Aviation
[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.]
Swift Enterprises Introduces Synthetic Hydrocarbon General Aviation Fuel from Biomass
May 09, 2008
Swift Enterprises Ltd. has unveiled a new patented synthetic hydrocarbon general aviation fuel—SwiftFuel—that is produced from biomass.
SwiftFuel meets or exceeds the standards for aviation fuel as verified by nationally recognized laboratories, said co-founder John Rusek, a professor in Purdue University’s School of Astronautics and Aeronautics Engineering and research director for Swift. Rusek said the fuel can provide an effective range (distance between refueling) greater than petroleum while its projected cost is half that of the current petroleum manufacturing cost.
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Airbus Forecasts World Aircraft Fleet to More than Double by 2026; Passenger Traffic to Grow 4.9% Per Year
April 27, 2008
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| Airbus forecasts a more than doubling of the world’s passenger aircraft fleet by 2026. Click to enlarge. |
Airbus’s Global Market Forecast (GMF) for 2007 through 2026 expects world passenger traffic to increase by 4.9% per annum and the number of frequencies offered on passenger routes to more than double. This growth is buoyed by the continuing growth of emerging economic nations.
Accordingly, Airbus projects that the world’s commercial aircraft fleet, including both passenger (from 100 seats to very large aircraft, VLA) and freighter aircraft, will grow from 14,980 at the end of 2006 to nearly 33,000 by 2026. While passenger traffic demand will nearly triple, airlines will more than double their fleets of passenger aircraft (with more than 100 seats) from 13,284 in 2006 to 28,534 in 2026.
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Sasol 100% CTL Synthetic Jet Fuel Approved for Use Internationally in Commercial Aviation
April 09, 2008
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| Sasol’s synthetic jet fuel is derived from four synthetic streams: Iso-paraffinic kerosene, Heavy naptha kerosene, Light distillate #1 and Naptha #2. Click to enlarge. |
Sasol’s synthetic jet fuel, produced by its proprietary Coal to Liquids (CTL) process, has received approval for full, unblended use in international commercial aviation. Sasol’s fully synthetic jet fuel (FSJF) is the first such fuel to be approved.
For the past nine years, Sasol has supplied a semi-synthetic jet fuel—a mixture of CTL components with petroleum-derived kerosene—to international airlines operating from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Based on the success of the alternative fuel blend and following a several-year period of testing and evaluation, international aviation fuel authorities including the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MoD), governing the Defence Standard DEFSTAN 91-91, approved Sasol’s fully synthetic jet fuel as Jet A-1 fuel for commercial use in all types of turbine aircraft.
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US Air Force Heading Initiative on Lifecycle Emissions Inventory for Fuels
The US Air Force (USAF) is convening a working group comprising government, private industry, academia and environmental organizations to begin discussions on how to develop a comprehensive lifecycle inventory of various aviation fuels from alternative sources, including the Fischer-Tropsch coal to liquids fuels being tested in USAF aircraft.
The resulting consortium would be an initial step in what William Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, describes as a much larger and more comprehensive project to develop lifecycle inventories for all energy sources to enable industry and government to make informed purchasing decisions.
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Boeing Flies Hydrogen Fuel Cell Airplane
April 04, 2008
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| Fuel cell airplane in flight. |
Boeing has flown a manned airplane powered by a 20 kW hydrogen fuel cell stack—an aviation first. The recent milestone is the work of an engineering team at Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE) in Madrid, with assistance from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Earlier post.)
A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe. Built by Diamond Aircraft Industries of Austria, it was modified by BR&TE to include a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor coupled to a conventional propeller.
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Continental Airlines, Boeing and GE Aviation Plan Biofuel Flight Test in 2009
March 13, 2008
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| The widely-used CFM56-7B engine is the target for the Continental-Boeing-GE biofuel flight test. Click to enlarge. |
Continental Airlines, Boeing and GE Aviation plan to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009 as part of an ongoing effort in the aviation industry to identify sustainable alternative fuel solutions. Continental is the first major US carrier to engage in such flight testing to highlight technological advancements in sustainable biofuels that can help to reduce carbon emissions.
The Continental Airlines biofuel flight will use a Boeing Next-Generation 737 equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines, using a blend of between 20%-50% of a second-generation biofuel in one engine. CFM is a 50/50 joint company of General Electric Company and Snecma (SAFRAN Group).
