Characteristics Investigation of Combustion Properties of Electrofuels For Aerospace Application

Abstract

Alternative fuels, such as so-called electrofuels, could be a long-term answer given the increase in air traffic and the need to reduce emissions. When referring to electrofuels, it is meant that they both use renewable energy for fuel synthesis and emit no carbon dioxide. In this study, five prospective electrofuels—n-octane, methanol, methane, hydrogen, and ammonia—are compared to traditional Jet A-1 fuel and considered with regard to their potential use as aviation fuels. There are three key points that are highlighted. The technological approaches, energy efficiency, and level of maturity or research required for the manufacture of the electrofuel are outlined. The physical-chemical characteristics are contrasted with regard to specific energy, energy density, and characteristics that are important for fuel combustion, such as autoignition delay time, adiabatic flame temperature, laminar flame speed, and extinction strain rate. Except for n-octane, the results indicate that the physical and combustion properties are markedly different from those of jet fuel. The findings outline how the various electrofuels perform in relation to crucial factors like fuel and air mass flow rates. The outcomes also aid in identifying the mixing characteristics of each electrofuel's exhaust gas. N-octane manufactured synthetically is viewed as a potential option for an electrofuel in the future, even with a drop-in capability. The result indicate that the autoignition delay period and laminar flame speed percentage errors for the elecrtofuels and conventional fuels are 23% and 12% respectively. For the other fuels, further questions need to be investigated before they may be used as electrofuels in aircraft. Future hydrogen-ammonia combinations may be particularly intriguing, but research in this area is still in its early stages.