Avgas
Avgas
Avgas
1
Avgas
Avgas
An American Aviation AA-1 Yankee being refuelled with 100LL avgas.
Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine
aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas (motor gasoline), which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some
non-commercial light aircraft. Unlike mogas, avgas contains tetraethyl lead (TEL), a toxic substance used to enhance
combustion stability.
Avgas is used in aircraft that have piston or Wankel engines. Gas turbines are able to operate on avgas, as the
pioneering German Jumo 004 turbojet of World War II was able to do, but typically do not, partially for reasons of
fuel economy. Turbine and diesel engines are designed to use kerosene-based jet fuel.
Avgas properties and varieties
The main petroleum component used in blending avgas is alkylate, which is essentially a mixture of various
isooctanes, and some refineries also use some reformate. Avgas has a density of 6.02lb/U.S. gal at 15 C, or
0.721kg/l, and this density is commonly used for weight and balance computation. Density increases to 6.40lb/US
gallon at -40 C, and decreases by about 0.5% per 5 C (9 F) increase in temperature.
[1]
Avgas has an emission
coefficient (or factor) of 18.355 pounds CO
2
per U.S. gallon (2.1994kg/l)
[2][3]
or about 3.05 units of weight CO
2
produced per unit weight of fuel used. Avgas has a lower and more uniform vapor pressure than automotive gasoline
so it remains in the liquid state despite the reduced atmospheric pressure at high altitude, thus preventing vapor lock.
The particular mixtures in use today are the same as when they were first developed in the 1940s, and were used in
airline and military aero engines with high levels of boost supercharging; notably the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine
used in the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters, Mosquito fighter-bomber and Lancaster bomber (the Merlin II and later
versions required 100-octane fuel), as well as U.S. made liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 engines, and numerous radial
engines from Pratt & Whitney, Wright, and other manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic. The high octane
ratings are achieved by the addition of tetraethyl lead (TEL), a highly toxic substance that was phased out for car use
in most countries in the late 20th century.
Avgas is currently available in several grades with differing maximum lead concentrations. Since TEL is an
expensive and polluting ingredient, the minimum amount needed to bring the fuel to the required octane rating is
used; actual concentrations are often lower than the permissible maximum. Historically, many post-WW2 developed,
low-powered 4- and 6-cylinder piston aircraft engines were designed to use leaded fuels and a suitable unleaded
replacement fuel has not yet been developed and certified for most of these engines. Numerous current (2010)
Avgas
2
certificated reciprocating-engine aircraft require high-octane (leaded) fuels.
Jet fuel is not avgas. It is similar to kerosene and is used in turbine engines. Confusion can be caused by the terms
Avtur and AvJet being used for jet fuel. In Europe, environmental and cost considerations have led to increasing
numbers of aircraft being fitted with highly fuel-efficient diesel engines; these too run on jet fuel. Civilian aircraft
use Jet-A, Jet-A1 or in severely cold climates Jet-B. There are other classification systems for military turbine and
diesel fuel.
Consumption
The annual U.S. usage of avgas was 186 million US gallons (unknown operator: u'strong' m
3
) in 2008, and was
approximately 0.14% of the motor gasoline consumption. From 1983 through 2008, U.S. usage of avgas declined
consistently by approximately 7.5 million US gallons (unknown operator: u'strong' m
3
) each year.
[4]
Grades
Taking a fuel sample from an American Aviation
AA-1 Yankee under-wing drain using a GATS
Jar fuel sampler. The blue dye indicates that this
fuel is 100LL.
Many grades of avgas are identified by two numbers associated with its
Motor Octane Number (MON).
[5]
The first number indicates the octane
rating of the fuel tested to "aviation lean" standards, which is similar to
the anti-knock index or "pump rating" given to automotive gasoline in
the U.S. The second number indicates the octane rating of the fuel
tested to the "aviation rich" standard, which tries to simulate a
supercharged condition with a rich mixture, elevated temperatures, and
a high manifold pressure. For example, 100/130 avgas has an octane
rating of 100 at the lean settings usually used for cruising and 130 at
the rich settings used for take-off and other full-power conditions.
[6]
Fuel dyes aid ground crew and pilots in identifying and distinguishing
the fuel grades.
