The automated system for reducing losses from evaporation and water contamination in jet fuel in the tanks of the refueling complex
Authors: Brailko A. A. 
Published: March 2023

In the process of the production activity of the airport refueling complex (RC), because of the movement of jet fuel associated with emptying and filling fuel tanks when receiving and supplying jet fuel for aircraft (AC) refueling, two negative phenomena are bound to occur – water contamination in jet fuel with when interacting with air, its evaporation and entrainment into the atmosphere. This entails economic losses, an increased level of fire and explosion hazard and environmental damage. The amount of damage caused by the natural loss of jet fuel, because of the inevitable emission of vapor-air mixture (VAM) from the RC tank farm, reaches 10...14% of the volume of jet fuel transshipment. In turn, such volume of evaporated kerosene leads to a serious environmental problem – pollution of the atmosphere by aviation fuel vapors, escalating the costs for compensation and taxation of environmental management, potential harming the health of the RC full-time staff. The RC becomes a fire-hazardous object, which incurs expenses for fire protection measures. The article evaluates the quantitative and qualitative losses from evaporation and water contamination in fuel in the conditions of storage, reception, and delivery of aviation fuel from the airport RC tanks. Based on the analysis of the mechanism of deterioration of the aviation fuel quality from water contamination and mechanical impurities, as well as losses of light fractions of aviation fuel caused by the phenomena of strong and inconsiderable breathing of tanks of the tank farm facilities, invariably accompanying the processes of storage, delivery, and reception of aviation fuel. The causes and mechanism of formation of aviation fuel losses from strong and inconsiderable breathing of tanks as well as from saturation of the gas space are established. The recommendations for reducing these losses are proposed. The article analyzes the known methods of reducing (preventing) VAM emissions and considers the task of developing reliable and automated methods and technologies for reducing jet fuel losses, particularly, reducing the level of water content in jet fuel. Automation of the processes to minimize jet fuel losses is becoming relevant. The calculation of jet fuel losses from evaporation during storage, reception, and delivery of jet fuel to the airport RC within the heavy air traffic period concerned with the greatest movement of jet fuel, giving an idea of the scale of economic losses and environmental damage, is presented. The currently existing systems for reducing losses of petroleum products are considered. The article presents a technical solution to reduce the loss of jet fuel from evaporation in tanks by developing an automated system that minimizes the level of water content in jet fuel in the tank and reduces the loss of light fractions of jet fuel during storage, reception, and delivery due to the dehumidification of atmospheric air entering the above-fuel space of the tank, as well as VAM condensation and separation under inconsiderable and strong breathing of tanks. The proposed system for reducing losses of aviation kerosene from evaporation will significantly increase the efficiency of capturing VAM of aviation fuel when stored in the RC fuel tank battery, improve the environmental situation of the RC activity, minimize the economic RC losses from natural loss, as well as mitigate the risk for fire hazard of the airport RC. The system is designed for retrofitting tanks for receiving, storing, and delivering jet fuel, fuel tank batteries, fuel, and lubricants warehouses.