The Influence of JFTOT Operating Parameters on the Assessment of Fuel Thermal Stability

The performance of fuels in the Jet Fuel Thermal Oxidation Tester (JFTOT) has been compared with that in a simulated engine oil cooler. In an attempt to improve the poor correlation found ‘between these tests, a carbon “burn-off method has been developed to quantify the extent of deposition in the JFTOT and has been used to examine the influence of JFTOT operating conditions on fuel performance. This has shown that the poor correlation between the tests may be due to the low fuel flow rate and the use of aluminium (rather than stainless steel) test specimens in the standard JFTOT.