Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Aircraft Engines with the Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Hydrogen

Łukasz Brodzik (), Wojciech Prokopowicz, Bartosz Ciupek () and Andrzej Frąckowiak ()
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Łukasz Brodzik: Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Institute of Thermal Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Wojciech Prokopowicz: Ministry of National Defense, 00-911 Warsaw, Poland
Bartosz Ciupek: Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Institute of Thermal Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Andrzej Frąckowiak: Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Institute of Thermal Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: Adverse climate change has forced a deeper reflection on the scale of pollution related to human activity, including in the aviation industry. As a result, fundamental questions have arisen about the characteristics of these pollutants, the mechanisms of their formation and potential strategies for reducing them. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of key technical solutions to minimize the environmental impact of aircraft engines. The solutions presented range from fuel innovations to advanced design changes and drive concepts. Particular attention was paid to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), which are currently an important element of the environmental strategy regulated by the European Union. It also discusses the potential use of hydrogen as a potential alternative fuel to replace traditional aviation fuels in the long term. The analysis in the article made it possible to characterize in detail possible modifications in the functioning of aircraft engines, based both on the current state of technical knowledge and on the anticipated directions of its development, which has not been a frequent issue in comprehensive research so far. The analysis shows that the type of raw material used to create SAF has a strong impact on its physical and chemical parameters and the degree of greenhouse gas emissions. This necessitates a broader analysis of the legitimacy of using a given type of fuel from the SAF group in the direction of selected air operations and areas with a higher risk of severe atmospheric pollution. These results provide the basis for further research into sustainable solutions in the aviation sector that can contribute to significantly reducing its impact on climate change.

Keywords: environmental protection; sustainable aviation fuel; hydrogen; aviation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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