Future Fuels for Jets
 

Some time ago before APC changed servers, someone ran a thread asking for opinion on alternative fuels in transport category aircraft. Here are two articles that seem to inidicate biofuel/ aternative fuels are likely to happen.

The US Air Force is currently certifying ALL of their aircarft to run a 50/50 blend of Jet A and synthetic kerosene derived from natural gas and coal. Their goal is to eliminate reliance on foriegn oil. A number of airplanes have been tested, including supersonic fighters and bombers. This is not an experiment, they are doing it now with the intent of changing over in the next couple of years.

Bio-fuel is more desireable for airlines because it offers reduced emissions. Also, with the right feedstock, it does not have to compete with food agriculture. That's why they are interested in jatropha...it's non-edible and can be cultivated in areas where no food will grow anyway.

This sounds interesting....I read about how the USAF completed biofuel testing on the B-52s recently. Even with the fuel crisis looming...I would have thought US airlines would have jumped all over this by now. Have any of the US airlines talked about this?

the latest news on Biofuel from AIAA daily
 

We have another thread on this lately called Biofuel and You (anybody remember "Me and My RC"? :)). This topic has been here quite a while though.

Continental Conducts Biofuel Demonstration Flight.

The AP (1/8) reports, "Continental Airlines on Wednesday became the first" US commercial carrier "to conduct a demonstration flight powered in part by alternative fuels." The flight "was a joint effort involving Continental, airplane maker Boeing Co., engine makers GE Aviation/CFM International and biofuel specialist UOP, a unit of Honeywell International Inc." Continental chairman and chief executive Larry Kellner "said the goal was to analyze technical aspects of using biofuels." Kellner "and others acknowledged it will likely be several years...before biofuels make up a significant percentage of the fuel used by Continental and other major carriers."

Bloomberg News (1/8, Efstathiou, Credeur) reports, "A fuel blend made from algae and jatropha scrub plants powered the unmodified twin-engine Boeing Co. 737-800" during the flight test, Continental said. David Messing, a Continental spokesman, added that the flight "went according to plan," and the "initial observations are that there's no difference in terms of the performance of the airplane." Bloomberg says the test represents "a step toward the International Air Transport Association's goal of having member carriers use 10 percent alternative fuels by 2017 to reduce global warming."

Air Transport Intelligence (1/8, Kuhn) reports, "Continental does not have plans to participate in a second trial and while other carriers have expressed interest, it is unlikely additional demonstrations will occur this year after a 30 January test by Japan Airlines. 'We're encouraging people to look at the data collected to see what's missing before [new trial] flights,'" Billy Glover, the Boeing managing director for environmental strategy, says, "adding he does not expect fuel-certifying organization ASTM International to request additional commercial aircraft alternative fuel demonstrations."

Scientific American (1/8, Biello), which also notes the Continental test, reports, "Boeing hopes to help...biofuels become a 'significant part of the commercial fuel supply by 2015,' Glover says." He adds, "Three years ago, we started out saying this doesn't look like it's possible. But every day we become more and more convinced it's not only possible, it has huge benefits for industry and the public."

Biofuel Passes Post-flight Tests At Continental.

The Houston Chronicle (1/16, Hensel) reported, "There was no negative impact to the engine or aircraft involved in conducting a Continental Airlines test flight using biofuel last week, the carrier said Friday." According to Continental spokesman Dave Messing, the data "showed that the biofuel met all performance requirements and functioned just like traditional jet fuel. ... Initial results showed that the engine...actually used less fuel than the engine with traditional jet fuel."

Japanese Airline Tests Biofuel Blend Made From Flowers, Algae.

The UK's Daily Mail (1/29) reported, "Japan Airlines has become the fourth airline in a year to use biofuel during a test flight." The company test-flew a Boeing 747-300, powered "by 50 per cent traditional jet fuel" and 50 percent biofuel made up of camelina, jatropha, and algae." Said Yasunori Abe, chief of JAL's global environment division, "From a long-term perspective, we need to search for a fuel that can replace petroleum. Biofuel is especially attractive because CO2 emissions from biofuel can be seen as zero.'"

USAF Planning To Acquire Over 300,000 Gallons Of Biofuels.

Aviation Week (1/31, Anselmo) said that during the recent Aviation Week-sponsored Eco-Aviation and Fuel Management conference in Miami, officials with the US Air Force (USAF) said they are "planning to acquire more than 300,000 gallons of biofuels under an effort to certify two types of the plant-derived fuels for use in a 50-50 mix with jet kerosene by 2013." The USAF "wants half of its domestic aviation fuel to contain a 50 percent blend of alternative fuel -- either bio or synthetic -- by 2016. 'We're looking to replace a quarter of our total fuel need,'" said Jeff Braun, "director of the service's Alternative Fuels Certification Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, who spoke" at last week's conference.

NASA Testing Synthetic Fuel Exhaust.

Flight International[/U] (2/4, Coppinger) reports, "In a bid to understand synthetic fuels' emissions, NASA has fitted its McDonnell Douglas DC-8 airborne laboratory's engines with sampling probes for plume chemistry detection using a quantum-cascade-laser methane isotope sensor." The plane will test "100% synthetic fuels and 50/50 blends of synthetics and regular jet fuel" to see if the synthetics have "fewer particles and other harmful emissions." NASA is conducting the study with "11 groups...which include three US government agencies, five companies and three universities."

