LOW TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF FUEL MIXTURES OF KEROSENE AND FAME TYPE USED TO SUPPLY TURBINE ENGINES IN MARINE AND OTHER NON-AERONAUTICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

A worldwide trend to popularise gradually increasing use of biofuels in various applications was a motivation for gaining interest in FAME as a commonly available biocomponent to fuels combusted in turbine engines. These engines are mainly used in aeronautics, but many of them are also used in other, non-aeronautical areas, including marine navigation. Specific conditions in which fuels are combusted in turbine engines used in these applications are the reason why fuel mixtures of kerosene and FAME type should reveal relevant low temperature characteristics. The article presents results of tests of low temperature properties of mixtures of the jet fuel Jet A-1 and methyl esters of higher fatty acids (FAME). The prepared mixtures contained different contents of FAME. The obtained results present changes of: viscosity, cloud point, pour point, crystallising point, and cold filter plugging point, depending on the percentage by volume of FAME. They also prove that the course of changes of low temperature properties of these mixtures is affected by chemical structure of the biocomponent.