Aviation fuel and automotive fuel differ in the following aspects: Lead content: Aviation gasoline has a higher octane rating and contains tetraethyl lead as an anti-knock agent. In contrast, automotive gasoline today is unleaded. Burning leaded gasoline produces heavy metal pollutants. Processing methods: Aviation fuel is primarily processed by aircraft piston engines. These engines operate on the same principle as standard automotive engines but are more powerful and lighter, thus sharing similar quality requirements for aviation gasoline as automotive gasoline. Automotive fuel is mainly processed by turbojet engines. These engines propel the vehicle forward by converting fuel combustion into thrust, using what is known as jet fuel. Operational procedures: Aviation fuel undergoes a settling period to allow free impurities and water to settle at the bottom of the tank. A floating suction pipe then draws the fuel from the top of the tank to the bottom, pressurizing it before transporting it to a consumption tank near the apron. Automotive fuel, after passing quality tests, is loaded into specialized tankers and delivered under the aircraft's wing for refueling. Alternatively, it can be pumped directly into the aircraft's fuel tank through underground pipelines on the apron. Aviation fuel is transferred from tankers to aircraft fuel tanks, undergoing at least three stages of fine filtration to remove impurities and water.
