Quantitation of dissolved oxygen concentration, particle size, and surface mass deposition rate in thermally stressed aviation fuel

Three techniques have been integrated into a single instrumented platform designed for real-time simultaneous quantitation of dissolved oxygen concentration, particle size and growth rate, and surface mass deposition rate in thermally stressed aviation fuel. Dynamic quenching of the time-resolved fluorescence of pyrene-doped fuel is used to monitor dissolved oxygen concentration. Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (PCS) provides particle size and growth rate information. A Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) is employed to record deposition during thermal stressing. The combined diagnostics yield data essential to the elucidation of fundamental fouling mechanisms and evaluation of fuel additive performance.