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Copyright©Saudi Aramco 2009. All rights reserved.
Engineering Standard
SAES-A-302 12 October 2009
Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operations/Planning & Technical Division
Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards Table of Contents 1 Scope............................................................. 2 2 Conflicts and Deviations................................. 2 3 References..................................................... 2 4 Safety............................................................. 4 5 Design............................................................ 4 6 Definitions..................................................... 10
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 2 of 11
1 Scope
1.1 This SAES describes the minimum design requirements for fixed and mobile
equipment for the purpose of protecting and assuring aviation fuels (Jet A-1,
JP-8, and aviation gasoline) quality. The requirements are mandatory for all
Saudi Aramco facilities (Distribution Bulk Plants (BP) and Air Fueling
Operation (AFO) locations) which are involved in handling, transporting and
storing aviation fuels.
1.2 The quality and cleanliness of aviation fuels are vital to the safety of aircraft
and, subsequently, all flight personnel. Thereby, this Standard is quoted from
the referenced standards below to assure the delivery of the correct type and
grade of uncontaminated aviation fuel into aircraft utilized for civil or military
aviation operations.
2 Conflicts and Deviations
2.1 Any conflicts between this standard and other applicable Saudi Aramco
Engineering Standards (SAESs), Materials System Specifications (SAMSSs),
Standard Drawings (SASDs), or industry standards, codes, and forms shall be
resolved in writing by the Company or Buyer Representative through the
General Supervisor, Distribution & Terminal Operations/Planning & Technical
Division of Saudi Aramco.
2.2 Direct all requests to deviate from this standard in writing to the Company or
Buyer Representative, who shall follow internal company procedure SAEP-302
and forward such requests to the General Supervisor, Distribution & Terminal
Operations/Planning & Technical Division of Saudi Aramco.
3 References
The selection and design of equipment and facilities covered by this standard shall
comply with the latest edition of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.
3.1 Saudi Aramco References
Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures
SAEP-125 Preparation of Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards
SAEP-301 Instructions for Establishing and Maintaining
Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirements
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 3 of 11
SAEP-302 Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a Mandatory
Saudi Aramco Engineering Requirement
Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards
SAES-B-067 Safety Identification and Safety Colors
SAES-B-070 Fire and Safety Requirements for Bulk Plants, Air
Fueling and Sulfur Loading Facilities
SAES-D-100 Design Criteria of Atmospheric and Low-Pressure
Tanks
SAES-D-109 Design of Small Tanks
SAES-D-116 Underground Storage Tank System
3.2 Industry Codes and Standards
American Petroleum Institute
API/EI 1529 Aviation Fuelling Hose and Hose Assemblies
API/EI 1540 Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of
Aviation Fueling Facilities
API/EI 1550 Equipment Used for the Maintenance and Delivery of
Clean Aviation Fuel
API/EI 1581 Specifications and Qualification Procedures for
Aviation Jet Fuel Filter/Separators
API/EI 1582 Specification for Similarity for API/EI 1581 Aviation
Jet Fuel Filter/Separators
API/EI 1583 Specifications and Laboratory Tests for Aviation Fuel
Filter Monitors with Absorbent Type Elements
API 1584 Four-inch Hydrant System Components and
Arrangements
API/EI 1590 Specification and Qualification Procedures for
Aviation Fuel Microfilters
API/EI 1595 Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance, and
Inspection of Aviation Pre-Airfield Storage
Terminal
API/EI 1596 Design and Construction of Aviation Fuel Filter
Vessels
American Society for Testing and Materials
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 4 of 11
ASTM D4057 Standard Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum
and Petroleum Products
ASTM D4865 Standard Guide for Generation and Dissipation of
Static Electricity in Petroleum Fuel Systems
National Fire Protection Association
NFPA 407 Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASME SEC VIII Rules for Construction of Boilers and Pressure Vessels
4 Safety
Minimum safety requirements applicable to fixed or mobile equipment utilized for
aviation fuel at either AFO or BP facility within Distribution shall comply as indicated
in SAES-B-067, SAES-B-070 and NFPA 407.
5 Design
5.1 Aviation Fuels Storage Tanks
5.1.1 All aviation tanks shall always be constructed in accordance with
SAES-D-100, SAES-D-109, SAES-D-116 and this standard. Aviation
fuels shall be stored in either horizontal cylindrical tanks or fixed-roof
vertical tanks.
