Hydro-thermal effects on ice formation of dissolved water in aviation jet fuel

Abstract

While ice formation in aviation jet fuel has been a serious concern in the aviation industry in terms of safety, icing in jet fuel has poor understood. The ice formation in the fuel delivery system might be highly affected by hydro-thermal conditions such as cooling rate, flow condition, and etc. This study investigated the effects of hydro-thermal environments on ice crystallization. Ice formation tests were conducted under various temperatures, cooling rates, and flow conditions. The jet fuel was cooled down to -38 ℃ with different cooling rates and flow conditions. The formed ice particles in jet fuel were sampled and observed in a cold room. The various shapes of ice crystals were found according to the hydro-thermal condition.