Antimisting Fuel (AMK) Flight Degrader Development and Aircraft Fuel System Investigation

摘要

This report summarizes results from a 20-month technical effort involving the design, fabrication and evaluation of an Antimisting Kerosene (AMK) degrader. The principal objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of employing a high-speed centrifugal pump to condition AMK fuel for use in an aircraft turbine engine. The effects of AMK fuel on the engine airframe fuel system as well as any effect the flight environment might have had on the fire-preventive characteristics of the AMK were also investigated. Five functionally identical degrader systems were produced. The first system was installed on the No. 3 engine of a CV880 aircraft with a dedicated AMK fuel tank. This system accumulated about 45 hours of engine operation on AMK, 30 of which were in-flight. The remaining four degrader systems were installed on a B720 aircraft that was used in the Full-Scale Transport Controlled Impact Demonstration (CID). The degrader systems performed well and met the objectives of both the CV880 and the CID programs. In the early phases of the CV880 flight test program, gelling was observed on a number of the engine fuel filters. Three distinct types of gel subsequently were identified. The mechanisms involved in the formation of all the gels were not fully understood by the end of the program. Aside from the intermittent occurrence of gel, little difference in performance could be distinguished between the No. 3 engine, operating on AMM4K, and the No. 2 reference engine, operating on Jet A. Keywords: Antimisting Kerosene, Degrader, High Speed Centrifugal Pump, Aircraft Fire Safety.