5.1.2 All aviation fuel tanks shall be constructed and installed to allow settling
and removal of water, dust and dirt through a low point connection. To
achieve this, new horizontal tanks shall be installed with a minimum slope
of 1:50 and new vertical tanks shall be constructed with a coned down
bottom having a slope of not less than 1:30 to a low point sump which is
connected to a drain line for draining settled water and sediment.
5.1.3 The drain line piping shall be in accordance to the following
specification and design requirements:
5.1.3.1 It shall be of non-rusting material conforming to applicable
Saudi Aramco requirement, and of minimum 50 mm diameter
in size depending on the tank capacity.
5.1.3.2 It shall be provided with in-line sampling valve which provide
a capability of taking a sample into a one liter glass beaker or
connected to s a glass sample jar in order to determine the fuel
appearance (clear and bright or hazy).
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 5 of 11
5.1.4 Tanks referred to in this standard are typically of steel construction.
Tank materials other than carbon steel shall be designed to an
appropriate standard and in accordance with good engineering practice.
5.1.5 Aviation fuel tank outlet connection shall be fitted with a floating suction
unit which draws fuel at the liquid surface where the fuel is most free of
water and sediment, thereby minimizing downstream water and sediment
contamination and permitting a shorter fuel settling time and increase the
operating lifetime of filters to its maximum.
5.1.5.1 Aviation fuel vertical tank floating suction arm shall be
provided with a stainless steel check cable bonded to the tank
shell.
5.1.5.2 Aviation fuel horizontal tank floating suction arm shall be
provided with a mechanism to determine the floating status.
5.1.6 As specified by API/EI 1540, all steel vertical or horizontal tanks at AFO
location shall be coated on all internal surfaces (shell, bottom and roof
underside) with a suitable approved protective lining in the interests of
product quality control and to facilitate tank inspection and cleaning.
The lining material shall be white or a light/pale pastel shade to facilitate
inspection.
5.1.7 The minimum requirement for bulk plant tanks internal lining is that they
shall have the bottom and first strake (first 90 cm from bottom) of shell
plates epoxy coated with a suitable approved protective white or a
light/pale pastel shade lining. Full internal lining is highly preferred.
5.1.8 Aboveground vertical tanks shall have side sample taps to allow for
representative tank samples be taken for Upper, Middle, and Lower parts
of the tank continents as indicated by ASTM D4057. Each sampling tap
shall have the required flushing time stenciled on the tank shell to
determine the proper flushing time or quantity needed to get fresh
product from that tank level. Sampling taps shall be connected to 80 liter
or more graduated glass jar with integral hydrometer/ thermometer
assemblies “closed sampling system” to replace the need for carrying
samples in open containers for disposal.
5.2 Piping and Hydrant System
5.2.1 Each grade of aviation fuel must be handled in a completely segregated
fuel system of plant piping, where there shall be no inter-connection
lines between pipelines which handle different fuel products.
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 6 of 11
Pipelines supplying AFO storage shall be dedicated to a single grade of
jet fuel and segregated from other products. Multi-product pipelines
shall only be used to transfer product to AFO storage if that location is
suitably equipped to prevent contamination of aviation fuels. Such
facilities shall typically include:
5.2.1.1 Facilities for segregating tankage used for pipeline receipt from
tankage used to supply hydrant or loading racks.
5.2.1.2 Facilities for handling product interfaces.
5.2.1.3 Facilities for readily returning off-specification product to the
distribution network.
Aviation fuel handled via non-dedicated system piping shall be
physically and positively segregated to avoid contamination
using one of the followings:
Double block and bleed valve
Two valves with a drain point in a pipe spool between them
Spectacle blind
5.2.2 All above-ground pipe work shall be designed with falls (slope) to points
(low point) where water can be drained from them through drain valve.
5.2.3 Hydrant system shall be in compliance with API 1584. All materials
shall be chemically compatible with all aviation turbine fuels. All metal
parts in contact with the fuel shall be free of zinc, cadmium, copper, and
their alloys; however, an aggregate amount of 3 % maximum may be
present as alloying elements. All non-metal gaskets, O-rings, or other
seals or elastomers in contact with the fuel are to be made of materials
suitable for use with aviation turbine fuels containing up to 30 % volume
aromatics, 5 % volume olefins, and 3 % volume naphthalenes.
5.2.4 To maintain optimum fuel quality, hydrant piping shall be internally
coated with an approved lining material. All external surfaces of hydrant
piping shall be resistant to corrosion caused by atmospheric exposure
and water immersion. This could be achieved by using a corrosion
resistant material or by applying a suitable coating.
