Abstract
Synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) is an ultra-clean fuel with low aromatic content and negligible quantities of sulfur compounds. Although, SPK has a good potential to replace the conventional fuel Jet A-1, it also has some deficiencies. One of them is the low lubricity compared to its conventional counterpart Jet A-1. To improve the lubricity of SPK, three selected additives have been mixed with SPK at different concentrations. The lubricity of the samples was determined experimentally and the samples that meet the industry specifications have been studied further. The effect of the additives on the physicochemical properties, such as, density, flash point, freezing point, viscosity, and heat content, were investigated. Linoleic acid was found to be an excellent lubricity improver even at a very low concentration and its negative impact on the other physicochemical properties was found to be insignificant. Ethyl oleate also demonstrated significant improvement in lubricity at low concentrations but had a negative impact on the fuel’s freezing point at high concentrations. Quinoline, at high concentrations, elevated the blend’s freezing point above the acceptable limits. In parallel to the experimental campaign, a pre-existing mathematical modelling tool was utilized to predict the properties of interest. The lubricity model was successfully introduced into the mathematical model in order to improve the capabilities of the model. Linoleic acid sample showed the best improvement in lubricity of SPK with wear scar diameter of 417 μm; well below the ASTM D7566 maximum limit of 850 μm. The dual nature of this study facilitated the optimization of the physicochemical properties of the fuel samples.
Highlights
The aviation industry is expanding with an annual growth rate of ~ 6.2% over the last 5 years [1]
The total wt.% distribution for the mixture is given in Fig. 2, which shows the distribution of identified iso- and normal-paraffinic compounds according to their carbon number
The density of the Synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) fuel cut is lower than the minimum value set by the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) D7566 specification and the wear scar diameter is higher than the maximum allowed value
Summary
The aviation industry is expanding with an annual growth rate of ~ 6.2% over the last 5 years [1]. The projected annual growth for the 30 years for passenger traffic and airline fleets is expected to be 4.7 and 3.5%, respectively [1]. Many international airlines have already started using blends of conventional jet fuel and synthetic jet fuel to compensate the increase in jet fuel price and their dwindling availability [5]. The synthetic fuels produced from the Gas to Liquid (GTL) process are ultra-clean as they lack aromatics and sulfur. Synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) derived from the GTL process has been previously successfully blended with Jet A1 for use in the aviation industry [5]
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