[7]
100LL
The most commonly used aviation fuel is 100LL, i.e., "low lead". It is dyed blue and contains a relatively small
amount of tetraethyl leadthough the amount is greater than what was contained in many automotive grades of
leaded fuel before such fuel was phased out. As of Jan 2010, 100LL has a TEL content of 1.2 to 2grams TEL
[8]
per
US gallon (0.30.5 g/l) and is the most commonly available and used aviation gasoline. One gram of TEL contains
600 milligrams of lead. This grade of AVGas is dyed blue.
Many Continental and Lycoming light airplane engines designed for 80/87 remain in production. Engines designed
for 80/87 can use 100LL with special precautions to prevent lead buildup and lead fouling of the spark plugs.
Some of the lower-powered (100-to-150-horsepower or -to-kW) aviation engines that were developed in the late
1990s are designed to run on unleaded fuel, but can run on 100LL if unleaded is not available, an example being the
Rotax 912.
[9]
82UL
82UL is the specification for an unleaded fuel similar to automobile gasoline but without automotive additives. It
could potentially be used in aircraft that have a Supplemental Type Certificate for the use of automobile gasoline
with an aviation lean MON of 82 or less or an antiknock index of 87 or less. The US Federal Aviation
Administration highly recommends installing placards stating the use of 82UL is or is not approved on those
airplanes that specify unleaded autogas (mogas) as an approved fuel.
[10]
As of 2008, 82UL is not being produced and
Avgas
3
no refiner has announced plans to put it into production. If produced its specifications call for it to be dyed
purple.
[7][11]
80/87
80/87, which is dyed red, had the lowest lead content prior to commencing its phase out in the late 20th century, with
a maximum of 0.5g per U.S. gallon (0.13 g/l). It was used in engines with low compression ratio. Currently
commonly called Avgas 80, its availability is now very limited.
100/130
100/130 avgas, now commonly called Avgas 100, is dyed green. It contains a maximum of 4g of lead per US gallon
(1.1 g/l). 100LL has replaced 100/130 in most places, but Avgas 100/130 is still sold in some parts of the USA,
Australia and New Zealand.
91/96 & 115/145
In the past other grades were also available particularly for military use, such as avgas 115/145 (dyed purple) and
91/96 (dyed brown). Limited batches of 115/145, commonly called Avgas 115, are produced for special events such
as unlimited air races; in the past 115/145 was used as the primary fuel for the largest, boost-supercharged radial
engines which needed this fuel's anti-detonation properties.
[12]
Automotive gasoline
An EAA Cessna 150 used for American STC
certification of auto fuel
Automotive gasoline (known as mogas or autogas among aviators) that
does not contain ethanol may be used in certified aircraft that have a
Supplemental Type Certificate for automotive gasoline as well as in
experimental aircraft and ultralights. Some oxygenates other than
ethanol are approved. Most of these applicable aircraft have
low-compression engines which were originally certified to run on
80/87 avgas and require only "regular" 87 anti-knock index automotive
gasoline. Examples of this include the popular Cessna 172 or Piper
Cherokee with the 150hp (unknown operator: u'strong'kW) variant
of the Lycoming O-320. Some aircraft engines were originally certified using a 91/96 avgas and have STC's
available to run "premium" 91 anti-knock index automotive gasoline. Examples of this include some Cherokees with
the 160hp (unknown operator: u'strong'kW) Lycoming O-320 or 180hp (unknown operator: u'strong'kW)
O-360 or the Cessna 152 with the O-235. However, for most aircraft, automotive gasoline is not a viable replacement
for avgas, because many airplane engines require 100 octane fuel and modifications are necessary in order to use
lower octane fuel in high octane engines.
[13][14]
Rotax allow up to 10% ethanol in the fuel for their 912ULS engines. Light sport aircraft that are specified by the
manufacturer to tolerate alcohol in the fuel system can use up to 10% ethanol.
[9]
Avgas compared to other fuels
Many general aviation aircraft engines were designed to run on 80/87 octane, roughly the standard for North
American automobiles today. Direct conversions to run on automotive fuel are fairly common and applied via the
supplemental type certificate (STC) process. However, the alloys used in aviation engine construction are chosen for
their durability and synergistic relationship with the protective features of lead, and engine wear in the valves is a
potential problem on automotive gasoline conversions.