5.3 Aviation Fueling Hoses
All hoses used for aviation fuelling when loading, offloading, refueling and/or
defueling shall be capable of handling the full spectrum of aviation fuels and
meet the required specification defined under API/EI 1529.
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 7 of 11
5.4 Aviation Fuel Filtration
5.4.1 At appropriate stages in the transfer of aviation fuels by marine vessel,
tanker truck, or pipeline to AFO depot storage tanks and from these
tanks to hydrant systems, loading racks and/or mobile fuelling
equipment, provision shall always be made for improvement and
maintenance of product quality by the use of filtration, and monitoring
equipment as required by adopted internal and/or international quality
control procedures.
5.4.2 All filters vessels which are designed to house 3 types filter elements
(filter water separator, microfilters, filter monitors) shall be designed and
constructed to conform to the latest issue of ASME SEC VIII and
API/EI 1596. These filter vessels shall be used in fixed or mobile
application and oriented horizontally or vertically. In addition, each of
the 3 types of filters elements mentioned above shall meet the latest
qualifications of the following standards according to their designation
described below:
API/EI 1581 Filter Water Separator (FWS)
API/EI 1582 specification for similarity of FWS
API/EI 1583 Filter Monitor
API/EI 1590 Microfilter
5.4.3 As an essential requirement to aviation fuel quality, all filter vessels shall
be designed and constructed to have the followings:
1) A permanent stainless steel or non-ferrous metal nameplate with
the information as required per API/EI 1596 Sections 3, 4 and 5
such as:
a) The manufacturer’s name and address.
b) The vessel’s serial number and model number.
c) The date of manufacture.
d) The design code of the vessel.
e) The design pressure for the vessel.
f) The maximum allowable differential pressure across the deck
plate.
g) The sump volume.
h) The vessel cover gasket material and part number.
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
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2) A securely attached removable plastic nameplate with information
in accordance with API/EI 1581, API/EI 1583 or API/EI 1590 such
as filter serial and model number, elements torque setting, number
of elements, inspection date, replacement date, filter number and
elements next due change date.
3) Minimum vessel design pressure of 150 psi unless otherwise
specified.
4) All metal items inside the vessel shall be in electrical contact with
each other and the vessel body. The resistance between any two
items shall be less than 10 ohms.
5) Internal light color approved coating. Externally coated with an
approved metal primer.
6) The external paint used shall be fuel resistant, suitable for further
coating and sufficiently durable to afford protection against
corrosion in humid, saline conditions during shipment, handling
and site installation.
7) Piston-type Differential Pressure (DP) gauge to assess filter
elements life by monitoring differential pressure in the vessel inlet
and outlet at the maximum operating flow. The DP gauge should
have a suitable 3-way valve downstream, so that the DP gauge is
vented when turned to “off” position to allow for piston free
deflection test. Electronic pressure transducer is another alternative
for piston-type DP.
8) Air eliminator to automatically vent trapped air from the highest
point of the vessel. Associated piping shall have a check valve
with an opening pressure of 1 PSI to prevent the vessel from
draining.
9) Pressure relief valve to ensure the design working pressure of the
vessel is never exceeded.
10) Similarity data sheet (for API/EI 1581).
11) Sampling connections shall be provided at the inlet and outlet of
the vessel to enable membrane tests or other fuel quality checks to
be carried out.
12) Sump with a drain valve at the bottom for sampling and
water/sediment draining. A sump having a flat, level base does not
meet this requirement.
5.4.4 All filter and strainer vessels shall have a drain connection at the lowest
point of each chamber. The main sump drain shall be fitted with a valve
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 9 of 11
permitting regular check samples to be conveniently taken. The drain
sample shall be taken into an open container (such as a glass jar or
stainless steel bucket, which shall be internally coated with white
porcelain or epoxy and equipped with a bonding cable and clip) or a
suitable closed circuit sampler utilizing a transparent collection
container. A pipe sight flow indicator (sight glass) shall not be used for
this purpose.
5.4.5 Aviation fuel filtration requirement and set up shall be followed as per
API/EI 1550 to guarantee the minimum acceptance of fuel quality. The
followings indicate the standard design and location of strainer and
aviation fuel filters along with their types and categories:
5.4.5.1 Strainer with basket shall be installed upstream of the receiving
facility’s filtration, upstream of pumps, and in the hose end
connector between the into-plane filtration on fuelling
equipment and the aircraft tank. All fixed strainers shall have a
manual water drain.
