COVID-RECOVERY SERIES: ELIMINATING THE RISKS OF REFUELLING WITH TRADITIONAL FILTER MONITORS
At Shell Aviation, we understand that while the industry is facing various challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling and maintaining efficient and safe operations will be crucial for Aviation's recovery. In the COVID-19 -Recovery webinar series, Technical Experts from the industry will share their views and guidance on how to anticipate certain operational risks.
Today, most aircraft refuellers are fitted with filter monitors that prevent water and dirt particles from getting into the fuel and engine. While water is rarely present in aviation fuel, when it does occur, Superabsorbent Polymer (SAP) has been used to prevent it from getting into the aircraft. The aviation industry has committed to phasing out SAP-based water filters used in the refuelling process due to ongoing safety concerns1. This is because under certain circumstances SAP particles can be released from the filter and into the fuel. In rare cases, these particles move into the aircraft during fuelling and can cause significant operational issues in engines.
On 23 July Rob Midgley, Global Quality and Technical Manager with Shell Aviation was joined in conversation by Andreas Schmidt, Manager Jet Fuel Quality at Lufthansa to discuss a vital issue facing aviation: our industry's need to replace water filters in refuellers that contain Superabsorbent Polymer (SAP).
Vincent Begon, Commercial Airlines Manager at Shell Aviation, moderated the webinar session.
This is a transcript of questions and answers of the webinar Eliminating the Risks of Refuelling with Traditional Filter Monitors. It has been lightly edited for clarity.
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