The evaluation of fuel property effects on Air Force gas turbine engines

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The evaluation of fuel property effects on Air Force gas turbine engines - program genesis

Jackson, T.A.

The Air Forde has conducted a series of investigations to quantify the effects of certain fuel properties on the operability and durability of its aircraft gas turbine engines. Initially these efforts were conducted on a small number of engines intended to be representative of the majority of gas turbine engines in the Air Force inventory. The testing was conducted exclusively in rigs representing the comubstor and fuel nozzle components of these engines of interest. Test fuels for these programs were primarily blends of hydrocarbons. These test fuels exhibited significant variations in several major fuel properties. Based on results of these evaluations a second generation of test activity in fuel effects area was formulated. Engine system selection was broadened to include more considerations. Test fuels were reduced in number and priorities for modification of certain fuel properties were adjusted. This paper presents dominant test results of early fuel effects programs and supplemental background which dictated the structure of the second, more coprehensive program.(Wassmann)