The Development of Ethanol as an Energy Source for Aircraft Engines of Small Aircraft

Brazil, in the 1970s, created the national program of alcohol that aimed to reduce dependence on oil as main fuel source for automobiles. With the successful use of alcohol engine, later with the use of flex technology, which enables the use of any mixture of ethanol and gasoline in combustion engines, we sought the expansion of this technology in other vehicles. Following in the footsteps of the program the alcohol engine, companies and research centers in the state of Sao Paulo, developed the aero engine running on ethanol. This new source of energy already in use on an aircraft in agricultural production, provides a significant saving in using the aircraft as a tool in agriculture, as a function of ethanol to be low cost and easy access to farmers. In addition, there are the environmental benefits, depending on the energy balance in its production and a lower rate of pollution during use. The development of technology is now being tested in training aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force, which will encourage their use in small aircraft.