Here is a note on auto fuel in aviation that
explains why the bubbles form in the clear fuel lines. It is mentioned in
the comparison of Avgas to other fuels. Thought I would pass it
along. JohnD
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 11:43 PM
Subject: [TailwindForum] often asked questions on gas
I did a google search "Lead in
gas" and came up with many hits. I read several but thought I'd post this for
anyone interested to read. It lists lead contents of 80/87 100LL and
100/130.
Dave
Conrad
Avgas is a high-octane fuel used for aircraft and, in the past, racing cars. Avgas is a portmanteau for aviation gasoline, as
distinguished from mogas (motor gasoline),
which is the everyday gasoline used in cars. Avgas is used in aircraft that use piston or Wankel engines; gas turbines can operate on avgas, but typically do
not. Turbine and diesel engines are designed to
use kerosene-based jet fuel.
Avgas properties and
varieties
Avgas has a lower volatility
than mogas (i.e. it does not evaporate as quickly), which can be important for
high-altitude use and higher temperatures. The particular mixtures in use today
are the same as when they were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s, and therefore the high-octane ratings are
achieved by the addition of tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), a highly
toxic substance that was phased out for car use in most countries in the 1980s. The main petroleum component used in blending avgas is alkylate, which is essentially a mixture of various isooctanes, and some refineries
also use some reformate.
Avgas is currently available
in several grades with differing maximum lead concentrations. Since TEL is a
rather expensive additive, a minimum amount of it is typically added to the fuel
to bring it up to the required octane rating so actual concentrations are often
lower than the maximum.
Jet fuel is not avgas. It is similar
to kerosene and is used in turbine engines. In Europe,
environmental and cost considerations have led to increasing numbers of aircraft
being fitted with highly fuel-efficient diesel engines; these too run on jet
fuel. Civilian aircraft use Jet-A, Jet-A1 or in severely cold climates Jet-B.
There are other classification systems for military turbine and diesel fuel. See
Jet fuel.
Gasoline
Gasoline used for aviation fuel
generally has two numbers associated with its octane rating. Examples of this
include the (now almost completely unavailable) 80/87 avgas, and the 100/130
avgas. The first number indicates the octane rating of the fuel tested to
"aviation lean" standards, which is similar to the Motor Octane Number (MON) rating
given to automotive gasoline. The second number indicates the octane rating of
the fuel tested to the "aviation rich" standard, which tries to simulate a
supercharged condition with a rich mixture, elevated temperatures, and a high
manifold pressure.
100LL, spoken as "100 low
lead", contains a lead based anti-knock compound but less than the "highly-leaded"
100/130 avgas it effectively replaced. Most piston aircraft engines require
100LL but it is scheduled to be phased out in the United States because of the lead toxicity. An
alternative fuel has not yet been developed for these engines. While there are
similar engines that burn non-leaded fuels aircraft are often purchased with
engines that use 100LL because many airports only have 100LL. 100LL contains a
maximum of 2 grams of lead per US gallon, or
maximum 0.56 grams/litre and is the most commonly available and used aviation
gasoline.
82UL is an unleaded fuel
similar to automobile gasoline but without additives. It may be used in aircraft
that have a Supplemental Type Certificate for the use of automobile gasoline
with an aviation lean octane rating (MON) of 82 or less or an antiknock index of
87 or less. It may not be used in engines that require 100LL. See Octane Rating. The FAA highly recommends installing
placards stating the use of 82UL is or is not approved on those airplanes that
specify unleaded autogas (mogas) as an approved fuel[1].
Gasoline (MOGAS) may be used in
aircraft that have a Supplemental Type Certificate
for automotive gasoline. Most of these applicable aircraft have low-compression
engines which were originally certified to run on 80/87 avgas and require only
"regular" 87 anti-knock index automotive
gasoline. Examples of this include the popular Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee with the 150 hp variant of the Lycoming O-320. Some aircraft engines were originally
certified using a 91/96 avgas and have STC's available to run "premium" 91 anti-knock index automotive
gasoline. Examples of this include some Cherokee's with the 160 hp Lycoming O-320 or 180 hp O-360 or the Cessna 152 with the O-235.
