Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GEN 115
None of the information contained in this document shall be disclosed outside of the recipient's own
organisation without prior written permission of Air BP Limited, unless the terms of such agreement.
Use of Language
Throughout this document, the words 'may', 'should' and 'shall', when used in the context of actions
by Air BP or others, have specific meanings as follows:
(a) 'May' is used where alternatives are equally acceptable.
(b) 'Should' is used where a provision is preferred.
(c) 'Shall' is used where a provision is mandatory.
Note that alternative or preferred requirements may be qualified by Air BP in another referenced
document.
Registered Address:
Air BP Limited
Chertsey Road
Sunbury-on-Thames
Middlesex
TW16 7LN
UNITED KINGDOM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 4
2 APPLICATION OF SOAK TESTING ........................................................................................ 4
2.1 Soak Testing New Systems .................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Soak Testing of Existing Systems and New Ancillary Equipment...................................... 5
3 SOAK TESTING PROCEDURE................................................................................................ 6
3.1 Soak Period .............................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.1 Storage Tanks, Pipelines and Fittings ....................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 Vehicles ..................................................................................................................................... 6
3.1.3 Hoses......................................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Fuel Volume ............................................................................................................................. 6
3.2.1 Storage Tanks ........................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.2 Pipelines .................................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.3 Vehicles ..................................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.4 Hoses......................................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 Laboratory Testing .................................................................................................................. 7
4 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 8
1 INTRODUCTION
Soak testing is carried out after construction work or repairs on fuel systems and vehicles
to ensure that there are no potential contaminants present in the form of solvents from
coatings/linings, welding flux, valve grease, or other general debris. Soak testing shall be
carried out even if the systems are constructed of aluminium or stainless steel as other
contaminants could still be present.
Soak testing shall be completed on the constructed facility rather than on representative
sections of pipe or on individual pieces of equipment (e.g. tanks or filter vessels) prior to
installation. This ensures that the soak test identifies problems caused during fabrication
of the particular piece of equipment as well as problems due to the actual on-site
construction work.
For tie-ins, where in-situ soak testing may not be practicable, the relatively short sections
of pipe, fittings or valves involved may be soak tested before installation, provided
adequate precautions are taken to ensure the cleanliness of the tie-in components until
the new system is put into service.
A soak test consists of filling the system being commissioned with the appropriate fuel
grade and leaving it to stand for a soak period. A retention sample of the fuel used is
taken before filling as a control in an Air BP approved sample container. At the end of the
soak period, the fuel is sampled from the system being commissioned and submitted for
laboratory testing.
The relevant Asset/Country Product Quality Authority or delegate shall review and
approve the site-specific soak test plan prior to commissioning. Any request for
deviations to the requirements set out in this site technical practice shall be agreed by the
Technical Function (Global Product Quality Manager or Operating Management System
Leader) prior to commencing the soak test.
vehicle manufacturers use filtered kerosene for this purpose and that it is of a reasonable
standard of cleanliness. However, some manufacturers may recycle the same fuel many
times or use a non-aviation grade fluid for testing and it must be assumed that any
product in the vehicle is of inferior quality. This entire product and any contamination
must be removed, as it could possibly contain surfactants and other chemicals. It is
important that pockets of test fluids are thoroughly drained to the point that the internal
system surfaces contain no more than a wet film of product. Ideally they should be
completely dry before filling with the appropriate grade of fuel for the soak test.
The requirement to soak test new vehicles can be eliminated if the manufacturer provides
evidence that the vehicle has successfully passed a soak test in-line with our
requirements prior to delivery. However, if the condition of the vehicle upon initial
inspection indicates possible contamination, e.g. the presence of water and particulates,
then a soak test shall be carried out before placing the vehicle into service. The relevant
Asset/Country Product Quality Authority must approve all requests to forgo soak testing
of new vehicles.
In all cases it is important to ensure that the sampling point is clean and flushed prior to
taking the sample. Drain the sample point to remove any accumulated solid matter
(particulate) and/or free water until the fuel is clear and bright. Only Air BP approved
sample containers shall be used and the container shall be flushed and rinsed thoroughly
with the product to be sampled and allowed to drain before use.
If the fuel is found to be unsuitable for aviation use, then the reason shall be investigated
and the fuel removed (and downgraded to non-aviation use), the system re-filled with on-
specification fuel and the soak test repeated until a satisfactory result is obtained.
Soak testing is applicable throughout the distribution system from Refinery to Airport.
However, upstream facilities will likely require Recertification Testing or Full Specification
Testing before the fuel can be released. Such operations are still required to adhere to
the soak test procedure described herein.
2.2 Soak Testing of Existing Systems and New Ancillary Equipment
Soak testing is applicable on repair work or modifications to existing systems. As a
general rule if new lining material is applied to an existing tank then soak testing shall be
completed if the new lining material covers 10% or more of the tanks coated surface area
or surface area of existing piping. This criterion means that minor spot repairs to internal
tank lining can be re-commissioned after a field cure test (See MECH 53, Part 6) without
soak testing, but significant repairs are subject to a full soak test.
