Emissions of piston engine aircraft using aviation gasoline (avgas) and motor gasoline (mogas) as fuel - a review

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering Vol. 370; no. 1; pp. 12012 - 12019
• Main Authors: Thanikasalam, K, Rahmat, M, Mohammad Fahmi, A G, Zulkifli, A M, Noor Shawal, N, Ilanchelvi, K, Ananth, M, Elayarasan, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.05.2018
• Subjects: Aircraft; Aircraft engines; Aviation; Combustion; Commercial aircraft; Compressed air; Gas turbine engines; Gasoline; General aviation; Impact analysis; Industrial plant emissions; Literature reviews; Piston engines; Propellers; Public health
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/370/1/012012

There are two categories of aircraft engines, namely, piston and gas turbine engines. Piston engine extracts energy from a combustion compartment through a piston and crank apparatus that engages the propellers, which in turn, provides an aircraft the needed momentum. On the other hand, gas turbine engine heats a compressed air in the combustion compartment resulting in propulsion that drives an aircraft. Piston engine aircrafts might appear small but together thousands of piston engine aircraft, which encompasses a bulk of the general aviation fleet, present a considerable health threat. That is because these aircraft, which depend on avgas and mogas to run, comprise major remaining sources of lead emissions. People exposed to even small levels of lead, particularly children, have tendencies to suffer from cognitive and neurological harm. Dissimilar from commercial airliners that do not utilize leaded fuels, piston engine aircraft account for nearly half of the lead discharge in skies. But, what is the extent of the impact caused by these airborne emissions on the country's economy and public health? To answer this query, a thorough literature review on emissions of piston engine aircraft ought to be undertaken. This article conducts a literature review on emissions of piston engine aircraft using avgas as fuel and mogas as fuel.