JP-5 aviation fuel, contaminated with particulates and water, is currently used as lower grade fuel. The use of an aviation fuel recycler to recover JP-5 would eliminate or reduce the amount of contaminated fuel waste for disposal and/or reuse. In order to implement such a system, it will be necessary to segregate the collection of contaminated JP-5.

A basic JP-5 aviation fuel recycling system typically consists of a filter separator, coalescer separator, working tank, clean fuel tank, and auxiliary pumps. The filter separator removes particulate contaminants from the fuel while the coalescer separator removes water from the fuel. These units have replaceable filter cartridges/elements. Some systems come with multiple units of the filter separator and the coalescer separator. A basic system, without the working and clean fuel tanks, comes skid mounted on a 5’x 5’ skid. Other systems include multiple units of the filter and coalescer separators, working tank, and clean fuel tank come on three skids, typically the largest being 8.5’ x 8.5’. The smallest units can process from 15 to 50 gpm of contaminated JP-5 fuel. The larger units, which are used at bulk terminals associated with refining facilities, can process 1200 gpm and up.

After treatment in the recycler, the cleaned JP-5 fuel needs to be laboratory tested and certified to ensure that it meets MIL-T-5624 for JP-5 fuel prior to use in any aircraft. However, only the first batch of recycled JP-5 fuel needs to be laboratory tested. Provided that the first batch passes all the tests, the fuel farm only needs to test all subsequent batches for particulates, free water, flash point, and API gravity. The particulates and water separated from the JP-5 aviation fuel are disposed as a hazardous waste.

The recycling of JP-5 aviation fuel may help facilities meet the requirements of waste reduction under RCRA, 40 CFR 262, Appendix. A facility will use more electricity if they recycle their JP-5 fuel on site. Under EO12902 facilities are to decrease energy consumption.

The compliance benefits listed here are only meant to be used as a general guideline and are not meant to be strictly interpreted. Actual compliance benefits will vary depending on the factors involved, e.g. the amount of workload involved.

Consult your local industrial health specialist, your local health and safety personnel, and the appropriate MSDS prior to implementing this technology.

• Reduces high-grade fuel waste and associated disposal costs
• Promotes waste minimization through reuse of fuel product
• Reduces purchases of JP-5 aviation fuel

• None

The JP-5 Aviation Fuel recycler recycles JP-5 aviation fuel samples that were collected and segregated by the squadron for reuse in aircraft. It also minimizes fuel waste, currently disposed or used as lower grade fuel and institutes waste segregation to reduce overall hazardous waste. This opportunity is in accordance with OPNAVINST 4110.2, Hazardous Material Control and Management (HMC&M) program initiatives. The preproduction system which can be found at NAS North Island includes filter/separator vessels, fuel/water separator vessel, 100-gpm transfer pump, 15-gpm recirculation pump, motor, 2,000-gallon process tank, and 1,000-gallon issue tank. However, when the system was transitioned to a competitive buy, the process tank was reduced to 1,000 gallons. Each batch of recycled fuel undergoes quality assurance testing before it is issued to aircraft or blended into stocks.

Previously, waste fuel products, including JP-5 samples, were segregated and stored in HazMat storage areas maintained by each squadron. A contractor, under the supervision of the fuel farm, collected waste fuels from the squadrons, commingling all the fuel grades in one tank truck. The contractor transferred the fuel to the hazardous waste/waste oil storage tanks located at the fuel farm. Fuel farm personnel estimate that approximately 600 gallons per week of this waste fuel is composed of potentially recyclable JP-5. Previous studies incorporating the number of squadrons and detachments assigned to NAS North Island indicate that up to 1,000 gallons per month of JP-5 may be reclaimed for reuse in aircraft. Because of the practice of commingling the JP-5 with other waste fuels, the exact quantity of waste JP-5 under the previous method is not known. Therefore, the cost analysis will be based on the quantity of fuel collected under the NELP method at the Naval Air Station North Island:

Assumptions:

• Potentially reusable gallons of JP-5 per year: 12,280.80
• Cost per gallon: $0.79
• The labor for the disposal method is the same as the NELP method with the exception of sampling, equipment maintenance and operation. Therefore, the number of hours under the previous method have not been calculated; only the additional hours have been considered. The waste fuel must be collected and handled under each method.
• Gallons of waste JP-5 per year: 12,280.80
• Cost of disposal: $6.67
• Filter/separator elements used per year: 2
• Cost of filter/separator elements: $91.40
• Additional labor hours for fuel recycler: 5hr./week
• Labor cost: $10.39

Annual Operating Cost Comparison for Diversion and Disposal Using a JP-5 Aviation Fuel Recycler

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Approval is controlled locally and should be implemented only after engineering approval has been granted. Major claimant approval is not required.