Aviation fuel is the blood of all aircraft, and there is no single kind of plane that takes the same kind of fuel. Aircraft vary in their fuel type requirements, depending on the engine type, size, and use. These differences can be understood to make it clear as to why a small passenger plane cannot use the fuel that large commercial planes do.
Aviation fuel has almost nothing to do with the gasoline that you fill up your car with or the diesel you put in a truck. Airplane engines operate under extreme conditions that vehicle engines do not experience. They have to work at heights in very low temperatures, which may even reach minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They also have to be able to work without stopping for several hours.
Routine car gasoline would not operate at such extreme conditions, either freezing or inducing engine issues. To meet these challenges, special aviation fuels are produced that give the energy necessary to keep heavy aircraft in the air.
Currently, aviation fuel is of two types. Both types are meant to suit different aircraft engines, as well as flight conditions.
Turbine engines operate most commercial airliners, as well as military jets, and they use jet fuel. The mechanism within these engines is to draw air and combust with fuel, to propel the engine through thrust. The jet fuel is, in fact, closer to kerosene than gasoline.
The models of smaller engine planes typically use aviation gasoline, or avgas. The engines are similar to car engines, with the up-and-down movement of pistons to generate power. However, the difference between aviation gasoline and car gasoline is rather extensive.
The most common aviation fuel in the world is Jet fuel. Almost every commercial, cargo, and military jets incorporate one type of jet fuel.
Jet fuel is just a refining of crude oil, just as are gasoline and diesel. Nevertheless, the process involved in refining is different and produces fuel resembling kerosene. Cleaning removes impurities and introduces special chemicals so that the fuel can perform better in aircraft engines.
The hydrocarbons in the fuel burn extremely clean and supply a lot of energy. Additional chemicals are used to prevent fuel from freezing in high altitudes and to ensure the easy flow of fuel in fuel lines.
Jet A-1 is the most widely used jet fuel. Airlines all over the globe utilize this fuel, and it constitutes the majority of jet fuel resources. Depending on the temperature, it can operate as low as 47 degrees Celsius.
The other popular type is Jet A, which is primarily applicable in the U.S. It is much like Jet A-1 but has a slightly higher freezing point. JP-8 is commonly used by military aircraft and typically contains additional additives to support the military requirement, and is essentially Jet A-1 with extra additives.
Smaller aircraft using piston engines use aviation gasoline. Such planes consist of personal aircraft, aircraft used for flight training, and some older commercial planes.
Aviation fuel is rated higher than ordinary car gasoline. Octane rating is a gauge of the resistance of the fuel to the engine when it starts knocking or pinging. Airplane engines require high-octane fuel since they operate under intense temperatures and pressures.
100LL is the most widespread aviation gasoline that possesses an octane rate of 100, containing low levels of lead. The lead makes the fuels less environmentally friendly and costlier than the unleaded fuels, though the lead assists in reducing engine knocking.
Piston-driven small airplanes are unable to use jet fuel since their engines are not the same. The piston engines require a fuel that explodes under control in the cylinders. Jet fuel would malfunction in such engines, resulting in significant damage.
The distinction between aviation gasoline and jet fuel runs much wider than the name. Such fuels are meant to serve engines and flight conditions that are different.
Jet fuel has more miles per gallon than aviation gasoline. This implies that aircraft can use lighter loads of fuel and achieve the same travel distance. This difference in energy is vital to large commercial airliners, which require flying thousands of miles.
Jet gasoline is far more effective in cold climates than aviation gasoline. The commercial jets fly very high, so high that the temperature is freezing, and therefore, this requires them to use a fuel that will not solidify or thicken and become difficult to pump.
Jet fuel is usually much cheaper to manufacture than aviation gasoline. Partially, it is caused by the fact that significantly more jet fuel is produced, which makes the production process more efficient. Aviation gasoline needs additional refining procedures and special additives, and thus is more expensive.
As compared to aviation gasoline, jet fuel is more convenient to store and handle. It is less volatile, i.e., evaporates less rapidly and poses less danger of fire. This helps make it safer for the airport workers, and less fuel is lost during its storage.
The aviation fuels have various impacts on the environment. The awareness of such differences is gaining significance as individuals seek mechanisms to ensure aviation becomes greener.
During the combustion of jet fuel, it yields carbon dioxide, water vapor, and traces of other gases. The water vapor can create contrails, which you would find behind flying jet airplanes, and the carbon dioxide causes climate change.
The major part of aviation fuel has remained leaded, toxic to the environment and the health of people. Years ago, lead was removed from car gasoline; however, it is still present in aviation gasoline to avoid engine knocking. There is sustained work to create unleaded aviation gasoline.
The aircraft industry is striving to develop new forms of fuel that are environmentally friendly. These comprise biofuels, made up of plants, and synthetic fuel developed using renewable energy.
The Sustainable aviation fuel may easily be combined with the ordinary jet fuel and employed in the current aircraft engines. They are fuels produced out of waste materials, plants, or any other renewable source, rather than crude oil.
Other firms are coming up with electric-powered planes on short flights and hydrogen-powered ones on longer journeys. These technologies are under test, yet they may alter aviation fuel requirements in the future.
The knowledge of differences between aviation fuels will allow the explanation of numerous points related to the work of the aviation industry. It explains why there are different types of aircraft and the differences in fuel costs among airlines.
The type of fuel also determines the destination that an aircraft can reach and its range. Aircraft have to consider the routes they want to follow, depending on the availability of the correct kind of fuel for their engines.
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