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Rolls-Royce Wins $2.6B Trent 1000 Order from Virgin Atlantic; The Two Launch Joint Environment Initiative
March 03, 2008
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| Cutaway of the Trent 1000. Click to enlarge. |
Rolls-Royce won a $2.6 billion order for its Trent 1000 engines and associated services from Virgin Atlantic (VA). The company is also forming an environmental partnership with the airline to cut carbon emissions.
The Trent 1000 is the launch engine for all versions of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (earlier post), which enters service in 2009. The VA order is for Trent 1000s to power up to 43 Boeing 787s and consists of 15 firm aircraft plus eight options and a further 20 purchase rights. VA will take delivery of its first Trent-powered 787 in 2011.
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Virgin Atlantic Uses Biojet Fuel Blend in 747 Test Flight; Babassu and Coconut Oil as Feedstocks
February 24, 2008
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| Earlier testing by Boeing indicated that biojet fuels blended at 20 percent with Jet-A appear to pass the jet fuel thermal stability (JFTOT) requirement, and is much improved over the results for B100 biodiesel. Click to enlarge. |
Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables, a leading biodiesel producer based in Seattle, Washington, successfully flight tested a Boeing 747 equipped with GE engines today using a 20% blend of a biojet fuel derived from babassu and coconut oil in one engine. No modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines to enable the flight to take place.
The flight marked the first in-flight demonstration of a biofuel in a large commercial jet. Earlier in February, Airbus launched its alternative fuel research program with the 3-hour flight of an Airbus 380 between the UK and France fueled by a Gas to Liquids (GTL) blend. (Earlier post.) Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce also plan a biofuel demonstration flight in the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines. (Earlier post.)
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Milner to Introduce E-REV Prototype Alongside Flying Car Prototype at New York International Auto Show
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| The prototype ElectriCar. |
Milner Motors is introducing an initial driving prototype of the Milner ElectriCar—an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle, E-REV) alongside the prototype Milner Motors AirCar at the New York International Auto Show.
The ElectriCar, based on the same basic design developed for the AirCar, is a four-door, lightweight vehicle designed to cruise 100 miles (161 km) on power from an 11 kWh battery pack at speeds up to 85 mph. For trips greater than 100 miles, the batteries will be charged en route by a small gasoline-powered generator, currently spec’d as a 125cc, 15hp unit. Two 48V DC motors will provide 40 hp peak, 15 hp continuous power.
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DOT Seeking Better Ways to Drive Development of Alternative Aviation Fuel Technology
February 01, 2008
The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), part of the US Department of Transportation (DOT), has issued a Broad Agency Announcement seeking research that would help it determine the best methods to drive the development of alternative aviation fuel technology. Options could include a technology prize along the lines of the Ansari X Prize.
The US Federal Government is developing a broad US aviation system upgrade plan called NEXTGEN to accommodate an expected tripling of US air traffic by the year 2025. NEXTGEN seeks to improve aviation industry efficiency from the engine to the cockpit to overall air traffic management. The FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy (AEE) has determined that two main research initiatives under its purview will contribute to the success of NEXTGEN: 1) improvements in aviation fuel-burn modeling; and 2) alternative aviation fuel technology development.
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Conventional Light Aircraft with Electric Motor Makes First Flight; Channel Crossing Planned for 2009
January 04, 2008
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| The Electra in flight. |
A conventional light aircraft propelled by an 18 kW electric motor powered by lithium polymer batteries made its first flight late in December in France. The 48-minute flight of the “Electra” covered more than 50 kilometers (31 miles).
The single-seater, based on a Sourciette kit aircraft, is the product of APAME (Association pour la Promotion des Aéronefs à Motorisation Électrique, Association to Promote Electrical Aircraft), with the support of a number of partners.
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NASA Sponsoring 2008 General Aviation Technology Challenge; First Green Prize for PAVs
December 29, 2007
NASA and the non-profit CAFE Foundation have partnered to create a new Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs) Challenge for 2008 to advance five vital General Aviation Technologies: noise reduction, fuel efficiency, speed, safety and ease of use of the PAVs.
As part of the $300,000 General Aviation Technology Challenge next summer in Santa Rosa, California, NASA will fund the first Green Prize for PAVs. The CAFE Foundation is the flight test agency selected by NASA to conduct the event, and has published details and the official competition rules on its website.
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European Environment Ministers Agree on Aviation GHG Scheme
December 21, 2007
European Union Environment Ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday reached political agreement on a draft directive that includes aviation in the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) for greenhouse gases. The Environment Council noted that the directive does not affect other means of addressing climate change through a comprehensive approach based on improved technology and utilization of aircraft.
Under the council’s directive, all airlines flying to and from EU members states would join the scheme in 2012. An earlier proposal from the European Commission suggested that international flights be given an extra year. (Earlier post.) Non-EU countries, such as the US, have suggested that legal action may result if Europe tries to force compliance with such a unilateral directive.
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Pratt & Whitney Begins Ground Testing on Geared Turbofan Demonstrator Engine Ahead of Schedule; Targeting 12%+ Improvements in Fuel Burn
November 15, 2007
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| The geared turbofan uses a special drive gear system to allow the fan to operate at a different speed from that of the low-pressure compressor and turbine. Click to enlarge. |
Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF) demonstrator engine successfully completed its first ground test, ahead of schedule, at the company’s advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The full-scale demonstrator engine successfully started and ran, marking the beginning of a ground test program that will run through May 2008.
The Geared Turbofan engine targets a more than 12% improvement in fuel burn with significant reductions in engine noise, environmental emissions and operating costs. In a Geared Turbofan engine, a state-of-the-art fan drive gear system allows the engine’s fan to operate at a speed different from that of the low-pressure compressor and turbine, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed which results in less noise.
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Chevron and NREL to Collaborate on Research to Produce Transportation Fuels, Including Jet Fuel, using Algae
October 31, 2007
Chevron Corporation and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have entered into a collaborative research and development agreement to study and advance technology to produce liquid transportation fuels using algae.
Chevron and NREL scientists will collaborate to identify and develop algae strains that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels, such as jet fuel. Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron USA, will fund the initiative.
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C-17 Flight Uses Fischer-Tropsch Fuel Blend in All Four Engines
October 27, 2007
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| C-17 taxis out for first flight on synthetic fuel blend. |
A C-17 Globemaster III took off 22 October on a flight using a 50:50 blend of Fischer-Tropsch synthetic and JP-8 fuels in all four fuel tanks.
The fuel used was essentially the same fuel blend used in the earlier B-52H tests (earlier post) except for the manufacturer. The C-17 used a Shell blend, while the B-52 used a blend from Syntroleum Corp.
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Boeing Tests HALE Hydrogen Propulsion System Based On 2.3-Liter Ford Hydrogen Engine
October 25, 2007
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| Artist’s rendering of the High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft. Click to enlarge. Source: Boeing |
The Boeing Company successfully tested the hydrogen propulsion system, based on a Ford 2.3-liter, four-cylinder hydrogen combustion engine, for its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft.
During the test, the engine ran for nearly four days in a controlled chamber at Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Va., including a total of three days that simulated conditions at 65,000 feet. The propulsion system included a multi-stage turbocharged internal combustion engine and its associated subsystems.
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Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce Announce Biofuel Flight Demo
September 28, 2007
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| CO2 emissions are lower for biofuels and higher for most other alternatives than Jet fuel according to an analysis by Boeing, MTU Aero Engines and NASA. Click to enlarge. |
Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce announced a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight designed to help accelerate the development of viable and sustainable alternative fuels for commercial aviation uses. Boeing is exploring second-generation biofuel feedstocks and processes that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases throughout their entire lifecycle.
The demonstration flight is planned for the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines. Boeing is in discussions with fuel-source providers around the globe to identify potential biofuels that are available in suitable quantities for laboratory and jet-engine performance testing and in compliance with stringent aviation requirements.
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New Material for Aircraft Wings Could Lead to Reduced Fuel Consumption
September 26, 2007
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| The CentrAl construction. Click to enlarge. |
A new special aluminum-fiber combination material (Central Reinforced Aluminum, CentrAl) for aircraft wings that makes them nearly immune to metal fatigue could contribute significantly to lower fuel consumption by reducing the weight of conventional constructions.
Fatigue is a phenomenon that affects materials after long-term exposure to cyclic loading. As a result of varying loads, fractures eventually occur. The new CentrAl constructions are stronger than the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) constructions that have recently been used in aircraft wings such as the Boeing 787. By using CentrAl wing constructions, the weight can be reduced by 20% compared to CFRP constructions. Furthermore, using CentrAl results in considerably lower manufacturing and maintenance costs.
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GE Honda Aero Engines Begins Full Engine Testing of HF120
September 17, 2007
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| HF120 full demonstrator engine with funnel. |
GE Honda Aero Engines has begun testing the first full HF120 demonstration engine (including maximum thrust levels) at Honda’s Aircraft Engine R&D Center in Japan. The HF120 is the current engine under development for the light jet HondaJet. (Earlier post.)
The GE Honda HF120 engine was formally launched in October 2006 when it was selected to power both the HondaJet advanced light jet and the Spectrum Aeronautical Freedom business jet. HF120 certification is targeted for 2009, with entry into service on both aircraft scheduled to begin in 2010.
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NetJets Launches Climate Initiative, Funding for Low Net GHG Synthetic Jet Fuel Project
September 14, 2007
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| Petroleum-based jet fuel is a mixture comprising approximately 20% n-paraffins, 40% iso-paraffins, 20% naphthenes (cycloparaffins), and 20% aromatics. Click to enlarge. Source: Air Force Research Laboratory |
NetJets, a private aviation company serving the US and Europe, has launched a multi-faceted initiative to reduce the environmental impact of aviation, including funding research to develop a synthetic jet fuel with ultra-low net emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) through The Next Generation Jet Fuel Project at Princeton University with the University of California, Davis.
The initiative, which was introduced by NetJets Inc. Chairman & CEO Richard Santulli, and which will be expanded in the coming months, also focuses on improving operational efficiency, reducing carbon emissions from internal operations by 10% over the next two years, and fully offsetting remaining carbon emissions from internal operations. The offset portfolio will also be available to NetJets Owners so they can offset their flights.
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Study: Proposed EU Aviation Carbon Pricing Schemes “Wholly Inadequate”
September 04, 2007
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| 450ppmv cumulative carbon dioxide emission profiles for the EU25 and three aviation emissions scenarios leading up to 2012—the current planned date for the including aviation in the ETS. Click to enlarge. |
Current proposals to include aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will have very little impact on reducing aviation’s contribution to climate change in a 450ppmv CO2 pathway designed to keep warming at or below a 2°C threshold, according to a new report by the Tyndall Centre in the UK.
The new report—Aviation in a Low-Carbon EU—investigates to what extent EU proposals to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme would help deliver a low-carbon EU future. The EU plans to include aviation in the EU ETS from 2011 for intra-EU flights, with all flights departing from or arriving in the EU included from 2012.
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Researchers Exploring New Refinery-Based Coal-to-Liquids Pathways for Jet Fuel and Other Products
August 20, 2007
Researchers at Penn State University are investigating several coal-to-liquid processes that differ from traditional direct (Bergius) and indirect (Fischer-Tropsch) liquefaction. The new pathways could introduce coal-derived chemicals or coal into existing oil refinery operations for the production of end products including jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, heating oil and carbon anodes.
The primary focus of the work, which is funded by the Department of Energy, is the development of a coal-based replacement for conventional jet fuel. The coal-to-jet fuel work is in the pilot-plant stage, but along with the jet fuel, the processes produce other hydrocarbon products. For every eight barrels of a Jet A equivalent, the process produces a half barrel of fuel oil, one barrel of diesel and a half barrel of gasoline.
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US Air Force Selects Rolls-Royce for Adaptive Aircraft Engine Project
August 17, 2007
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| ADVENT is one element in a much larger effort to reduce the rapidly rising fuel intensity of war. Shown is a plot of daily fuel consumption per soldier for different conflicts. Click to enlarge. Source: Defense Science Board Task Force on DOD Energy Strategy |
The US Air Force has selected Rolls-Royce as one of two vendors to develop technology for the US Air Force’s ADVENT (Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology) program, designed to produce a next-generation engine for military aircraft. The Group’s LibertyWorks research unit at Indianapolis, US will carry out the work. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced the agreement, which is valued at up to $296 million over two phases of the program.
Earlier this year, AFRL’s Propulsion Directorate issued a Broad Agency Announcement calling for industry to develop the ADVENT engine. The program’s goals are to develop inlet, engine and exhaust technologies that optimize propulsion system performance over a broad range of altitude and speed that will enable pilots to switch effortlessly from high speed combat maneuvers to long-range persistence mode. In other words, the engine will offer both a high-thrust capability and a separate loiter operation with reduced fuel consumption.
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US Air Force Certifies 50% Blend of Fischer-Tropsch and JP-8 Fuel for all B-52H Aircraft; All Airframes to be Certified by 2011
August 12, 2007
The US Air Force has certified a 50:50 blend of Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel and JP-8 for use on all B-52H aircraft. The announcement by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne marked the formal conclusion of testing on this aircraft. The Air Force plans to test and certify every airframe to fly on a domestically produced synthetic fuel blend by early 2011.
The B-52H was chosen as the test platform because of key advantages such as its eight engines. The fuel system can simultaneously isolate, carry and manage both a test fuel and the standard JP-8 fuel. (Earlier post.)
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X-48B Blended Wing Body Research Aircraft Makes First Flight; Potential for Fuel Savings
August 09, 2007
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| The blended wing X-48B on the ground. |
A prototype blended wing body (BWB) research aircraft—the X-48B—developed by Boeing, NASA’s Fundamental Aeronautics Program, and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, recently made its first flight.
The Boeing BWB design resembles a flying wing, but differs in that the wing blends smoothly into a wide, flat, tailless fuselage. This fuselage blending helps to get additional lift with less drag compared to a circular fuselage.
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Sonex Aircraft and AeroConversions Show Electric Propulsion System for Sport Aircraft
July 26, 2007
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| The basic elements of the E-Flight electric propulsion system. Click to enlarge. |
At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007, Sonex Aircraft and AeroConversions Products introduced their E-Flight Initiative, including a proof-of-concept prototype electric powerplant installed in a Waiex airframe. (Earlier post.)
The most significant portion of E-Flight is the development of the electric motor powerplant, controller, battery pack and charging system. The companies’ goal is to determine the feasibility of commercializing a line of electric Sonex and AeroConversions products.
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Boeing Rolls Out the 787 Dreamliner; New Jet Offers 20% Reduction in Fuel Consumption
July 09, 2007
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| The 787 makes its debut. Click to enlarge. |
Boeing rolled out the first 787 Dreamliner—the first of its new family of mid-size commercial jetliners, the first with composite material primary structures—on Sunday. The version making the debut was the 787-8. With a passenger capacity of 210 to 250 and a range of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), the 787-8 will use 20% less fuel than any other current airplane of its size.
Boeing has already committed to a 787-3 version optimized for shorter routes, and the 787-9, a slightly longer version of the airplane that will carry more people on longer range flights. ANA and Japan Airlines have ordered 43 787-3s for domestic operations in Japan. Deliveries of this model will start in early 2010. Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Continental, and Qantas are among the 11 customers with orders for 115 787-9s.
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UOP To Develop Technology to Produce Bio JP-8 for Military Jets
June 28, 2007
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| The UOP/Eni Ecofining process supports the possible co-production of propane, naphtha, and high quality jet fuel. Click to enlarge. |
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, will accelerate research and development on renewable energy technology to convert vegetable and algal oils to fuels for military jets.
The goal of the project, which is backed by $6.7 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is to develop and to commercialize a process to produce Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8)—used by US and NATO militaries—from biofeedstocks. This is UOP’s first project with DARPA.
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NASA Selects Reaction Design to Develop Fuel Models for Alternative Jet Fuels
June 27, 2007
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| Sample CHEMKIN output. Click to enlarge. |
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Reaction Design, a leader in combustion simulation technology, to develop fuel models for simulating the operation of jet engines with alternative fuels.
The two-year project will be led by Reaction Design with experimental support from researchers at the University of Southern California. The project will develop detailed chemical kinetics models and validate them with experimental data to allow prediction of important parameters related to ignition, extinction, and pollutant formation for Fischer-Tropsch fuels and biofuels for both commercial and military jet engines.
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Europe Launches Major €1.6B Research Project for Greener Aviation
June 22, 2007
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| The scope of the Clean Sky JTI. Click to enlarge. |
At the Paris Air Show, European Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik launched the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative. The Clean Sky JTI is a major public/private partnership to develop technology by 2015 that can reduce aviation CO2 emissions by 40%; NOx emissions by 60%; and noise by 50%. (Earlier post.)
The longer-term goal for 2020 is a 50% reduction in CO2 and an 80% reduction in NOx. Clean Sky will address three primary aircraft categories—long range, regional and rotorcraft—as well as overall engines and systems.
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Successful Initial Test of 30% Biofuel Blend in Commercial Jet Engine
June 18, 2007
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| The CFM56-7B. |
CFM International has successfully carried out an initial test of a CFM56-7B engine using an ester-type biofuel at Snecma’s Villaroche facility near Paris. The CFM56-7B is the exclusive engine for the Boeing Next-Generation Single-aisle airliner: 737-600/-700/-800/-900. Thrust ranges from 18,500 to 27,300 lbs.
The biofuel used for this test is a 30% vegetable oil methyl ester blended with 70% conventional Jet-A1 fuel. This test was designed to check the operation of a jet engine using a fuel made from biomass, without making any technical changes to the engine.
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IATA Director General Calls for a Zero Emissions Future for Aviation
June 08, 2007
The Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued four challenges to drive the air transport industry towards a vision of zero-emissions aviation.
Giovanni Bisignani stated that the environmental track record of the industry over the past four decades has been good, with noise reduced by 70%, soot eliminated and fuel efficiency improved by 70%. The billions being invested in new aircraft now will make the global fleet 25% more fuel efficient by 2020. “But,” he said:
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Defense Department Contracts for 315,000 Gallons of Fischer-Tropsch Jet Fuel; Air Force Targeting 50% Synfuel Use (Domestic) by 2016
June 07, 2007
The US Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) has awarded a contract for 315,000 gallons of synthetic jet fuel to Shell Oil Products. The estimated contract value is approximately $1.1 million and the period of delivery is 1-31 August 2007.
This purchase supports the US Air Force Synthetic Fuel Initiative, which is evaluating Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthetic jet fuels for use in military aircraft. The Air Force began its test program in September 2006 when it flew a B-52 with two of eight engines using a gas-to-liquids F-T fuel supplied by Syntroleum, mixed at a 50/50 ratio with military jet fuel. (Earlier post.)
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AlgoDyne Launches Biofuel Projects in Brazil; Algae-Based Bio-Kerosene for Aviation Leads the List
June 06, 2007
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| Algae ponds the size of Maryland would be able to supply the world’s aviation fleet with bio-jet fuel according to a Boeing/NASA study. Click to enlarge. |
AlgoDyne Ethanol Energy Corp. is a series of biofuels initiatives in Brazil, led by Chief Technology Officer Prof. Hans-Jürgen Franke.
AlgoDyne’s Brazilian office, to be located in Aracaju-SE Brazil, will lead planned algae-based bio-kerosene projects with airlines, as well as integrating the company’s processes through joint ventures with several of Brazil’s states. Prof. Franke will also be responsible for establishing a planned nursery of jatropha plants and the development of a pilot plant for ethanol production with algae in 2007.
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EU Project Developing Fuel-Cell Powered Inter-City Aircraft
June 01, 2007
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| Jihlavan Airplanes Rapid 200. Jihlavan is one of the project partners. |
A European research project, led by Turin Polytechnic University, is designing a fuel-cell powered, manned inter-city aircraft.
The Environmentally Friendly Inter-City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells (ENFICA-FC) project will receive €2.9 million (US$3.9 million) in funding from the European Union as part of the aeronautics and space priority of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).
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Sandia and Boeing Collaborate on Aircraft Fuel Cell Application
May 30, 2007
Sandia National Laboratories and Boeing are collaborating on a project to look at the feasibility of using a hydrogen-powered fuel cell to provide backup power in aircraft.
Commercial and military aircraft use a variety of techniques to provide backup electrical power to critical subsystems during emergency scenarios. Depending on the aircraft, these may include dedicated battery power, in-flight operation of the auxiliary power unit, a ram air turbine, or other technologies.
