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The U.S. Army has long identified the need for rapid, reliable methods for analysis of fuels and lubricants on or near the battlefield. The analysis of fuels and lubricants under battlefield or near-battlefield conditions requires that the equipment be small, portable, rugged, quick, and easy to use. Over the past 15 to 20 years, several test kits and portable laboratories have been developed in response to this need. One instrumental technique that has been identified as a likely candidate to meet this need is near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). To evaluate NIR as a candidate, a set of 280 fuel samples was used. This sample set contained samples of diesel fuel grades 1 and 2, Jet A-l, JP-5, and JP-8. Inspection data were collected on all the fuels as sample size permitted. Each sample was then scanned using a near-infrared spectrometer. Data analysis, model building, and calibration were conducted using a software package supplied with the instrument.

It has been demonstrated that the composition of compressed natural gas can have a marked effect on the operational characteristics of engines that bum natural gas as a fuel. For this reason, a quick and accurate method of determining natural gas composition is needed. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has the potential of meeting the requirements for a natural gas analyzer. This limited scope study was conducted as a preliminary demonstration of the feasibility of using NIR as an on-line natural gas analyzer at a distribution site or perhaps as an on-board vehicle fuel sensor in a natural gas vehicle (NGV). Reference gases were analyzed and used to develop calibration models for three selected properties of natural gas. These properties were heat of combustion (higher heating value), Wobbe Index (heat of combustion per unit volume divided by the specific gravity of the gas), and hydrogen/carbon ratio. Transmission spectra were collected over the region of 900 to 1800 nanometers.