Discussion Meeting on Algae based Bio-Fuels

for
Aerospace Applications

By
S . Ramamurthy
National Aerospace Laboratories
Bangalore-560 017

9 November2011

CONTENTS
OBJECTIVE
WORLD SENARIO ON POLLUTION
EFFECTS OF POLLUTION
COMPONENTS PRODUCING POLLUTION
CHARCATERIZATION OF AIRCRAFT COMBUSTOR
TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE POLLUTION
ALTERNATE FUELS
NAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIO FUELS
ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIORNMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES DGCA
CONCLUSIONS

OBJECTIVE
DO WE NEED ALTERNATE GREEN FUEL ???
YES
WHY WE NEED???
JUSTIFIED
WHAT FUEL???

CENTURY DIFFERENCE

4000shp, 72PAX,1650km 500km/h

127000kgs, 555 PAX,14800km,1065km/hr
RR+GE+P&W

Wright Brothers' Aircraft (1903)

275kgs,36m,12s

THE PROBLEM

Man-made (anthropogenic) CO2 emissions have a deleterious

effect on the environment because they contribute to
excessive concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the
atmosphere which cause global warming

THE PROBLEM
Many areas of the world
are experiencing climate
change believed to be
caused by the blanket of
GHGs surrounding the
Earths atmosphere
Greenland
Losing ice faster than it can be replaced

Alaskan Coastal Villages

2,000 year existence is threatened by
warming water and tidal erosion

THE PROBLEM
Aircraft CO emissions
account for only 2% of
total global CO
emissions but have
increased by 87% since
1990
2

THE PROBLEM
Projection: rise in
aircraft emissions will
accompany rise in
passengers
228 million passengers in 2005
465 million passengers in 2030

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FOR TRANSPORTATION

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FOR AVIATION

IMPACT OF AVIATION EMISSION AND NOISE

HOW DO AVIATION-RELATED EMISSIONS AFFECT THE CLIMATE?

Green House Gases (GHG)
Trap heat from the sun in the earths atmosphere, making the Earth
habitable. Excess amounts of GHGs make the earth too warm

Carbon Dioxide
Known global warmer: released in large quantities that linger longer
than others

Nitrogen Oxides
Produces harmful ozone with sunlight but beneficially reduces
methane

Water Vapor
Helps form condensation trails at high altitudes

Sulphate Particles
Reflect radiation

Soot Particles
Absorb heat

Aircraft Pollution
Aircraft pollute more than any other mode of transportation per passenger
Aircraft
191 grams of CO2

Car
143 grams of CO2

Train
43 grams of CO2

CO2 emissions released during round-trip flight = heating a home for a year

WHAT HAPPENS IN UPPER ATMOSPHERE?

According to the IPCC, aviation produces 2-4 times more pollution

than other industries because of place of pollution: high altitudes
IPCC-Inter government climate change

Airplane condensation trails (contrails) across the English Channel

AEROENGINE

COMBUSTOR IN AIRCRAFT GAS TURBINE

A combustor is a component of a gas turbine engine where combustion takes
place. It is also known as a burner or flame can.
In a gas turbine engine, the main combustor or combustion chamber is fed high
pressure air by the compression system and feeds the hot, high pressure exhaust
into the turbine components of the engine.
Combustors play a crucial role in many engine characteristics, including the fuel
efficiency of the engine and the level of emissions created by the engine.

FUNCTION OF COMBUSTION CHAMBER

To add energy to the system to power the turbines, and produce a high velocity gas to
exhaust through the nozzle in aircraft applications.
Completely combust the fuel
Low pressure loss across the combustor
The flame (combustion) must be held (contained) inside of the combustor.
Uniform exit temperature profile.
Small physical size and weight.
Wide range of operation
Environmental low emissions

AERO ENGINE COMBUSTOR CHARCTERIZATION

1. SPRAY QUALITY (Sauter Mean Diameter-SMD)
2. COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY (Fuel Energy Utilization)
3. TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION-Pattern factor
4. EMISSION Exhaust Gas Composition

COMPONENTS OF EMISSIONS
Five major components
Smoke
Carbon Dioxide (CO2),
Carbon monoxide(CO),
Unburned hydrocarbons (UHC),
Nitrogen oxides (Nox)

