qualitative petroleum laboratory
testing for all U.S. Army units and
contractors in and around Regional
Command South.
The PQAS–E, located in A Company’s fuel and water platoon, could
perform complete or modified A,
B1, B2, C, and filter effectiveness
analyses on kerosene-based fuels
( JP8, JP5, Jet A, and Jet A–1), diesel, and motor gasoline. Samples
were delivered to the PQAS–E
from surrounding areas by both civilian and military transport.
Having the PQAS–E in theater
minimized equipment downtime
during the testing process. When a
fuel source (such as a tank or a bag)
is tested, the equipment is taken
off-line until the test results return
and the operators know the quality
of the equipment or fuel.
Normally this process takes up to
72 hours because the sample has to
be transported to an off-site laboratory. The PQAS–E, however, reduces the process to as few as 3 hours,
dependin