Biofuel & P&W GTF alternate-fuels engine news
 

Federal Departments To Allocate Millions In Biofuel R&D Funding.

The Flight International (2/5, Kuhn) reports, "The US Departments of Energy and Agriculture will allocate up to $25 million in research and development funding for biofuels, including aviation fuels, as well as bioenergy and bio-based products through the US Food, Conservation and Energy Act," more commonly known as the Farm Bill, "passed last year. The departments issued a joint funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for feedstocks development, biofuels and bio-based products development, and biofuels development analysis." The FOA "follows the first biofuel demonstration flight by a US carrier, Continental Airlines in January, as the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) plans for the certification of a 100% biofuel in 2013."

P&W Expects To Begin Testing More Advanced GTF Demonstrator By 2013.

Flight International (2/5, Kingsley-Jones) reports, "Pratt & Whitney aims to begin testing a demonstrator" geared turbofan (GTF) "engine within four years, incorporating new technologies designed to head off any threat from rival engine manufacturers in the battle to power the single-aisle replacements from Airbus and Boeing." Speaking "at an event in Toulouse to officially mark the end of the current GTF demonstrator's flight-test campaign on Airbus's A340-600 flying testbed, P&W vice-president next-generation product family Bob Saia" said "that the engine maker has identified its 'next step of technology features' and expects to begin testing advanced concepts on a demonstrator by 2013."

Note: P&W Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) engine has been proposed for, and is being developed for using alternative fuels such as biofuel and synthetics. It looks at this point it may be used on future 737, CRJ, and Airbus jets. -Cub

Air Force Ramps Up Biofuel Certification.

Flight International (2/10, Kuhn) reports that the US Air Force, as part of its effort to expand its "alternative fuel development" program, intends to certify "its entire fleet to use 50% Fischer-Tropsch blends by 2011, and is now looking for biofuel alternatives." The Air Force is looking to diversify its alternative fuel resources while maintaining the "chemical composition and performance" of standard JP-8 jet fuel, according to USAF Alternative Fuels Certification Office director Jeff Braun. The move toward biofuels follows a trend set by commercial airliners Air New Zealand, Continental Airlines and, Japan Airlines, who conducted "biofuel demonstrations in December and January."

JetBlue To Test Biofuels In Spring 2010.

Air Transport Intelligence (2/11, Kuhn) reported, "JetBlue Airways will operate a second-generation biofuel test" in an "Airbus A320-200 trial by spring 2010," according to a JetBlue spokesman. The alternative fuels being considered for the test are expected to "have the same properties as standard jet fuel and should not require engine or auxiliary power unit (APU) modifications," the spokesman says. It is also noted that the fuels will be derived "from feedstocks that do not compete with the food supply," such as algae and organic waste.

Boeing, Airbus Developing Replacement Aircraft Programs.


Aviation Week (2/11, Wall) reported that Boeing and Airbus are "quietly stepping up efforts" to replace their respective 737 and A320 programs. The article notes that engine makers CFM International and Pratt & Whitney are both developing new engine technologies for the future models. Airbus is said to be "looking at unconventional aircraft designs" and "various different engine configurations that differ from the typical shape of its narrow and widebodies, with an eye on reducing noise or improving fuel burn." Still, the A320 replacement "will not be in service before 2020," according to Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy.

DARPA Funds Search To Develop Production Of JP-8 Algae Fuel.

Biodiesel Magazine (3/10, Schill) reports in its April issue that "algae research will get a big boost from two projects involving multiple partners that received funding this winter through the US Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA's BioFuels program is exploring energy alternatives and fuel efficiency efforts in a bid to reduce the military's reliance on traditional fuel through cost-effective alternatives." The projects "aim to develop a scalable process for the cost-effective, large-scale production of algae oil to be processed into a JP-8 jet fuel surrogate."

Williams Completes Coal-Based "Green" Fuel Testing.

Flight International (3/24, Sarsfield) reported, "Williams International has completed testing of a coal-based 'hydrotreated' fuel in its FJ44-3 gas turbine engine. The engine burned 7,580 litres (2,000USgal) of the alternative fuel during 21h and 118 cycles at Williams' Walled Lake, Michigan facility." Williams says "the engine performance was identical to using Jet-A fuel and required no special engine or test cell modifications for the demonstration." The fuel, "in its final form...is a 'green' product that is free of nitrogen, aromatics and sulphur," and "because the raw feed is produced by coal liquification, it can be produced from coal in the USA."

Do you think the C Series will bring any of this around to service sooner? Seems like Boeing and Airbus have put the narrows on back burner.

Yes, I certainly do. The Bombardier C-Series will use the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G which will get a lot of technology derived from the P&W Geared TurboFan (GTF) developmental engine program. It depends on what settles out from that program over the next 4 years how much is used, but you can be sure a lot of it will be. The Mitsubishi RJ is another recipient of the PW1000G turbine and GTF technology.

But be clear on what issues spoken to by this thread. It is dual-purpose covering alternative fuel development on the one hand, and high efficiency turbines on the other. Piston engine and bizjet alternative fuels & engines are not covered here. You are welcome to start threads on those topics if you like.

