SafeFuel Detects Contamination and Checks Quality During Refueling

Coulson Aviation has unveiled SafeFuel: a new, so-called first-of-its-kind onboard system designed to verify fuel quality and detect contamination during refueling. The tech is making its debut across Coulson’s firefighting fleet, which operates in some of the most remote environments in the world.

Fuel contamination is an ongoing safety concern across both civil and military aviation… and Coulson’s crews feel the impacts of it like no other. The operator has encountered water, microbial growth, and cross-contamination in Jet A. The wider industry has faced similar issues with contamination from Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and degraded filter separators containing Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). After an incident led to an engine flameout during a Coulson overwater ferry flight, the company was finally pushed to pursue a permanent solution.

“We’ve spent decades designing aircraft to survive any emergency, but none of that matters if the fuel itself isn’t safe,” said Britt Coulson, President & COO of Coulson Aviation.

SafeFuel installs directly into an aircraft’s single-point refueling system and continuously analyzes incoming fuel. It measures key quality parameters in real time, automatically alerts crews to contamination, and can interrupt fueling before the contaminated fuel reaches the tanks. Each refueling event is digitally logged to create a verifiable record for maintenance and regulatory use.

This kind of technology becomes even more crucial as the industry faces a global push for a somewhat premature swap to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). Though it sounds well and good on paper, integrating it means fuel quality needs to be much more closely monitored.

“As the industry transitions to Sustainable Aviation Fuels and complex global supply chains, the risks multiply and even small deviations can have catastrophic consequences,” Coulson added. “When only a few gallons of off-spec fuel can bring down a $100 million aircraft, it’s time for aviation to recognize that fuel is the final unmonitored frontier. SafeFuel closes that gap permanently.”

FMI: www.coulsonaviation.com