Jet turbine reliability

On Monday, June 8, 2015 at 4:44:10 PM UTC+1, bumper wrote:
On Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 12:29:34 PM UTC-7, wrote:
OG--thanks for your input.


Once you buy Jet A, how long would you keep the fuel before you would consider it "bad"?

Self launch and turbo gliders sometimes have low fuel throughput, and this gives HUMs (hydrocarbon utilizing microbes) a chance to thrive in the fuel/water interface - and there will always be some moisture. HUMs have been an issue for Stemme and Schleicher owners, as the HUMs excrete acid that can corrode metal parts and they attack fuel lines and clog filters.

The shelf life of Avgas (at least a year) and Jet-A (even longer) in the US is not the issue, it's keeping the microbes from contaminating fuel and fuel system. Many of us use BioborJF (the JF is for jet fuel for which Biobor is certified - though it works in gasoline too). It only takes 4 ml per 5 gallons for initial dose and then 2 ml per 5 gallons after that.

Note that Biobor also has a "MD" and "EB" version for diesel and ethanol laced fuels, though the "JF" version is the only version I'm aware of that includes antimicrobial ingredients.

That is very interesting Bumper but unfortunately I can't find BioborJF on sale in the UK. I find an 2008 UK magazine review of marine diesel products that has a reference to legislation that meant that "any product which claims a controlling effect on microorganisms should be registered with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and by 31 October 2008 they will need a technical dossier confirming the product is safe, environmentally acceptable and effective. Because registration involves significant expense, some biocides such as Biobor JF have been pulled from the market".

Also some US sellers on Ebay or Amazon say they cannot ship it to the UK.

John Galloway