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  • SE²A - Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation
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  • ICA C "Energy Storage and Conversion"
Logo Sustainable and Energy Efficient Aviation of TU Braunschweig
C3.3 - Synthetic Fuel Combustion for Aviation Application
  • ICA C "Energy Storage and Conversion"
    • C1.1 - Design methods for aircraft energy supply systems
    • C2.2 - Integration Strategies for Power Composites in Aircraft Structures
    • C2.3 - Solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries with enhanced stability and structural integration for aviation
    • C3.1 - Functional 3D design and experimental validation of shape-adaptive fan blading
    • C3.3 - Synthetic Fuel Combustion for Aviation Application
    • C3.5 - Numerical investigations of synthetic fuel flames in aviation conditions
    • C3.6 - AICODE: Artificial Intelligence-enhanced Compressor Design
    • C4.1 - Reliable and Robust Electrical Power Conversion for Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Systems
    • C4.2 - Reliable, Efficient and Lightweight Electric Propulsion Drive Systems with Distributed Energy Supply
    • C5.1 - Total Thermal Management Design and Optimization
    • C5.2 - AER-X: Airbone Energy Recovery via vapor eXpansion
    • C5.3 - Cryogenic hydrogen exergy utilisation: Less heat rejection to ambient and more useable energy for propulsion
    • C6.1 - Data-driven understanding of aviation PEM fuel cells under reliability aspects
    • C6.2 - Design and (nano)engineering of PEMFC cathode catalyst layers to boost the efficiency and life-time under aviation conditions
    • C6.3 - DEFCA: Design-space evaluation of the air-, heat- and power-management of fuel cells for aviation
    • C6.4 - Robust and High-Density Fuel-Cell Systems
    • JRG-C3 - Fuel Cells for Aviation
    • C1.1 - Design methodology for aircraft energy supply systems
    • C2.1 - Fundamentals of ElectroFuel Synthesis for Aviation
    • C2.2 - Structural energy storage focussing on battery cells with load-bearing properties
    • C2.3 - Advanced lithium-sulfur battery concepts for aviation
    • C3.1: Multidisciplinary design of shape-adaptive compressor blading
    • C3.2: Adaptive High-Speed Compressors with optimized stage matching for flexible operation
    • C3.3: Synthetic Fuel Combustion for Aviation Application
    • C4.1 - Electric Propulsion Drive Concepts for Future Electrified Aircraft
    • C4.2 - Power Supply System for All Electric Aircraft
    • ⯇ back to research

C3.3 - Synthetic Fuel Combustion for Aviation Application

Synthetic Fuel Combustion for Aviation Application

Concept sketch of an LPP combustor

Sustainable and energy efficient aviation relies strongly on the substitution of fossil energy sources via renewable energies. Due to the very high power and energy density requirements of aircraft, combustion-based propulsion systems based on liquid energy carriers plays an indispensable role. The application of e-fuels fulfils both requirements for high energy density fuel and carbon-neutral aviation. Additionally, the non-CO2 emissions have to be reduced. For that, the research vision of the very clean lean prevaporized premixed (LPP) combustion concept is seen, being not applicable for current fuels like kerosene. Within ICA-C3.3 therefore other fuels are searched for, which will allow the premixing of the fuel and the compressed heated combustion air without the danger of self-ignition or flashback.

The research to find such alternative sustainable aviation fuels has been started within the first research period with an atmospheric test rig for flashback studies at ITV and on the rapid compression machine and shock tube at PTB for pure fuels with focus on the class of low-chained alcohols and furans. Based on the experimental and numerical investigation the propanol and butanol isomers have been identified from the alcohols as so far most fitting LPP-fuels, if single component fuels are regarded.

 

Project Components for Phase II

Progressing into the second funding period, PTB Braunschweig is focussing on exploring realistic boundary conditions of aviation engines during cruise flights and investigating ignition properties of blended sustainable e-fuels, considering both liquid-liquid and liquid-gaseous fuel mixtures according to the results from 1st funding phase. Adding to this, the development of chemical kinetics mechanisms, enriched with machine learning applications, along with robust modelling and simulations, will further augment the research scope, particularly under varied operating conditions and using different fuel blends.

 

The experimental investigation of the flame behaviour is being carried out at the ITV Hannover. The primary objective is the evaluation of the selected e-fuels and fuel blends with regard to their tendency to flashback. Firstly, the well-established multi-fuel burner will be rebuilt, including the installation of a new heater and additional insulation to investigate the processes of prevaporization, premixing, pre-ignition and flashback at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the multi-fuel burner will be modified to study e-fuel blends consisting of liquid-liquid as well as mixtures of liquid and gaseous fuels. Also a new testing facility is under construction to consider the elevated pressures within the engine. This will be used to carry out tests at high temperatures and pressures of up to 850 K and 9 bar at the combustor inlet, replicating cruise flight scenarios.

Methodical Approach

Figure 1: Research objectives and working groups for advanced clean sustainable e-fuel development.
Figure 1: Research objectives and working groups for advanced clean sustainable e-fuel development

Outlook

The properties of these fuels are pivotal for various design aspects, including determining combustion air amounts, compressor layouts, tank system infrastructure, and overall aerodynamic and aircraft design (referenced as ICA B, ICA-B5, and A4). Additionally, the fuel mixtures are instrumental in gauging the economic and environmental implications of such innovations, contributing to the 2050 sustainable aviation visions outlined in ICA-A1.

 

Details of the project

Team

PTB Braunschweig
Ravi Fernandes, Prof. Dr.
Bo Shu, Dr. -Ing.
Solmaz Nadiri, Dr. -Ing.
Ajoy Ramalingam, Dr. -Ing.
Guanyu Wang, M.Sc.

ITV Hannover
Friedrich Dinkelacker, Prof. Dr.
Paul Zimmermann, M.Sc.
Julian Bajrami, M.Sc.

Contact

Project lead

Prof. Dr. Friedrich Dinkelacker

Institut für Technische Verbrennung
+49 511-762-2438

 

Organisation

Institut für Technische Verbrennung

Leibniz Universität Hannover
An der Universität 1
D-30823 Garbsen

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Contact information

Cluster of Excellence SE²A –
Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Hermann-Blenk-Str. 42
38108 Braunschweig

se2a(at)tu-braunschweig.de
+49 531 391 66661

 

 

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