Learn What Fuel is Used in Airplanes
Since the first flight of an airplane designed by the Wright Brothers on 17th December 1903, technology has revolutionized the way we travel amidst clouds. New airplanes take us to distant locations within a few hours and the passengers do not even feel the stress of the journey. It all happens due to the smooth functioning of the jet engines running on efficient fuels. In this article, we will discuss what fuel is used in airplanes and what they are made of. We will also find out the difference in the fuels used for different airplanes.
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The Evolution of Aviation Fuel
With the advent of the aviation industry in human civilization, research on more efficient fuel also started. It led to the foundation of exceptional fossil fuel compositions containing natural and synthetic components leading to efficient aviation feats. The prime component of all these fuels is petroleum-based. These types of fuels are different from what is used for ground transportation due to different heating issues and other mechanical requirements.
The enhancement of fossil fuel is done to ensure proper combustion and availability of energy to run the jet engines efficiently without damaging them when used for long hours. Over the years, a variety of aviation fuels has been developed due to the diversity in the aircraft used these days. In this article, we will discuss the type of airplane fuel name and composition separately.
Types of Aircraft Fuels Used
Different types of fuels are used in the aviation industry. They are blends of various ingredients of the crude petroleum extracted from fractional distillation and synthetic fuel replacements to increase fuel efficiency. Remember that an aircraft achieves a height of 35,000 feet above sea level where the fuels need to be decompressed and used to run the engines as the liquid gets frozen at that atmospheric pressure and altitude.
The additives of the aviation fuel used are anti-freezing agents, hydrocarbons, antioxidants, metal neutralizers, etc. There are two broad divisions of aviation fuel used these days.
Let us take a quick look into the fuels used by the industry.
Jet Fuel
The airplane fuel name tells us that it is used to run jet engines. Although all the fuel types are used to run engines to get prominent thrust for carrying freight and passengers at that incredible height.
Avgas
It is the abbreviation of aviation gasoline used for small aircraft that run on piston engines, not jet engines. The piston engines run the propellers of an aircraft and move it forward. The definition of this fuel differs from that of jet fuel in all aspects.
In the next segment, we will study the different types of jet fuels and aviation gasoline.
Types of Jet Fuels
Jet fuel is mainly kerosene which is composed of hydrocarbons. It is extracted by the fractional distillation of crude petroleum. It is colorless and combustible in nature. This distillate is the prime component of the jet fuels used to run jet engines. The specification of the jet fuel used in India is specified as IS 157:2001.
The different types of jet fuels are:
Jet A
This is a genre of the jet fuel described above and is prominently used to run jet aircraft in the USA. The flashpoint of this fuel is similar to that of Jet A1 but has a higher freezing point of -40°C.
Jet A1
Jet A1 is also a kerosene-grade jet fuel used to run jet aircraft. It is also suitable for turbine engines installed in the big aircrafts carrying passengers and freight. The flashpoint of this fuel type is 38°C (100°F). Its freezing point is -47°C. This fuel is widely used in most countries along with India. The prime difference between Jet A and Jet A1 is that the latter has additives added to stabilize the mixture for better combustion and a lower freezing point than the former blend.
Jet B
This is an alternative to Jet A1 but it is hard to handle its combustion level. This gas is extremely inflammable and has a freezing point around -60°C. It is a mixture of kerosene and gasoline. The vapor pressure of this blend is lower than gasoline but higher than kerosene. It can be used as an alternative but only in countries with colder climatic conditions. Due to the prevailing lower atmospheric temperature, the higher flammability of the fuel can be handled properly.
Types of Aviation Gasoline (Avgas)
As mentioned earlier, this aviation fuel is used for airplanes that run on piston engines. The pistons in the engines turn the propeller causing the wind to thrust the planes forward. Avgas is generally used for small aircraft run by private pilots.
The planes used for training in the aviation clubs and training schools run on this fuel. The mechanism of starting the engines is similar to that of the ground vehicles. A spark initiates combustion and the produced gases expand to move the pistons inside an engine. Despite its use, high-octane fuels are in higher demand due to the efficiency factor of the engines of an airplane. This is why avgas is used in small and short-range airplanes.
As per the information from the aviation industry, there are two prime types of avgas used in the world these days.
Avgas 100
This is high-octane high-in-lead content avgas used in smaller aircraft to run piston engines. Lead is comprehensively used as an anti-knocking ingredient to reduce friction between the pistons and chambers and to protect the engines but it causes a lot of environmental damage.
Avgas 100LL
The abbreviation of low in the lead is LL. As the name suggests, the low lead content of this avgas is ideal for the environment but not ideal for the engines. This fuel is blue in color.
Other Variants of Aviation Fuel
The above four genres are the most commonly used aviation fuel to run airplanes. Specialized applications, as mentioned earlier, have evolved resulting in the formation of aviation fuels of different types. These types are generally used for diverse climates and military purposes.
TS-1
This fuel is primarily used in the CIS countries and Russia. It is also a kerosene-based fuel with a freezing point of less than -50°C. It is ideal for the countries where the winter temperature reduces considerably. In these countries, Jet A1 will not be able to serve the purpose.
JP-8
This genre of aviation fuel can be considered as the military version of Jet A1 used across the world. Apart from the base composition, additives are mixed such as anti-freezing agents, corrosion inhibitors, etc. This military-grade jet fuel is generally used by the air forces of NATO.
JP-5
This is also a kerosene-based high-grade military aviation fuel used only for carrier aircraft and military jets.
Mogas
This type of aviation fuel is cheaper than the Jet and Avgas versions. This is why it is used in European countries by most pilots. It has a higher content of lead causing the fuel to be changed every 50 hours. The mix used is either semi-synthetic or mineral-based.
Bio-Kerosene
Research is being conducted across the world to replace fossil fuels as these natural reserves will dry out someday soon. One of the prime achievements, in this aspect, is biofuel. This fuel is derived from culturing algae. Some other alternatives are derived from camelina oil and jatropha oil. Solar jets use biokerosene as it has less capacity than the fossil fuels used these days. Testing is going on for research to increase the efficiency of this type of fuel.
These are the prime types of fuels used in the aviation industry. All these genres have developed over the years based on the efficiency required for different airplanes. From the above discussion, we understood that two main types of aviation fuel exist based on jet engines and piston engines.
FAQs on Types of Aviation Fuels Used in the World
1. What is the prime difference between ground transport fuel and aviation fuel?
Ground transports run on piston engines which need less-efficient fuels than aviation engines. The jet engines are differently made and need an entirely different genre of fuels. Even a piston-propelled airplane uses a different type of fuel than ground vehicles. The kerosene content of the ground transport fuel is negligible when compared to the aviation fuel.
2. What is the airplane fuel tank capacity?
The fuel tank capacity entirely depends on the type of aircraft. Fighters have less capacity than airplanes carrying passengers and freight. Carrier military airplane fuel tank capacity is higher as they have to carry heavier machinery to a distant location. Fuel tanks are often filled mid-air when needed.
3. What fuel is used in airplanes?
From the above discussion, we found that the fuel used in the aircraft is mainly kerosene-based. Kerosene is a direct distillate extracted from crude petroleum by performing fractional distillation. The other ingredients vary based on the requirements and weather conditions such as anti-knocking compounds, anti-freezing agents, metal neutralizers, etc.
