Final Report EASA.2008-6-Light.Pdf
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SAFETY IMPLICATION OF BIOFUELS IN AVIATION Thomas Esch Harald Funke Peter Roosen Aachen University of Applied Sciences EASA Report No. EASA.2008.C51 compilation date July 7, 2010 Keywords General Aviation, safety, gasoline, petrol, ethanol, blending, biofuels, MOGAS,AVGAS, E-0, E-5, E-10, E-15, aircraft airworthiness, water, solved water detection, gasoline mixing, volatility, vapour pressure, vapour locking, long-term storage, material compatibility, carburettor icing, gasoline turbidity, phase separation, life-cycle analysis 2 Contents Acknowledgements 11 1 Introduction and Outline of Work 12 2 Summary and Recommendations 14 3 Operating Existing Engines with Ethanol-Admixed Fuels 17 3.1 Definition of an “Old” Engine ............................. 17 3.2 Survey of Aircraft Frames and Engines Authorized for MOGAS Operation ..... 17 3.3 Legislative and Practical Boundary Conditions for Biogenic Components Admixing 21 3.3.1 Usage Statistics of Various Fuel Types .................... 23 3.4 Aircraft Fitness for Ethanol Admixtures ........................ 25 4 Determination of the Status Quo in General Aviation 26 4.1 Gasoline Types ..................................... 26 4.1.1 Historic Development of Gasolines and their Alcohol Admixtures ..... 26 4.1.2 Prevailing Legal Boundary Conditions and Norms for Vehicle Gasolines . 28 4.1.3 Assessment of Knocking Properties for Gasolines by Octane Numbers . 32 4.2 Synoptical Statistical Data on General Aviation (T 1) ................ 35 5 Scientific and Technical Boundary Conditions for Ethanol-Admixed Gasoline Usage in Aviation (T 1) 38 5.1 Water-Induced Phase Separation in Gasoline-Ethanol Mixtures ........... 38 5.2 Vapour Locking Potential of Mixtures of Ethanol-Admixed Gasolines ........ 43 5.3 Evaporation Enthalpy Effects .............................. 47 5.4 Compatibility of Fuel System and Engine Materials with Ethanol Content in Fuel . 48 5.4.1 Metallic components .............................. 49 5.4.2 Plastics, Elastomers and Glues ......................... 50 6 Assessment of Danger Potentials Attributed to Gasoline Ethanol Admixtures 51 6.1 Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (T 7) ....................... 51 6.1.1 Methodology and Approach .......................... 51 6.1.2 Overall Results of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis .......... 53 6.1.3 FMEA Conclusions .............................. 61 6.2 Task Spanning Activities for Experimentation ..................... 63 3 6.3 Analysis of Phase Separation Hazard (T 2a, 2c) ................... 64 6.3.1 Methodology and Approach .......................... 64 6.3.2 High-Altitude Flight Experiments for Cool-Down Experiments Boundary Conditions Determination (T 2a) ....................... 64 6.3.3 Tank Air Throughput During a Flight (T 2a) ................. 66 6.3.4 Determination of Compositional Changes in Gasolines Stored in Aircraft Tanks for Prolonged Periods (T 2c) ...................... 67 6.3.5 Onset of Hazing in Custom Mixed Ethanol-Containing Gasolines (T 2a) . 72 6.3.6 Phase Separation: Conclusion (T 2a) ..................... 74 6.4 Analysis of Carburettor Icing Hazard (T 2b) ..................... 76 6.4.1 Methodology and Approach .......................... 76 6.4.2 Temperature Drop Determination in a ROTAX Engine ............ 76 6.4.3 Temperature Drop Determination in a Lycoming O 360 A1A Engine .... 77 6.4.4 Icing: Conclusions ............................... 79 6.5 Analysis of Intensified Vapour Locking Hazard Caused by Gasoline Mixing .... 80 6.5.1 Fuel Heat-Up Experiments with a MORANE MS 893 E-D Aircraft (T 3) . 81 6.5.2 Investigation of Pressure Drops in the MORANE Fuel System Under Oper- ating Conditions (T 3) ............................. 84 6.5.3 Vibration Measurements in the MORANE Fuel System (T 3) ........ 85 6.5.4 Vapour Locking Experiments on a Custom Test Rig (T 3) .......... 86 6.5.5 Assessment of a Common Gasoline Volatility Test Device (T 3) ...... 92 6.5.6 Vapour Lock: Conclusions ........................... 93 6.6 Material Compatibility of Common Constructive Materials for Aircraft Parts (T 4) . 93 6.6.1 Approach / Methodology ........................... 