**1. Introduction**

The needs of modern aviation for a safe and reliable source of fuel are without question. Safe fuels must among other things, be able to be stored for periods of time and be compatible with similar fuels from other sources. For commercial uses, long-term storage is not normally required, since most fuel is used within a few months of refining although longer periods may be required at smaller airports. The military, however maintains much larger stockpiles of fuel in reserve for use in case of emergencies.

The composition of jet fuel can vary significantly depending on the refining process and the source of crude oil. Compatibility can be an issue, since storage tanks are normally refilled when they reach a certain level, and fuels from different suppliers are mixed, even though

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons

compatibility issues are possible. Other aspects of storage standards require that the fuel remain free of contaminants, including surfactants, other petroleum products, microorganisms and dyes. All of these types of contaminants can arise from many sources, but careful storage can minimize the hazards associated with some.

The storage and delivery of aviation fuels is carefully regulated and must meet certain standards Including maintaining the purity of the fuel and safety of the aircraft and ground crew [1]. In this chapter, the contamination of fuel from only a few sources will be considered; in particular water contamination, contamination with solids formed by reaction to the fuel with oxygen and contamination due to microorganisms. Finally, some of the challenges associated with the transition to alternate fuels will be discussed.