5.4.5.2 For any aviation products, microfilter (API/EI 1590) with
proper micron size elements shall be installed (optional)
upstream of FWS to increase the lifetime of FWS. Microfilter
elements shall have a maximum lifetime of 3 years and
maximum corrected differential pressure of 25 psi before
replacement. A 5 micron microfilter can be used on mobile
equipment serving avgas only.
5.4.5.3 Filter monitor elements (API/EI 1583 5th
edition) shall be used
for mobile equipment servicing Jet A-1 or Avgas fuels only.
Monitor elements shall have a maximum corrected differential
pressure of 22 psi before replacement unless otherwise
specified by the manufacturer. The maximum lifetime of the
filter monitor elements shall not exceed one year.
5.4.5.4 FWS (API/EI 1581) shall be used for all Aviation fuel as fixed
or mobile filters. The standard usage of FWS is upstream and
downstream of AFO Aviation tank. Reference to API/EI 1595,
FWS upstream of bulk plant aviation fuel tank is recommended
and mandatory downstream.
5.4.5.5 FWS category M (military) shall be used for JP-8 only and
category C (commercial) for Jet A-1 and avgas only. The 3
types of FWS applications (S, S-LD, S-LW) shall be utilized at
the proper location according to their functionality in order to
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
Page 10 of 11
provide the maximum filtration performance and achieve the
best fuel cleanness.
5.4.5.5.1 FWS type S shall be used at filtration points where
significant levels of free water and particulate matter
in the fuel can be expected such as receiving by
truck, pipeline or downstream tanks with no floating
suction and no upstream filtration.
5.4.5.5.2 FWS type S-LD shall be used at filtration point
where significant levels of free water but minimal
amounts of particulate matter such as FWS with
immediate upstream microfilter.
5.4.5.5.3 FWS Type S-LW shall be used at filtration points
where very low levels of free water such as mobile
equipment.
5.5 Aviation Fuel Additives Storage Tanks
Tanks for the storage of additives shall be designed, constructed and
commissioned in accordance with local and national standards. They shall be
appropriately sized and incorporate a graduated sight glass or dip stick, a low
point drain sampling valve and, where required, desiccant drier tubes. Additives
can be aggressive towards some metals like aluminum, linings and seals, so
tanks and related equipment shall be constructed from materials which are
compatible with, and suitable for use with the additive with which they will
come into contact.
5.6 Additives Injection System
As per ASTM D4865, the addition of jet fuel additives is best accomplished by
continuous injection into the inlet lines to storage tanks. This shall provide a
homogenous level of additives in the aviation fuel.
6 Definitions
AFO Depot: main storage area where all grades of aviation products are stored and
handled.
Contamination: Foreign matter, solid or liquid, which gets into any aviation product,
e.g., water, rust, dirt, another product grade, etc.
Corrected Differential Pressure: The measured pressure across the vessel at the
measured flow rate, after correcting the rated flow of the vessel.
Document Responsibility: Distribution & Terminal Operation/Planning & Technical Division SAES-A-302
Issue Date: 12 October 2009
Next Planned Update: 12 October 2014 Aviation Fuel Quality Assurance Design Requirement
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Filter Monitor Element: An element that contains water-absorbent media (super-
absorbent polymer) which removes small amounts of free water from fuel, and is
designed to restrict the flow of fuel through it if it is exposed to bulk water. Also has
limited particulate matter removal capacity.
Filter Water Separator: A vessel that contains filter/coalescer elements to remove
solid particulate matter and to coalesce fine dispersed water droplets, and separator
elements to prevent coalesced water droplets from passing downstream of the vessel.
Floating Suction: Suction pipe which floats on the top of the liquid surface permitting
product withdrawal from the top layer of liquid in the tank, which directionally is the
cleanest fuel in the tank at the time
Hydrant System: system that allows for aviation products to be pumped direct from an
airfield (airport) depot to airport aircraft parking area for delivery in bulk to aircraft.
Low Point: A drain point in a pipeline where significant quantities of particulate/water
would accumulate if the position was not flushed on a regular basis.
Microfilter Element: Elements, typically of a pleated paper design, that have a very
high particulate matter holding capacity, and are rated to remove a nominal minimum
particle size (in microns).
Microfilter: A vessel equipped with microfilter elements. Typically applied for the
gross removal of particulate matter to protect more sophisticated and expensive
elements (filter/water separators).
Strainer: A fixed or mobile vessel with a mesh basket prevents the transfer of certain
size dirt or foreign matter from going downstream.
Sump: Bottom water drain.
Revision Summary
12 October 2009 New Saudi Aramco Engineering Standard.
