Nut-derived avgas and lubes performing in extreme temperatures are the latest Chinese innovations in the aviation sector.
An Air China 747 similar to the one used in the biofuel test Image: dmytrok |
In a series of research projects launched last year to produce more environmentally friendly and renewable energy, U.S. and Chinese companies have developed a fuel derived from the oily nuts of the Jatropha tree.
In the latest development, government and company officials witnessed an Air China Boeing 747-400, powered by a half-biofuel half-standard aviation fuel mixture, taking off for a two hour test flight around the capital, Beijing.
The fuel was jointly developed by Illinois-based Honeywell UOP, Boeing Co., Air China Ltd. and China's oil giant PetroChina in an effort to reduce pollution and spur the growth of new industries. The group say that a commercial version of the biofuel should be available within the next three to five years. Boeing said that the goal of the research is to develop biofuels that can be used without engine modifications.
Air China vice president He Li claimed the flight was “a milestone for the Chinese airline industry” and will prove invaluable in reducing carbon emissions in the future. Biofuels are becoming increasingly important in Chinese airlines, as the Civil Aviation Administration of China endeavours to commit to its promise of a 22% reduction in aviation emissions by 2020.
Elsewhere, scientists working in a China Air Force fuel research institute have engineered a specialised lubricant that will ensure that China's third-generation fighter planes will be able perform well in adverse conditions.
The new lubricant, which is designed for use in extreme climates, can perform at temperatures both 20 degrees higher and 20 degrees lower than its predecessor. It will also enable the fighter planes' engines to start almost instantly, as well as increasing flight time at very high temperatures.
According to a statement from China's armed forces, the advance involves adjusting the viscosity of the solution to prevent freezing. The new lubricant is based on a basic oil molecular structure refined from thousands of ester structures.