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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
UPS Adopts Plan to Cut Its Airline Carbon Emissions An Additional 20% by 2020; Biofuels Part of the Plan
July 08, 2009
| UPS Airlines CO2 emissions per Available Ton Mile, historical and targeted. Click to enlarge. |
UPS has adopted a plan to cut the carbon emissions of its airline by an additional 20% by 2020 to 1.24 CO2 lbs/ATM (Available Ton Mile), for a cumulative reduction of 42% since 1990. UPS intends to achieve its 2020 airline goals by:
- Investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft types and engines;
- Fuel-saving operational initiatives, such as lower flight speeds; reduced flight segments, where viable; computer-optimized flight plans; computer-managed aircraft taxi times; and jet engine washing; and
- The introduction of biofuels, which UPS says it believes will be available before 2020.
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ASTM Aviation Fuel Subcommittee Passes Specification Enabling Use of Synthetic Fuel in Aviation
June 26, 2009
The ASTM International Aviation Fuels Subcommittee having responsibility for jet fuel (D02.J0.01) formally voted upon and passed a new fuel specification, labeled DXXXX until final issuance, that will enable use of synthetic fuels in commercial aviation. The specification describes the fuel properties and criteria necessary to control the manufacture and quality of these fuels for aviation use.
The new specification constructs a framework to enable the use of multiple alternative fuels (including both non-renewable and renewable blends) for aviation, and targets complete interchangeability with conventional fuels produced to specification D1655. This specification is being structured, via annexes, to accommodate different classes of alternative fuels.
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Industry Tests Show Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene Performs as Well as Petroleum Jet Fuel; Aviation Partners Push for Approval for Use
June 18, 2009
| Overview of UOP’s Bio-SPK production process. Click to enlarge. |
Boeing and a team from across the aviation industry today released high-level elements of a study that shows that sustainable biofuels analyzed in a series of test flights performed favorably in comparison to petroleum-based fuel.
According to the study, Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK), a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the Bio-SPK test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The testing included several commercial airplane engine types using blends of up to 50% petroleum-based Jet A/Jet A-1 fuel and 50% sustainable biofuels.
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“Clean Sky” Joint Technology Initiative Launches Initial €25M Call for Research Proposals on Cleaner Air Transport
June 17, 2009
| The Clean Sky JTI effort is arranged around six technology demonstrators. Click to enlarge. |
The European Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) launched a call for proposals for aeronautical R&D with a total value of more than €25 million (US$35 million), focused on the development of a new generation of quieter, more fuel-efficient and lower emitting aircraft.
The Clean Sky JTI is a major public/private partnership to develop technology that can reduce aviation CO2 emissions by 40%; NOx emissions by 60%; and noise by 50%. (Earlier post.) This call is the first in what will be one of Europe’s biggest ever research projects, with €1.6 billion (US$2.2 billion) to be invested up to 2014. The Clean Sky initiative will run until 31 December 2017.
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GE Aviation Unveils GEnx Engine at Paris Air Show; Up to 15% More Fuel Efficient
June 16, 2009
| The GEnx-1B turbofan engine. Click to enlarge. |
GE Aviation unveiled its new GEnx engine in a special ceremony at the 2009 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The GEnx engine offers up to 15% improved fuel efficiency compared with GE’s CF6 engine that it will replace. This fuel efficiency translates to approximately 15% less CO2. The GEnx will also be the quietest engine that GE has produced, based on the ratio of decibels to pounds of thrust.
The new engine is designed to stay on wing 30% longer, while using 30% fewer parts, greatly reducing maintenance. The GEnx’s emissions will be as much as 95% below current regulatory limits, ensuring future compliance. Based on the GE90”s proven architecture and often called its “little brother,” the GEnx combines a number of breakthrough technologies:
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GE and NASA To Begin Wind-Tunnel Testing This Summer of Open Rotor Jet Engine Systems
June 12, 2009
| Basic rendering of an open rotor engine. Source: GE. Click to enlarge. |
Following several months refurbishing a special NASA test rig, GE Aviation and NASA this summer will begin a wind-tunnel test program to evaluate counter-rotating fan-blade systems for open rotor jet engine designs. (Earlier post.)
