Ethanol Blog
Todd Neeley DTN Staff Reporter

Tuesday 03/09/10

Company Develops Renewable Fuel for Piston Aircraft

U.S. aircraft likely will have to stop using a lead fuel additive that was banned from automobile use in 1996, according to RenewableFuelWorld.com, sparking interest in renewable jet fuel and diesel.

Leaded "avgas" still is the fuel of choice for piston aircraft, but a new fuel may have inroads into the aviation industry.

Swift Enterprises has developed what it calls SwiftFuel, a renewable diesel and aircraft fuel developed in Purdue University laboratories. SwiftFuel can be made with a variety of feedstocks including sugar beets and sorghum.

SwiftFuel may be granted a new specification by ASTM International by June, which would clear the way for use in aircraft.

Swift principal investigator Jon Ziulkowski said ethanol plants could be adapted to produce SwiftFuel.

SwiftFuel has been found to be chemically identical to avgas, but emits fewer greenhouse gases.

(RenewableEnergyWorld.com, March 8, 2010)

(http://is.gd/…)

DTN: It is quite possible that ethanol plants of the future will produce a far wider array of products than do today's corn-based ethanol plants. It is feasible to join together a side array of technologies to produce biofuels, biochemicals, bioplastics and other products, all from the "biorefineries" of the future. The most significant technological challenge is to make it possible for all available technologies to produce all the products in the most cost- and energy-efficient way. The ability to produce a variety of products will make the biofuels industry more profitable in the long term. (Todd Neeley)

Posted at 10:41AM CST 03/09/10 by Todd Neeley
Comments (1)
Of special interest to aviation is the increased energy density of Swift fuel over the currently used 100 octane leaded aviation gas resulting in greater range and power with the same gallons on board. While ethanol is one component in the manufacture of Swift fuel, none is contained in the final product. It is a second generation biofuel.
Posted by R. Lynn Sanderson at 7:36AM CST 03/10/10
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