Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #114385

Title: BIOJET: AN ALTERNATIVE JET FUEL FORMULATED WITH METHYL SOYATE (BIODIESEL)

Author
item Dunn, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2000
Publication Date: 7/12/2000
Citation: DUNN, R.O. BIOJET: AN ALTERNATIVE JET FUEL FORMULATED WITH METHYL SOYATE (BIODIESEL). ASAE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING. 2000.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Air quality standards set forth by the Clean Air Act and its amendments have established guidelines to reduce the impact of harmful emissions from commercial and military aviation. Biodiesel, defined as the mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids derived from vegetable oil or animal fat, has demonstrated in applications as extender for compression ignition engines, a number of promising characteristics including reduction of harmful exhaust emissions. This work examines the feasibility of blending "methyl soyate" (SME) in vol. fracs. 0.10-0.30 with jet fuels JP-8 and JP-8+100. Testing of cold flow properties indicated that for blends with as little as 0.10 vol. frac. SME, operation of aircraft at altitudes where ambient temperature is below -30C may not be possible. Blending with additized SME decreased this limit by 10C while blending with winterized SME decreased to -47C, a value that places the blend within the standard fuel specification for JP-8. Following an exposure time of 28 d, Karl Fischer moisture contents of 0.10 vol. frac. SME-blends were very small, indicating that water penetration will not be a problem. Although fatty derivatives such as biodiesel will undergo oxidative degradation more readily than jet fuels, careful production, transport, and storage of BioJet blends should not present a significant problem.