THE EFFECTS OF DISSOLVED-OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, FRACTIONAL OXYGEN-CONSUMPTION, AND ADDITIVES ON JP-8 THERMAL-STABILITY

Since dissolved oxygen participates in fuel deposit formation, knowled ge of the effects of dissolved oxygen concentration on fuel thermal st ability is critical for fuel system design. In this work, the combined effects of dissolved oxygen availability and additives on jet fuel th ermal stability are studied. Experiments with JP-8 jet fuel were condu cted in a three-part heat exchanger that simulated a complex thermal a nd flow environment. The dissolved oxygen content at the flow inlet wa s varied, and deposition was studied under conditions of either fracti onal or complete oxygen consumption. The effects of a thermal stabilit y additive package were also studied. An intriguing result found with JP-8 fuels is an increase in deposits formed in heated regions for dec reased oxygen consumption, but inverse behavior with the additive pack age.