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When will a diesel be available for my aircraft? |
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News, facts, and comments on the coming revolution for piston-engine aircraft.News of February 25, 2007What is a "common rail" diesel?The Vulcan Raptor uses so-called "common rail" technology, a term you will read more and more when talking about aero diesel. Common rail is common on European diesel automobiles but not applied to aero diesels until now. In theory a common rail diesel system works just like the fuel injection in your car. A pump provides fuel at a certain pressure to a reservoir, called the rail. All of the injectors are connected to the rail, hence the term 'common rail'. The injectors open and close as commanded by the fuel injection computer, usually referred to as the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or ECM (Electronic Control Module). In practice, the differences between spark ignition and compression ignition fuel injection systems are significant. In your car, the fuel is maintained at a constant pressure, usually between 36 and 72 psi. In the Vulcan common rail system the fuel pressure is variable, depending on engine need, and runs between 5000 and 26100 psi (no that's not a misprint, it's 26,100 psi). Timing the fuel injection also requires far more accuracy than a gasoline engine. The Raptor can use Diesel #2 which is the fuel you can get at a regular gas station. Jet A is the jet fuel commonly available at most airports. #2 diesel is a better lubricant than Jet A and in the past most diesels engines required a lubricant additive to run Jet A. The Vulcan system was designed from the onset to use Jet A and does not require the use of any additives. Interestingly, even though #2 diesel and Jet A have different weights per gallon, a fact that pilots need to keep in mind when computing weight and balance, they have almost the same energy content per unit volume. This allows the pilot to mix approved fuels in any ratio in the tanks. We expect that gradually all aero diesels will accomodate any of the two fuels, but Vulcan is the first to openly offer it on the market. Other info (Vulcan Aircraft engines website) posted at 7:44 PM |
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