METHOD FOR DETERMINING ONE OR MORE FUEL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN AVIATION FUEL

Abstract

EXHAUST GAS CONTENT This application discloses a method (1050) for determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel (F) suitable for powering a gas turbine engine (10) of an aircraft (1). The method comprises: determining (1051), during operation of the gas turbine engine, one or more exhaust gas content parameters by performing (1052) a sensor measurement on an exhaust gas from the gas turbine engine (10); and determining (1053) one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the exhaust gas parameter(s). The invention also relates to a fuel characteristic determination system (150), a method (1065) for operating an aircraft, and an aircraft (1). Figure 25

Claims

Demands

1. Method (1050) for determining one or more characteristics of fuel of an aviation fuel (F) suitable for powering a gas turbine engine (10) of an aircraft (1), the method comprising: the determination (1051), during the use of the gas turbine engine, of one or more exhaust gas content parameters performing (1052) a sensor measurement on an exhaust gas of the gas turbine engine (10); and the determination (1053) of one or more fuel characteristics fuel based on one or more gas parameters exhaust.

2. Method (1050) of claim 1, wherein the one or more pa- Exhaust gas content meters include a parameter indicative of the nvPM content of the exhaust gas.

3. Method (1050) of claim 2, wherein embodiment (1052) sensor measurement includes performing a measurement laser-induced incandescence to determine the concentration volumetric concentration of nvPM in the exhaust gas.

4. A method (1050) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the realization (1052) of the sensor measurement includes performing a measurement of condensation particle counting to determine a number of nvPM in the exhaust gas.

5. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or the several exhaust gas content parameters com- take an indicative parameter of the SO₂ content, CO, or CO₂ of the gas exhaust. and possibly in which the realization (1052) of the measure of the sensor includes performing a non-absorption measurement dispersive in the infrared.

6. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or the several exhaust gas content parameters com- take on a sulfate aerosol content from the exhaust gas, and preference in which the realization (1052) of the sensor measurement includes performing a mass spectrometer measurement for aerosols to determine the presence of sulfates in the gas exhaust.

7. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or the various fuel characteristics are further determined based on one or more atmospheric condition parameters ambient, each being indicative of atmospheric conditions ambient conditions in which the gas turbine engine (10) operates ac- utolously.

8. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or the various fuel characteristics are further determined based on one or more engine operating parameters, preferably including motor power adjustment.

9. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: a) the fuel characteristic(s) are determined on the basis of a determined exhaust gas content parameter in a first operating condition of the engine in which the emission of the respective measured substance is greater than that in a second condition for engine operation; and / or b) the fuel characteristic(s) are determined on the basis for a comparison of gas content parameters exhaust emissions determined under different operating conditions engine operation.

10. A method (1050) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or the multiple fuel characteristics include one any one or more of the following: (1) a hydrogen to carbon ratio of the fuel (F): (ii) a percentage of sustainable aviation fuel in the fuel (F) (iii) an aromatic hydrocarbon content of the fuel (F); (iv) a naphthalene content of the fuel (F); and / or {v) a sulfur content of the fuel (F).

11. | Fuel Characteristics Determination System (150) for determine one or more fuel characteristics of a fuel aviation (F) adapted to power a gas turbine engine (10) of a aircraft (1), the system comprising: an exhaust gas sensor (151) arranged to determine one or several exhaust gas content parameters, the gas sensor exhaust (151) being arranged to perform a measurement on a gas exhaust of the gas turbine engine (10); and a fuel characteristics determination module (152) arranged to determine one or more fuel characteristics fuel based on one or more gas content parameters exhaust.

12. Fuel Characteristics Determination System (150) of the claim 11, wherein the characteristic or characteristics of fuel are further determined by the fuel determination module fuel characteristics (152) based on: 1) one or more ambient atmospheric condition parameters, each being indicative of the ambient atmospheric conditions in which the gas turbine engine (10) is currently operating; and / or 11) one or more engine operating parameters, preferably including an engine power adjustment.

13. Fuel Characteristics Determination System (150) of the claim 11 or 12, wherein one or more features fuel includes any one or more of the following: (i) a hydrogen to carbon ratio of the fuel (F); (ii) a percentage of sustainable aviation fuel in the fuel {F); (iii) an aromatic hydrocarbon content of the fuel (F); (iv) a naphthalene content of the fuel (F); and / or {v) a sulfur content of the fuel (F).

14. Method (1065) of operating an aeronet (1) having an engine gas turbine (10), the process comprising: the determination (1066) of one or more fuel characteristics using the method of any one of claims 1 to 10; and the operation (1067) of the aircraft (1) according to the one or more ca- fuel characteristics.

15. Aircraft (1) comprising a gas turbine engine (10) and the system of determination of fuel characteristics (150) of one of the reven- indications 11 to 13, further comprising a control system (42) arranged to control the operation of the aircraft (1) according to the or the various fuel characteristics determined by the system of determination of fuel characteristics (150).