Influence of Bioethanol Blends on Performances of a Micro Turbojet Engine
Grigore Cican, Marius Deaconu, Radu Mirea, Andrei Tiberiu Cucuruz
Abstract
This paper proposes a study regarding the use of bioethanol as fuel for turbine engines used in aviation. For this purpose, three blends of 5, 10, and 15% concentrations of bioethanol mixed with Jet A fuel were tested on JET CAT P80 microturbo engine. During the engine testing, the following parameters were monitored: engine speed, generated force, temperature in front of the turbine, fuel volumetric flow rate, and vibration levels measured both on axial and radial direction. The tests were performed by maintaining the microturbo engine for about 1 min at three operating regimes: idle, cruise, and maximum speed. In addition, a comparative analysis between fuels for a test with the microturbo engine from the idle position to maximum position is presented. After the tests were conducted, a jet engine cycle analysis was performed at the max regime and the fuel specific consumption, the efficiency of the combustion chamber, and the thermal efficiency of the engine for each fuel blend were calculated. The tests were made without making any modifications to the engine components or automation system.