The testing will be conducted throughout 2009 and early 2010 at wind tunnel facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. This is not a full engine test, but a component rig test to evaluate sub-scale fan systems using GE’s and NASA’s advanced computational tools and data acquisition systems.
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Waggling Air Flow Sideways Over Wings Could Cut Aircraft Fuel Consumption And Emissions by 20%
May 25, 2009
Aircraft wings which redirect air to waggle sideways over their surfaces could significantly reduce drag and thus cut fuel consumption and emissions by 20%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick (UK). The new approach, which promises to dramatically reduce mid-flight drag, exploits Helmholtz resonance—the same phenomenon that happens when blowing over a bottle—to produce micro-scale jet flows in response to turbulent noise.
The main contributor to aerodynamic drag, and thus fuel consumption and emissions, is fine-scale turbulence that exists very near to the aircraft’s surface during cruise. The Turbulence Flow Control group at the University of Warwick has been studying non-powered (passive) flow control actuators as a means of reducing drag for some time, with the goal of developing flow-control technologies capable of major drag reductions on passenger jet aircraft.
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GE Aviation Advancing Next-Generation Engine Core Program eCore
March 15, 2009
GE Aviation is advancing jet propulsion and its next-generation engine core program, called eCore, through several private- and government-funded R&D programs, many with key technology milestones this year. eCore is designed to offer aircraft operators better fuel efficiency and lower emissions over GE’s best engines in operation today. (Earlier post.)
The engine core—comprising the compressor, combustor, and high-pressure turbine—is the heart of a jet engine. To this core, the fan system is attached to complete a jet engine. The fan provides thrust; the core provides the power to operate the fan and some thrust. The eCore program involves testing demonstrator engines and engine hot sections with aggressive technical goals, new materials and 3D aerodynamic designs, unique architectures, as well as advances in electric power and thermal management.
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NASA and Partners Testing Coal and Gas F-T Synthetic Jet Fuels at 100% and 50% Blend
February 02, 2009
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| Sampling tubing and instrumentation control cables laid out on the pavement beside NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory in between synthetic fuels emission and engine performance tests at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. Credit: Tom Tschida, NASA. Click to enlarge. |
The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and 11 other research groups, including researchers from the US Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are testing two synthetic jet fuels derived from gasified coal and natural gas using the Fischer-Tropsch process (Jet CTL and GTL).
The tests for the Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX) are being run through 3 Feb at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California, and are measuring the performance and emissions of the two fuels.
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DARPA Awards SAIC $25M Prime Contract to Develop Algae-Derived JP-8 Fuel
January 26, 2009
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) a prime contract to help develop an affordable alternative to petroleum-derived jet fuel (JP-8) from agricultural and aquacultural feedstock materials.
Under this contract, SAIC will lead a team of industrial and academic organizations to develop an integrated process for producing JP-8 from algae at a cost target of $3/gal. SAIC and its team will develop technologies and processes to help achieve DARPA’s goal including integrating algae strain selection, water and nutrient sourcing, farming, harvesting, separation, triglyceride purification, algal oil processing, and economic modeling and analysis.
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JAL Biofuel Demo Flight First to Use Energy Crop Camelina
December 17, 2008
Japan Airlines (JAL) will be the first airline to conduct a demonstration flight using a sustainable biofuel refined from the energy crop camelina. The demo flight, which will test a blend of 50% biofuel and 50% traditional Jet-A jet (kerosene) fuel in one of the four Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines of a JAL-owned Boeing 747-300 aircraft, is planned for 30 January 2009 out of Haneda Airport, Tokyo.
The biofuel component—a synthetic paraffinic kerosene produced by UOP (earlier post)—will be produced from a mixture of three second-generation biofuel feedstocks: camelina (84%), jatropha (less than 16%), and algae (less than 1%).
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Australia Publishes Aviation Green Paper; Precursor to White Paper on Aviation Strategy in 2009
December 07, 2008
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| Passenger air journeys within and to and from Australia. Click to enlarge. |
The Government of Australia has published an Aviation Green Paper, and is inviting comments on it to be considered in the development of a White Paper in 2009. The Aviation White Paper will be the first attempt to bring all aspects of aviation policy together in a single forward-looking statement.
Australia’s economy is heavily dependent upon aviation, given its vast internal distances and isolation from the rest of the world, says Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The Aviation White Paper will be intended to deliver a blueprint for the long-term, safe and sustainable development of Australian aviation over the next 20 years.
