Keeping Fuel Safer and More Stable

UDRI Fuel Science experts conduct experimental and computational research in jet fuel thermal stability, jet fuel cold-flow improvement, fuel additives, fuel autoxidation, chemical kinetics and computational fluid dynamics of fuel oxidation and deposition, molecular modeling of alkane/fuel crystallization, aircraft fuel system operation at low temperature, fuel chemical analysis, chemical analysis of additives, fuel solid-liquid equilibria, fuel instrumental analysis, and biological contamination of fuel.

Capabilities

• Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) systems for measuring fuel deposition, oxidation, and the effect of additives
• Various gas chromatographic systems with atomic emission, mass spectrometric, and flame ionization detection
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with uv-vis absorption, electrochemical, and refractive index detection
• Scanning Brookfield viscometry
• Low temperature optical microscopy
• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Solid-phase extraction techniques for preseparation of fuel components
• Computational molecular modeling and molecular dynamics
• Development of pseudo-detailed chemical kinetic models
• Various thermal oxidation and pyrolysis fuel heat exchangers
• Total carbon analysis
• Direct PCR analysis of biological contaminant organisms

Contact Us: 937-229-2113  |  E-Mail  |  Form

Top: UDRI's Dr. Zachary West holds a sample of jet fuel diluted in solvent ready for analysis to look for trace contamination. Components, even in the parts-per-million level, can significantly affect how a fuel performs. (U.S. Air Force photo/John Harrington)