Evaporation of Jet Fuels

Determining the fate and transport of JP-8 jet fuel is a complex and important problem. As part of the startup procedures for jet engines, fuel is passed through aircraft engines before combustion is initiated. Because of the extremely low temperatures at northern tier Air Force bases, the unburned fuel does not evaporate readily and may come into contact with ground crew. To determine the amount and duration of contaminant contact, the evaporation of the emitted fuel must be modeled. The amount and composition of the fuel upon reaching the ground crew may be determined by droplet evaporation models that have already been developed. The evaporation of the fuel after adhering to the skin needs to be modeled. This knowledge of the fuel's fate may then be used to determine source terms for use in toxicological studies.