The best thing happening in this field now is Jatropha Jet or "Jet-J", a derivative of the nuts from jatropha plants mixed with a certain percentage of algae oil, coconut oil, organic waste, switchgrass oil or Jet A, including Jet A made by the Fischer-Tropch Process or just plain old Jet A.

Jet-J promises everything:

-high energy density (specific energry)
-renewable
-does not compete with food crops
-low emissions combustion
-low freezing point
-cheap to grow at economies of scale
-good lubricity
-good pump behavior
-reasonable specific mass (weight).

I would venture a guess that if IATA and CAAFI approve a blend of Jet-J by 2014 it will be used by all transport category aircraft at that time. It is thought to be a drop-in replacement for Jet A at this point.

As far as high-efficiency turbines are concerned such as the GTF, the entry to the transport jet market is much more dependent on the price of a barrel of oil. Global warming and Middle East politics drives the development of biofuels more consistently than the price of a barrel of oil.

Boeing, Airbus Say Recession Won't Stifle Biofuel Plans.

The AP (4/1, Jordans) reported that aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus "said Tuesday they were pushing ahead with the development of planes that run on eco-friendly biofuels despite the economic downturn"; The AP notes that "the sharp drop in oil prices since the start of the global recession has raised concern that the development of fuel-efficient jets may stall"; however, the companies said they are still "working with ethanol and other biofuel producers to make planes ready for the new technologies in the coming decades". Bill Glover, Boeing's director of Airplane Environmental Performance Strategy, "expects biofuels to be certified for regular use in three to five years"; and that "most airlines would use it in some planes by 2015."

Williams Completes Alternative Fuel Tests on FJ44
Flying eNewsletter 04/03/09

The engine that powers Cessna's CJ series, Hawker Beechcraft's Premier and others has just demonstrated its ability to run on "coal-based alternative fuels"; according to Williams International. The Williams FJ44-3 test article burned 2,000 gallons of the fuel—developed at Penn State University. It performed "extremely well"; exhibiting performance numbers on par with the jet-A powered version of the same engine. And the test engine required no modifications as part of the 21-hour, 118-cycle test program. The coal-based fuel was reported as essentially free of sulfur and nitrogen; but exhibited energy density that is higher than that of conventional jet-A. That could translate into longer range using the same amount of fuel.

Aviation Industry Sees Gloomy Future For Biofuels At Geneva Summit.

Flight International (4/7, Turner) reports, "The prospect of aviation moving swiftly to a greener fuel alternative to help reduce its carbon footprint looks increasingly doubtful." British Airways announced at the Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva that a joint program with Rolls-Royce to test "up to four fuels" had failed to come up with the nearly 16,000 gallons of biofuel needed to conduct proper testing. Boeing's Director of Environmental Performance, Billy Glover, explains that "it's a no-man's land between laboratory test quantities and those that have benefited from a production scale-up after experimentation." Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle "warned delegates that aviation...risks not being able to secure enough biofuel in the requisite quantities in the face of powerful, competing interests."

Boeing Backs Algae To Fuel Airplanes.

Spiegel Online (4/15, Seidler) interviewed Boeing chief environmental strategist Billy Glover on the airline industry's interest in biofuels. Asked why airlines would "still even be interested in biofuels" given the low price of oil, Glover replied, "Even today, the highest operating expense for an airline is fuel. It remains a priority to find a way to mitigate that situation." Glover said that biofuel commercialization couldn't happen "unless we make sure that it is done in a sustainable fashion," adding that the industry plans to "establish a user group of top airlines from around the world" to develop a "code of practice to make clear what is acceptable and what is not." Glover also spoke on the industry's plans to change the ratio by which biofuels would be "blended with traditional kerosene-based jet fuel" and cost issues associated with the airline industry becoming "part of the European Union emissions trading scheme in 2012."


IATA To Use 10 Percent Biofuels By 2017.

Biodiesel Magazine (4/17), from its May 2009 issue, reports, "The International Air Transport Association recently outlined its commitment to environmental responsibility, which includes the use of 10 percent alternative fuels within the next eight years." IATA Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Bisignani "said the recent tests performed by Air New Zealand and Continental Airlines proved that biofuels are viable." He called for governments to deliver certification of biofuels "by 2010 or 2011," faster than the current timeline of 2013.


Jet fuel from oilseeds emits less greenhouse gas
By Matthew Brown, Associated Press 04/29/09

BILLINGS, Mont. — A new study says jet fuel made with the oilseed crop camelina could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 84% compared with jet fuel from petroleum.

The finding is expected to be used by the aviation industry as it weighs a number of alternative fuels with the potential to reduce costs and curb emissions.

Camelina is considered well-suited to Montana and other arid Northern Plains states because it needs little water. Terrance Scott with the aircraft manufacturer Boeing says camelina is one of a handful of crops with the potential to provide sufficient "feedstock" to make large quantities of jet fuel.

However, the industry has struggled to attract growers willing to switch to the crop. Also, falling oil prices have dampened its economic appeal.

The greenhouse gas emissions study was done by the Sustainable Futures Institute at Michigan Technological University. It was funded by the camelina industry and conducted with jet fuel from camelina seeds developed by a Bozeman company, Sustainable Oils.

Air New Zealand Demonstrates Efficiency Gains With Biofuels.

