DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, COMMISSIONING, MAINTENANCE AND TESTING OF AVIATION FUELLING FACILITIES

ANNEX C (NORMATIVE/MANDATORY)
EQUIPMENT/INSTALLATION PRE-CONDITIONING PRIOR TO USE
WITH AVIATION FUEL

C.1 INTRODUCTION TO PRE-CONDITIONING (FLUSHING AND SOAK TESTING)

Pre-conditioning shall be carried out to ensure that fuel-wetted surfaces of new and/or
refurbished (after construction work and repairs) equipment and facilities are suitable for use
with aviation fuel. This involves flushing (lined and unlined) to ensure the removal of welding
flux, valve grease, corrosion inhibitor fluids or other general debris and, for internally lined
systems, soak testing to ensure that there are no potential contaminants present in the form
of solvents from the coating/lining.
Soak testing is not necessary for unlined systems (aluminium, mild or stainless steel)
where it has been confirmed that commissioning and flushing procedures have been effective.
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. At the end of the soak period, fuel samples are taken
from the system being commissioned and submitted for laboratory testing. Test results are
compared with the fuel specification limits and with the original RCQ, CoA or RT certificate
to look for differences and to establish whether the system is suitable for use. If there is
a concern that the test certificate results are not representative of the fuel used for the
soak test due to line content etc, it is recommended that the retention (pre-soak) sample is
analysed in parallel with the post-soak sample.

C.2 APPLICATION

C.2.1 New fixed systems and equipment

Documented soak test action plans should be developed, reviewed and approved by
competent personnel before commissioning begins.
Soak testing shall be carried out on the constructed facility rather than on representative
sections of pipe or individual pieces of equipment (e.g. sections of pipework, filter vessels
etc.) prior to installation. This ensures that the soak test identifies any contamination caused
by the fabrication of the equipment or from on-site construction work. Tanks shall be soak
tested as individual units after their construction.
Where in situ soak testing may not be practicable, relatively short sections of pipe,
fittings or valves involved may be soak-tested before installation, provided that adequate
precautions are taken to maintain the cleanliness of the components until the new system is
put into service. Internal wetted surfaces of any new components shall be rinsed prior to use.
Once the system has been filled with the correct grade of fuel, all components in the
system that contain moving parts in contact with the fuel should be operated to help 'wash
out' any contaminants, for instance by opening and closing each valve a number of times.

C.2.2 Existing fixed systems and equipment

Soak testing shall be conducted following major repair work or major modifications to
existing lined systems.

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Major repair or modifications are typically defined as new lining material applied to
more than 5 % of the tank’s coated surface area or surface area of existing piping. However,
following a risk assessment by a competent person, different criteria may be applicable. Each
entity (tank or pipework) shall be treated as a separate element for the purposes of defining
the percentage area. After minor spot repairs to internal lining, recommissioning involves
confirmation of acceptable curing of the repaired lining area without soak testing.
Replacement or repaired equipment (pumps, filter vessels, valves etc.) do not
generally require soak testing prior to use because of the small internal fuel-wetted surface
areas compared with the total system. However, some equipment (e.g. fuel pumps) may be
stored and shipped with preservative oil or lined with a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion.
Small amounts of these materials can result in the contamination of large volumes of fuel.
Confirmation that no undesirable materials are present on the internal surfaces, which come
in contact with the fuel, shall be obtained from the equipment supplier or repairing service
before installation.

C.3 SOAK PERIODS FOR STORAGE TANKS, PIPES AND ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT

Due to the stringent test requirements contained in EI 1541 there is little risk of fuel
contamination from a lining meeting these requirements if the lining is properly applied
and allowed to fully cure in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Other
contaminants that may be present, such as rolling oils, welding flux or valve grease, will
dissolve into the fuel rapidly or may be removed by flushing and draining of the system.
To ensure sufficient contact time is achieved, there shall be a minimum four-day and
maximum seven-day soak period after construction work or major repairs to a fuel system,
provided that:
− The lining meets the performance requirements specified in EI 1541.
− The lining is properly applied and allowed to fully cure in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
− The lining is covered by a 10-year application and material warranty.

If the lining material has not been confirmed to comply with the requirements of EI 1541
and/or is not covered by a 10-year application and material warranty, additional soak times
and sampling and testing shall be applied to demonstrate suitability.

C.4 SOAK QUANTITIES

The general principle is to maximise contact of the fuel with the surface area of the lined
system under test. In most cases this means filling the system with a large quantity of fuel.

C.4.1 Fully lined storage tanks

Filling fully lined storage tanks to the 'normal fill level' is recommended for soak testing.
However, as a minimum, there shall be sufficient fuel to cover the floating or fixed suction
and the receipt nozzle to allow for circulation through the piping system to flush out any
contaminants.

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IMPORTANT: This document is subject to a licence agreement issued by the Energy Institute, London, UK. It may only be used in accordance with the licence terms and conditions. It must not be
forwarded to, or stored, or accessed by, any unauthorised user. Enquiries: e:pubs@energyinst.org t: +44 (0)207 467 7100
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C.4.2 Partially lined storage tanks

There shall be sufficient fuel to cover the floating or fixed suction and the receipt nozzle to
allow for circulation through the piping system to flush out any contaminants.
Local circumstances may demand more (or less) stringent procedures, which should
be determined by a competent person, in line with the principles set out in this annex.

