4 December 2013
Shell has announced a lead-free replacement for aviation gasoline (Avgas 100 and 100LL), which will now begin a strict regulatory approvals process.
Xinsheng (Sheng) Zhang, Vice-President of Shell Aviation, said, “We are proud of this first for Shell Aviation. We believe that with industry support, a stringent approvals process can be completed for this new lead-free product within a short time-frame. We look forward to working alongside our technical partners and authorities to progress the necessary approvals needed to make this product a reality for use in light aircraft engines of all types.”
Avgas currently includes lead in its formulation to meet fuel specifications and boost combustion performance (known as Motor Octane rating). According to Shell, the company has developed an unleaded avgas that meets all key avgas properties and that has a Motor Octane rating of over 100, an industry standard. The development of a technically and commercially-viable unleaded avgas that meets these criteria has been seen by the aviation industry as a significant challenge, due to the tight specifications and strict flight safety standards that it has to adhere to.
Lycoming and Piper have also been helping with the fuel’s development. Michael Kraft, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Lycoming Engines explained,
“(Shell) engaged Lycoming to test their fuel on our highest octane demand engine and we can confirm that it’s remarkably close to Avgas 100LL from a performance perspective. This initiative is a major step in the right direction for general aviation.”
Shell has stated it will now engage the aviation industry, regulators and authorities, including the FAA, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and EASA to achieve approvals for the unleaded Avgas. The team at Shell expects to also work with other OEMs to continue the testing and refinement program as the approvals process progresses.
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