Air Transport Intelligence (5/28, Kuhn) reported, "Scientific testing of the alternative fuel used by Air New Zealand (ANZ) during a demonstration flight has found that a Boeing 747-400 using the 50:50 biofuel blend of Jet A1 and jatropha oil could improve fuel burn by 1.2% during a 12-hour flight covering 5,800 nautical miles." Additionally, "testing...found that using the blend could save 1.4 tonnes of fuel and trim greenhouse gas emissions between 60% and 65% in a 12-hour flight, ANZ general manager airline operations and chief pilot, Capt. David Morgan said today at the Air Transport World Eco-Aviation conference in Washington. ... Roughly 4.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) could also be saved and the biofuel blend could also improve fuel burn by 1% on shorter range flights."

Airbus Tests Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils For Possible Biofuel Source.

Flight Daily News (6/16, Sedlák) reported, "Airbus expects within about three months to make a decision regarding tests of hydrogenated vegetable oils in biofuel demonstrations." Ross Walker, Airbus' engineering program manager of alternative fuels "said examining how fuels made from such oils would advance the certification process of biofuels, and the availability of material used in the testing are factors in the decision." Walker said the tests "would use fuel sourced from 100% of a feedstock rather than a mix or blend."

Airbus, Boeing Consider Dueling Engine Technologies Next Generation Jetliners.

Flight Daily News (6/16, Pilling) reported that "Airbus and Boeing have a big dilemma on which engine technology they should select for the new aircraft generation to replace the best-selling A320 and 737 families: advanced but 'conventional' turbofans or the futuristic-looking open rotor?" The article noted that "the problem for Airbus and Boeing is that some airlines are demanding a new narrowbody choice with radically improved economics sooner rather than later." Engine-maker "CFM says it will be ready with its all-new Leap-X engine in 2016," which "will offer up to 16% better fuel burn and 50-60% lower NOx emissions compared with today's best CFM56s." However, "open rotor technology could offer a lot more. Fuel burn could be 26% better with NOx levels similar to Leap-X, although a CFM open rotor engine could not enter service until late into the next decade."


Flight Tests Show Biofuel Blends Perform Better Than Regular Fuel.

In the "Environmental Capital" blog for the Wall Street Journal (6/18, subscription required), Angel Gonzalez writes, "A consortium made up of Boeing, engine makers and commercial airlines says that veggie fuel is not only good for the airplanes' carbon footprint -- it actually performs as well, if not better, than its petroleum-based equivalent." Several different blends of jatropha, camelina, and algae were tested, but all were noted by Gonzalez as "drop-in" biofuels, meaning "engines didn't require modification. Boeing says the blends didn't damage the equipment, and actually proved to have more oomph, or 'greater energy content' than standard jet fuel." The freezing point of the blends were also lower than the standards fuels. However, Gonzalez comments, "There's one final, but kind of important, point: The cost of producing biofuels remains higher than the cost of jet fuel."

Flight Daily News (6/17, O'Keefe) reported that Boeing reported a 50:50 blend of biofuels with Jet A could "bring efficiency improvements in the range of 1-2%, and use of the biofuel camelina could offer an 80% CO2 reduction over its lifecycle." Bill Glover, Boeing Commercial Airplanes managing director of environmental strategy, "said camelina 'could be the first available' as it can be grown in temperate climates as a rotation crop." The article noted Glover also "singled out algae as a 'very promising' feedstock but admitted that scale production was probably eight to 10 years away."

"Biofuel research should focus on planes and not cars" according to Policy Exchange

BBB NEWS July 22 A crop area the size of the USA would be needed to biofuel all the world's cars [while] alternatives such as electricity exist for [most of] them, it added. Instead, it said the EU should fund research into using plant-based fuel for aviation to help cut emissions. Skeptics say some biofuels create more carbon than they save and push up the price of food for the poor. Most biofuels are derived from crops such as corn, sugarcane and rapeseed. Bioethanol is usually mixed with petrol, while biodiesel is either used on its own or in a mixture. The UK government, which is funding a £27m research centre to find economically viable alternatives to fossil fuels, says 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transport [-vehicles, like cars and trucks]. In April 2008, it introduced a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation", requiring 2.5% of all fuel sold at petrol stations to be biofuels, having revised its target from 5%.

Escalating emissions
The EU also changed its stipulation that 10% of transport fuel had to be from crop-based fuel, instead saying the targets could be met by any renewable source, including fuel cells, hydrogen or solar power. Policy Exchange has previously said the government should spend its £550m annual biofuel subsidies on halting the destruction of rainforests and peatland, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now the centre-right think tank says the EU should switch policy to subsidising development of biofuels for aviation because planes cannot run on other sources of energy. Airlines including Virgin Atlantic have trialled flights using up to 20% biofuel to power the engines, although climate change campaigners say use of the fuel is not sustainable. Policy Exchange claims using biofuels is the only way in the foreseeable future to meet people's desire to travel without escalating emissions of greenhouse gases. Airlines should be mandated to blend biofuel with kerosene in increasing quantities from 2020, it believes. By this time new generation crop-based fuels should have been developed which do not compete with food crops. Green groups have been critical of the destruction of rainforest to create the fuels and the resultant loss of habitat for rare species. They also say that with more farmland being turned over to grow profitable biofuels, food production has fallen and pushed up global prices, affecting supplies for the poorest people. Richard Dyer, Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner, said the report was right that it was important to cut flights "if we are to stand a chance of preventing catastrophic climate change". "But replacing aviation fuel with biofuels will take us further down a blind alley as these so-called green fuels are already increasing the climate-changing emissions that our cars, buses and lorries are producing," he said. "Growing crops for fuel is driving deforestation on a massive scale - when the full impact of this is taken into account, the biofuels added to our petrol and diesel may be producing more than twice the carbon dioxide of the fossil fuels they replace. "New fuels for planes must be proven to cut overall emissions before Governments commit to targets for them. In the meantime Ministers must scrap plans to expand the UK's airports."

