Hygroscopicity of fuels with anti-icing additives

Abstract

This article investigates the accumulation of water by hydrocarbon fuels under static and dynamic conditions. Standard TS-1 fuel (aviation kerosine) is examined without an anti-icing additive (AIA) and blended with ethyl cellosolve or tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol in the concentrations that are added to fuel before refueling flight vehicles under service conditions in order to prevent the formation of ice crystals in the fuel. The fuel hygroscopicity under static conditions is measured in desiccators over saturated salt solutions giving air relative humidities from 37% to 97% at 20/sup 0/C. It is determined that tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol increases the fuel hygroscopicity to a greater degree than does the ethyl cellosolve. The fuel containing the AIA becomes a medium for the transfer of water from the ambient medium to the emulsion droplets, and these droplets in turn form a liquid phase. It is shown that the rate at which the fuel with the AIA becomes saturated with water under dynamic conditions is much greater than under static conditions. In the fuel without the AIA no water emulsion is formed, even with prolonged contact (more than 2 days) with 100% humidity air, whereas in the fuel with the AIA (even with 0.1% ethyl cellosolve), emulsion andmore » liquid phase are formed. It is concluded that the physical stability of fuel containing AIA depends on the AIA concentration. Includes 3 tables.« less