Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T22:02:11.360Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fuel effects on range versus payload for modern jet aircraft

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

S. Blakey ,
C. W. Wilson ,
M. Farmery  and
R. Midgley
S. Blakey*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield
C. W. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield
M. Farmery
Affiliation:
Shell Aviation Ltd, Shell Centre, London
R. Midgley
Affiliation:
Shell Aviation Ltd, Shell Centre, London
*
s.blakey@sheffield.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

With changes in the availability and quality of existing aviation fuels anticipated in the next 30 years it is timely to assess how changes in fuel properties would affect the range payload performance of aircraft. The effects on range and payload of a wide range of candidate fuels for aviation are investigated, including changes to the blends of conventional hydrocarbon fuels. Lighter fuels tend to be more desirable for commercial flights, where the flight is as close to the maximum payload as possible. Flights favouring range over payload are better suited by a more dense fuel. The hydrocarbon blends suggest for each aircraft, an optimum fuel may exist for the maximum payload and allowing the maximum range. Specific flight plans below the maximum range of the aircraft may be met with a lower specific energy fuel.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 115 , Issue 1172 , October 2011 , pp. 627 - 634
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2011 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Loftin, L.K. Jr. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft, NASA Scientific and Technical Information Branch, Washington DC, USA, 1985.Google Scholar
2. Goodger, E.M. Alternative Fuels: Chemical Energy Resources, Macmillan Press, London, UK, 1980.Google Scholar
3. Bogers, P. Alternative Fuels for Aviation – Industry Options and Challenges, ICAO Workshop on Aviation and Alternative Fuels Montreal, Canada, Februrary 2009.Google Scholar
4. Moses, C.A. Development of the Protocol for Acceptance of Synthetic Fuels under Commercial Specification, Final Report, CRC report AV-2-04, (2007).Google Scholar
5. Lewis, J.S. and Niedzwiecki, R.W. Aircraft Technology and its Relation to Emissions, in Aviation and the Global Atmosphere, IPCC, 1999.Google Scholar
6. Rye, L., Blakey, S. and Wilson, C.W. Sustainability of supply or the planet: A review of potential drop-in alternative aviation fuels, Energy Environ Sci, 2010, 3, pp 17–27.Google Scholar
7. Odgers, J. and Kretschmer, D. Gas Turbine Fuels and Their Influence on Combustion, Energy and Engineering Science Series, Abacus Press, Cambridge Mass, 1986.Google Scholar
8. ASTM International, Committee D-2 Interlaboratory Crosscheck Program: Aviation Turbine (Jet) Fuel, Sample ID: JF0311, ASTM International, November 2003.Google Scholar
9. Gökalp, I. and Lebas, E. Alternative fuels for industrial gas turbines (ATFUR), Applied Thermal Engineering, 2004, 24, pp 1655–1663.Google Scholar
10. Witcofski, R.D. The thermal efficiency and cost of producing hydrogen and other synthetic aircraft fuels from coal, Int J Hydrogen Energy, 1977, 1, pp 365–377.Google Scholar
11. Svensson, F., Hasselrot, A. and Moldanova, J. Reduced Environmental Impact by lowered cruise altitude for liquid hydrogen-fuelled aircraft, Aerospace Science and Technology, 2004, 8, pp 307–320.Google Scholar
12. Eiff, G., Putz, S. and Moses, C. Combustion Properties of Ethanol Blended Turbine Fuels, Proceedings of 2nd Annual FAA/AIAA Symposium on General Aviation Systems, Wichita, USA, 1992.Google Scholar
13. Quantas Airways Ltd, Boeing Aircraft take Quantas Further, (Online). Available: http://www.qantas.com.au/info/about/history/details16 (2007, 26th March).Google Scholar
14. Moses, C.A. Development of the protocol for acceptance of synthetic fuels under commercial specification, South West Research Institute, CRC contract No. AV-2-04, 2007.Google Scholar
15. ASTM press release (05 Aug 09, 20:34 GMT), Alternative fuels specifications win key certifying designation, (2009).Google Scholar
16. Houghton, E.L. and Carruthers, N.B. Aerodynamics for Engineering Students (3rd ed), Edward Arnold, London, UK, 1982.Google Scholar
17. US Government, Code of Federal Regulations: Aeronautics and Space, (14), 2, 14CFR91.167, 2003, pp 198.Google Scholar
18. Raymer, D.P. Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach (4th ed), AIAA, Virginia, USA, 2006.Google Scholar
19. Simos, D. and LISSYS Ltd. Piano User’s Guide, V. 4.0, 2004 Google Scholar
20. Lissys Ltd, Gulfstream G550 (GV-SP) sample analysis (Feb 2006)(Online). Available: http://www.lissys.demon.co.uk/samp2/index.html (13th February 2007)Google Scholar
21. Gulfstream Inc, G550: Performance, Weights, Design Standards, Interior and Exterior Dimensions, 2005.Google Scholar
22. Snijders, T.A. and Melkert, J.A. Using Synthetic Kerosene in Civil Jet Aircraft, Wichita Aviation Technology Congress and Exhibition, 2008, SAE International, August 2008.Google Scholar
23. Manzo, M. Air Canada: Alternative Fuels, An Environmental and Operational Perspective, IATA OPS Forum – Montreal, Canada, April 2007.Google Scholar
24. Young, T.M. Simplified Methods for Assessing the Impact of Fuel Energy Content on Payload-Range, ICAS 26th International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, Anchorage, USA, September 2008.Google Scholar
25. Rickard, G. The Quality of Aviation Fuel Available in the UK, Annual Survey 2008, QINETIQ/09/01120, Energy Institute, December 2009.Google Scholar
26. Boeing Commercial Airplane Company, 747 Airplane Characteristics, Airport Planning D6-58326, Boeing Company (1984).Google Scholar
27. Armstrong, F.W., Allen, J.E. and Denning, R.M. Fuel related issues concerning the future of aviation, Proc. IMechE, Part G, 211, pp 1 – 11, 1997.Google Scholar
28. Lefebvre, A.H. Gas Turbine Combustion, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, 1983.Google Scholar
29. Gardner, L. and Whyte, R.B. Gas Turbine Fuels, in Design of Modern Turbine Combustors (Mellor, A.M. Ed). Academic Press Ltd, 1990.Google Scholar
30. Lefebvre, A.H. Fuel Effects on Gas Turbine Combustion, Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories and Purdue University, 1982.Google Scholar
31. Howell, K. Plant-derived fuels could be certified for flights within a year, says Boeing exec., The New York Times, 29 May 2009.Google Scholar