바이오연료 항공유 업데이트

최근 바이오항공유의 개발이 앞당겨지고 있다.

 

밑의 기사는 보잉과 하니웰의 자회사인 UOP가 파리 에어쇼에서 발표한 내용이다. 바이오 항공유에 대한 충분한 검증이 되가기 때문에 빠르면 2010년부터 항공유에 사용하기 위한 인증절차에 들어갈 것으로 예상한다는 것이다.

 

그리고 버진애틀랜틱, 컨티넨틀, 일본항공, 뉴질랜드 항공이 2008년부터 시험한 결과가 바이오 항공유를 섞은 결과가 일방 석유항공유만을 사용한 결과보다 항공운항효율에 나았다는 것이다.

 

여기서 유의할 점이 있다. 버진애틀랜틱이 2008년 초기에 시험할 때는 바이오디젤을 사용하였다.  그런데 최근에는 UOP가 개발한 Bio-SPK fuel이라는 것을 주로 사용한다.

 

일반 바이오디젤은 식물기름과 메타놀을 반응시켜 글리세롤만을 분리한 형태이다. 그런데 위   Bio-SPK fuel 은 식물기름을 기초 원료로 하여  2단계 반응을 거쳐 일반 항공유의 성분인 kerosene과 유사한 구조와 성질을 가진다. 즉 인화점이나 응고온도가 일반 kerosene과 유사한 성질을 보여 biokerosene이라고 불리운다.

 

그런데 위   Bio-SPK fuel은  UOP사가 공정에 대한 특허를 가지고 있다.  현재까지 식물기름은 자트로파, 카멜리나, 녹조에서 추출한 기름을 사용하였다. 그러나 다른 기름도 사용할 수 있지만 가능하면 식용 기름을 피하겠다고 한다. 다만 카멜리나 기름도 식용으로도 사용되고 캐놀라 기름도 유사한 성질을 가지고 있다. 개인적으로는 캐나다에서는 캐놀라 기름이 잉여로 생산되기 때문에 원료로 이용될 가능성도 있다고 생각한다.

 

6월 19일 뱅쿠버 국제공항의 환경담당 부사장인 Anne Murray와 바이오 항공유 사용에 대한 가능성을 토의하였다.  뱅쿠버 공항도 인증만 되면 바이오 항공유의 사용을 적극적으로 고려한다고 한다.

 

지금 일본항공뿐 아니라 다른 일본회사도 바이오 항공유 제조에 관심을 가지고 있는 것으로 언급이 된다.  우리나라 회사들도 인천공항에서 필요한 바이오 항공유 생산을 고려하여야 할 것이다.  다만 이러한 공정에 UOP가 특허를 가지고 있기 때문에 라이센스를  받아야 되는 것을 유의하여야 한다. 밑의 기사에 의하면 특허 라이센스를 이번 여름서부터 고려한다고 한다.

 

뱅쿠버 공항에서 사용되는 항공유 양이 많기 때문에 뱅쿠버 현지에서 위 바이오 항공유를 라이센스 받아 생산하는 계획을 심각히 고려한다. 여기 위치가 보잉사 본사하고도 가깝기 때문에(100Km) 시험 생산후 인증절차를 밟기 수월한 점이 있다. 관심있는 한국 기업이 같이 참여하였으면 한다.

 

Boeing, UOP release biofuels flight data; certification as soon as 2010; UOP to license technology this summer

A CFM 56-7 jet engine, similar to the engine used in the Continental biofuels test flight

At the Paris Air Show Boeing and a series of partners involved in four biofuels-based test flights released the data from the tests, and said that with the release they are on a path towards flight certification of biofuels as soon as late 2010.

Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that the group, which includes UOP Honeywell and the US Air Force Research Lab, is preparing a submission to ASTM that will qualify what the group is now calling Bio-SPK fuel.

Jennifer Holmgren, general manager for biofuels at UOP, confirmed that UOP expects to commence licensing its fuel technology at the end of this summer, and said that it has already commenced advanced discussions with multiple potential licensees.

In the long term, Glover said that biofuels could replace as much as 40 percent of the 70 billion gallons of jet fuel consumd by the commercial aviation industry per year. But Glover and Holmgren cautioned that organizing the supply chain, beginning with feedstocks, was critical to developing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Virgin Atlantic, Continental, Japan Air Lines and Air New Zealand and the group as a whole conducted a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The tests revealed that using the Bio-SPK fuel blends had no adverse effects on the engines or their components. They also showed that the fuels have an average 1.8 percent greater energy content by mass than typical petroleum-derived jet fuel.

The report was signed by Boeing, fuel technology developer UOP; engine-makers GE Aviation, CFM International, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell and airlines Air New Zealand (ANZ), Continental Airlines (CAL), Japan Airlines (JAL) and Virgin Atlantic. Test flights involved an ANZ 747-400 powered by Rolls-Royce engines, a CAL 737-800 powered by CFM engines and a JAL 747-300 powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. In addition, GE conducted static testing at its Ohio facility. Virgin Atlantic proved the technical viability of biofuels at high altitude with its test flight in early 2008.

Continental Boeing 737 on the tarmac at George Bush International prior to takeoff on a biofuels test flight

The first flight, by Virgin Atlantic in February 2008, was described by the group as a “proof of concept,” and test results were reported from the three subsequent test flights by Air New Zealand, Japan Air Lines and Continental. Jatropha, algae and camelina oils were used in different combinations, and Beoing and UOP confirmed that halophytes such as salicornia, while not flight tested, are also showing promise.

Other feedstocks will be considered in the future and the group said they expect aviation biofuels to include a wider range than have been tested so far. “Three years ago when we started this process,” said Holmgren, “I don’t think any one of us had ever heard of jatropha or camelina.”

“To be honest, it’s been hard to follow up on all the new feedstock opportunities,” added Glover. “After we complete this part of the process, we’ll start to look closely at more. I’m confident there are many other possibilities out there.”

The group said that their goals in the test were adding to the overall fuel supply, giving airlines opportunities to respond to price volatility for fossil fuels, and to fundamentally reduce the CO2 emissions footprint of commercial aviation.

Glover said that jatropha and camelina represented the strongest near-term options; algae was described as technically acceptable, but “not quite ready for prime time” in terms of developing a means of delivering large quantities of algae-based fuels on a commercial scale at the present time.

The group confirmed that, in addition to the lifecycle analysis that had been completed for camelina, analysis on jatropha is expected from a team at Yale by the end of the year, and a team led by the NRDC is expected to complete analysis of algae fuels as soon as next year.

UOP said that it was modeling future refineries for renewable jet fuel using a 60-150 Mgy scale, and said that while this was only a fraction of the typical 4.2 billion gallon per year scale of a typical oil refinery that the size was the most effective given the expected supply chain for renewable jet fuel feedstocks.  Holmgren said that it was possible to greenfield the proposed refineries or, better, construct them adjacent to existing chemical plant,s pulp and paper, or existing refineries to utilize similar support infrastructure. UOP said that it expects the cost of refineries to be in the $150 million range.

Boeing also said that there was emerging interest at the Air Force and Navy in renewable jet fuels, and said that it expected an approval process to eventually commence with aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster transporter.

Glover said that he expects that smaller companies would be the first ones to construct refineries for renewable jet fuel, but Jennifer Holmgren confirmed that “oil companies are watching carefully” and “have some interest although I wouldn’t say they are bullish”. Both confirmed that interest in aviation biofuels is not limited regionally.

A copy of the report on Bio-SPK aviation biofuels is here, including a summary of fuel performance and emissions data.

The most recent Biofuels Digest Special Report on Aviation Biofuels is here.