The Hellenic Naval Academy’s Fuels and Lubricants Lab (LFL) is one of the three laboratories of the Mechanics and Marine Materials Sector. LFL participates in the academy’s mission which is to develop Navy Officers with academic education morally, mentally and physically balance and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.

Our research seeks to develop a fundamental understanding of how:

• Production processes impact fuel (gas and liquid) composition
• Logistic parameters and housekeeping processes impact fuel (gas and liquid) composition
• Fuel (gas and liquid) composition impacts fuel properties, combustion behavior and interaction with the mechanical components and materials in engines (incl. turbines) of dual use interest
• Hydraulic fluids, cooling waters and various lubrication oil’s composition influence the operation behavior of mechanisms and moving equipment
• Total quality management improves the cooperation and interaction with mechanical equipment and fuel usage
• The standardization will include all the advances of science and technology

This work is ultimately directed at developing the ability to predict the properties and performance of a fuel (gas and liquid) given knowledge of its chemical composition; this would, in turn, greatly facilitate the “fit for purpose” determination of fuels in engines (incl. turbines). Through our research, we engage naval cadets in project-based learning where they gain hands on experience with laboratory and machining equipment and familiarized with various computational platforms.

LFL is an active member of the plenary committee of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF) accredited by DG MOVE. LFL has put in place a quality assurance system which was accredited by the TUV Austria Hellas with an ELOT EN ISO 9001:2015 within the scope of “Study and the evaluation of the effect of Fuel, Biofuel and Lubricant properties on the operation of the Marine/Engineering systems”. LFL is having the conveyor ship of the Greek National Standardization Committee for all the Fuels and Alternative Fuels Industry.