Biofuel blending reduces aircraft engine particle emissions up to 70%

A 50-70% particle emissions reduction from aircraft engines and realistic data to help inform R&D programmes and investment strategies.

A NASA-led study published in Nature reveals a 50-70% particle emissions reduction from aircraft engines under cruise conditions and offers realistic data to help inform R&D programmes and investment strategies.

The global aviation sector is committed to carbon neutral growth from 2020 to tackle the increasing CO2 emissions which are set to double by 2050. Biojet fuels are a mixture of C9-C16 hydrocarbons that may be formed by transesterification and hydroprocessing of plant and animal oils to produce hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA).

The research team compared exhaust engine emissions from a NASA DC-8 aircraft flown on 50:50 Camelina oil & Jet A blend and on Jet A only. Data was captured by a research aircraft flying at a distance of 30-150 m behind the DC-8.

When compared to conventional fuel, biofuel blending reduces particle number and mass emissions by 50 to 70% at cruise conditions.

The full report can be found on the Nature website here.