GE Aerospace Fuels knowledgeable: sustainable aviation gas, SAF is right here to remain.
Evaluation numerous roadmaps for the aviation trade to achieve a goal of internet zero CO2 emissions by 2050, and also you’ll discover one factor in widespread: Sustainable Aviation Gasoline (SAF) is a linchpin for getting there.
SAF manufacturing is about 0.1% of jet gas consumed worldwide. On the latest Sustainable Aviation Futures North America convention in Houston, Texas, dialogue was pushed by the monetary, feedstock, logistical, and different obstacles to beat to ship SAF manufacturing and availability larger … a lot larger.
Regardless of the present low volumes, speaker Gurhan Andac, GE Aerospace engineering fuels and gas components chief, factors out that SAF is right here to remain.
Earlier this yr, standards-setting group ASTM Worldwide authorised an eighth approach to make SAF blended with standard jet gas, with extra manufacturing course of pathways in overview. Over 500,000 flights have used SAF blends since 2011, in accordance with an trade tracker. Moreover, floor and flight checks have taken place globally to tell efforts underway for growth of a brand new commonplace for 100% or unblended SAF.
GE Aerospace has been concerned with SAF for greater than 15 years, since efforts to check artificial gas started, Andac defined. All GE Aerospace engines can function with authorised SAF blends right now. That’s as a result of authorised SAF blends are drop-in, assembly specs of Jet A and Jet A-1 and requiring no modifications to plane and engine gear or infrastructure to make use of it.
Gurhan Andac, GE Aerospace engineering fuels and gas components chief, mentioned:
SAF shouldn’t be an R&D venture we conduct on the facet. It’s within the area.
“We’ve over half one million flights within the aviation trade. Granted, these are at very low volumes, but it surely’s on the market and we’re flying,”
GE Aerospace’s lengthy historical past of SAF testing in collaboration with trade companions consists of the primary business demonstration flight of biofuel in 2008, the primary business plane flight with 100% SAF in 2018, SAF engine emissions testing, and the primary passenger experimental flight in 2021 with 100% SAF in one of many two engines.
“We’ve been very energetic,” Andac mentioned.
Interaction of fuels and propulsion applied sciences
Along with serving to advance SAF within the aviation trade, GE Aerospace can also be creating new plane engine applied sciences which are extra gas environment friendly than right now’s engines.
CFM Worldwide, a 50-50 joint firm between GE and Safran Plane Engines, is progressing on its Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program, essentially the most complete suite of expertise growth in firm historical past with greater than 1,000 GE and Safran engineers working this system worldwide.
Jeff Shaknaitis, GE Aerospace buyer sustainability chief, mentioned:
The CFM RISE program—that is actually our reply for the subsequent technology of applied sciences.
Jeff Shaknaitis, GE Aerospace buyer sustainability chief, who additionally spoke on the October Sustainable Aviation Future North America occasion.
“There’s actually a few key markers,” Shaknaitis mentioned. “Maintain delivering extra environment friendly propulsion applied sciences, serving to scale back the first power demand from aviation. Second is ensuring we’re accessing the proper power vectors which are going to be accessible to us, recognizing we don’t have management over the power transition.”
Open fan engine structure, hybrid electrical methods and different applied sciences being matured as a part of the RISE program are suitable with present jet fuels and 100% SAF.
“We wish to ensure now we have applied sciences which are versatile to adapt over time,” Shaknaitis mentioned.
SAF reduces lifecycle CO2 emissions
SAF has the identical chemical composition because the jet gas mostly used right now. The important thing distinction is as a substitute of being created from fossil-based sources, SAF is created from partially or utterly renewable sources. Using renewable feedstocks and processes reduces internet CO2 emissions over the gas’s whole lifecycle.
What’s 100% SAF?
SAF is at the moment authorised to be used in blends as much as 50% with standard jet gas. Efforts are underway to standardize 100% drop-in SAF, which doesn’t require mixing and is suitable with present plane and infrastructure.
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GE Aerospace Fuels Professional: SAF is Right here to Keep, October 10, 2023