Bio fuels would be great, but my question is are the people who end up manufacturing them going to try to get rich quick off of popularity by making them very expensive, or has there been any research into what the cost effectivness of manufacturing the fuel is...

I know of a Denver company that's currently in scaled production tests of biofuel aimed at the Bizjet market.

It's going to happen.

TPROP4ever,

That will always be the case with any new technology, money motivates. Kind of sucks with 100's of years of human evolution that still nobody is in it for the excelling of the human race as a whole but in it for themselves. I guess that is life till evolution steps in again.

MD88 with GE propfan may live again
 

NASA, GE To Revisit Fuel Efficient Propfan Technology.

InventorSpot (7/8, Delozier) reported on NASA and General Electric's decision to revisit the open rotor jet engine technology they started developing in the 1980s. According to the article, "the process begins by using a turbofan engine with the fans relocated to the outside of the engine housing," and "as the exhaust from the turbofan engine is forced out, they pass over a turbine which is connected to a prop on the exterior, while the other prop is driven by the turbofan." The article noted that, "along with the high flight speeds, the engine also showed a 30% to 35% decrease in fuel consumption. ... Skip to today's market, where the price of fuel is driving everyone in the transportation business to find ways to increase efficiency and decrease consumption, and the Propfan engine could change the air transportation industry as we know it."

US Airlines Agree To Buy Rentech's Synthetic Fuel.

Bloomberg News (8/18, Schlangenstein) reports, "Delta Air Lines Inc., AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and six other US carriers agreed to buy as much as 1.5 million gallons a year of Rentech Inc.'s diesel fuel made from plant waste." The synthetic fuel, scheduled for introduction "in late 2012 for ground-service equipment at Los Angeles International Airport," will be produced "at a plant in Rialto, California, slated to open in 2012." Vehicles that use "the diesel fuel 'will be among the cleanest and greenest of their kind,' said Rentech CEO D. Hunt Ramsbottom."

Navy Chemists Turn Seawater Into Jet Fuel.

New Scientist (8/18, Kleiner) reported, "Faced with global warming and potential oil shortages, the US navy is experimenting with making jet fuel from seawater." The process, which is being tested by Navy chemists, "involves extracting carbon dioxide dissolved in the water and combining it with hydrogen – obtained by splitting water molecules using electricity – to make a hydrocarbon fuel." The experiment "uses a variant of a chemical reaction called the Fischer-Tropsch process, which is used commercially to produce a gasoline-like hydrocarbon fuel from syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen often derived from coal."

New engines: flurry of activity despite downturn
By John Croft. FlightGlobal Oct. 6, 2009.

A race to bring new technologies to market is keeping engine manufacturers busy in a down airline economy. GE is working on several continents testing cores and blades for its next-decade and beyond Leap X designs, while Pratt & Whitney has begun procuring long-lead parts - bearings and castings - as it prepares to begin testing the first prototypes of its advanced-technology PurePower geared turbofan engines for the Bombardier CSeries and Mitsubishi MRJ regional jet. Paul Adams, P&W's senior vice-president of engineering, says many of the detailed designs for the 20,000-24,000lb-thrust (89-107kN) class CSeries engine have been completed, allowing the hardware manufacture to begin. Some design work continues, however, and will culminate in a critical design review in early 2010. Adams says the first core tests will take place this winter, following by full-up engine runs for the PW1500G next summer. Work on the lower-thrust PW1217 for the MRJ has been pushed back because of Mitsubishi's redesign of the aircraft, which includes using aluminium instead of composites for the wing. Adams does not expect changes to the aircraft to affect the engine, which will enter the detailed design phase by year-end, start production in the second half of 2013, and go into service in 2014. PW1200 series engines will produce 13,000-17,000lb thrust. Adams says the final bypass ratio for the PW1500G engine will be in the "10-plus" range. P&W has advertised a 12:1 bypass ratio, which could decrease fuel burn by as much as 15% compared with similar engines.

