Article
citation information:
Wojdat, C. Means of transport and distribution
system of aviation fuels in state aviation. Scientific
Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport. 2019, 104, 177-185. ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2019.104.16.
Czesław WOJDAT[1]
MEANS OF TRANSPORT AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OF
AVIATION FUELS IN STATE AVIATION
Summary. The provision of quality fuels to
the aircraft requires compliance with a number of procedures during the
transport, storage and distribution processes. Depending on the needs and
organisational conditions, the air fuel distribution process is carried out
using various types of transport means. The operational procedures and
specificity of the functioning of the Armed Forces and other public law enforcement
entities require the use of various construction and technological solutions
allowing the efficient functioning of state aviation. The means of transport
should not only ensure the appropriate quality of aviation fuel delivered to
the aircraft but also enables the delivery of appropriate fuel practically to
any place where it is required by the specific activities of particular
services or aviation types units of the Armed Forces. This paper presents
specific types of transport and distribution means used in state aviation and
attempts to select features that determine their suitability for particular
types of state aviation.
Keywords: state aviation, aviation
fuels, distribution, means of transport.
1. Introduction
Issues with supplying
the proper quality of aviation fuel to the aircraft tank are as old as the
construction of aircraft equipped with internal combustion engines.
Requirements in relation to fuel quality increased with the development of
aircraft engine structures. Along with the quality requirements, the
requirements related to the method of delivering fuel to the aircraft, its
quantity and efficiency of distribution devices also improved. Technological
development of crude oil processing made it possible to meet the expectations
of aircraft engine manufacturers in the matter of aviation fuel quality.
However, despite the technological progress in the domain of fuel
infrastructure and transport equipment, the main problem remains the provision
of appropriate, high-quality fuel to the aircraft fuel tank. This is
particularly important in the case of state aviation[2], where the filling of
an aircraft container can be carried out at an airport without proper fuel
supply infrastructure. Such a situation occurs in the case of state aviation, especially
as applies to cases of helicopters of the Armed Forces, the Police and the
Border Guard. At present, the State Fire Service does not have aircraft. In
specific cases, it is supported by the Police aircraft, the Polish Medical Air
Rescue and private aircraft. The state aviation supply system is very diverse
depending on the type of state aviation.
The most developed
system of supplying aviation fuel is the Armed Forces that have the largest air
fleet. The Armed Forces have its own fuel infrastructure together with storage
containers and means of transport for transporting and distributing fuel to
aircraft. Moreover, the Armed Forces have the most diversified transport
equipment in terms of its technical design and functionality. Whereas, the Police
and the Border Guard aviation initially used transport equipment taken over
from the army. However, the poor technical condition of this equipment and
relatively obsolete constructions have resulted in a complete replacement of
owned transport equipment and aviation fuel distribution process to aircraft.
2. Requirements for
transport means
The main requirement for
transport means for the conveyance and distribution of aviation fuel is to
ensure the quality of the transported fuel. The fuel quality must be adequate
in terms of physicochemical and operational properties. It is the main element
determining the construction, functionality and applied technology of the
equipment. However, such factors as the possibility of delivering the right
amount of fuel to the tank of the aircraft at a strictly defined time and place
should also be taken into account. These properties take on particular
significance, especially in the case of the need to refuel in small airports,
airstrips or temporary created landing sites. Most of the aircraft, especially
the ones belonging to the Police and the Border Guard, have the ability to
operate from such places. They can be used during operational, patrol, crisis
or rescue operations during natural disasters. Fuel requirements for particular
types of Border Guards and Police aircraft are shown in Table 1.
Tab. 1
Selected
technical parameters of Police and Border Guard aircraft
|
Aircraft type |
Capacity of the
main fuel tank / with an additional one (l) |
Cruising speed
(km/h) |
Range (km) |
|
Mi-8 |
1.870 / 2.615 |
250 |
350 / 540 |
|
W-3 |
1.700 |
235 |
690 |
|
Mi-2 |
1070 |
160 |
540 |
|
Bell-412B-HP |
1.246 |
222 |
650 |
|
Bell-206B-III Jet
Ranger |
345 |
190 |
550 |
|
PZL-104MF Wilga 2000 |
400 |
208 |
1.240 |
|
M 20 Mewa |
465 |
311 |
1.240 |
|
PZL M28B |
1.960 |
365 |
1.400 |
|
PZL Kania |
600 / 1.023 |
190 |
435 / 886 |
|
W-3AM Anakonda |
1.700 |
235 |
734 |
To accomplish the above
tasks, helicopters are most often assigned to carry out tasks from small
airports or landing areas without a constructed runway. Reaching these landing
sites, especially in crisis situations or natural disasters conditions, will
require transport equipment with adequate capabilities to navigate on dirt
roads or off-road. This feature is referred to as high operational mobility.