Composition

TYPICAL

NOX
CO2
UHC
SMOKE

620
850
360
10

34
46
20
<1

Values are in mg/SHP

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization

CAEP Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection

NOx Emissions

Emission Metric (Dp/Foo)

Despite this progress in fuel efficiency, the aviation industry must

make considerable efforts to reduce absolute CO2 emissions

FUEL BURN

Improvements in fuel burn are dramatically more important than EMC

Improvements to fuel burn are 10 times more powerful than those to
Engine Maintenance costs

Technologies Can Further Reduce

Emissions
Alternative Fuels:
Biokerosene

TRUST

LIFT
(aerodynamic)

FUTURE

AIRCRAFT

DRAG
(aerodynamic)

(propusion efficiency)

Advanced Systems:
More Electric
Advanced Avionics and
Flight Control

Aerodynamics:
CFD
MDO
Wing/Fuselage Design

WEIGHT
(structural efficiency)

Advanced Structures:
Composites
Metallic
Advanced Materials

REQUIREMENT FOR FUEL

Environmentally sustainable
Not compete with existing food resources
Drop-in replacement for traditional jet fuel
Cost competitive

The airline industry seeks to develop non-food bio fuel which will offer
aircraft cheaper fuel without affecting global food supplies

Convert biological material into renewable jet fuel that performs

identically to traditional fuels while meeting the stringent performance
specifications for flight.

FACTORS ALTERNATIVE FUEL OPTIONS

There are a number of alternative fuel options for aviation.
Main criteria for optimum fuel efficiency:
Aircraft need to be lightweight and have low drag (as well as efficient engines and
wings)
Aircraft fuel needs to have a high energy content per unit volume and weight
Most important - must remain liquid at low temperatures

PROPULSION DIVISION AT NAL

Has capability for characterizing and testing of bio fuels on aerospace combustors
Versatile large scale combustion test rigs
Aircraft combustors can be tested at flight conditions using bio jet fuels
Facility for spray Characterization
Fuel spray nozzles can be optimized with the facility for blend mixture
Emission and Smoke Analyzers
To evaluate engine exhaust gas compositions
Lab. Scale reactor
Conversion of bio mass to bio jet compatible with jet fuel
55HP Rotary Wankel Engine
NAL SARAS CIVIL AIRCRAFT-WITH DGCA CLEARANCE

LIFECYCLE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY FUEL TYPE

CLIMATE MITIGATION METHODOLOGIES FOR TRANSPORTATION

Mitigation strategies for carbon footprint

Alternate fuels will play a key role in reducing CO2 / GHG reduction

WHY USE BIOFUELS FOR AVIATION

LPGS(Propane/Butanes/Propelenes/Butelenes) 3.5

Provide the aviation industry with a

sustainable alternative to petroleum
based fuel
18.6
Finished Motor Gasolene

Enable the industry to reduce its

carbon footprint by reducing its
greenhouse gas emission
Allow to draw upon a variety of
different fuel sources to balance
supply/demand and cost fluctuations

Kerosene and Kerosene Type of Jet Fuel

Easier to implement than for other

transport modes
Drop in alternative to current fuels

4.1

Heating Oil and Diesel Fuel

11.7

Naptha

1.1

Lubricants, Waxes, Asphalt, Tar & Fuel Oil 3.3

Petoleium Coke

Jet Fuel from petroleum crude is less than 5%

2.2

Available
US Yields
in gallon
from a
Barrel of
Crude oil

HOW DOES BIO FUEL HELP

Conventional Fuel

Bio Fuel
Feed Stock Growth

Flight

Flight

Distribution
At Airports

Transport

Transport

Refining
Transport

Processing

Distribution
At Airports

Refining

Extraction

At each stage in the distribution chain,

carbon dioxide is emitted through energy use

Carbon dioxide emitted will be reabsorbed

as the next generation of feedstock is grown.

