SUPERSONIC JET FUELS QUALITY AND COST FACTORS

Format:

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Dukek, W. G., author.

Conference Name:

14th INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

SAE 1961 METROPOLITAN SECTION-WIDE MEETING: Fuels (Lubes and Diesel Activity)

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 1961

Summary:

SUMMARYThe high Mach number supersonic bomber and its commercial transport version represent a challenge not only to designers but to fuel suppliers. Opinions differ on the relative importance of speed, structure and power plant but most designers are agreed that, compared to today's jet aircraft, the supersonic jet is far more fuel dependent in terms of both quality and cost. Fuel represents about 50% of gross take-off weight and accounts for over 50% of direct operating costs in the supersonic transport. The higher fuel consumption of supersonic jet engines means that the SST consumes more fuel to move the same traffic over a given route than the subsonic jet. As a consequence, a significantly greater demand for jet fuel will exist if some portion of world traffic moves supersonically rather than by conventional aircraft. Economic analysis indicates that fuel costs significantly greater than current fuel might wipe out the incentive for airlines to acquire a SST instead of a subsonic jet.In a normal supersonic flight pattern, the fuel would be subject to increasing temperatures, not only in the wing and fuselage tanks but by heat absorption from the airframe and engine as it passed through the fuel system into the nozzle. Its temperature profile makes the volatility and thermal stability of the fuel prime quality factors. In addition, fuel should be high in density to accommodate the maximum energy in limited tank volume, exhibit good low temperature properties to insure satisfactory subsonic operation, include maximum BTU/pound to extend range, display good combustion characteristics in the engine and high cooling capacity to minimize insulation, heat exchange and refrigeration. Finally, supersonic fuel must be handled with pharmaceutical cleanliness to insure freedom from contamination that would adversely affect thermal stability. All of these features come at a price.It is concluded that quality features needed in a supersonic fuel will tend to make it more expensive than current fuels, but it is likely that this cost can be kept within the desired economic boundaries by design compromises in the airframe such as insulation to reduce thermal stress, supplementary coolers to reduce the fuel heat sink load and the use of inerted and pressurized tanks

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Publisher Number:

610498

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license