Vaporization of JP-8 Jet Fuel in a Simulated Aircraft Fuel Tank ...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost I would like to thank Professor Constantine Polymeropoulos
for his professional and personal guidance and many, many useful and enlightening
discussions on the topics of aviation fuel properties, heat and mass transfer, modeling
fuel vaporization, and experimental methods and procedures. His leadership and
direction has been most valuable during my time spent here at the university.
I would also like to thank Mr. Richard G. Hill and Mr. Gus Sarkos at the Fire
Safety Branch of the Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical
Center for the opportunity to perform this research at the technical center and for the
many conversations with them about fuel tank safety. Their knowledge, wisdom, and
insight on the subject of fuel tank safety is truly unmatched, and was extremely valuable
in writing this thesis.
I would like to thank Mr. Steven Summer and Mr. Joseph DeFalco for their help
in the development of the experimental apparatus, assistance in obtaining materials
required to complete the research, and many useful discussions about fuel tank safety.
Much thanks and appreciation also goes to the entire staff of the Fire Safety Branch of the
Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center for aiding in
completing this research.
I would also like to thank the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering for the ability to study under the tutelage of the many professors with diverse
academic backgrounds and great knowledge of the engineering sciences.
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