Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK)
by Dr. James D. Kinder and Timothy Rahmes (The Boeing Company) … Virgin Atlantic paved the way with its proof of concept flight powered by biofuel in February 2008. Since that time, a broader range of fuels have become available that more closely replicate the performance characteristics of conventional kerosene jet fuel. Significant progress has been made in verifying the performance of Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK) made from sustainable sources of bio-derived oils, that can be used in commercial aircraft at a blend ratio of up to 50 percent with traditional jet fuel (Jet A or Jet A-1). A cross-industry team consisting of Boeing, Honeywell/UOP, Air New Zealand (ANZ), Continental Airlines (CAL), Japan Airlines (JAL), General Electric, CFM, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce participated in a series of tests flights with a bio-derived SPK (Bio-SPK) to collect data to support eventual certification of Bio-SPK jet fuels for use in commercial aviation pending the necessary approvals. This document provides a summary of the data collected from the Bio-SPK research and technology program, as well as a discussion about the additional data that is being generated to support fuel approval. READ MORE


