Next-Gen Fuel Testing: Automating Breakpoint Detection with an Upgraded Thermal Oxidation Stability Test Equipment

This Direct-to-Phase II SBIR project upgrades Falex Corporation’s thermal oxidation stability test system to meet Department of the Air Force (DAF) mission needs for fuel assurance in contested and expeditionary environments. Jet fuel thermal stability is critical to mission readiness, aircraft safety, and engine reliability. Yet, the current industry standard, ASTM D3241, is slow, manual, and ill-suited for decentralized or field-based operations.The proposed solution enables a first-of-its-kind, automated, single-test protocol for detecting thermal stability breakpoints using portable, expeditionary-ready equipment. It cuts test time by 50%, reduces fuel sample volume by 60%, and minimizes operator input by more than 75%, all while maintaining compatibility with legacy standards. This system provides real-time analysis, precision thermal control, and high-resolution deposit monitoring to support fast, reliable decision-making at the point of need.The technology directly supports DAF Operational Imperatives such as Resilient Basing and Readiness to Deploy and Fight by decentralizing fuel quality assurance and enabling rapid validation in austere or forward-operating conditions. It also enhances the Space Order of Battle by ensuring the stability of mission-critical rocket fuels like RP-1 and JP-10.Backed by strong technical validation from AFRL, UDRI, and DLA-E, the upgraded system aligns with four DoD Critical Technology Areas—Advanced Materials, Integrated Sensing, Trusted AI, and Energy Resilience. It supports agile combat employment by removing fuel testing as a logistics bottleneck and enabling immediate, on-site QA/QC of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends.The Phase II effort will deliver two fully functional prototypes, a validated single-run test method, and statistical data demonstrating performance across multiple fuel types and test sites. Commercial adoption is already underway, with over $10.5M in recent revenue and strong market interest from major fuel producers and QA labs. With its dual-use applicability, the upgraded Falex system is positioned to become the next standard in both defense and commercial fuel validation.