Boeing, UOP release biofuels flight data; certification as soon as 2010; UOP to license technology this summer

June 16, 2009

A CFM 56-7 jet engine, similar to the engine used in the Continental biofuels test flight

At the Paris Air Show Boeing and a series of partners involved in four biofuels-based test flights released the data from the tests, and said that with the release they are on a path towards flight certification of biofuels as soon as late 2010.

Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that the group, which includes UOP Honeywell and the US Air Force Research Lab, is preparing a submission to ASTM that will qualify what the group is now calling Bio-SPK fuel.

Jennifer Holmgren, general manager for biofuels at UOP, confirmed that UOP expects to commence licensing its fuel technology at the end of this summer, and said that it has already commenced advanced discussions with multiple potential licensees.

In the long term, Glover said that biofuels could replace as much as 40 percent of the 70 billion gallons of jet fuel consumd by the commercial aviation industry per year. But Glover and Holmgren cautioned that organizing the supply chain, beginning with feedstocks, was critical to developing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Virgin Atlantic, Continental, Japan Air Lines and Air New Zealand and the group as a whole conducted a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The tests revealed that using the Bio-SPK fuel blends had no adverse effects on the engines or their components. They also showed that the fuels have an average 1.8 percent greater energy content by mass than typical petroleum-derived jet fuel.

The report was signed by Boeing, fuel technology developer UOP; engine-makers GE Aviation, CFM International, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell and airlines Air New Zealand (ANZ), Continental Airlines (CAL), Japan Airlines (JAL) and Virgin Atlantic. Test flights involved an ANZ 747-400 powered by Rolls-Royce engines, a CAL 737-800 powered by CFM engines and a JAL 747-300 powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. In addition, GE conducted static testing at its Ohio facility. Virgin Atlantic proved the technical viability of biofuels at high altitude with its test flight in early 2008.

Continental Boeing 737 on the tarmac at George Bush International prior to takeoff on a biofuels test flight

The first flight, by Virgin Atlantic in February 2008, was described by the group as a “proof of concept,” and test results were reported from the three subsequent test flights by Air New Zealand, Japan Air Lines and Continental. Jatropha, algae and camelina oils were used in different combinations, and Beoing and UOP confirmed that halophytes such as salicornia, while not flight tested, are also showing promise.

Other feedstocks will be considered in the future and the group said they expect aviation biofuels to include a wider range than have been tested so far. “Three years ago when we started this process,” said Holmgren, “I don’t think any one of us had ever heard of jatropha or camelina.”

“To be honest, it’s been hard to follow up on all the new feedstock opportunities,” added Glover. “After we complete this part of the process, we’ll start to look closely at more. I’m confident there are many other possibilities out there.”

The group said that their goals in the test were adding to the overall fuel supply, giving airlines opportunities to respond to price volatility for fossil fuels, and to fundamentally reduce the CO2 emissions footprint of commercial aviation.

Glover said that jatropha and camelina represented the strongest near-term options; algae was described as technically acceptable, but “not quite ready for prime time” in terms of developing a means of delivering large quantities of algae-based fuels on a commercial scale at the present time.

The group confirmed that, in addition to the lifecycle analysis that had been completed for camelina, analysis on jatropha is expected from a team at Yale by the end of the year, and a team led by the NRDC is expected to complete analysis of algae fuels as soon as next year.

UOP said that it was modeling future refineries for renewable jet fuel using a 60-150 Mgy scale, and said that while this was only a fraction of the typical 4.2 billion gallon per year scale of a typical oil refinery that the size was the most effective given the expected supply chain for renewable jet fuel feedstocks. Holmgren said that it was possible to greenfield the proposed refineries or, better, construct them adjacent to existing chemical plant,s pulp and paper, or existing refineries to utilize similar support infrastructure. UOP said that it expects the cost of refineries to be in the $150 million range.

Boeing also said that there was emerging interest at the Air Force and Navy in renewable jet fuels, and said that it expected an approval process to eventually commence with aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster transporter.

Glover said that he expects that smaller companies would be the first ones to construct refineries for renewable jet fuel, but Jennifer Holmgren confirmed that “oil companies are watching carefully” and “have some interest although I wouldn’t say they are bullish”. Both confirmed that interest in aviation biofuels is not limited regionally.

A copy of the report on Bio-SPK aviation biofuels is here, including a summary of fuel performance and emissions data.

The most recent Biofuels Digest Special Report on Aviation Biofuels is here.

http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/06/18/boeing-uop-release-biofuels-flight-data-astm-certification-as-soon-as-2010-for-bio-spk-uop-to-license-fuel-technology-this-summer/