Investigating the Effects of JP-8 Use in Heating Plant Boilers

摘要

The object of this project was to investigate the operational and environmentaleffects associated with burning aviation fuel JP-8 in traditional heating plant boilers. JP-8 was compared to 2 fuel oil and diesel fuel in small-scale testing at tyndall AFB FL and diesel fuel in full-scale testing at McClellan AFB CA. System performance was evaluated with respect to the boilers' thermal efficiencies, fuel pump and burner pump performance, and environmentally significant combustion products. The operational performance of JP-8, in comparison with DF-2 and fuel oil, was satisfactory, with fuel to steam conversion ranging from 7 percent less with JP-8 to performance that exceeded that of 2 fuel oil and DF-2. The calculated theoretical drop in heat output when switching from DF-2 or 2 fuel oil to JP-8 is approximately 10 percent, based on the energy value of the fuels. Stack emissions showed a significant drop in SOx with JP-8, and lower values of NOx and particulate. There was negligible difference between the organic measurements among the full-scale test conditions. The research conducted in support of this effort was designed to provide guidance to the base civil engineer and the boiler operator to allow safe, efficient, and environmentally clean operation of existing systems with JP-8.