An Israeli company has developed a water-in-fuel sensing device for the general aviation market.
Called Doublecheck, the system is to be marketed by its developer Verifuel as an add-on to testing ampoules available from US suppliers such as Aviation Supplies & Academics and Jeppesen.
The Doublecheck device is attached to an ampoule filled with a small sample of fuel. A small array of infrared emitters and sensors is the heart of the device. If the water in the fuel is within the accepted range, the pilot will get no response. But if the fuel is contaminated the device will vibrate, alerting the pilot.
The company says that vibration as a reject indicator is preferable to other options including a flashing light or buzzing sounds - signals that might be affected by the ambient stray light and local noise condition. Aviv Tzidon, chairman of Verifuel, says Doublecheck is convenient, reliable and inexpensive. "It does not make the existing tools obsolete, but comes to support them."
He says the company is developing other aviation aids such as a portable optical fuel gauge and a fuel-by-type classifying device. The first Doublecheck systems are scheduled for delivery to the Israeli air force's light aircraft squadrons and to private pilots before the end of 2008.
Source: Flight International