Avgas 80/87 has the lowest
lead content at a maximum of 0.5 grams lead per U.S. gallon, and is only used in low compression ratio
engines.
Avgas 100/130 is a higher
octane grade aviation gasoline, containing a maximum of 4 grams of lead per US
gallon, maximum 1.12 grams/litre. 100LL "low lead" was
designed to replace avgas 100/130.
In the past other grades were
also available, particularly for military use, such as avgas 115/145 and 91/96.
Note that the octanes of avgas cannot be directly compared to those of mogas, as
a different test engine and method is used to determine the octane. The first
(lower) number is the lean mixture rating, the second
(higher) number is the rich mixture rating. For mogas,
the octane rating is typically
expressed in the U.S. as an anti-knock index (known as "pump
rating"), which is the average of the octane rating based on the research and motor test method
((R+M)/2).
Fuel
dyes aid
pilots in identifying the proper fuel in their aircraft. 80/87 is red, 100/130 is green, 115/145 is purple (leading to the U.S. Naval
aviation slang term "grape juice" for avgas) and 100LL is blue, while jet fuel, JET A1, is clear or straw, being
undyed. Untaxed diesel fuel for off-road use is also dyed red.
The annual U.S. usage of
avgas was 236 million gallons (893 million liters) in 2006. [2]
Avgas compared to other
fuels
Many general aviation aircraft engines were designed to run on 80/87 octane,
roughly the standard for automobiles today. Direct conversions to run on
automotive fuel are fairly common and applied via the supplemental type certificate
(STC) process. However, the alloys used in aviation engine construction are
rather outdated, and engine wear in the valves is a potential problem on
automotive gasoline conversions. Fortunately, significant history of
mogas-converted engines has shown that very few engine problems are actually
caused by automotive gasoline. A larger problem stems from the wider range of
allowable vapor pressures found in automotive gasoline; this can pose some risk
to aviation users if fuel system design considerations are not taken into
account. Automotive gasoline can vaporize in fuel lines causing a vapor lock (a
bubble in the line), starving the engine of fuel. This does not constitute an
insurmountable obstacle, but merely requires examination of the fuel system,
ensuring adequate shielding from high temperatures and maintaining sufficient
pressure in the fuel lines. This is the main reason why both the specific engine
model as well as the aircraft in which it is installed must be supplementally
certified for the conversion. A good example of this is the Piper Cherokee with
high-compression 160 hp or 180 hp engines. Only later versions of the airframe
with different engine cowling and exhaust arrangements are applicable for the
automotive fuel STC, and even then require fuel system modifications.
Vapor lock typically occurs
in fuel systems where a mechanically-driven fuel pump mounted on the engine
draws fuel from a tank mounted lower than the pump. The reduced pressure in the
line can cause the more volatile components in automotive gasoline to flash into
vapor, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow. If an
electric boost pump is mounted in the fuel tank to push fuel toward the engine,
as is common practice in fuel-injected automobiles, the fuel pressure in the
lines is maintained above ambient pressure, preventing bubble formation.
Likewise, if the fuel tank is mounted above the engine and fuel flows primarily
due to gravity, as in a Cessna high-wing airplane, vapor lock cannot occur,
using either aviation or automotive fuels.
In addition to vapor locking
potential, automotive gasoline does not have the same quality tracking as
aviation gasoline. To help solve this problem, an aviation fuel known as 82UL has recently been
introduced. This fuel is essentially automotive gasoline that has additional
quality tracking and restrictions on permissible additives.
The main consumers of avgas
at present (mid-2000s) are in North America, Australia, Brazil, and Africa (mainly South Africa).
In Europe, avgas prices are so high that there have been a
number of efforts to convert the industry to diesel instead, which is common, inexpensive and has a
number of advantages for aviation use. However, avgas remains the most common
fuel in Europe as well.
Properties
Avgas has a density of 6.02 lb/US gallon at 15 °C, or 0.72 kg/l, and this density is commonly used for
weight and balance computation.
Density increases to 6.40 lb/US gallon at -40 °C, and decreases by about 0.5%
per 5 °C increase in temperature.[3] __._,_.___
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