Investigation of Water Droplet Size Distribution in Conventional and Sustainable Aviation Turbine Fuels
- Judith Ugbeh Johnson - Cranfield Defence and Security, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom ,
- Mark Carpenter - Cranfield Defence and Security, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom ,
- Nonso Evaristus Okeke - Cranfield University, School of Water, Energy, and Environment, UK ,
- Somtochukwu Godfrey Nnabuife - Cranfield University, School of Water, Energy, and Environment, UK ,
- Nathalie Mai - Cranfield Defence and Security, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
Journal Article
04-15-03-0016
ISSN: 1946-3952, e-ISSN: 1946-3960
Sector:
Topic:
Citation:
Ugbeh Johnson, J., Carpenter, M., Okeke, N., Nnabuife, S. et al., "Investigation of Water Droplet Size Distribution in Conventional and Sustainable Aviation Turbine Fuels," SAE Int. J. Fuels Lubr. 15(3):315-331, 2022, https://doi.org/10.4271/04-15-03-0016.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Water droplet size variation has been established in the literature as an
important variable that influences the behavior and characteristics of water in
fuel emulsion. However, with the growing demand for sustainable aviation fuels
(SAF), no data is available that shows how these fuels will affect the size of
dispersed water droplets and their frequency distribution. To address this lack
of knowledge, this study explores and presents experimental results on the
characterization of dispersed water droplets in alternative fuels and Jet A-1
fuel under dynamic conditions. The alternative fuels comprised of two fully
synthetic fuels, two fuels synthesized from bio-derived materials, and one
bio-derived fuel. The data and statistics presented reveal that water droplet
frequency and size distribution are sensitive to changes in fuel composition.
Observations showed an evident transition of the droplet percentile over time in
the cumulative frequency distribution; this could be attributed to droplet
coalescence to form larger droplets. Mean droplet diameters between 3 and 6 μm
were observed for all the fuels tested. With further analysis based on
recommendations proposed in this work, the data may assist in providing insight
to filter manufacturers.
Value of Data/Highlights
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The dataset provides the aviation industry with insight into the behavior of dispersed water droplets in various commercially available sustainable aviation fuels.
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The data and statistics presented reveal that water droplet size/count distribution can be influenced by fuel composition.
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With further analysis based on recommendations proposed in this work, the standardization of test specifications can be improved.