This type of vehicle has an all-axle drive, suitable for wading (overcoming
shallow-water obstacles). Vehicles will move along paved roads in order to
reach the aircraft, however, at the stage of refuelling the tanker should drive
as close as possible. Often there have been cases of serious difficulties in
moving tankers near helicopters. Tankers distributors are usually equipped with
delivery hoses with maximum length of 20 m and the tanker must be located at a
distance of maximum 18 m from the helicopter to efficiently fill the helicopter
tank with fuel. In practice, these are smaller distances, which forces the
tanker to enter the school playground, meadow or other terrain allowing safe
helicopter landing. [3] Only vehicles with off-road chassis will be able to
safely reach the aircraft. It also limits the transport possibilities of the
vehicle. Most often, these are 4x4 or 6x6 vehicles with main tank capacity for
aviation fuel up to 7,500 litres.
Fig. 1. Tanker
distributor equipped with a MAN 4x4 chassis, with a capacity of 7,500 l
(CSDL-7) for the transport and distribution of aviation fuel, operated by the
Border Guard
The vehicle must meet
the requirements set out in the Road Traffic Law, ADR requirements for the
relevant group of hazardous materials. In the case of tanker distributors used
for transportation of aviation fuel, it must meet the requirements for
materials designated as UN No. 1863 class 3, classification code F1, packing
group III and identification number 30. In addition to technical and
operational requirements for transport means, such a vehicle, practically its
body, must ensure the possibility of storage and distribution of transported
aviation fuel so that it meets the quality requirements specified in API 1581
Edition 5. These tankers have filters or monitors (monitoring filter) compliant
with the API requirements that ensure proper purity and anhydrity of the fuel
supplied to the aircraft.
Tab. 2
Selected
technical parameters of distributors' tanks operated by the Border Guard and
the Police
|
No. |
Equipment type |
Capacity |
Capacity (kg) |
Performance |
Number of delivery hoses. |
|
1. |
CSDL – 7 |
7.500 |
6.000 |
200 |
1 dispensing unit |
|
2. |
CD – 9 |
8.900 |
7.120 |
200 |
1 dispensing unit |
|
3. |
CT-18 |
18.000 |
14.400 |
200 |
1 dispensing unit |
Fig. 2. An 18,000-litre
transport tanker (CT-18) with the possibility of distributing aviation fuel to
aircraft on a 6x2 MAN chassis operated by the Border Guard
It is also extremely
important, due to the quality of fuel and the safety of flights that the
structures of elements in contact with the aviation fuel are not made of metals
or their alloys, which may react with the fuel. The use of copper, copper
alloys, light metals and their alloys containing more than 4% such as copper,
zinc, cadmium and lead is highly prohibited [1].
Fig. 3. Tanker
distributor with a capacity of 8.900 l (CD-9) for the transport and
distribution of aviation fuel on a RENAULT 4x2 chassis operated by the Police
Stationary distribution
devices are used in addition to tanker distributors in larger airport
facilities (Border Guard or Police landing field). These devices enable the
storage of larger amounts of fuel, supplemented with necessary operational
additives (additive to prevent water crystallisation) and the fuel supply to
the aircraft tank. Moreover, these devices are also equipped with the necessary
filters or monitors, which guarantee high fuel quality.
Fig. 4. Border Guard
landing area - an aircraft refuelling station with a capacity of 30,000 l,
equipped with a distribution node
Both transport and
stationary equipment do not necessarily need to have large capacities. Mostly,
the Police or the Border Guard do not have a large aircraft fleet - there are
usually single pieces. These aircraft do not require significant amounts of
fuel at once. The maximum fuel load for large helicopters are about 1,000
litres. In the case of the Mi-8 helicopter or the PZL M28B, this amount may
increase to 1,350 litres of aviation fuel.
A significantly
different situation occurs in the case of the Armed Forces aviation where the
need for specific aviation equipment corresponds to the diversification of
aviation military infrastructure, in terms of both facilities location and the
size of fuel needs. Mainly in the case of helicopters, there is the need to
have tanker distributors mounted on off-road or field-guided chassis. In the
field conditions, the specifics of military helicopters' operations
necessitates the process of refuelling to be carried out in a rapid way. The
tanker should have the ability to withdraw to hide immediately after the completion
of refuelling. Currently, only two types of tanker distributors meet these
conditions. The first type is an old construction from the late 70s of the last
century, built on a 6x6 off-road car, the Star 266. Its structure allows it to
overcome water obstacles with a depth of up to 1.2 m, after preparation up to
1.8 m. This tanker has a 4,500 l capacity and a distribution node that enable
aircraft refuelling.
