🔍 Key Concepts

• Flash point: the lowest temperature at which fuel gives off enough vapor to ignite in air • Difference between bulk storage temperature and temperatures needed for handling/processing heavy fuel oils (heating for pumping, centrifuging, atomizing) • Where on the fuel system the oil is allowed to be much hotter than its flash point because of design and safety controls

💭 Think About

• Think about which part of the fuel system is most concerned with fire risk from vapors accumulating above a large surface area of fuel • Consider where the fuel is normally kept for long periods vs. where it passes through quickly in smaller quantities • Ask yourself: in which location would exceeding the flash point be especially dangerous because of tank size, venting, and potential ignition sources?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which components are large-volume tanks versus small-volume lines/equipment • Recall that flash point is a storage safety property, not the normal working temperature in burners or injectors • Check which system location is designed to operate fuel well above flash point under controlled conditions (pressure, enclosure, immediate combustion)