Cubdriver

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

Cubdriver

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.

Cubdriver

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.

Cubdriver

Europe Begins Alternate Aviation Fuel Study.

Flight International (3/2, Coppinger) reported, "A 26-month European project to understand the technical, economic, social, environmental and geopolitical impacts of alternate aviation fuel and energy sources is under way." The European Commission-funded study "is designed to provide political authorities with the information needed to make decisions on the different alternative fuels, by providing recommendations and a road map for the deployment of energy sources in the medium term." The project is also hoped to "provide solid foundations for international partnerships extending beyond Europe, including the USA."


Canada Launches Collaborative "Green Aviation" Initiative.

Flight International (3/2, Coppinger) reported that Canada "has created its Green Aviation Research and Development Network (GARDN) that is designed to foster the development of technologies to reduce aircraft noise and emissions in the vicinity of airports." The aim of the project is to "bring together government, academic and industrial partners for the development of aviation environmental technologies." According to the Canadian government, "this will lower the production of greenhouse gases by the aviation sector and reduce the carbon footprint of Canadian aviation."

Cubdriver

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."

Cubdriver

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."

FastDEW

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.

Cubdriver

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.

Cubdriver

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."

Cubdriver

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.