This study examines the impact of alcohol blends on the performance and emissions of aviation micro-turbojet engines. Thus, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol, and octanol were tested at 10%, 20%, and 30% concentrations and mixed with Jet A, as well as with an additional 5% heptanol blend to preserve base fuel properties, to fuel a JetCat P80 micro-turbojet. Physicochemical properties such as density, viscosity, and elemental composition were analyzed before engine testing. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 1 kg of fuel combustion varied, with propanol yielding the lowest at 3.02 kg CO2 per kg of fuel and octanol yielding the highest at 3.22 kg CO2 per kg of fuel. The following results were obtained: alcohol blends lowered exhaust gas temperature by up to 7.5% at idle and intermediate thrust but slightly increased it at maximum power; fuel mass flow increased with alcohol concentration, peaking at 20.4% above Jet A for 30% propanol; and thrust varied from −4.92% to +7.4%. While specific fuel consumption increased by up to 12.8% for propanol, thermal efficiency declined by 1.8–5.6% and combustion efficiency remained within ±2% of Jet A. Butanol and octanol emerged as viable alternatives, balancing emissions reduction and efficiency. The results emphasize the need for an optimal trade-off between environmental impact and engine performance.
This paper investigates how octanol, used as a renewable additive in Jet A fuel, influences the performance and emissions of aviation micro-turbo engines. Blends containing 10%, 20%, and 30% octanol, with an additional 5% n-heptane, were tested to closely replicate Jet A’s physical–chemical properties. Mathematical models validated using density and viscosity data achieved accurate predictions, with maximum absolute errors of 0.0018 g/cm3 for density and 0.4020 mm2/s for viscosity. Performance assessments showed that fuel consumption increased due to octanol’s lower calorific value, requiring higher fuel flow to sustain engine speed. Combustion temperature variations ranged from a decrease of 5.38% in Regime 1 (30% octanol) to increases of up to 1.47% and 1.13% in Regimes 2 and 3, respectively, without compromising engine stability. Thrust variations were minimal, with decreases up to 0.72% observed at 30% octanol concentration. Emission analysis indicated significant reductions in CO and NOx levels with increased octanol content, attributed to enhanced combustion completeness and additional oxygen availability. SO2 emissions also decreased slightly due to the lower sulfur content. Thermal efficiency marginally declined from 5.04% (Jet A) to approximately 4.92–4.97% for octanol blends. These findings support octanol as a viable sustainable additive, offering substantial emission benefits with only minor efficiency trade-offs.