93 6.6.2 Report on Plastic Materials Compatibility with Ethanol-Admixed Gasolines 94 6.6.3 Survey on Deployed Materials for Fuel Systems ............... 120 6.6.4 Conclusions ................................... 125 7 Metrological Aids for Gasoline Composition Assessment (T 6) 126 7.1 Determination of an Ethanol Share in Gasoline .................... 126 7.1.1 Colour Indicator Method ............................ 126 7.1.2 Ethanol Extraction by Water .......................... 127 7.2 Detection of Solved Water ............................... 128 7.2.1 Chemical Water Detection ........................... 129 7.2.2 Optical Water Detection ............................ 131 4 7.2.3 Electrical Water Detection ........................... 132 7.2.4 Water detection by molecule-specific adsorption ............... 133 7.3 Detection of Solved Water: Conclusion ........................ 135 8 Life-Cycle Analysis of Ethanol-Admixed Gasolines (T 5) 137 8.1 Approach / Methodology ................................ 137 8.2 Experimental Investigation of Exhaust Gas Emissions for a ROTAX 912 ULS Engine 138 8.3 Life Cycle Analysis of Measured Exhaust Gas Emissions of the ROTAX 912 Engine 140 8.4 Conclusions ....................................... 143 References 144 A Engines and Cells Certified by the United States FAA 146 B Statistical Data on General Aviation and Ultralight Aircraft (T 1) 154 C Tabulated FMEA Results 160 D Task Spanning Activities for Experimentation 196 D.1 Acquisition and Handling of Test Fuels ........................ 196 D.2 Instrumentation of ACUAS’s flying lab, a MORANE MS893E-D.......... 200 D.3 Setup, Instrumentation and Test Matrix of a Test-Rigged ROTAX 912 ULS Engine in Propeller Operation ................................. 203 D.4 Custom Designed Test Rig for Vapour Locking and Water Detection Experimentation205 D.4.1 Rig Control ................................... 208 D.4.2 Procedures of Test Rig Operation for Nucleation Assessment ........ 208 D.4.3 Functions .................................... 209 D.4.4 Measurement Options ............................. 210 D.4.5 Environment Protection and Safety Arrangements .............. 210 D.4.6 Bubble Sensor Design ............................. 210 D.4.7 Calibration of the Test Rig ........................... 211 E Life-Cycle Analysis of Ethanol-Admixed Gasolines — Report by LUDWIG BÖLKOW SYS- TEMTECHNIK 213 F Keywords and Abbreviations Index 277 5 List of Figures 1 Development of biogenic fuel shares from 2007 to 2009 in Germany ........ 23 2 Ethanol content in random German Super Plus gasoline probes taken in June 2009 24 3 Shares of different fuel types (Diesel fuel excluded) for 2008 in Germany. The share titled “Automotive Petrol Fuel” also contains the amount of gasoline taken for aviation purposes, which is smaller than the AVGAS share (see Sect. B). Source: Mineralölwirtschaftsverband Deutschland ....................... 24 4 Ratio of Super Plus RON 100 to Super RON 98 gasolines .............. 25 5 Qualitative evaporation curves for various gasoline types and two jet fuels. ..... 30 6 DVPE values of random test samples, June 2009 ................... 32 7 Octane numbers of 21 gasoline test samples and SIOBIA standard gasoline .... 34 8 German and United Kingdom numbers for the aircraft categories of interest. No distinction is made with respect to used fuel type. .................. 36 9 Estimated European total numbers for the aircraft categories of interest ....... 36 10 Graphical display of the distribution of small aircraft in Europe ........... 37 11 Ternary diagram for the substances gasoline, water and ethanol ........... 39 12 Maximum water concentrations in different gasoline/ethanol mixtures ........ 40 13 Measured water concentrations in different commercially offered gasolines ..... 41 14 Binodal and spinodal limit curves in a ternary GEW diagram ............ 42 15 Dependence of static vapour pressure on the amount of admixed ethanol ...... 44 16 Dependence of dynamic vapour pressure on the amount of admixed ethanol .... 45 17 Mixing gasoline types with differing ethanol admixtures ............... 46 18 DVPE values of 21 test samples taken at different gasoline stations ......... 46 19 Enthalpy of vaporization for ethanol admixed gasoline blends ............ 48 20 Temperature/humidity domains for increased danger of carburettor