Flying on 100% sustainable fuel also significantly reduces non-CO2 impacts – sunny side up

The world's first aircraft measurements of 100 percent sustainable fuel (SAF, sustainable aviation fuel) use in both engines on a large commercial aircraft show: With 100 percent sustainable fuel used, significantly fewer soot particles are emitted and fewer ice crystals form in The jet.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR), Airbus, Rolls-Royce and SAF manufacturer Neste worked together on the ECLIF3 (Emissions of Alternative Fuels and Their Impact on Climate) study.

An Airbus A350 equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines flew at 100 percent SAF for flight tests. DLR research aircraft Falcon 20e The A350 was followed and checked for emissions from the engines as well as the airways at an altitude of between nine and twelve kilometres. Compared to the Jet A-1 reference fuel, measurements at 100 percent SAF showed a reduction in soot particle emissions and a 56 percent reduction in the number of ice crystals in the sewer. Global climate model simulations of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have calculated that this could reduce the effect of climate warming on the jet by about 26 percent. These results show that flying with SAF not only reduces carbon dioxide₂– Reduces footprint, but also reduces the warming effects of jets. This opens the possibility of significantly reducing the climate impact of air traffic in a short period of time.

“The ECLIF3 flight test results have shown us how using 100 percent SAF can help significantly reduce the climate warming impact of jets while at the same time reducing carbon dioxide.₂“To reduce the impact of aviation – the SAF sends a clear signal for climate-friendly aviation,” explains Dr. Marcus Fischer, Head of Aviation at DLR.

Mark Bentall, head of the Research and Technology Program at Airbus, added: “We already knew that sustainable aviation fuel reduces CO2.₂– Reducing the aviation footprint. Thanks to ECLIF studies, we now know that SAF can also reduce soot emissions and the formation of the ice particles we see as jets. This is a very encouraging result based on scientific foundations. It shows how important sustainable aviation fuels are to decarbonizing air transport.

“It is widely recognized that SAF is a very important solution to mitigate the climate impact of the aviation sector – both in the short and long term. The results of the ECLIF3 study confirm a significantly lower climate impact when using 100 percent SAF. The reason for this is the lack of aromatics in Nestes The study also provides scientific data to support the use of SAF in additives above the currently approved 50 percent,” says Alexander Kuiper, Vice President of Neste’s Renewable Aviation Business.

Alan Newby, Director of Research and Technology at Rolls-Royce, agrees: “Using SAF at high mixing ratios will be an important part of aviation’s journey to net zero CO2.₂– Emissions are. Not only did these tests prove that our Trent XWB-84 engine could operate at 100 percent SAF. The results also show that SAF by reducing carbon dioxide₂-Climatic impacts can have an additional benefit.

The research team published its findings in the Copernicus journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) as part of the scientific peer review process. I have provided the first in situ evidence that climate protection can be achieved using pure SAF in a commercial aircraft. In-flight emissions measurements and ground tests were conducted in 2021 as part of the ECLIF3 program, which also includes researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester.

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source

German Center for Agricultural Research 2024