From Seed to Sky
NRC showcases its biofuel test flight facility
Wednesday September 26th 2012 – by Ibrahim Yimer, director, Gas Turbine, National Research Council of Canada
As part of National Biotechnology Week, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) opened its flight research facility to showcase the biofuel initiative that will lead to the world’s first 100 per cent biofuel-powered flight, with a product meeting all specifications of petroleum-based fuel. Partners Agrisoma Biosciences and Applied Research Associates (ARA) distributed samples of the Resonance oilseed and its carinata oil, as well as samples of the “drop-in” ReadiJet renewable fuel.
“An aircraft hangar may not be the first location that comes to mind for hosting a biotechnology event,” said Jerzy Komorowski, general manager of NRC Aerospace, “but our seed-to-sky initiative really highlights NRC’s unique ability to conduct multi-disciplinary R&D within one organization.” In fact, Agrisoma has been working with NRC’s plant biotechnology experts for over a decade in NRC’s Saskatoon Industry Partnership Facility. The growing Canadian firm is now drawing from NRC’s extensive aerospace capacities to test ARA’s ReadiJet biofuel, which is derived from the Resonance oilseed crops.
“This event is a great opportunity for our stakeholders and partners to see first-hand the world class flight research capabilities available at the NRC,” continued Komorowski. “This upcoming flight will be taking place in our Falcon 20 twin-engine jet, which can isolate small amounts of fuel, allowing for the biofuel to only be used for a portion of the flight; this is a very important feature when testing experimental fuels that are not yet available in large quantities.”
In preparation for the historic flight – scheduled to take place in late October – NRC is doing its due diligence by making sure that ReadiJet meets all the requirements of its rigorous airworthiness process. This includes laboratory analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the biofuel, which are then compared against known standards for Jet A-1 fuel. In this particular case, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory conducted the analysis and compared it with the military version of aviation jet fuel. Satisfyingly, they found the properties to comply with the known standards of aviation fuel, making ReadiJet an extraordinary product.
NRC is now testing ReadiJet on a static engine in a controlled environment, where captured data will provide critical insight into the performance of renewable fuels, for both engine and fuel research communities. These tests are conducted by gas turbine experts at NRC’s Montreal Road campus in Ottawa, and will ensure that the biofuel will function as anticipated when used in flight.
NRC is home to five gas turbine engine test cells with varying capabilities, including high altitude, icing and performance testing. “Every year NRC works with some of the world’s leading engine original equipment manufacturers in its facilities,” said Dr. Wajid Chishty, the NRC research officer who is conducting the static engine tests of the ReadiJet fuel. “Our facilities are used for engine certification, engine performance, operability and durability, as well as high impact research in the areas of icing and alternative fuels.”
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