Designing high thermal stability jet fuels for the 21st Century

Recently, the US Air Force has flown a new JP-8 fuel formulation known as JP-8+100. This new fuel provides a 50% increase in heat sink capability over standard JP-8 and allows the fuel to be stressed to a bulk temperature of 218/spl deg/C (425/spl deg/F) and a wetted wall temperature of 260/spl deg/C (500/spl deg/F). Despite this advance, fuel system design and engine manufacturers will continue to push the limits of fuel thermal stability. Therefore, additional heat sink capacity will be needed in future jet fuels. This paper describes the current understanding of jet fuel thermal oxidative stability, discusses the role that additives play in increasing the heat sink of current JP-8 fuels, highlights possible schemes for significantly increasing jet fuel heat sink capability, and finally, presents some of the research challenges faced in developing a jet fuel for the 21st Century.