Fig. 5 Tanker
distributor with a capacity of 4,500 l (CD-5) for the transportation and distribution
of aviation fuel on the STAR 266 chassis, operated by the Armed Forces
The second type of the
distributor tanker is a modern design from 2007-2010 and it is built on the
Jelcz 662 car chassis with 6x6 drive. This vehicle was initially produced for
the army and was intended for land operations, but was subsequently redesigned
for air units. This vehicle construction is adapted to operate both on paved
roads and on off-road routes and has the ability to overcome water obstacles
with a depth of up to 1.2 m.
Fig. 6 Tanker
distributor with a capacity of 10,300 l (CD-10) for the transport and
distribution of aviation fuel on the JELCZ 662 chassis operated by the Armed
Forces
In the Armed Forces,
only these two types of vehicles allow aviation fuel transport and distribution
to aircraft, in field conditions without the necessity of using paved roads. Of
course, practically all military aircraft require a properly prepared runway,
taxiways and aprons. However, air operations are planned to be carried out from
airports or grass airfields in case of emergency or combat operations. Such
operations are practised on transport aircraft such as the CASA C-295 M and the
C-130E Hercules.
Access to aircraft for
refuelling on a grassy plane can be a major problem for vehicles with road
chassis. A similar situation will occur in the event of the need to refuel
helicopters, which do not require large areas to take off and land, especially
in combat conditions, where they will operate from temporary landing sites.
Then it will be necessary to have vehicles with high mobility in off-road
conditions with the possibility of delivering the right amount of high-quality
aviation fuel to the aircraft at a strictly specified time.[5] It should be
emphasised at this point that in the majority of airborne units the basic
distribution equipment are road vehicles. In airborne units, the share of new
generation tanker distributor constructed on off-road chassis is
unsatisfactory. A large number of the distributor tanks currently in use are
high capacity vehicles of 20,000 l. At the end of the last century, CD-5
distributors and CD-7,5A distributor tanks on Jelcz 315 road chassis and the
upgraded version CD-7.5B on the chassis Road Jelcz 325M were commonly used. A
newer version is still quite popular in airborne units, however, it is being
phased out of service due to significant wear of mechanical components
(gearbox, pump drive for fuel distribution).
Tab. 3
Selected
technical parameters of tanker distributors used in the Armed Forces
|
Equipment type |
Capacity |
Capacity |
Performance |
Number of delivery hoses (dispensing unit) |
|
CD-5 |
4.500 |
3.600 |
350 |
1 or 2 |
|
CD-7,5 B |
7.500 |
6.000 |
350 |
1 |
|
CD-10 |
10.300 |
8.240 |
200 / 400 |
1 or 2 |
|
CND-21 |
21.000 |
16.800 |
350 / 500 |
1 or 2 |
|
CND-27 |
27.000 |
21.600 |
350 / 500 |
1 or 2 |
|
CND-33 |
33.000* |
26.400* |
350 / 500 |
1 or 2 |
|
CN-33 |
31.300 |
25.040 |
Transport type tanker |
− |
|
Trailer CP-4 |
4.000 |
3.200 |
Transport type tanker |
− |
|
Trailer CP-11 |
11.000 |
8.800 |
Transport type tanker |
− |
* The tanker can be fully filled up
of its maximum capacity only when moving around the airport due to risk of
exceeding the permissible total weight of the vehicle specified in the traffic
regulations. The maximum amount of fuel is
25,000 l (20,000 kg)
Table 3 presents
transport and distribution possibilities of fuel tank distributors currently
used by the Armed Forces. Trailers presented in the above Table 3 are an
additional container to the capacity of tanker distributors (single vehicles).
The CP-4 tanker is intended for the CD-5 tank, while the CP-11 is a
reinforcement of the CD-10 tanker. Such a combination of tanker distributor and
trailer (set) are used when it is necessary to provide more fuel than single
tanker distributor can provide in a limited time. However, this variant is
rarely used due to the rather inconvenient operation of connecting the
distributor tank with the trailer and then disconnecting it, which usually
results in fuel residues leaking from the connecting hose. Moreover, for safety
reasons, such a combined set moves at a limited speed.
