Compressed Natural Gas in the World of Rotorcraft

Abstract

Today, due to the change in society’s attitudes and values, environmental protection and sustainability are gaining more and more prominence, even in the field of aviation. One possibility is the development of CNG propulsion systems. CNG is a methane-ethane mixture that produces 15 per cent less COX, 80 per cent less NOx, and up to 90
per cent less HC emissions, while being a soot-free fuel. In our work, I investigated rotary-wing aircraft with CNG propulsion compared to the original petrol case. In the case of conversion to CNG, one of the main aspects is range in
addition to propulsion efficiency. In the case of a small rotorcraft, range can reach 70 per cent of the petrol version, for the cost of 5 kg increased MTOW. Maintaining current MTOW, the maximum range is 64 per cent of the current petrol version. Considering the cost of conversion, based on available automotive examples, return on investment is in the order of 5400 km in the case of small rotorcraft. CNG propulsion can be a pioneering solution in the case of small helicopters used in pilot training and short-haul, urban mobility.