Bio fuel Reduces Net CO2 into atmosphere

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis

Well to-wake Life cycle Emissions & Energy
Ground

Cultivation Raw Material

Change in
Land usage

GHG

Recovery

H2O

Jet Fuel

Processing

Aircraft Tank

Operation

Combustion

Transport

GHG

PM,NOX,SO2,H2O

CO2
Bio jet
F-T Bio mass ?

Jet Fuel from crude oil

Bio Jet from synthesis
Bio mass from woody bio mass

??

F-T Natural Gas

F-T Coal No. Seq
F-T Coal Seq
Jet A
-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Relative net CO2 emission including production

EUROPEAN ENVIORNMENT AND ENERGY POLICY

Security of supply
Infrastructure for energy supply
Diversification : Renewable energy sources
- Includes transport : Bio Fuels

20:20:20 Targets by 2020

Minus 20% green house gas emission
Improve energy efficiency by 20%
-Incentive through emissions Trading scheme
-Directive on energy performance of building applies
20% market share for renewable energies sources
- New Renewable Energies Directive:
10% bio fuels in transport

ASTM FUEL EVALUATION PROCESS

SOURCES OF ALTERNATE FUEL FEEDSTOCK THAT COULD BE USED WITHIN 10 YRS.

EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE BIOSTOCKS

POTENTIAL ALTERNATE AVIATION FUELS

ULS-Ultra Low Sulpher, SPK-Synthetic Paraffin Kerosene, HRJ-Hydra treated Renewable Kerosene

SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL ALTERNATE AVIATION FUELS

Alternate Fuel
Sources
COAL TO JET FUEL(CTL)

Process

Principal
Customers

Aviation Fuel
Status

*Fisher Tropsch
*Syngas (CO,H2) followed by
hydroprocessing to jet fuel

*US Military

Certified by ASTM
Fuel production ramp up
underway

ALTERNATE FOSSIL SOURCES

Tar Sands/Shale, etc

*Requires high energy

sources for processing,
example Tar Sands
* Shale thru hydro
processing using catalysis

*Transportation and energy

industries

*Tar Sand Jet Fuel in

production
* Net CO2(life cycle )is a
concern

GEN 1 BIO FUELS

Corn, Sugar Cane,
Plants/Seeds in the food
chain

*Oil extractions thru hydro

processing
*Ethanol basis for niche
markets

*Potential applications in
niche markets(e.g. Brazil,
China, India etc.)

*Not in production because

of cost and food chain
impact, technical challenges
due to heat release impact of
ethanol

GEN 2 BIO FUELS

Plant Oils not competing
with Food Chain, Camelina,
Jetropa,Babassu,halophytes
etc.

*Oil extraction involving

facilitators
* Bio crude hydroprocesed
to jet fuel

*Military commercial
*20% introduction by 2020 is
the goal

*Being investigated by
aviation companies ASTM
and demonstrator programs
* Certification of
process(ASTM) underway

GEN 3 BIO FUELS

Algae Sources
Cellulosic Plants, Switch
Grass and Sugar Cane
Biostock

*Hydro processed jet fuel

* Fermentation process and
finish up to jet fuel

Much research and process

development underway for
algae(15-25 yr horizon for
significant production)

*High potential for aviation

in the mid to long term (cost
is a concern)

COAL TO JET FUEL(GTL)

ALTERNATE FUEL FLIGHT TESTS TO DATE

ENERGY CONTENT COMPARISION

ALGAE HAS HIGH ENERGY CONTENT ALGAE CAN BE GROWN VERTICALLY

COMPARISION OF BIO-FUEL PLANT RESORCES

Although Algae requires the most energy to grow and refine, it requires the least amount
of land and its refinement produces the least amount of greenhouse gas.
Conclusion- algae is the most viable bio-fuel for aerospace application

RELATIVE COSTS OF PRODUCING JET FUELS FROM DIFFERENT FEED STOCK

CONCLUSIONS
1. Need for alternate fuels
2. Bio fuels are being used in aerospace industries
3. Debating and discussions look for the following

Alternate fuel options

Benefits/hurdles of alternate fuel
Cultivation
Process of oil conversion
Photo bioreactor technologies
Characterization
Blending
Investment and economic viability

COLLOBORATION BETWEEN NIOT & NAL

FOR BIO FUEL DEVELOPEMENT