What advances are being made in Aviation to find a fuel that will be more economical and less pollutive?

Question

...So that one day we can all fly cheaply, and with less guilt about pollution.

Answer 1

Reminds me of an axiom taught to me by an engineering professor regarding the invention of new, advanced products:

"Good, Fast, Cheap: pick any two."

Answer 2

I don't believe that cheaper or less pollutive are within the criteria the aircraft industry requires for their fuel. What they are looking for is maybe getting a little more bang for the buck. They want something that performs better. Something that will give the aircraft more thrust is definitely a bonus. When it comes to filling an aircraft with fuel there is nothing cheap about it. I don't know how many gallons or Litres a large commercial aircraft holds but I know that it isn't a small amount. An F18 with 3 external tanks attached holds more than 5000 Litres.

Answer 3

Aviation fuels are not oxygenated and there is NOT less oxygen at altitude. There is less pressure, but the ratio of oxygen is the same.

Below is some info copied from the National Alternative Fuels Laboratory:

Corn based fuels have been researched but the problem is that biofuels are not stable for long periods. Aviation fuels may sit in tanks for monthsor years before being burned. Especially among the general aviation fleet.

Aviation-Grade Ethanol - NAFL developed a draft ASTM International (ASTM) specification for the first-ever aviation-grade ethanol (AGE) and presented the specification for initial ASTM review. This response to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) request was developed in collaboration with members of the ASTM Ethanol Aviation Fuel Development Task Force and the University of North Dakota Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. AGE is an ethanol-based alternative to lead-containing aviation gasoline. Members of the Ethanol Aviation Fuel Task Force include the FAA; major oil companies, including ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil; ethanol producers, including Archer Daniels Midland and Aventine; aircraft manufacturers; and aviation industry groups.

Utilizing Unrefined Seed Oil Feedstocks - NAFL developed and optimized an alternative biodiesel production process to enable the use of unrefined and/or high free-fatty-acid-content feedstocks that cannot be economically processed via traditional biodiesel production methods. This will translate to a significantly lower-cost biodiesel product.

A research project with the U.S. Department of Defense and several other commercial partners is focusing on domestic production of military-grade JP-8 jet fuel from several varieties of vegetable oil. An innovative technology concept that uses catalytic conversion processing will eliminate the need for high-energy processing. The resulting JP-8 fuel will be tested rigorously as a strategic tactical military fuel that can surpass commercial specifications for quality and cost.

Soy methylester (SME) was blended into JP-8 at 2%, 10%, and 20% levels and evaluated for performance and emission impacts at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Results were published in the June 2005 Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association. While emissions and performance showed improvement, a higher-quality biobased additive fuel is also being developed using thermal cracking of soybean and canola oil.

Answer 4

Diamond Aircraft has come out with a twin, the DA 42 Twinstar which utilizes twin diesel engines capable of running on either diesel or Jet A fuel. From what I understand, this is a very efficient aircraft. Also Honda has come out with an efficient turbine for use in it's new VLJ. They flew a hydrogen fuel cell powered unmanned plane a few years ago. Supposedly if storage and fuel production problems could be overcome, this would be a good alternative for aircraft.

Answer 5

1st of all we have to decide what we mean by emissions.

It would be near impossible to reduce the NOx (Nitrous Oxide) emissions on a Gas turbine engine on an aircraft for the simple reason of how they work. NOx are formed above a certain temperature which gas turbine engines tend to run. To reduce these they'd have to reduce the temperature which basically would reduce efficiency and increase the amount of fuel required that would increase CO2

Again to reduce CO2 would be difficult but it would be possible to transfer to a Bio fuel which would be considered to be Carbon neutral (i.e. doesn't add any additional carbon to the atmosphere)

Aftertreatment would be another idea but the size; cost of this would not be practical.

My solution is to create / improve and reduce the tax on high speed rail travel. This would produce much lower emissions

Answer 6

Next time you look up in the sky and see a commercial jet, try to imagine how much fuel it is carrying, how much of the aircraft is fuel. and then consider that that thing will possibly be flying for 12 hours at 550 mph. Now I don`t think that is too bad.

Answer 7

There are always advances in technology "in the pipeline" but usually it takes a war or something similar for major changes to come to fruition.
In the early 60s there was a brief attempt at nuclear powered aircraft, but that fell by the wayside rather quickly.
Maybe Gene Roddenberry and HG Wells were leading the way.

Answer 8

I understand that there is a great deal of research and development going into hydrogen fuel cell technology at the moment.

At least there was when I left the aviation industry about a year ago.

Answer 9

The US Air Force is in the process of research into other fuel than fossil fuels.

Answer 10

I think you find that advanced jet engine design will probably yeild better results than new fuels. One of engines design for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is such an example. It uses advanced design to reduse both emissions and improve efficency.