Russian Researchers Find Potential Alternative to Conventional Jet Fuel

Science » Technologies and discoveries

Standard aviation kerosene relies on aromatic compounds that increase both carbon emissions and acoustic pressure during combustion. This chemical bottleneck makes aircraft loud and carbon-heavy. To bypass this, researchers from the Institute of Thermophysics SB RAS, Tomsk Polytechnic University, the South Russian State Polytechnic University, and chemists from Ufa developed a method to synthesize Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from wood processing waste and agricultural residue.

An airplane smiling

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Piergiuliano Chesi, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

An airplane smiling

The engineering shift focuses on feedstock: instead of food crops, which compete with food security, the team used pine sawdust and sunflower husks. These materials are processed into a bio-kerosene that lacks the aromatics found in petroleum. This structural change alters the combustion process, reducing the sound pressure level during takeoff and flight.

From Biomass to Combustion

The production process creates a closed carbon loop. Plants absorb carbon dioxide during growth, which is then released during fuel combustion, preventing the addition of new carbon into the atmosphere. The team verified the fuel's stability through a three-stage test sequence: chemical composition analysis, evaluation of atomization and evaporation, and live firing tests in small-scale gas turbine units.

These tests measured a significant drop in pollutant output. Sulfur emissions fell by 90% and nitrogen oxides by 70%. Carbon monoxide emissions were reduced by 50%. From an acoustic standpoint, the noise level dropped by 10 dB.

Metric Bio-kerosene Result

Sulfur Dioxide Emissions -90%

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions -70%

Noise Level -10 dB

Engine Thrust -10%

System Limits and Deployment

The primary trade-off is a 10% reduction in engine thrust. While the engine remains stable and safe within operational norms, this loss of power is the current performance bottleneck. However, the fuel is chemically compatible with existing gas turbine engines and complies with ICAO environmental standards, meaning it requires no structural modifications to aircraft for deployment.

The current limit is economic. While the raw materials-sawdust and husks-are cheap and abundant in Russia's forestry and agricultural regions, the cost of synthesis may initially exceed that of traditional kerosene. The viability of the technology depends on scaling these regional production hubs and the potential introduction of carbon taxes on petroleum fuels.