TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials/Processes

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 312 In-Service Aircraft Program Office, PMS 378/379 Future Aircraft Carriers Program Offices

OBJECTIVE: Mitigate the adverse impact of the presence of copper in Jet Propellant 5 (JP-5) fuel by preventing copper contamination or removing copper that has leached into the fuel.

DESCRIPTION: Copper Nickel (CuNi) pipe is used in JP-5 fuel lines on Aircraft Carriers (CVNs).� Typically, supply ships also have copper piping (though fuel residence time and amount of piping is small compared to a CVN) hence the infrastructure may supply JP-5 fuel with a copper content.� This has allowed a condition where copper contaminates the JP-5 fuel.� The presence of copper in hydrocarbon fuels impacts jet engine performance.� Copper contamination has been observed on the CVN 68 Class Aircraft Carriers.� Copper in JP-5 fuel exists both as particulate and dissolved contaminant.� Replacing CuNi piping on aircraft carriers is both impracticable and expensive.� Presently, no onboard mitigation systems exist to remove copper contamination in JP-5 fuel.� There is a need to create an affordable shipboard method to prevent or remove copper contamination in JP-5 fuel or to prevent copper from adversely affecting aircraft engines.� Joint Strike Fighter programs have a strong interest as the presence of copper in JP-5 fuel creates maintenance and repair issues, such as coking, for aircraft engines as well as impairs performance capability.� Copper contamination in JP-5 fuels can be as high as 1,000 parts per billion (ppb).� Copper contamination prevention or removal methods must limit or reduce (respectively) the copper concentration in JP-5 fuel to 10ppb or less.� Per the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3241, copper contamination mitigation methods must meet thermal oxidation stability standards for aircraft (<3 on the unitless color scale Visual Tube Rate (VTR), <85nm Electron Transfer Reaction (ETR) (ellipsometric), <25mm/Hg at 260�C).

Soluble metal chelant additives have been used as means of counteracting the catalytic effects of dissolved copper in fuels.� However, no methods have proven effective for the flow and temperature requirements typical for military aircraft fuel systems.

The JP-5 system is comprised of a network of piping connecting subsystems with pumps, valves, centrifugal purifiers and/or filter separators to ultimately deliver aircraft quality fuel to the refueling nozzle.� Any material and/or technique developed aimed at reducing copper must be applicable to the JP-5 system and subsystems from fuel storage to the system interface with the aircraft.� Furthermore, any material and/or technique developed shall not affect JP-5 fuel properties or aircraft performance and shall not cause a reduction in fuel flow or impact JP-5 operations.� The new prevention, removal or mitigation process(es) shall achieve thermal oxidation stability standards for aircraft (<3 VTR (visual), <85nm ETR (ellipsometric), <25mm/Hg at 260�C).� An effective process would aid the Navy to achieve the mission performance requirements for its aircraft.� As aircraft engine maintenance cost due to the presence of copper contamination in JP-5 fuels is projected to be $1B annually for the fleet, technology to mitigate copper contamination promises potential cost savings to the Navy.� Reducing Maintenance Cost for aircraft engines is addressed through avoidance of installation of a more expensive redesign JP-5 piping system.� Reducing Operating and Maintenance Costs is addressed by reducing the adverse effects of copper contamination, such as coking, in aircraft engines.� Reducing Production Cost Need is addressed through avoidance of aircraft engine redesign that would be capable of meeting mission requirements despite the presence of copper in JP-5 fuel greater than 10ppb.

PHASE I: Develop a concept for a copper contamination prevention, filtering, or mitigating process(es) that demonstrates how the process(es) will be implemented; and present cost estimates for the process(es).� Establish feasibility by material testing and/or through analytical modeling.� Provide a Phase II initial proposal that addresses technical risk reduction and provides performance goals and key technical milestones.� Provide notional shipboard implementation such as how the solution will work in existing distribution systems and restricted volumes and accommodate high flow rates.� The Phase I Option should include the initial specifications and capabilities for the prototype process(es) to be developed in Phase II. Develop a Phase II plan.

PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), develop a prototype process for evaluation and delivery.� Evaluate the prototype to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II SOW and the Navy requirements for the copper leakage prevention, filtration, and/or mitigation.� Demonstrate process performance through prototype evaluation and testing over the required range of parameters including numerous deployment cycles to verify test results.� Use evaluation results to refine the prototype into an initial design that will meet Navy requirements.� Prepare a Phase III development plan to transition the technology to Navy use.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Support the Navy in transitioning the technology for Navy use.� Develop a copper contamination, prevention, and/or filtration device and/or technique according to the Phase II SOW for evaluation to determine its effectiveness in an operationally relevant environment.� Support the Navy for test and validation to certify and qualify the system for Navy use.� The process has the potential to transition onto CVN, Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA), and Landing Platform Dock (LPD) platforms.

If successfully demonstrated, there may be a commercial market for a fuel contaminant reduction system.� Global producers of JP-5, Jet A, and Jet A-1 aviation turbine fuels may benefit from this technology in their efforts to minimize the deleterious effects of copper introduced to these fuels during product handling and desulfurization processes.� This technology may also reduce maintenance cost for commercial aviation.

REFERENCES:

1. �Detail Specification Turbine Fuel, Aviation, Grades JP-4 and JP-5, MIL-DTL-5624V�, 11 July 2013. http://everyspec.com/MIL-SPECS/MIL-SPECS-MIL-DTL/MIL-DTL-5624V_47197/

2. Hazlett, Robert N. �Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels, Chapter VIII.� American Society for Testing and Materials, December 1991, ASTM D3241.
https://books.google.com/books?id=e-h5UZefdZcC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=copper+jp-5&source=bl&ots=hj7P98bCE-&sig=yTI0WkUdTmOYntZjxJtK7a6hxzs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-luvZ2erRAhUK84MKHUsWCesQ6AEIIzAB#v=onepage&q=copper%20jp-5&f=false

3. Puranik, Dhanajay B. et al. �Copper Removal from Fuel by Solid-Supported Palyamine Chelating Agents.� American Chemical Society Energy & Fuels 1998, 12, 792-797.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ef980006y

4. Lu, Qin et al. �Rapid Determination of Dissolved Copper in Jet Fuels Using Bathocuproine.� American Chemical Society, Energy & Fuels 2003, 17, 699-704. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ef0202642

5. Hazlett, Robert N. and Morris, Robert E. �Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuel, a Survey.� 4th International Conference on Stability and Handling of Liquid Fuels Orlando, Florida, USA, November 19-22, 1991. http://iash.conferencespot.org/56077-iash-1991-1.652968/t-001-1.653105/f-005-1.653249/a-022-1.653274/ap-022-1.653275?qr=1

KEYWORDS: Jet Propellant 5 (JP-5) Fuel; Aviation Turbine Fuels; Copper Nickel (CuNi) Piping; Thermal Oxidation Stability Standards; Soluble Metal Chelant Additives; Polyamine Chelating Agents