Industry change to enhance Jet fuel cleanliness

22/2/2008

AvCount IP 565 update

Seta ‘AvCount’ Particle Counter (IP 565 2008) agreed for inclusion in DEF STAN 91-91, Issue 6 for Certifying Jet A-1

On its journey from refinery to wing tip, aviation fuel is exposed to many types of potential contamination. Particulate matter and water are the most common fuel contaminants which are currently monitored using aviation fuel industry guidelines and test methods which were developed in the late 1950’s.

Industry change to enhance fuel cleanliness

The Jet A-1 DEF STAN 91-91 standard currently specifies a contamination limit of 1mg/l at point of manufacture which has severe limitations due to the original test methods developed. The aviation fuel suppliers and jet engine industry are striving to improve fuel quality, enabling enhanced engine reliability and reduced maintenance. Current restrictions have prompted the need for a more objective, quantitative assessment of the cleanliness of jet fuel, hence the development of IP 565/08;

“Determination of the level of cleanliness of aviation turbine fuels – portable automatic particle counter method”

Seta ‘AvCount’ is the only fully automatic Particle Counter which complies with the new method, IP 565/08.

DEF STAN 91-91 - Issue 6 for Jet A-1

During the December 2007 ASTM D02 meeting of aviation fuel/engine/airframe experts, it was announced by the UK QinetiQ Group (responsible to the UK CAA/MOD for DEF STAN 91-91 Jet A-1 specification), that there is a commitment to include new particle counting methods, including IP 565 in the forthcoming release of DEF STAN 91-91 Issue 6.

Improving quality control & process efficiency with AvCount IP 565
AvCount is a rapid, easy to use, rugged, portable instrument specifically designed for testing the particulate content of fuel and lubricants including all aviation turbine and gasoline fuels. It incorporates the latest measuring technology to provide a unique, innovative and low-maintenance test instrument.

‘AvCount’ features a high precision laser measurement system capable of identifying particle sizes from 4 µm to >70 µm. The measurement sequence runs automatically, with a complete test sequence in under 4 minutes, using only 80ml of sample. Results are displayed in real time on the LCD display and printed on the integral printer. Test results saved to memory can trend sample results, or can be downloaded to a PC for further detailed analysis using Statistical Quality Control (SQC) for quality traceability.

Who should use AvCount - anybody checking Jet Fuel Cleanliness!

Aviation Fuel QA personnel in laboratory/field testing environments benefit from a far superior means of ensuring fast and reliable particulate test results than is currently available.
Fuel suppliers can provide customers with a more comprehensive and reliable ‘fuel cleanliness’ report whilst significantly reducing the effort needed for testing.
Fuel filter maintenance personnel can more easily identify and isolate any potential problem in distribution systems or airport tank fuel farms, supporting reduced maintenance costs and downtime.

For further product information please click here