Transition to synthetic fuel (Sustainable aviation fuel, SAF) is the most probable and rational scenario for aviation in the next 25-30 years, the United Engine Corporation said within the business program of the Technoprom-2023 forum.
The discussion also focused on the possibilities of using SAF in industrial gas turbine engines to produce “green” electric power.
At the panel discussion organized by UDC, the specialists considered the issues of organizing serial production of synthetic fuel and the possibility of using such fuel on civil aircraft. Alexey Sipatov, Head of the Combustion Chambers Department of ODK-Aviaengine, Doctor of Technical Sciences, made a report “Application of SAF in combustion chambers of aviation GTEs” within the framework of the panel discussion “Synthetic Fuel”.
“The fight against global climate change caused by anthropogenic factors, including aviation transport using fossil fuels, leads to the fact that international organizations such as ICAO, IATA begin to pay close attention to reducing the carbon footprint left by aviation. ODK-Aviaadvigatel as a developer of gas turbine engines participates in the current agenda,” Alexey Sipatov informed.
To date, the designers of ODK consider the issue of using environmentally friendly fuel in aircraft engines as a scientific and applied task of the long term. So far airplanes produce only 2.5% of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. But the rapid growth of air traffic, according to some forecasts, may lead to a significant increase in the share of aviation in this process. To reduce the carbon footprint of air transportation, many airlines, aircraft manufacturers and industry associations have committed to working together to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
“We believe that in the next 25-30 years SAF, with properties as close as possible to traditional kerosene, and mixtures of kerosene and SAF will become the most probable and rational fuel type for civil aviation, will allow to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by air transport,” said Alexander Inozemtsev, Managing Director – General Designer of ODK-Aviaadvigatel.
The discussion also focused on the technologies of creating fuel cell power plants with high efficiency and low carbon dioxide emissions. At present, our country has created a full scientific and technical backlog necessary for the creation of fuel cell power plants.
“Now our task is to organize cooperation of enterprises that have a scientific and technical background in the field of fuel cell technologies and power plants. Such cooperation will make it possible to bring the required technologies to a level that will allow creating a power plant that will be in demand in the market,” said Alexey Paduchev, Head of Hydrogen Power Engineering and Alternative Fuel Application at ODK.
