Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs): Comparative Characterization of Combustion Emissions using a Novel Aviation Fuel Combustor
ONYINYE A. EZEIFEKA, Yevgen Nazarenko, University of Cincinnati
Abstract Number: 607
Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract
The urgent need to reduce aviation's environmental footprint has accelerated the transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs[YN1] ). As this transition is occurring, understanding the complete emissions profile of SAFs and the associated health implications is essential. While extensive research has focused on SAFs' carbon reduction potential and engine performance, the detailed characterization of the organic pollutant emissions with exhaust of aircraft engines burning SAFs and the occupational health implications for aviation workers exposed to these emissions remains largely unexplored. This study examines the organic pollutant composition of SAF emissions from aircraft engines and evaluates potential occupational health risks to aviation workers. This study employs a high-pressure jet fuel combustor that simulates aircraft engine combustion conditions. The combustor enables precise replication of in-engine combustion while overcoming the logistical and safety constraints of full-scale aircraft engine operation. The reference fuels are SAFs that represent diverse chemical production pathways that are currently accepted and available in the market: ATJ-SPK (Alcohol-to-Jet Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene) and FT-SPK (Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene). Exhaust sampling is performed using a spatially averaged 3-prong collector probe and the Series 110B Spot Sampler™ aerosol particle collector. Particle size distribution of nanoparticles and fine particles are measured in real time using a Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS). The TRACE GC Ultra, Gas Chromatographer-Mass Spectrophotometer (GC-MS) and Beckman Coulter System Gold 126 solvent module High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) are used to separate the individual gaseous compounds in the mix of VOCs and non-volatile organic compounds within complex mixtures of air pollutant blends to determine the composition of hazardous pollutants in the bulk fuel used for the field experiments. Through detailed chemical analysis and exposure assessment, this research provides essential insights into the occupational health aspects of the aviation industry’s gradual transition to SAFs, addressing a significant oversight in current aviation sustainability initiatives.
[YN1]Most stakeholders are still not using the term “SAF” in plural, but we should press for the change because these fuels are not a single kind of fuel.