Transport and distribution sets
(tractor + semi-trailer tanker) CND-27 and CND-33 are much more convenient and
more functional to use. The previous version of the transport and distribution
set is the CND-21 set. A CND-21 set does not have a good reputation among the
operating staff as it creates many difficulties during operation, with the increased
risk of failure and extremely difficult when manoeuvring and while driving,
especially when there is a small amount of fuel in the tank. This set has been
withdrawn from production and the remaining units in use are systematically
taken out of service.
The CND-27 set gets the
highest marks among the staff servicing the tankers. The construction solutions
used enables full advantage of the tanker's container capacity as well as the
transport capabilities of the set during its operation at the airport and on
public roads. On the other hand, the CND-33 tanker due to the significant own
mass of the set needs to adjust the amount of transported fuel while driving on
public roads due to the limitations of the permissible gross weight of this
type of set, which cannot exceed 40 tons.
The latest model of the tanker is
the CN-33 transport type tanker intended for delivery of aviation fuel from the
local fuel depots or directly from the producer to the airborne unit. The
tanker does not have a distribution node with filter elements that meet the
requirements of API 1581 Edition 5.
3. Summary
In recent years, there
has been an intense process of exchanging transport equipment in all formations
included in the state aviation. Depending on the needs and financial possibilities,
this process is in the final phase, or as it happens in the Armed Forces, it
will last for many years. It is a continuous process of the gradual withdrawal
of old equipment (aged or technically worn) that may be obsolete due to
technological changes, hence, does not meet the current requirements. One
should not forget about the degradation of vehicles as a result of the
operating time [4,6]. The replacement of aviation equipment planned in the
coming years in the Police and the Armed Forces is likely to accelerate this
process. The transport and distribution possibilities of the equipment
currently in use, which is presented in this paper draw the conclusion that the
next equipment purchased for the needs of these formations should meet increasingly
higher requirements, both technical and operational. It can be concluded that
the requirements for fuel distribution equipment used at civilian airports
cannot be easily transferred to state airborne units such as the Armed Forces
or the Border Guard. An example is the partial use of the available maximum
capacity of the tanker distributor CND-33, when transporting fuel on public
roads. Doing so may result in the excessive waving of the fuel in the tank
during transport, which may even lead to the overturning of the tanker. One of
the possible solutions, in this case, would be to reduce the vehicle's own
weight in favour of a larger amount of transported fuel. This can be
accomplished by replacing the FSC-1500 separator (separation filter) with a suitable
monitor that provides the necessary purity of the distributed fuel with less
weight and overall vehicle dimensions[2].
Such modification will
result in a number of facilities:
− easier
access to individual elements of the distribution node
− the
possibility of using a lighter load-bearing structure
− reduction
of the amount of residual fuel remaining in the junction wires
− a
simpler and less onerous way to replace the filter with a new one
− limitation
of the filter's replacement execution time
− significant
reduction of the amount of fuel that is transferred to waste during servicing
The above changes could
also be introduced in the CND-27 tanker to improve its functionality and
reliability. It should also be stated that with the current climate changes,
the transport or aircraft refuelling on landing sites, especially at airports
without proper driver's cabin equipment - tankers operators is a serious
mistake in view of safety at work, as it reduces the psychophysical abilities
of the driver-operator.
References
1.
Bonczek Jerzy. 2002.
„Operation of airport fuel distribution system using internal zinc
coatings for turbine aircraft engines”. PhD thesis. Warsaw, Poland:
Air
Force Institute of Technology.
2.
STANAG 3756. 2008. Devices and equipment for the liquid fuels
reception and delivery. NATO.
3.
Konieczka Robert, Czesław Wojdat. 2011. The issues with fuel
supply to helicopters based in places of a permanent and temporary stop. In: 8th National Rotorcraft Forum. Warsaw,
Poland.
4.
Michalski R., S. Wierzbicki. 2008. „An analysis of degradation of vehicles in
operation”. Eksploatacja i
Niezawodnosc – Maintenance and Reliability 1: 30-32.
5.
Wojdat Czesław. 2015.
“Supplying state aviation aircraft and helicopters with liquid fuels -
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conference “Contemporary problems of aviation logistics. Theory and
practice”. Deblin, Poland.
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Zieja Mariusz, Paweł Gołda, Mariusz Żokowski,
Paweł Majewski. 2017. „Vibroacoustic technique for the fault
diagnosis in a gear transmission of a military helicopter”. Journal of Vibroengineering 19(2):
1039-1049.
Received 22.05.2019; accepted in revised form 17.08.2019
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