Emissions Testing and Performance Evaluation of Aircraft Diesel Engines

Aircraft engines are required to meet the certification standards adopted by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). There are established limits for emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and unburned hydrocarbons. Of particular relevance is the standard for NOx, a precursor for ozone depletion, which at altitude is an ultraviolet blocker. In the direct vicinity of airports, emissions of nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and visible smoke contribute to local air quality concerns. As the diesel engines are entering in the aircraft market due to their high efficiency and lower fuel cost. These engines are primarily certified to run on jet fuel because the diesel fuels are not yet certified by the FAA for aircraft applications. With the growth of bio-diesel industry in the state of Kansas, and the major aircraft industry in the state, it is a great opportunity to conduct a systematic research on the performance of aircraft diesel engines, and their emissions using different diesel and bio-diesel fuels. The primary goal of the proposed research is to provide the required data for the certification of these fuel for aircraft applications. We will establish a complete emission map of the aircraft diesel engine as a function of the engine's operating conditions. With the acquired emission data and the developed research capability, we will pursue funding from the federal agencies (e.g., DOT-FAA, EPA) and private sector. The propulsion laboratory of the department of aerospace engineering is equipped with a variety of full-scale aircraft engines, including a brand new FAA-certified Thilert Diesel aircraft engine that will be utilized for this research. We propose to acquire a smaller un-certified diesel engine which can be run on variety of new bio-diesel formulation without any concerns about the certification of the engine. The emission equipment from the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering is being used at the present time to take some preliminary data.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Sponsor Organizations:

  University of Kansas, Lawrence

  Transportation Research Institute
  2117 Learned Hall, 1530 W 15th Street
  Lawrence, KS  United States  66045
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kansas, Lawrence

  Transportation Research Institute
  2117 Learned Hall, 1530 W 15th Street
  Lawrence, KS  United States  66045
• Principal Investigators:

  Lane, Dennis

  Taghavi, Ray

• Start Date: 20071000
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 16727

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality management; Aircraft; Aircraft exhaust gases; Aircraft fuels; Biodiesel fuels; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Diesel engines; Emissions testing; Research projects
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Energy; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01460035
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of Kansas, Lawrence
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 1:17PM