Fede

Adm

Presented to: REDACBy: Nate Brown

Alternative Jet Fuel Project ManagerCLEEN ProgramEnvironment and EnergyFederal Aviation Administration

Date: March 26, 2014

Alternative Jet Fuels Research Overview
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Challenges for Alternative Jet Fuels

• Feedstock Availability • Competitive cost for alternative fuel• Approved for performance/safety• Environmentally sustainable• Commercially produced
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Alt Fuels Development Progr

• Boeing completed study on seal swell from cyclop• Engine tests of novel fuels

– PW615F turbofan testing of 3 fuels completed– Honeywell APU testing of 7 fuels underway– Cooperative testing of Alcohol-to-Jet fuel with USAF 

• One ballot at ASTM, additional ballots under prepa• Analyses continue on sustainability and techno-ec• Continued domestic and international engagemen

– CAAFI Biennial General Meeting– Farm to Fly 2.0 signed and working group established – National Alternative Jet Fuel Strategy under developmen– First alternative jet fuel Global Exchange meeting held– ICAO Alternative Fuels Task Force (AFTF)

• Established a system for voluntary reporting of alt 
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FAA Alternative Jet Fuel Activities

• Testing

 Support Cert/Qual testing Improve Cert/Qual process Emissions measurements

• Analysis 

 Environmental sustainability Techno-economic analysis Future scenarios

• Coordination

 Interagency Public-Private State & Regional International

• Tracking use
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FAA Alternative Jet Fuel Activities

• Testing

 Material compatibility Certification / Qualification Emissions measurements

• Analysis 

 Environmental sustainability Techno-economic analysis Future scenarios

• Coordination

 Interagency Public-Private State & Regional International

• Tracking use

 Support evaluation of fuels for ASTM 

approval

 Reduce test cost and time for 

qualification
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Aviation Fuel Qualification (ASTM D4054 P

ASTM Balloting 

Process

Specification 

Properties Eng

Te

Fit-For-Purpose Properties Component/Rig Testing

A

Re

ASTM R

Specification

Accept

ASTM

Review

& Ballot

Re-Eval

As Required Reject

ASTM

Specification

Accept

ASTM

Review

& Ballot

Re-Eval

As Required Reject

ASTM D7566 

Revision FAA & OEM Review & 

Approval
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Lignocellulosic Coal Biomass Waste Gas

Advanced 

thermoprocessing

Natural 

Gas

Solid 

Waste Sugar & Starch Cro

bio-oil

pyrolysis

gasification

ATJSKA ATJ- SPK

alcohols

HDCJ

F-T 

Synthesis

FTSKA FT- SPK 

Hy

A

SK, DSHC

SAK

Bio-process

Thermoprocessing

Hydro- processing Hydro- processing

Thermoprocessing Thermo- processing

sugars Bioprocessing

Annex A1 

Sept 2009

ASTM TF 

& Report

ASTM TF 

& Report 

ASTM TF

ASTM TF 

& Report 

ASTM TF 

& Report

ASTM TF

Jet 

Fuel

saccharification

syngas

Draft – Subject to Revision – Oct 22 2013

Jet 

Fuel

Resource Process Intermediate Process Product ASTM

Status

Alternative Jet Fuel Pathways & Status
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Lignocellulosic Coal Biomass Waste Gas

Advanced 

thermoprocessing

Natural 

Gas

Solid 

Waste Sugar & Starch Cro

bio-oil

pyrolysis

gasification

alcohols

F-T 

Synthesis

Hy

Bio-process

Thermoprocessing

Hydro- processing Hydro- processing

Thermoprocessing Thermo- processing

sugars Bioprocessing

saccharification

syngas

Draft – Subject to Revision – Oct 22 2013

Resource Process Intermediate Process

FTSKA FT- SPK 

Annex A1 

Sept 2009

ASTM TF 

& Report

Jet 

Fuel

Jet 

Fuel

Product ASTM

Status

A

HDCJ SK, DSHC

SAK

ASTM TF 

& Report 

ASTM TF

ASTM TF 

& Report 

ASTM TF 

& Report

ATJSKA ATJ- SPK

ASTM TF

Compound Product FT- SPK + SA 

RR HON

HON

P&W

RR

HON P&W 

HON HO

Boeing

P&W

Alternative Jet Fuel Pathways & Status
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Emissions Measurements

• PARTNER developing 

relationship for black carbon emissions based on engine thrust and fuel aromatic content

• Intend to further expand alt jet 

fuels emissions knowledge using measurements from CLEEN Program and NASA tests 

• Expanding knowledge to 

include alt jet fuels that have aromatic content (e.g., HDCJ)
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FAA Alternative Jet Fuel Activities

• Testing

 Material compatibility Certification / Qualification Emissions measurements

• Analysis 

 Environmental sustainability Techno-economic analysis Future scenarios

• Coordination

 Interagency Public-Private State & Regional International

• Tracking use

 Improve understanding of environmental 

and economic sustainability of alternative jet fuel pathways 

 Improve understanding of the potential 

availability of alternative jet fuel 
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Alternative Jet Fuel Sustainability
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Environmental Analyses

• Environmental analyses

– Focus on life cycle (aka well‐to‐

wake, WTW) GHG emissions

– Results incorporated into ANL

GREET model and EPA analysis

– Examining climate impacts from

change in combustion emissions

• Recent life cycle GHG work:

– Tallow and waste oils for HEFA

– Advanced fermentation of sugars,

starches, and switchgrass

• Water footprint analysis

– Examined water footprint of all fuels considered for LC GHG e

– Fuel use on same order of magnitude as conventional jet fuel 

irrigation is used
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Economic Analyses