Newly installed ancillary equipment (e.g. pumps, filter vessels, valves, pit valves, control
valves, meters, sense tubing, water drain lines, etc) should be soak tested during the
initial system-wide soak test. Replacement or repaired equipment has not historically
been soak tested prior to use. These small pieces of equipment typically have very small
internal fuel wetted surface areas compared to the amount of product they come into
contact with. Hence most contaminants are diluted to a large extent and do not cause
product quality problems. However, some equipment (e.g. fuel pumps) may be
stored/shipped with a preservative oil or lined with a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion.
These materials can result in the contamination of a large volume of fuel rendering it unfit
for use. In order to prevent a small repair or change of equipment from creating a large
problem, confirmation that no undesirable materials are present on the internal surfaces
which come in contact with the fuel shall be obtained or verified by the equipment
supplier or repairing service before installation. If an undesirable material is present, the
material shall be removed prior to installation or alternate equipment shall be sourced
which is free of any such detrimental materials. The process to effectively remove any
undesirable material from a piece of equipment and the need to perform a soak test prior
to or after installation shall be agreed with the Asset/Country Product Quality Authority or
delegate.
Vehicles arriving at an airfield location that are without records, have been through a
contractor repair facility involving fuels system repairs and vehicles that have been out of
© Air BP Limited GEN 115 – Page 5 of 8 30 September 2008
Soak Testing of Aviation Fuel Facilities and Equipment
service for an extended period shall be treated as new equipment and soak tested
accordingly.
Vehicles moved from one airfield to another that remains in service up to the time of
transfer do not require a soak test, but are subject to the re-commissioning procedures
detailed in the Air BP Regulations Fuelling & Quality Control.
Test Method
Jet Fuels Avgas
ASTM IP
Appearance X X D4176
Existent Gum X X D381 540
Water Reaction X D1094 289
MSEP X D3948
Conductivity X D2624 274
Saybolt Colour X D156
Thermal Stability (JFTOT) X D3241 323
4 SUMMARY
The following table and accompanying notes provide a summary of the soak test
requirements for storage tanks, piping, ancillary equipment and vehicles.
Vehicles
Storage Tanks Pipelines Ancillary Equipment
(Note 3)
Pumps,
Partially Filter Aluminium or
Fully Lined Unlined Hydrant Supply valves,
Lined Vessels Stainless Steel
meters etc.
Duration 4 days (Note 1) 4 days 4 days 4 days 1 hour
Enough product to
cover the floating or
Min Fuel fixed suction & the Normal Fill Normal Fill Fill lines (Note 2)
Note 4
Volume receipt nozzle to allow Level Level completely
circulation of product
without pump cavitation
Lab Jet Fuel: Appearance, Existent Gum, MSEP, Conductivity, Saybolt Colour, JFTOT
Testing Avgas: Appearance, Existent Gum & Water Reaction
Sample Jet Fuel: 5 Litres or 1 usg
Volume Avgas: 5 Litres or 1 usg (20 Litres or 5 usg required for a full specification test)
Hoses – Fuel shall be drained after the 8 hour soak period and visually inspected for
appearance, discolouring & solid matter.
Note 1: The 4 day soak period applies to equipment (fully, partially or unlined storage
tanks, pipelines, ancillary equipment and vehicles) where the lining material used is an
Air BP approved epoxy and is covered by a 10 year joint material and applications
warranty from the manufacturer. Use of equipment where the lining material is not an Air
BP approved epoxy and is not covered by a 10 year material and application warranty
shall be subject to approval by the Technical Function prior to use. Additional sampling
and testing may be imposed to mitigate the potential risks of using an unapproved lining.
Note 2: Newly installed ancillary equipment (e.g. pumps, filter vessels, valves, pit valves,
control valves, meters, sense tubing, water drain lines, etc) should be soak tested during
the system-wide soak test. Replacement or repaired equipment is not typically soak
tested prior to use since the ratio of total surface area to fuel volume is very small diluting
any contaminants below harmful levels. However, it is important to confirm that the
replacement or repaired equipment does not contain detrimental materials, e.g.
preservative oil or rust inhibitor coatings, which could contaminate the fuel and render it
unfit for use.
Note 3: New vehicles delivered directly from the manufacturer or vehicles arriving at an
airfield location without records or after repairs at a contractor facility or vehicles that
have been out of service for an extended period shall be treated as new equipment and
subject to a soak test. Vehicles in service up to the time of transfer require the same
filling and soak test period but do not require any laboratory sampling or testing other
than an acceptable visual check before returning to service. The Asset/Country Product
Quality Authority or delegate shall approve the Asset/country specific vehicle soak test
plan in line with these requirements.
Note 4: It is recommended that vehicles are filled completely for the one hour soak test;
however, if the soak test is carried out with a lesser volume, the amount shall be sufficient
to cover the inlet and outlet foot valves to allow circulation of product through the entire
fuel circuit without cavitation. Vehicles with compartmented tanks may carry out the soak
test on individual tanks in a sequential fashion, i.e. each tank is soak tested for one hour
and the contents transferred from one tank to the next until each tank has been soak
tested for at least one hour. The vehicle shall be driven after initial fill and after each
transfer to promote sloshing of the product to wash contaminants off the tanks walls and
from the fuel circuit. Laboratory testing need only be carried out on a single
representative sample from the last tank soak tested.