CFM began testing its first Leap X core in June GE and Snecma joint venture CFM is marketing a 16% reduction in fuel burn with its advanced-technology Leap X ducted turbofan. A CFM56 follow-on, it is expected to run for the first time in 2012 and receive certification by 2016. "All the studies we have done with airframers show a bypass ratio of 10:1 to 11:1 as the optimum for a next-generation single-aisle type of airframe," says Ron Klapproth, Leap X programme manager. "That's a parameter that is optimised at the airplane level. The engine gets more efficient with higher bypass, but what really counts is airplane-level fuel burn." CFM says the ducted-fan version of the Leap X will have a bypass ratio of 10:1. The company is also researching an open-rotor version that would not be ready for service until after 2020. CFM began testing its first Leap X core in June, clocking 100h of ground tests with the combustor and single-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT). A second round of tests will begin on the compressor section later this year, while the company develops, in parallel, a second core with two-stage HPT. Klapproth says CFM has "a couple of years" before it must decide which configuration to use for the new engine. "We are very pleased with data on the combustor and HPT," he says, adding that the performance, airflow and acoustics matched what was expected from component level testing over the past few years. CFM also plans to begin endurance testing of the composite fan blade for the engine later this year. For the open-rotor engine, the company is set to begin windtunnel testing on various composite blades in the USA, France and Russia. CFM says a 4.3m (14.1ft) open-rotor fan could deliver a 26% reduction in fuel burn, although mounting could be an issue, as well as airline acceptance of a radical design.

link to article

[Note: Although all of the engines mentioned are not specifically biofuel engines, they are closely related to some that are and deserve inclusion in this discussion. -Cub]

Air Force Making Progress On Alternate Fuels.

Aerospace Daily and Defense Report (10/5, Warwick) reported, "On track to certify its aircraft fleet to use synthetic Fisher-Tropsch (F-T) fuel by 2011, the US Air Force has launched a similar certification effort for hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) biofuels and is now becoming interested in fuels from cellulosic feedstocks." Already, the Defense Energy Support Center "awarded contracts to supply almost 600,000 gallons of renewable jet fuel for testing and certification," 400,000 gallons to the Air Force and 190,000 to the Navy. In producing the fuel, "Sustainable Oils will use camelina as the feedstock, Solazyme will use algae and UOP will use animal fat, or tallow, supplied by food producer Cargill. All three will use UOP's processing technology."

Aviation Biofuel Certification Process Set To Begin.

Flight International (10/12, Kuhn) reported, "A key step to starting the certification process for bio-derived jet fuels is nearing completion. Testing of bio-derived blends of generic synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK), called hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ), has been under way for more than a year and a report about the research findings is expected to be complete by the end of 2009, says Mark Rumizen, US Federal Aviation Administration certification and qualification team leader for the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), a consortium of aerospace firms, trade groups and the FAA." The results of the study will be considered by ASTM International, a "voluntary standards development organization" due to publish fuel specifications for 50% HRJ fuel blends some time next year, according to Rumizen.

Mexico To Team With Boeing, Honeywell On Large-Scale Biofuel Production Research.

Air Transport Intelligence (10/15, Ranson) reported, "Mexican aviation fuel services provider the Airports and Auxiliary Services Agency (ASA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing and Honeywell subsidiary UOP to research the potential for Mexico to produce materials for potential use in biofuel production." The memorandum was signed during the Latin American Airline Association leadership forum in Cartagena, Columbia on Thursday. According to the article, the research will focus on "assessing the potential for large-scale production of fuels from halophytes, algae, jatropha, castor and other potential biofuel materials."

Construction About To Begin On Air Force Plant To Make Alternative Fuels.

The AP (11/11) reports, "Construction is starting on a new $2.5 million facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that will allow the military to create its own fuel for research aimed at producing alternatives for powering military aircraft." The plant is expected to make "15 to 25 gallons of fuel a day from coal and biomass materials rather than waiting for industry to supply alternative fuels for Air Force testing." According to officials, this will "dramatically enhance the Air Force's current fuels research capabilities."

Pratt & Whitney To Conduct Full-Scale PurePower By End Of Year.

Aviation Week (11/14, Morris) reported, "Trials of the first brand-new engine core for Pratt & Whitney's full-scale PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan will begin by the end of the year, following delivery of hardware to the testing facility in Canada." This is a "significant step" towards full engine runs next summer. The company "expects the first PurePower geared fan engines to reduce fuel burn by around 15%, cut noise to half of today's levels...and greatly reduce operating costs...says Bob Saia, P&W vp for the next generation product family." Its "ultimate goal is to power the next generation replacements for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families."

KLM Flies Boeing 747 With Biofuel Mix.

The AP (11/24) reports, "An airliner using a 50% biofuel mix in one engine has successfully completed a demonstration flight in the Netherlands." Air France-KLM used the mix on a Boeing 747 with 40 passengers. The fuel was derived from the camelina plant. "KLM spokeswoman Monique Matze said the airline plans eventually plans commercial flights using a biofuel mix, but it is too early to set a target date."

ICAO Developing Website To Help Develop Alternate Jet Fuels.

Air Transport Intelligence (11/23, Kuhn) reported, "ICAO will create a web document to help advance efforts to develop and commercialize alternative jet fuels." The web tool will "enable member states and the aviation industry to share information, best practices and future initiatives aimed at developing and implementing the use of alternative aviation fuels." This follows the adoption of the Global Framework on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (GFAAF) during a recent ICAO conference. "Conference attendees recommended that ICAO organize a meeting to consider the cost and financing of infrastructure projects dedicated to aviation alternative fuels as well as incentives to overcome initial market hurdles."

Purdue to Open Biofuel Research Facility

(12/10/09 Flying Magazine e-newsletter) Late next year or early in 2011, the National Test Facility for Fuels and Propulsion is scheduled to open at Purdue University. Funded by a $1.35 million Air Force grant, the facility will be located at the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building at Purdue Airport in Indiana. Its focus will be on testing aircraft engine and airframe components for biofuel sustainability and emissions, as well as deriving data on economics of operation. Most of the work will involve turbine engines, though some of the research will involve piston engines as well, according to Purdue.

