hose at ferrule (API-

1529 Requirement for paint mark!)

Filter Separators - EI/IP/API-1581

Vessel/Filter Filter element combination MUST meet new 1581 5th Edition unless excepted

New Requirement – Flat Bottom vessels must have slope unless excepted

Corrected DP – How on Hydrant System? Gammon FR Meter coming soon (Max flow, Pipe size, orifice size)

What is Coming in the Future!

BP Kerostat 8118 = to Stadis 450 (Almost there)

Aquarius (777 +others approval testing needed)

Synthetic Jet Blend 50:50 (issues)

Bio Jet Fuel (cost/issues)

Bio Contaminant Detection 100 ppm Pipeline)

FSII reduction 25% eventually to 400 ppm

EndThank You

Gammon Technical Products, Inc

2013