Alternate fuel sources in aviation?

Question

*what are some alternate fuel sources for different engines in aviation (turbine, piston, turbo prop .etc).

*What needs to be done (resigning engine, injection)

*Performance loss or gain.

*Efficency (weight, litres/gallons used per distance traveled, price difference)

Answer 1

First, the fuel has to be developed and certified for aviation use, then each individual aircraft has to be modified or certified as safe to use that fuel.  There are several alternatives being tested and studied, but it's a long process and I wouldn't expect to see any changes in the near future.  

There was an acrobatic flying demonstration team a few years back called the "Ethanol Air Force."   They flew experimental piston-engine aircraft that were set up to burn 100% ethanol fuel.  I haven't heard anything about them in a while, so I'm guessing they aren't flying anymore.

The US Air Force is working to develop a synthetic jet fuel for their aircraft, but haven't got to the volume production stage yet.

Answer 2

Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables, a leading biodiesel producer based in Seattle, Washington, successfully flight tested a Boeing 747 equipped with GE engines today using a 20% blend of a biojet fuel derived from babassu and coconut oil in one engine. No modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines to enable the flight to take place.

The flight marked the first in-flight demonstration of a biofuel in a large commercial jet. The demonstration flight took off from London Heathrow at 11:30 am and arrived in Amsterdam at 1:30 pm local time. During the flight, technical advisors on board took readings and recorded flight data for subsequent analysis by the partners.

The results of the biofuel flight will be analyzed by Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables and used for the research and development of next-generation biofuels that can help reduce carbon emissions. Boeing will use the findings from this flight in the Air New Zealand demonstration flight later this year.

Babassu oil comes from the nuts of the babassu tree, which is native to Brazil. The fruit of the babassu is used in products such as drugs and cosmetics, and its leaves are used to make roofs and paper, which in turn is used to create folders, bags and soap boxes. Coconut oil is used for a variety of applications including oil for biodiesel. Most coconut plantations are mature and do not contribute to deforestation, according to the partners.

Answer 3

Seaweed and algae as an alternate to jet fuel. The article doesn't mention anything about performance or efficiency but more on the cost. At present it produces a CO2 footprint 1.5-2 times that of regular petroleum based jet fuel. In terms of cost it is cost effective @ $75 oil/barrel. Biggest obstacle is the acreage needed to produce enough algae and initial investment estimated @ $74 billion-$2.4 trillion to produce enough jet fuel to meet todays needs.

Present study and project on going @ The Technical University at Delft, Netherlands.

Answer 4

One thing that is becoiming popular in piston aircraft is hydrated ethyl alcohol fuel. Check on the EMB-202 Ipanema. It is an agricultural aircraft operated primarly in Brazil. The fuel, which is derived from  sugar cane, is converted into alcohol. In Brazil this is cheaper than oil( which is well over $100 a barrel) Ethanol also has a lower CO2 output than avgas and no lead content. The increased oxygen content of the fuel also gives a  power boost.

The main disadvanteges of Ethanol is that it can corrode due to it's water content.

Some info about the EMB-202: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB...

You might also want to know that the engine that it uses is a 320hp modified Lycoming IO-540.

Not exactly what your looking for but I hope I've helped.