Gulfstream and Rolls-Royce carry out SAF test
In the UK, Rolls-Royce announces that its Pearl 700 engines successfully powered the first flight of the Gulfstream G800 using 100% SAF.
The flight was part of Gulfstream Aerospace’s high-altitude flight test campaign, demonstrating the potential for 100% neat SAF to reduce contrail-forming particle emissions at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
The aircraft was paired with a specially modified Gulfstream G700, which is also powered by Pearl 700 engines, and was transformed into a flying emissions measurement laboratory. Operating in close formation, the aircraft enabled researchers to capture precise, real-world measurements of particulate matter and contrail-forming atmospheric characteristics at higher altitudes than flown by most commercial airliners, yet typical for business aviation, the firm said.
The team compared conventional Jet-A aviation fuel, low-sulfur Jet-A, and neat HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids) SAF, which contains no sulfur or aromatics. Preliminary results suggest a significant, measurable reduction in the particulate emissions that contribute to contrail formation when operating on neat SAF.
Alan Newby Director of Research and Technology, Rolls-Royce, said:”Sustainable aviation fuels in combination with compatible, ultra-efficient aero engines will not only play a vital role in decarbonizing aviation but have also been shown to reduce certain non-CO2 emissions. The valuable insights we have gained from these latest tests at high altitudes, as well as the data from projects like QRITOS or ECLIF3, are driving real progress in understanding aviation’s non-CO2 climate impacts and potential mitigation options.”
Category: SAF
