Determination of Fuel Saturated Dissolved Water Content and Its Influencing Factors

Abstract

The presence of undissolved water in fuel can significantly impact the safety, stability, and durability of engine operation. Karl Fischer titration is a cost-effective and convenient approach to accurately measure the total water content in the fuel. The undissolved water content can be determined by subtracting the saturated dissolved water content from the total water content. This paper outlines a methodology for preparing dissolved water saturated fuel and investigates the effect of temperature and interfacial tension on the saturation solubility of water in 0# diesel fuel and 3# jet fuel. The results show that the saturated dissolved water content of the two fuels is linearly and positively correlated with the temperature; the use of surfactants was shown to decrease interfacial tension, thereby promoting the combination of fuel and water molecules and increasing saturated water solubility; molecular surfactants were more effective at combining fuel and water molecules than ionic surfactants when interfacial tension was held constant.