Pressure Drop Evaluation in Avtur Fuel Pipelines Using the Darcy-Weisbach Method

The use of aviation fuel (avtur) as the primary fuel in the aviation industry demands an efficient, safe, and standard-compliant distribution system. One important aspect of the aviation fuel distribution piping system is the pressure drop that can affect flow performance. The main problem studied in this internship is the magnitude of the pressure drop in the aviation fuel distribution pipeline that has the potential to reduce operational efficiency. The purpose of this study is to calculate and analyze the magnitude of pressure loss using the Darcy–Weisbach method and to identify the dominant factors that influence pressure drop. The methodology used includes literature studies, collection of pipe and fluid technical data, calculation of flow velocity, Reynolds number, friction factor, and evaluation of major and minor pressure losses. The analysis results show that the aviation fuel flow velocity of 1.64 m/s is still within the safe distribution standard limit. The total pressure drop that occurs is 27,914 Pa (0.279 bar), with a contribution of more than 98% coming from minor losses due to connections, valves, and elbows, while major losses are relatively small. This finding confirms that pipeline design optimization needs to focus on reducing additional components with high loss coefficients to improve the efficiency of the aviation fuel distribution system.