Alternative Jet Fuel Reduces Aircraft Engine Emissions Published March 29, 2007 By Propulsion Directorate AFRL/PR WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- AFRL researchers completed successful engine emissions tests to support the Department of Defense Assured Fuels Initiative, an effort geared towards securing domestic fuel sources to meet the military's energy needs. To assess the performance of a manned Air Force aircraft running on alternative jet fuel, the research team measured the particulate and gaseous emissions of a TF33 PW-103 engine, comparing the results of burning conventional JP-8 fuel versus an alternative, 50/50 blend of JP-8 and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthetic fuel. The tests showed that using the fuel blend produced significantly reduced particulate emissions for all engine conditions. Specifically, the researchers observed a ~20% 40% decrease in particle concentration and smoke number and a ~30% 60% reduction in particulate mass. Furthermore, the alternative fuel's effect on most gaseous combustion products was negligible, suggesting that it had no adverse impact on TF33 engine emissions.