Aircraft Appliances (AAE) was approached by the U.S Navy to help identify areas of potential improvement for the Fuel System of future Aircraft Carriers. AAE suggested changing the size of the separation media currently used in the 2000 GPM Filter Separators installed on the Carriers. AAE’s proposal was to increase the size of the Coalescer and Separation elements from the standard 4 inch diameter element to a 6 inch diameter element. The benefits the Navy would realize from the change included a significant reduction in vessel size, weight and maintenance costs (fewer elements to replace).

The existing 2000 GPM Filter Separators used the 4 inch elements and a CuNi vessel with an overall dry weight of 10,600 lbs Compared to AAE’s Stainless Steel vessel using 6 inch elements and having an overall dry weight of 5220 Lbs. By using the 6 inch elements AAE was able to use a vessel diameter of 48 inches compared to the previous vessel using 4 inch elements and having a diameter of 78 inches giving a 40% reduction in diameter.

The 6 inch Coalescer and Separation Elements are approved by both MIL-F15618F and API 4th Edition.

AAE has used the 6 Inch elements for Fuel Filter Separators in most ship platforms and now includes them in our Lube Oil Filter Separators for many various U.S. Navy ships.

Summarized Design Comparison Between Centrifugal/Rotary Purifier Versus Filter/Separator

Aircraft Appliances (AAE) was approached by the U.S Navy to replace existing Centrifugal Purifiers in the Lube Oil Purification System with Filter Separators. AAE’s Study and testing eliminated the need for Centrifugal Separators in the Lube Oil Purification system of U.S. Navy vessels.

10 Hp Motor  and power consumed for heating hot water for flushing Minimal needed for control panel.

Summarized Design Comparison Between Copper Nickel versus Stainless Steel

Over the past 40 years Aircraft Appliances and Equipment Limited (AAE) has made a number of improvement recommendations to the shipyards and to the U.S. Navy. One of these recommendations included changing the material used in the Aircraft/Helicopter fuel systems used on board U.S. Navy Vessels from Copper Nickel to Stainless Steel. After AAE’s recommendation, the U.S. Navy initiated a study for its newest Aircraft Carrier ship and concluded that Stainless Steel could be used for shipboard aircraft refueling systems instead of the traditional Copper Nickel.

AAE has since supplied numerous ship programs with Stainless Steel Filter Separators thus eliminating Copper Nickel Contamination in the fuel system as well as a significant savings in both weight and cost.

Below is a chart that provides a comparison between the materials: