For FBOs, airport fueling managers, and anyone handling Jet A or Jet A-1, the risk of jet fuel contamination is a constant fact of life.
It is an unfortunate reality that bulk fuel deliveries, storage tanks, and transfer operations present opportunities for contamination to find its way into your jet fuel, rendering it useless. Such circumstances remand urgent solutions; the most effective of which are rental filtration systems.
Let’s break down what really causes the issues, what’s at stake, and finally how temporary filtration equipment can be your fastests, most scalable fix.
Types & Causes of Jet Fuel Contamination
Understanding the different types & causes of aviation fuel contamination is the first step toward resolving it quickly & effectively.
The following are among the most common forms of contamination found in jet fuel:
- Water Ingress: Rain water, humidity, or condensation inside of tanks
- Microbial Growth: Bacteria & fungi thriving in the fuel-water interface
- Particulate Matter: Rust, sand, silt, and other debris from tanks/transfer lines
- Surfactants & Additive Residues: Chemical contamination from detergents, etc.
- Cross-Contamination: Residual diesel or gasoline in shared equipment
These are issues that you can’t always prevent, especially during high-volume fueling or after system maintenance. Beyond preventability, these contaminants come with their own risks, detection challenges, and treatment methods.
Jet fuel before & after PFP fuel polishing operation
This is why the response to aviation contamination must be fast, targeted, and conducted by specialists who know what they’re looking for and how to efficiently prescribe solutions.
What's Really at Risk?
When it comes to contaminants in aviation fuels, risks are posed to both people & product.
Contaminated jet fuel risks immediate safety concerns that no operator can afford to ignor. Water, particulates, and microbial growth compromise aircraft fuel systems, potentially leading to engine malfunction or failure. Even trace amounts of contamination can trigger failed ATA-103 inspections, ultimately grounding aircraft and forcing operations to halt until fuel quality is restored. For those in charge of aviation fueling, disruption of safety compliances is the worst-case scenario.
Furthermore, the financial consequences are just as severe. Without a way to filter and recover contaminated jet fuel, there is the potential for major loss of value in the product. Every hour the fuel sits off spec is money bleeding out of your operation.
That’s why rapid-response rental filtration systems are essential for protecting both people & product.
The Fastest Fix: Rental Filtration Systems
When widespread jet fuel contamination strikes, you don’t have time to wait on permanent system upgrades. That’s where PFP comes in.
Our rental filtration fleet is built specifically for rapid deployment in circumstances where large volumes of contamination are present in aviation fuels. At any stage of the jet fuel lifecycle, we have the equipment & expertise required to address contamination at scale.
A partial list of our aviation fuel filtration equipment includes:
Click a tile to learn more!
Coalescer Separator Vessels
Clay Treater Vessels
High-Flow Filter Vessels
Bulk Fuel Filtration Skids
All of our equipment is available for short-term or long-term rental, with purchase options depending on the unit.
We also offer auxiliary equipment packages and turnkey service packages where our experienced service crews handle setup, operation, and breakdown of the filter system onsite. This full-service option eliminates the need for facility personnel to receive equipment training and significantly reduces risk of operational errors, especially in urgent scenarios.
Nine times out of ten, renting a temporary filtration system from PFP will be the most optimal solution to quickly address your contaminated jet fuel.
Don't Let Contaminated Jet Fuel Take You Offline
Jet fuel contamination is a challenge that requires urgent solutions becauase the longer it sits, the worse (and more expensive!) it gets.
At PFP, our specialty is solving large-scale aviation fuel contamination fast. By combining decades of aviation filtration experience with our state-of-the-art rental fleet, we help FBOs, airports, refineries, and others resolve contamination quickly and confidently.
If you’re facing off spec jet fuel or want to be prepared before it happens, give us a call!
Looking for aviation contamination solutions?
If you’re looking for support on a project that involves aviation fuel contamination, contact us today to discuss your project requirements with one of our expert filtration specialists!
