Aircraft Piston Engine Detonation Measurements and Data Analysis

Aircraft piston engines are widely used for aviation in North America and still use leaded fuel. 100 octane low-lead (100LL) aviation gasoline (avgas) is the common fuel used in aviation that contains lead in the form of Tetra-ethyl Lead (TEL). The TEL additive is mainly used to modulate the aviation gasoline octane levels to avoid knock and engine failure. This lead additive is harmful for the environment and it has been phased out in the automotive industry in the 1970-1980s and completely phased out in 1993 in Canada and 1996 in the United States. Despite extensive efforts to find an unleaded replacement fuel for aircraft piston engines in the 1990s, no fuel that meets all the requirements was found and therefore aviation industry has been exempt from the leaded fuel ban. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Charles Koch

Student:

Khashayar Ebrahimi

Partner:

Canadian Owners and Pilots Association

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

University of Alberta