Decarbonization

Many studies have been conducted to reduce greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), emitted from the burning of fossil fuels. One of the interested areas is the manufacturers of gas turbines for aerial propulsion and the civil aviation segment, which uses kerosene as fuel.

The amount of heat added to the atmosphere as a result of greenhouse gases is controlled by the concentration of these gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen oxides can change the planet’s energy balance, with the atmosphere absorbing solar radiation.

As an option to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, considering civil aviation, the use of hydrogen is proposed to achieve “green” aviation. The gradual change from kerosene to hydrogen fuel promises to decarbonize civil aviation, as hydrogen combustion does not produce CO2. Hydrogen combustion will also remove emissions considered hazardous, such as unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), soot, and smoke. Additionally, hydrogen combustion offers great potential for gas turbine manufacturers to design combustors capable of generating minimal amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx).