Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in a Compression-Ignition Piston Aircraft Engine

Abstract

Sustainable aviation fuels are seen as a key factor in achieving an effective reduction in net CO₂ emissions in the aviation sector. Therefore, the current focus of research is on so-called ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuels’ (SAFs) and hydrogen (H₂). While the majority of research to date has focused on jet engines, this presentation will address at the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs and H₂) in compression-ignition piston engines for general aviation. In the first part of the paper, the setup of a flying laboratory in an aircraft is presented, in which various HEFA fuel blends (ASTM D7566, Annex A2) are tested under real flight conditions. Combustion parameters and efficiency are analyzed in comparison to conventional kerosene (Jet A-1 according to ASTM D1655). The second part applies on the development of a hydrogen-kerosene dual-fuel combustion process on the engine test bench. The focus is on optimizing the combustion process – maximizing hydrogen energy shares and increasing efficiency – and the impact on emissions and combustion parameters at relevant operating points.