The Performance of Alternate Fuels in General Aviation Aircraft

Abstract

This report describes the results of a study which measured the effects of pressure altitude on fuel weathering. In this study, samples of unleaded automobile gasoline were exposed to varying pressure altitudes, and the effects of this exposure on aircraft performance and volatility were measured. The composition of the fuel, aircraft configuration, and the initial temperature of the fuel when transferred to the tank were varied to determine the extent these variables affected the aircraft performance. Experiments were conducted which demonstrated that the use of 110-degree Fahrenheit fuel during aircraft certification will provide the greatest margin of safety. In addition, the suitability of methyl-tertiary-butyl ether as an acceptable fuel for use in general aviation aircraft was demonstrated. Keywords: Autogas, Alcohol fuels, Methyl-tertiary-butyl Ether (MTBE), Alternate fuels, Aircraft, Material compatibility, Vapor lock, Engines, Aircraft, Flight tests, Gasohol, Spark ignition engines.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA199001

Entities

People

  • Augusta M. Ferrara
  • Mary M. Rowe
  • Richard Wares

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Fields
  • Acoustic Phenomena
  • Acoustics
  • Aircrafts
  • Birds
  • Composite Materials
  • Estimators
  • Frequency
  • Fuels
  • General Aviation Aircraft
  • High Resolution
  • Shallow Water
  • Sine Waves
  • Spark Ignition
  • Surface Waves
  • Water
  • Waves

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Petroleum Engineering