Effects on Anti-Static Additives on Aircraft Capacitance Fuel Gaging Systems

摘要

The effects of increasing the electrical conductivity of JP-4 and Jet A jet fuels on aircraft capacitance fuel guaging systems were determined. Fuel tank capacitance probes from the KC-135, A-7, F-15, and F-16 aircraft were tested in JP-4 and Jet A fuels having electrical conductivities ranging from less than 20 pS/m to 5,000 pS/m. Additives ASA-3 (Shell Chemical Company) and Stadis 450 (E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company) were used to increase the conductivity of the fuel. The fuel tank capacitance guaging system parameters of accuracy, sensitivity, speed of response, and High Z null voltage were measured. The F-15 and the F-16 systems were unaffected by fuel conductivities up to 5,000 pS/m. The A-7 and KC-135 systems indicated negligible effects at fuel conductivities up to 500 pS/m, and increasing system degradation at higher conductivity levels. (Author)