US Gives $100 Million In Jet Biofuel Grants.

Air Transport Intelligence News (12/11, Kuhn) reported four alternative jet fuel biorefinery projects will receive $100 million in grant money from the US Energy Department. UOP, Sapphire Energy, Elevance Renewable Sciences, and ClearFuel Technology will use their grants to "validate refining technologies and help lay the foundation for full commercial-scale development of a biomass industry in the United States." Each of the companies will focus on a different aspect of alternative biofuel production.

Fourteen Airlines On Board To Use Alternate Fuel.

The AP (12/15) reported Seattle-based AltAir Fuels has secured agreements with 14 airlines to purchase an alternative fuel derived from the oil of camelina plant seeds. AltAir said it will blend camelina oils from Sustainable Oils and blend them with petroleum-based jet fuel and diesel at the Tesoro refinery at Anacortes. This new mixture could replace 10 percent of the petroleum fuel used each year at Sea-Tac Airport. Production is expected to begin in 2012.

biofuel turbines
 

P&W Begins GTF Core Testing.

Air Transport Intelligence News (12/21, Ranson) reported Pratt & Whitney have begun testing on its PurePower geared turbofan, which will power the Bombardier CSeries, Irkut MS-21, and Mitsubishi Regional Jet aircrafts. Pratt & Whitney Canada VP Dan Breitman stated ""This successful first run of the PurePower engine core marks a major step toward bringing an all-new, next generation engine to market." The company previously stated the engine should enter service by 2013.

AltAir Intends To Build Biofuel Plants in 2010.

The Wall Street Journal (12/23, B2B, Stein, subscription required)) reports AltAir Fuels LLC will look to sign up investors in 2010 to help build biofuel plants. AltAir may also apply for a loan from the US Department of Energy in order to build its plants that will utilize camelina plants to create biofuels. Because 14 airlines have already reached an agreement to use this fuel in their aircraft, AltAir CEO Tom Todaro notes this makes them different than previous biodiesel producers.

Toyota Affiliate Looks To Jatropha As Alternative Fuel.

Bloomberg News (12/30, Rial) reports Toyota Tsusho Corp, the trading affiliate of Toyota Motor Corp., will begin growing jatropha next year as the company sees the plant as a "profitable alternative fuel." Jatropha, a plant found in subtropical countries that "isn't edible and can grow in arid lands unsuitable for farming" has already been successfully used in a Boeing 747 flight last year, and with Toyota Tsusho's investment in Singapore-based seed researcher JOIL(S) Pte. and rising oil prices worldwide, project manager Makoto Hattori believes that by "dramatically increasing the plant's yield," it can make the plant economically viable. The company is currently in negotiations with a Philippine banana plantation to grow the plant.

Biofuels would be great if it ends up working the way as everyone is hoping. Just wonder what the cost analysis breakdown on that would be compared to oil. That is including the engine wear and life intervals and other such maintenance related costs.




Sure is promising nonetheless

I am sure studies have been done on how much it takes to produce a gallon of biofuel with consideration to source material, the scale of production, location, weather, level of certification, and a number of other variables. You're welcome to post such data if you find it and I'll make an attempt to do the same. The accurate final cost of producing synthetics and biofuels cannot be known until large-scale production has been attempted, which so far it hasn't. Another relevant fact to consider is that even knowing some number for the cost per gallon of a particular formulation, much of the market value is dependent upon traditional petroleum production in the world. The latter is a daunting problem full of politics, industry-muddled science, volatile markets and other variables.

As for the engines themselves, it has been said that a turbine can burn anything owing to the wide range of activation energy a turbine can produce. The problem is in the supporting systems like fuel lines, tanks, pumps, valves, switches, filters and so forth, they may not be able to reliably use a particular formation due to problems with viscosity, corrosion, expansion, and volatility. It is known that some existing jet aircraft turbines cannot sustain the reliable use of certain synthetic and biofuel formulations. This is the driving reason for all the testing we are seeing these days. In some cases older designs are being found compatible with biofuel while other manufacturers have opted to develop clean sheet designs such as the Pratt & Whitney PW1000 mentioned earlier. The latter was intended from inception to be compatible (and reliable) burning a wide array of chemical formulations. It is expensive work to develop a new turbine for aircraft use, and at this point it represents an unknown in the cost of renewable fuel adoption for commercial and military air travel.

Qatar Airways, Other Firms Target Green Jet Fuel.

The AP (1/10) reports, "Qatar Airways and other state companies in [United Arab Emirates] say they are targeting the development of alternative jet fuel." Quatar Airways announced Sunday that it would "work with Qatar Petroleum, the Qatar Science & Technology Park and plane maker Airbus to study biofuel strategies with the aim of producing 'sustainable bio jet fuel' that could initially be used by the national airline. ... The companies did not provide a timeframe or details of their financial commitment to the project."

Boeing Planning Ways To Install New 737 Engine.