• Techno‐Economic Analysis (TEA)

– Computing minimum selling price (MSP) for nth plant

– Using discounted cash flow rate of return method

• Effort is focused on identifying ways to reduce product

• Lower feedstock costs

– HEFA production from rotation crop such as pennycress

– Advanced fermentation using sugar cane

• Modify product slate

– For HEFA, maximizing jet fuel production requires $0.25 to $0

gallon more than maximizing diesel fuel to break even

– Maximizing biochemicals makes certain jet fuel production pa

economical

• Utilizing brownfield facilities reduces production costs
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Estimating Future Alternative Jet Fuel Pro

• Volpe Alternative Fuel 

Transportation Analysis Tool (AFTOT) - co-funded by ONRand FAA

• Ongoing COE work to look at 

long-term technical potential

• ASCENT Project to evaluate regional supply chain • Work is being leverage for both CAEP Alternative 

Force (AFTF) and Farm to Fly 2 effort
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FAA Alternative Jet Fuel Activities

• Testing

 Material compatibility Certification / Qualification Emissions measurements

• Analysis 

 Environmental sustainability Techno-economic analysis Future scenarios

• Coordination

 Interagency Public-Private State & Regional International

• Tracking use

 Complement and leverage work of 

other U.S. agencies 

 Complement and leverage work of 

private sector

 Complement and leverage work of 

international partners

 Support state/regional supply chain 

development and deployment
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Coordinating Agency Efforts across Supp

Feedstock

Production

Feedstock

Logistics

Fuel

Conversion

Conversion 

Process Scaleup/Integration Fuel Testing / Approval Fuel Performance | Environment Assmt 

Enab

Produ

FAA & 

Defense: 

C/Q Fuel 

testing

Agricu

Navy

Ener

Defe

Produ

Act a

Bioref

Prog

Agriculture

& Energy: 

R&D grants

Energy & 

Defense: 

R&D grants

Agriculture: Biomass Crop 

Assistance Program & Crop 

Insurance Program

FAA, 

Defense, & 

NASA: 

Enviro 

Analysis

Agriculture: Feedstock 

Development Center Grants

EPA

Renew

Fu

Stand

Facilitating Deployment and Investment
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Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Ini

• Public-Private coalition for commercial aviation to 

engage the emerging alternative fuels industry

• Coordinate development of alt jet fuels:

– Equivalent safety/performance (drop-in)– Comparable cost – Environmental improvement– Security of Energy supply

• Four teams for key issues:

– Environment Team– Certification-Qualification Team– R&D Team– Business Team 

• State and Regional Support• International Cooperation
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CAAFI Biennial Meeting – January 2014

• Very successful two 

meeting

• Keynote addresses:

o USDA Secretary Tom 

o FAA Administrator M

o Alaska Airlines CEO 

• Breakout sessions f

CAAFI teams
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CAAFI Environment Team Workshop

• Meeting of experts before CAAFI Biennial Meeting• Examined variations in life cycle greenhouse gas 

emissions due to:

– Using different Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methods, tools– Meeting varied purposes and regulatory regimes

• Process:

– Briefings explored how life cycle GHG emissions varied 

tools and purposes

– Group discussion led to creation of a GHG LCA Issue M

spreadsheet (that is still under development)

– Identify elements that lead to variations in LC GHG emis

• Outputs being fed to CAEP AFTF and other forum

harmonization of LC GHG results is being sought
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19 March 2014 

Farm to Fly 2.0 

... “THEREFORE, AS OUR GOAL, we the undersignedsignify our intent to continue working together over tfive years in an expanded collaboration entitled “Farm 2.0”, to enable commercially viable, sustainable bio-Jsupply chains in the U.S. that are able to support the one billion gallons of bio-Jet Fuel production capacity use for the Aviation Enterprise by 2018”
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AustraliaBrazilGermanySpain

International Engagement

• Bilateral Cooperation

Agreements

• Coordination with

counterparts, and R&D

organizations

• U.N. International Civil

Aviation Organization
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FAA Alternative Jet Fuel Activities

• Testing

 Material compatibility Certification / Qualification Emissions measurements

• Analysis 

 Environmental sustainability Techno-economic analysis Future scenarios

• Coordination

 Interagency Public-Private State & Regional International

• Tracking use

 Understand progress to meeting 

FAA’s goal
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Tracking Alternative Jet Fuel Use

• Measuring progress to 1B gallon Goal• In FY13 established annual reporting of 

all U.S. jet operations

– Voluntary Reporting by A4A– DoD fuel purchase data

Performance Indicator (CY) 2012 2013 2014 2015Renewable Jet FuelGallons of renewable jet fuel for the NAS.Defined as renewable jet fuel used by U.S. aviation per calendar year.

49,600 TBD TBD TBD
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FY14 Efforts

• Certification / Qualification testing of fuels with cur

methods (D4054) to support ASTM approval

• Improved testing methods to reduce cost and time 

Certification / Qualification over longer term

– Follow on to USAF “Rules and Tools”– Coordinating with USAF, NASA, NIST, Navy

• NASA ACCESS test support via ASCENT Project• Relate measured changes in emissions and fuel 

performance to fuel composition

• Supply chain analysis • Environmental and economic sustainability analys• Continued coordination
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Summary

• Alternative jet fuels are a key component o

strategy in meeting environmental goals

• FAA efforts are directed to overcoming key 

challenges via testing, analysis and coordi

• Multiple programs and activities:

– Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative – Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Nois

(CLEEN) Program

– Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)– National Alternative Jet Fuel Strategy developm

• Strong domestic and international coordina