Fortunately, significant history of mogas-converted engines has shown that very few engine problems are actually
caused by automotive gasoline. A larger problem stems from the wider range of allowable vapor pressures found in
Avgas
4
automotive gasoline; this can pose some risk to aviation users if fuel system design considerations are not taken into
account. Automotive gasoline can vaporize in fuel lines causing a vapor lock (a bubble in the line), starving the
engine of fuel. This does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle, but merely requires examination of the fuel
system, ensuring adequate shielding from high temperatures and maintaining sufficient pressure in the fuel lines.
This is the main reason why both the specific engine model as well as the aircraft in which it is installed must be
supplementally certified for the conversion. A good example of this is the Piper Cherokee with high-compression
160 or 180 hp (unknown operator: u'strong' or unknown operator: u'strong' kW) engines. Only later versions of
the airframe with different engine cowling and exhaust arrangements are applicable for the automotive fuel STC, and
even then require fuel system modifications.
Vapor lock typically occurs in fuel systems where a mechanically driven fuel pump mounted on the engine draws
fuel from a tank mounted lower than the pump. The reduced pressure in the line can cause the more volatile
components in automotive gasoline to flash into vapor, forming bubbles in the fuel line and interrupting fuel flow. If
an electric boost pump is mounted in the fuel tank to push fuel toward the engine, as is common practice in
fuel-injected automobiles, the fuel pressure in the lines is maintained above ambient pressure, preventing bubble
formation. Likewise, if the fuel tank is mounted above the engine and fuel flows primarily due to gravity, as in a
Cessna high-wing airplane, vapor lock cannot occur, using either aviation or automotive fuels.
In addition to vapor locking potential, automotive gasoline does not have the same quality tracking as aviation
gasoline. To help solve this problem, the specification for an aviation fuel known as 82UL has recently been
developed. This fuel would be essentially automotive gasoline that has additional quality tracking and restrictions on
permissible additives. This fuel is not currently in production and no refiners have committed to producing it.
[11]
The main consumers of avgas at present (mid-2000s) are in North America, Australia, Brazil, and Africa (mainly
South Africa). Care must be taken by small airplane pilots to select airports with avgas on flight planning. For
example, U.S. and Japanese recreational pilots ship and depot avgas before flying into Siberia. Shrinking availability
of avgas drives usage of small airplane engines that can use jet fuel.
In Europe, avgas prices are so high that there have been a number of efforts to convert the industry to diesel instead,
which is common, inexpensive and has a number of advantages for aviation use. However, avgas remains the most
common fuel in Europe as well.
Environmental regulation
The tetra-ethyl lead found in leaded avgas and its combustion products are potent neurotoxins that have been shown
in scientific research to interfere with brain development in children. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has noted that exposure to even very low levels of lead contamination has been conclusively linked to
loss of IQ in children's brain function tests, thus providing a high degree of motivation to eliminate lead and its
compounds from the environment.
[15][16]
While lead concentrations in the air have declined, scientific studies have demonstrated that children's neurological development is harmed by
much lower levels of lead exposure than previously understood. Low level lead exposure has been clearly linked to loss of IQ in performance
testing. Even an average IQ loss of 1-2 points in children has a meaningful impact for the nation as a whole, as it would result in an increase in
children classified as mentally challenged, as well as a proportional decrease in the number of children considered "gifted."
[16]
On 16 November 2007, the environmental group Friends of the Earth formally petitioned the EPA, asking them to
regulate leaded avgas. The EPA responded with a notice of petition for rulemaking.
[11]
The notice of petition stated:
Avgas
5
Friends of the Earth has filed a petition with EPA, requesting that EPA find pursuant to section 231 of the Clean Air Act that lead emissions
from general aviation aircraft cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare and
that EPA propose emissions standards for lead from general aviation aircraft. Alternatively, Friends of the Earth requests that EPA commence
a study and investigation of the health and environmental impacts of lead emissions from general aviation aircraft, if EPA believes that
insufficient information exists to make such a finding. The petition submitted by Friends of the Earth explains their view that lead emissions
from general aviation aircraft endanger the public health and welfare, creating a duty for the EPA to propose emission standards.
[17]