Fuel Oil In-Line Sampling Analysis

Abstract

The U.S. Navy is pursuing endeavors in support of propulsion gas turbines in terms of in-line fuel oil quality. Using a prototype laser technology, developed under the sponsorship of the Small Business Innovative Research Program that monitors the concentration of sediment and free water in JP-5 in real-time, the U.S. Navy is proceeding to expand it’s capabilities to monitor sediment and free water in Naval Distillate, NATO Code F-76, under flow conditions. The maximum fuel quality limitations for the U.S. Navy propulsion gas turbines are 40 parts per million (PPM) free water and 2.64 milligrams per liter (mg/liter) sediment contamination. The current prototype unit, being tested in aviation fuel (JP-5) systems, is capable of monitoring fuel quality within these systems where the maximum fuel quality limitations are 5 PPM free water and 2.0 mg/liter per liter sediment contamination. Current naval shipboard policy for gas turbine propelled hulls requires fuel quality testing at the discharge of the fuel oil service system filter separator discharge, which is the last sampling point prior to admittance into the gas turbine module. Incorporating this technology in unison with monitoring capabilities will eliminate the subjective and laborious laboratory sample testing presently conducted, reducing workload and provide Ship’s Force with real-time quality assurance data. Future enhancement of this technology is being initiated to develop the capability to analyze other potential fuel properties, such as specific gravity, in addition to sediment contaminant size distribution measurement. This will provide Ship’s Force with real-time data that can be used to detect off-specification fuel properties or on-board filtration equipment problems sooner than present. This can aid in more effective shipboard fuel quality control and prove essential in the selection of filtration systems aboard U.S. Naval vessels.