Performances, emissions from the gas turbine engine,
and soot formations
in diffusion flames of kerosene (Jet A1) and its mixture with 5% by
volume bioparaffins (known as BK-5) are reported in the present study.
A Rover 1S/60 gas turbine engine was used for recording performance
parameters and emissions. Soot characteristics were investigated in
smoke-free coannular wick-fed diffusion flames. This study is the
next step that must be performed in the certification process of a
new aviation biofuel before it is tested in the aircraft. The results
show that BK-5 produced a similar performance against Jet A1. Throughout
the whole power range under investigation, BK-5 emitted 3.4% NOx higher
than Jet A1, while Jet A1 released CO and HC at the rates that are,
respectively, 1.8 and 4.5% greater than its counterpart. The soot
emissions from the BK-5 and Jet A1 were comparable across the measured
flame height range. The results encouraged future studies to carry
out the modern engine and flight tests. The production process for
bioparaffins employed in this work has been demonstrated to be viable
and appropriate for tropical developing nations. The current process
should also continue to be improved by eliminating high-distillation
temperature components in bioparaffins.