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Bye Energy and Porous Power Partner to Develop Energy Storage Systems for Hybrid-Electric and Electric General Aviation Use
November 22, 2008
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| Sectional view across a typical lithium cell electrode pair modeling hypothetical electrical and ionic resistances with electrolyte solution/gel filling pore spaces. More porous components improve conductivity levels throughout the cell and directly affect power and capacity. Click to enlarge. Source: Beard and Feaver 2006 |
Bye Energy, an integrator of alternative energy and renewable fuel technologies for the business and general aviation sectors, and Porous Power Technologies (PPT), the developer of highly porous, laminable separator membranes for lithium-ion batteries, are collaborating to develop energy storage systems for aviation use.
Bye Energy is developing an electric energy propulsion system that will be used in single- and twin-engine light aircraft. Existing aircraft can be retrofitted with these systems, and new aircraft can be built with either electric system in place.
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Air New Zealand and Boeing Sustainable Biofuels Test Flight Set for 3 December
November 11, 2008
Air New Zealand and Boeing set 3 December as the date for the airline’s sustainable biofuels flight from Auckland using a 747-400 jetliner. Conducted in partnership with Rolls-Royce and UOP, one of the airplane’s four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines will run a 50/50 blend of Jet A-1 and UOP’s “green jet” fuel—a synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) derived from jatropha. (Earlier post.)
Air New Zealand now becomes the first airline to use a commercially viable biofuel sourced using sustainability best practices. Boeing, Air New Zealand and UOP have worked diligently with growers and project developer Terasol Energy to identify sustainable jatropha in adequate quantities to conduct thorough preflight testing.
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Jatropha-Derived Aviation Fuel in Testing at Rolls-Royce; Air NZ Test Flight Targeted for December
November 04, 2008
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| Properties of UOP’s jatropha-based JP-8 military jet fuel as presented earlier this year at AIChE. Click to enlarge. |
The jatropha-derived “green jet” fuel to power one of four engines on a test flight in an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 has arrived at the Rolls-Royce facility in Derby, UK, for testing prior to the flight.
Preliminary data shows the fuel meets all required specifications for use in commercial aviation and a technical team led by Rolls-Royce is now putting the fuel through further validation testing, according to Air New Zealand.
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UOP Receives $1.5M for Pyrolysis Oil Project from DOE
October 29, 2008
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| Stabilized pyrolysis oil serves as a biocrude more easily transported than biomass for further refining to end products. Click to enlarge. |
UOP LLC has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop economically viable technology to stabilize pyrolysis oil from second generation biomass feedstocks for use as a renewable fuel source. The UOP award is one of five made by the DOE in this area. (Earlier post.)
UOP is also investigating a pyrolysis pathway as a component for its work on renewable JP-8 aviation fuel, an element of which is funded by DARPA. (Earlier post.) Although there is no direct linkage from the new DOE funding to the DARPA project, the results of the new effort will provide knowledge that can be used to support the JP-8 and other renewable projects across UOP, according to a company spokesperson.
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Europe Incorporates Aviation into EU Greenhouse Gas Trading System as of 2012
October 26, 2008
The European Council on Friday adopted a directive (doc. 3657/08) that includes aviation activities in the EU greenhouse gas emission allowance trading system (ETS). As of 1 January 2012, all flights arriving at or departing from an EU airport will be included in the scheme.
Operators from all states providing such flights will therefore be included, regardless of whether they are based in the EU. US-based carriers flying to and from Europe, for example, must participate in the ETS. In this context, the EU considers that the new directive is only a first step towards its final goal of a global sectoral agreement concerning the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from aviation.
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NASA Awards Future Commercial Aircraft Research Contracts
October 07, 2008
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| Artist’s rendering of strut-braced wing aircraft—one of the ideas that a Boeing-led team will consider. Click to enlarge. Credit: Boeing |
NASA has awarded research contracts worth a total of $12.4 million to six industry teams to study advanced concepts for subsonic and supersonic commercial transport aircraft that could enter service in 25 to 30 years.
The focus of the studies is on commercial transports that can overcome significant performance and environmental challenges for the benefit of the general public. The work is intended to identify key technology development needs, such as advanced airframes and propulsion systems, as well as breakthroughs that will enable such vehicles to enter service in 2030-2035. The vehicles represent a research and development generation known as “N+3,” denoting three generations beyond the current commercial transport fleet.
