The lubricity properties of jet fuel as measured by the ball-on-cylinder lubricity evaluator

In recent years the quality of petroleum feedstocks used by refineries has decreased. This has necessitated the use of severe refinery processes in order to produce jet fuels of high thermal stability and cleanliness. Unfortunately these processes remove the compounds that are responsible for a fuel's inherent lubricity. As a result, fuel lubricated engine components are experiencing greater wear and mechanical failure. The Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (BOCLE) was developed to predict a fuel's tendency to cause lubricity related problems. This paper discusses the influence of trace polar species on lubricity, the use of additives to increase lubricity, changes in a fuel's lubricity during storage, and inadequacies of the BOCLE. Finally, a suggested long term solution to lubricity problems by hardware modifications will be discussed.