The second EI Standardisation Workshop on Jet Fuel Thermal Stability Measurement ...

The second EI Standardisation Workshop on Jet Fuel Thermal Stability Measurement was held in January in Amsterdam. ‘This is an important area for the JFTOT tube rating of jet fuel thermal stability and is a critical test for the certification and release of Jet A-1 and Jet A for refining and test house laboratories,’ comments Harry Read, EI ST-B Fuels & Distillate Chair. The key elements of training and awareness of this subjective visual rating test method were covered by leading UK and US experts during the workshop. Examples of the full range of test tubes with rating from a good pass to a fail were discussed and visually rated by attendees to enhance their appreciation of how to rate unusual tubes, commonly rated as ‘abnormals and peacocks’. The meeting was very well attended, with a number of participants from Holland, Belgium, Norway, Germany and the UK. The outcome of the meeting was to further the development of enhancing the rating experience of lab operators to ensure industry consistency for jet fuel testing. As a result of this workshop, a number of recommendations were made to improve the training of rating tubes. Many of these will be followed through over the coming months, with close collaboration between the EI ST-B-8 Committee and the global company manufacturing and marketing the JFTOT test equipment.