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EERC 100% Renewable Biojet Fuel Meets Key JP-8 Standards
September 29, 2008
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| Comparison of the composition of EERC’s renewable JP-8 with conventional petroleum-derived JP-8. Click to enlarge. Source: EERC |
A 100% renewable biojet fuel produced by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) has met seven key JP-8 specification parameters, including freeze point, density, flash point, and energy content. EERC created the fuel samples from multiple renewable feedstocks and submitted them to the US Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) for testing.
The EERC fuel was produced under a $4.7 million contract with the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Biofuel Program. (Earlier post.) DARPA opened up its first Biofuels Broad Agency Announcement (BAA06-43) in July 2006. DARPA also awarded contracts to General Electric (GE) and UOP under this BAA.
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Trans-Pacific ASPIRE Flight 1 Highlights Fuel-Saving Technologies and Procedures
September 20, 2008
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| Among the techniques used by the ASPIRE flight was a slower Cost Index—the calculation of total flight cost based on cost of time en route and cost of fuel. |
A recent Air New Zealand demonstration flight of a Boeing 777 from Auckland, New Zealand to San Francisco, California used a set of innovative and efficient technologies and procedures during all phases of the flight to save flying time, reduce fuel burn, and produce fewer harmful emissions.
According to the ASPIRE (Asia & South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions) partners, the techniques used in ASPIRE Flight 1 saved approximately 1,170 or more gallons US of fuel, and reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 11,000 kg or more. With approximately 156 flights per week between Australia, New Zealand and the United States and Canada, the potential annual savings are in excess of 10 million gallons US of fuel or reduced CO2 emissions of more than 100,000 tonnes.
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Solazyme Produces Drop-In Algal-Derived Jet Fuel That Meets ASTM D1655 Specs
September 09, 2008
Solazyme Inc. has produced an algal-derived aviation kerosene that passes eleven of the most challenging specifications required to meet the ASTM D1655 (Jet A) standard for Aviation Turbine Fuel, according to testing by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).
The tested areas included the key measurements for density, thermal oxidative stability, flashpoint, freezing point, distillation and viscosity among others. The testing, said SwRI, provided initial insight into the status of the Solazyme process and fuel prior to a formal qualification program. The formal qualification process will continue with a more extensive analysis by performing fit for purpose (FFP) testing. FFP testing requires a thorough analysis of the chemical makeup, gross and trace.
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Concept: Moller International Designs a PHEV with Short Flight Capability
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| Model of the Autovolantor. |
Moller International has completed the design of a 2-passenger sportscar capable of lifting off vertically and flying for about 15 minutes. Called the “autovolantor”, it is designed to function on the road very much like a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) until one gets stuck in traffic. At that point, it can lift off vertically and fly at up to 150 mph for a short distance. Upon landing it can drive on the ground for up to 40 miles or longer using one of its eight Rotapower engines (earlier post) to generate electrical power.
Moller International received a request to design this vehicle from a wealthy foreign businessman who was unable to commute from the city to his country home due to the overcrowded streets of Moscow.
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Arizona State Spins Out Technology for Algal Bio-Kerosene for Jet Fuel
September 03, 2008
Arizona State University (ASU) has entered into a research and commercialization collaboration with Heliae Development, LLC and Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) to develop, produce and sell bio-kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae.
This biofuel project will focus on the commercial production of kerosene from algae using patented technologies developed by Professors Qiang Hu and Milton Sommerfeld at ASU’s Laboratory for Algae Research & Biotechnology. The research efforts of Hu and Sommerfeld in algal-based biofuels and biomaterials have already moved from the laboratory to field pilot-scale demonstration and production.
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China Lake Researchers Develop Potential Biobutanol Pathway for Synthetic Jet Fuel
July 29, 2008
Researchers at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake, California have developed an efficient batch catalysis process for the conversion of 1-butene (C4H8)—easily derived from butanol (C4H10O)—to a new class of potential synthetic jet fuel blends, with a specific focus on the requirements for the Navy’s JP-5. JP-5 has a significantly higher flash point (60°C) in comparison to the Air Force JP-8 and commercial jet fuel (~38°C).
