Aviation Filtration Technology for the Replacement of Filter Monitors

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative aviation fuel water barrier filter that can replace the current filter monitors, which are EI 1583 qualified elements that contain a Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). Because of the concern of SAP migration, these filters will be obsolete by the end of 2020. The proposed design is a composition of seven hydrophobic tubular filters. Each tube is an integration of a microporous prefilter, hydrophobic membrane, and perforated core tube. The prefilter takes advantage of a modern sintered PTFE powder manufacturing process to create an intricate network of open-celled, omni-directional pores that can remove most of the solids and water in the bulk flow. The hydrophobic membrane will have a water breakthrough pressure above 7 bars that can shut down system flow under water slug condition. This membrane serves as the final defense to ensure the fuel quality meets the limits in EI 1581 and its various qualification tests. The seven-tube design of the water barrier filter provides more than two times the surface area compared to the conventional one core design to ensure a high throughput. The final design will meet EI 1588 requirements and MIL-PRF-52308 performance specification.