C.4.3 Pipes

Pipes shall be filled completely.

C.5 SAMPLING AND TESTING

At the end of the soak period representative samples shall be obtained from appropriate
locations as outlined in C.5.1 and submitted for laboratory testing.
A minimum of 2 litres (2 USQ) is required for jet fuel or a minimum of 4 litres (1 USG)
for avgas.

C.5.1 Sampling

C.5.1.1 General
In all cases it is important to ensure that the sampling point is clean and flushed prior to
taking the sample. Any accumulated solid matter (particulate) and/or free water should be
removed until the fuel is clear and bright. This is very important because sampling lines on
tanks are sometimes inadvertently overlooked during commissioning. Only 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.

C.5.1.2 Storage tanks

A bottom sample from the low point shall be used for horizontal and vertical tanks. A sample
taken from this location represents the most severe case as the fuel is in close contact with
the lining and any heavy contaminants are likely to be collected during sampling.

C.5.1.3 Pipework
Small piping configurations that can be circulated into a tank may be tested as part of the
tank soak test and not sampled/tested separately (if appropriate).
Larger supply piping networks shall have samples taken from each major section (e.g.
receipt and delivery lines) for separate testing. Samples should be taken from more than one
point and combined into a single composite sample.

C.5.2 Laboratory testing

A selection of laboratory tests is carried out on the representative sample to determine the
quality of the fuel following the soak test. The fuel properties tested shall be compared with
the specification limits for the grade of fuel used and with the pre-soak test results for the fuel
used (either from the original certification or from testing a pre-soak sample). A successful
result requires that all tested properties are within the specification limits and within the
tolerance limits established for recertification. If any test result does not fully comply with

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 DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, COMMISSIONING, MAINTENANCE AND TESTING OF AVIATION FUELLING FACILITIES

the applicable specification or falls outside the allowable variances, the product shall be
resampled and retested. If the fuel still fails to comply, it shall be removed and downgraded
to non-aviation use, the system re-filled with on-specification fuel and the soak test repeated.
The required laboratory tests are shown in Table C.1.

Table C.1 Required laboratory tests

Jet fuels Avgas Test method***

ASTM IP
Appearance X X D4176
Existent gum X X D381 540
Water reaction X D1094 289
Micro-separometer® X D3948
Conductivity X D2624 274
Saybolt colour X D156
Thermal stability* X D3241 323
Distillation** X X D86 123
Flash point X D56 170
* It is recommended that the thermal stability of the fuel used for soak testing has a
breakpoint of at least 275 °C to allow for test precision.
** Distillation by simulated distillation (i.e. IP406/ASTM D2887) may be used for further
investigation as it is more sensitive to residues/contamination.
*** Alternative test methods defined in the fuel specifications are acceptable, but for
meaningful comparison, results from tests following the same test methods are
required.

C.6 SUMMARY

Table C.2 and accompanying notes provide a summary of the soak test requirements for
storage tanks, piping and ancillary equipment.

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IMPORTANT: This document is subject to a licence agreement issued by the Energy Institute, London, UK. It may only be used in accordance with the licence terms and conditions. It must not be
forwarded to, or stored, or accessed by, any unauthorised user. Enquiries: e:pubs@energyinst.org t: +44 (0)207 467 7100
 DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, COMMISSIONING, MAINTENANCE AND TESTING OF AVIATION FUELLING FACILITIES

Table C.2 Summary of soak testing requirements

Storage tanks Pipes Ancillary

equipment
(pumps,
Fully lined Partially lined valves, meters
filter vessels,
etc)
Duration 4 – 7 days 4 – 7 days 4 – 7 days (Note 2)
(Note 1)
Fuel Sufficient to fill Enough Fill lines
volume to 'normal fill product to completely
level' cover the
floating or
fixed suction
and the receipt
nozzle to allow
circulation
of product
without pump
cavitation
Laboratory Jet fuel: Appearance, existent gum, micro-separometer®, conductivity,
testing Saybolt colour, thermal stability, distillation and flash point
Avgas: Appearance, existent gum, water reaction and distillation

Sample Jet fuel: Minimum 2 Litres or 2 USQ

volume Avgas: Minimum 4 Litres or 1 USG
Note 1: Applies to lining material meeting EI 1541 and covered by a 10-year joint
material and applications warranty from the manufacturer.
Note 2: Newly installed ancillary equipment (e.g. pumps, filter vessels, valves, control
valves, meters, sense tubing, water drain lines, etc.) should be soak-tested
during the system soak test.

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IMPORTANT: This document is subject to a licence agreement issued by the Energy Institute, London, UK. It may only be used in accordance with the licence terms and conditions. It must not be
forwarded to, or stored, or accessed by, any unauthorised user. Enquiries: e:pubs@energyinst.org t: +44 (0)207 467 7100