The resulting product developed by the team of Michael Wright, Benjamin Harvey, and Roxanne Quintana is 100% iso-paraffinic, meets flash point and cold-flow requirements, and has a calculated power density (per volume) higher than similar fuels made by the GTL Fischer-Tropsch process. They report on their work in an ASAP paper published online 29 July 2008 in the journal Energy & Fuels.
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ASTM to Consider Adding 50% F-T Blend to Jet Fuel Specification: Work on Hydrotreated Fats and Oils Also Underway
July 16, 2008
ASTM International’s Subcommittee D02.J0.01 on Jet Fuel Specifications will consider a ballot to include Fischer-Tropsch-derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) for use in blending in jet fuels at levels up to 50% in the jet fuel specification ASTM D1655 when the supporting research report is available, estimated to be later this month.
While ASTM does not approve new aviation fuel formulations—that is the domain of the FAA and the aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)—it does recognize aviation approvals by incorporating them into specifications. ASTM also is able to assemble diverse experts to advise approval authorities regarding issues relevant to new fuel formulations.
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CFM Introduces LEAP-X Turbofan Program; Working in Parallel on Open Rotor Engine
July 14, 2008
At the Farnborough Air Show in the UK, CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint venture between Snecma (SAFRAN Group) and General Electric Company, introduced LEAP-X (Leading-Edge Aviation Propulsion), an entirely new baseline turbofan engine for current narrow-body aircraft that offers up to a 16% reduction in fuel burn.
In parallel, the company is also working on an open rotor engine that would deliver even greater fuel efficiency benefits.
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Pratt & Whitney Launches Biofuels Research Program for Small- and Medium-Sized Aircraft Engines
July 13, 2008
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is leading a four-year aerospace industry-university research program to investigate the potential use of biofuels from non-food sources for small- and medium-size aviation engine applications. These could include jatropha- and algae-derived biofuels, as well as biobutanol, to power aircraft engines.
The objectives for the project include identifying and assessing appropriate biofuels, studying their effect on engine components such as combustors and fuel systems, developing appropriate technologies and design changes to accommodate them, and conducting tests comparing current jet fuels with first-generation ethanol, as well as second-generation biofuels.
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GE Launches New Engine Core for Commercial Airplanes; Targeting 16% Improvement in Fuel Efficiency
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| The core of a jet engine provides power to operate the fan and some thrust. Click to enlarge. Source: GE Aviation |
GE Aviation has launched a new engine core program, called “eCore,” as the technology cornerstone for a new generation of jet engines for narrow-body, regional, and business jets with 200 passengers and fewer. The program is designed to offer aircraft operators up to 16% better fuel efficiency over GE’s best engines in operation today.
The engine core—comprising the compressor, combustor, and high-pressure turbine—is the heart of a jet engine. To this core, the fan system is attached to complete a jet engine. The fan provides thrust; the core provides the power to operate the fan and some thrust.
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FAA and X PRIZE Foundation to Develop Renewable Jet Fuel Competition
July 10, 2008
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the X PRIZE Foundation, which awarded $10 million in 2004 to the first private team to launch a manned spacecraft into suborbital space, will lead a competition to develop a renewable alternative to jet fuel. (Earlier post.) The terms of the competition and the amount of the prize will be determined in the coming months.
The FAA, in association with the US Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, established this project to drive the development of renewable aviation fuel technology. The X PRIZE Foundation has been selected to identify a method for incentivizing the development of these fuels and technologies and to devise a strategy to implement the prize incentive model in coordination with NextGen efforts.
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Boeing and Skyhook to Partner on Heavy-Lift Neutrally-Buoyant Rotorcraft
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| The JHL-40. |
The Boeing Company and SkyHook International Inc. are teaming to develop the JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter), a new commercial heavy-lift neutrally-buoyant rotorcraft designed to address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials in remote regions. Boeing has received the first increment of a multiyear contract from SkyHook to develop the new aircraft.
A helium-filled envelope is sized to support the weight of the vehicle and fuel without payload. With the empty weight of the aircraft supported by the envelope, the lift generated by four rotors is dedicated solely to lifting the payload, leaving the aircraft neutrally buoyant. The JHL-40’s capacity is approximately twice that of the current largest vertical lift (the MI-26 helicopter).