Flight International (2/4, Ostrower) reported, "Amid increasing industry speculation about the imminent launch of re-engined narrowbodies, Flightglobal has learned how Boeing could engineer the tricky installation of an advanced turbofan under the wing of the 737." Boeing could extend the nose's landing gear to give "additional clearance" for a new engine. That could "yield an approximate 12% improvement in specific fuel consumption, before any other airframe modifications are incorporated says the assessment." Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, "recently confirmed to Flightglobal that Boeing had completed a successful technical feasibility study into the installation of a new engine on the 737, but that the modification would require 'a lot of work.'"

Algae to solve the Pentagon's jet fuel problem
US scientists believe they will soon be able to use algae to produce biofuel for the same cost as fossil fuels

Guardian 2/13/2010 The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent. The claim, which comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) that helped to develop the internet and satellite navigation systems, has taken industry insiders by surprise. A cheap, low-carbon fuel would not only help the US military, the nation's single largest consumer of energy, to wean itself off its oil addiction, but would also hold the promise of low-carbon driving and flying for all. Darpa's research projects have already extracted oil from algal ponds at a cost of $2 per gallon. It is now on track to begin large-scale refining of that oil into jet fuel, at a cost of less than $3 a gallon, according to Barbara McQuiston, special assistant for energy at Darpa. That could turn a promising technology into a *market-ready one. Researchers have cracked the problem of turning pond scum and seaweed into fuel, but finding a cost-effective method of mass production could be a game-changer. "Everyone is well aware that a lot of things were started in the military," McQuiston said.

Complete article at Guardian website.

Hi!

That's the same article that I also found today...put it in it's own post.

QUITE interesting, and I had no idea that DARPA was this far along on biofuel!!! They are talking $1/gallon!

cliff
NBO

Yes, I got it from your earlier post. It seems to have been missed by my normal industry news reports. As far as what it indicates politically or otherwise, I really don't take a side on the biofuel debate. If it's cheap and lasts a long time, then great. Rather, I started this thread because every so many months someone came on APC with a question such as "does anyone know what the latest and greatest is on biofuels" and I felt it was something worth keeping track of. I do think some form of biofuel will be adpoted in both commercial and military aviation in the next decade, there are some real advantages to using renewable fuels. I thought switchgrass and jatropha nuts were the best sources but apparently algae may be the better option. It remains to be seen whether they are cheaper than fossil fuels or not. Obviously they aren't right now.

Research Could Further Biomass Conversion Into Jet Fuel.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2/26, Content) reports, "Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Thursday announced a discovery that advances the renewable-energy research aimed at converting corn stalks or switchgrass into jet fuel." Chemical and biological engineering professor James Dumesic, who co-founded a biofuels firm, said "the impetus for his work was prior research that found that the glucose [was] degrading into acids that weren't convertible into transportation fuels." However, Dumesic and fellow researchers "found they could convert those acids easily into GVL." However, "a key hurdle that remains is dealing with the high cost to produce GVL, which is now produced only in limited quantities."

Pratt & Whitney Ensuring GTF Can Power Twin-Aisle Narrowbody

Air Transport Intelligence News (3/1, Kirby) reported Pratt & Whitney is ensuring its "PurePower geared turbofan (GTF) engine can provide as much as 40,000lb of thrust." This GTF has "already been selected by Bombardier to power the 110/130-seat CSeries and by Mitsubishi to power the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). The CSeries will be powered with the 20,000lb-24,000lb thrust class PurePower PW1000G." The GTF is generating interest from aircraft featuring "lightweight, twin-aisle narrowbody" designs.

Aviation Experts: Biofuel-Powered Flights Within A Decade.

The AP (3/18, Max) reports, "Within a decade, passenger planes will be flying on jet fuel largely made from plants...as airlines seek to break away from the volatile oil market and do their part to fight climate change, aviation experts said Wednesday." Attending the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, the experts said that "the industry is focusing on fuels that cause minimal environmental destruction." Still, the AP adds that the "projected shift" among airlines to using plant-based jet fuel "has stoked concern among environmentalists that the possible insatiable appetite of airlines for plant oil will hasten the destruction of tropical forests and the conversion of cropland from food to fuel."

Albaugh: Boeing Will Limit Re-Engining "Requirements Creep" On 737.

Air Transport Intelligence (3/18, Ostrower) reported, "As it moves closer to a decision on re-engining the 737, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh says his company must resist the urge to modify the 737 too much." Albaugh said he would work to limit "requirements creep, so it doesn't become an equivalent of a major change to the aircraft." Meanwhile, the company "has begun wind tunnel tests on various designs for a re-engined 737, evaluating the aerodynamic characteristics of a larger engine, as well as a modified strut and pylon."

EADS Backs Algae Biofuels.

Aviation Week (3/19, Warwick) reported EADS believes algae to be the best source of sustainable jet fuel, stating other feedstocks will not allow the airline industry to reach its carbon-footprint reduction goals. EADS CTO Jean Botti stated he does not believe "second-generation, plant-derived biofuels now under development offer sufficient life-cycle, carbon-dioxide reductions to replace petroleum-based jet fuel," further adding, "We absolutely need to push third-generation biofuels made from algae." A 50/50 blend of jet fuel and plant-derived biofuel, also referred to as "hydrotreated renewable jet fuel" is expected to be approved for commercial airline use in 2010, but research into algae-fuels is less advanced.

I guess the airplane needs to eat too, literally!:D