• Published: November 2022
• REF/ISBN: 9781787253469
• Edition: 2nd
• Status: Current

This publication provides general mechanical specifications for new aviation fuel water barrier filter elements for use only on mobile aircraft fuelling equipment. It also provides laboratory test procedures and minimum laboratory performance levels for selected aspects of the performance of water barrier filter elements and water barrier filtration systems.

The primary purpose of a water barrier system is to prevent the passage of free water onto aircraft by retaining free water on the upstream side of water barrier filter elements. It also has an ability to restrict particulate matter from passing downstream. It is the intention that particulate matter and/or free water contamination in fuel will cause the differential pressure across a water barrier filtration system to rise to the element changeout DP before the system's ability to remove particulate matter/free water from fuel is exhausted.

Water barrier filtration elements may be installed in existing vessels that were previously used to house filter monitor elements meeting the requirements of EI 1583, or in new vessels.

The main revisions incorporated in this second edition of EI 1588 are:

• Including within scope, water barrier filter elements with nominal diameters of 125 mm (5 in.) and 150 mm (6 in.) for low pressure (LP) (515 kPa/5 bar/75 psi) single element vessel applications and 150 mm (6 in) for high pressure (HP) (1 200 kPa/12 bar/175 psi) multi-element applications (in vessels conforming to EI 1596).
• Inclusion of a new test to expose an element to multiple stop/starts (100 using valve closure upstream of the test vessel; 100 using valve closure downstream of the test vessel) at rated flow, when the element is at 10 psi and 20 psi due to test dust loading.
• Requiring the passing of qualification tests 1, 2, 3, and 6 with fuel containing fuel system icing inhibitor (FSII), so that all element models qualified to EI 1588 may be deployed in applications where jet fuel contains FSII (passing those tests was optional in 1588 first edition).
• Inclusion of new sustainability considerations.

This publication will be of interest to filter manufacturers, aircraft fuelling vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers, into-plane service companies and airlines.