Gas 2.0

Buckypaper is a material composed of carbon nanotubes. It is 10 times lighter and over 500 times stronger than steel and the “buckytubes” that make it up are 50,000 times thinner than a human hair. It is predicted by futurists that this material will storm the auto and aviation industries.

One of the best ways to make transportation vehicles more energy efficient is to reduce their weight, so the commercialization of buckypaper promises lighter, super efficient and much stronger vehicles.

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The Department of Defense funded the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) to create the world’s first renewable jet fuel, and the mission had been accomplished.

It didn’t surprise me to learn that the Department of Defense is the number one consumer of petroleum in America.  And so neither did it surprise me to learn that the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) was granted a $4.7 million contract by the Department of Defense to research alternative and renewable sources of fuel.

My interest was piqued when, a few days ago, the EERC claimed to have invented the world’s first 100% renewable jet fuel.

JP-8 fuel is a petroleum-based fuel currently in wide use by the military.  The EERC has created a substitute for the fuel, using renewable feedstock made from agricultural products and/or waste oils. The process developed by the EERC can produce propane, gasoline, jet fuel and diesel that are identical to the fuels derived from petroleum.

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This is a guest post by Meg Hamill who works at the Environmental non-profit LandPaths, in Sonoma County, California.

Leaders in the aviation industry join together, committing to bring sustainable practices into their fuel supply chain.

For those of us who have taken a flight recently,  it’s obvious that the airlines are in trouble.  Who ever would have thought that we’d be paying extra for a pillow?  Or an aisle seat?  With the rise in oil prices, many airlines are seeking out creative ways to stay afloat.  Some of these companies are going straight to the heart of the issue, and beginning to investigate a more sustainable fuel supply.

While Boeing has been researching biofuels in the aviation industry for some time, last week’s formation of a new collaborative group ratchets up their commitment to the issue, and brings some key players to the table.

Boeing joined Virgin Atlantic Airways, along with eight other commercial airlines to establish the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.  The group is committed to accelerating the development of sustainable biofuels for use in the commercial airline industry.  Honeywell’s UOP, a refining technology developer, is also part of the group. Read the rest of this entry »

Using a 50-50 mixture of JP-8 jet fuel and a natural gas-based synthetic fuel, an F-15 Strike Eagle flew high above Robins Air Force Base in Georgia this week.  One of the pilots for the test, Maj. Dan Badia, is quoted as saying it was just another day at the office.

He said, “You could have had JP-8 in there and I wouldn’t have known the difference.”

The test flight involved engineers from the 830th Aircraft Sustainment Group, who maintain the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and pilots from the 339th Flight Test Certification office. Read the rest of this entry »

Click the image above to hear Richard Branson, head of Virgin Atlantic Airways, talk about his commitment to develop “clean fuels” for aviation. Back in 2006 Branson said he’d put 100% of Virgin’s future profits, or $3 billion over the next 10 years, into fighting global warming. That includes $1 billion earmarked for alternative fuels, including a proprietary “Virgin fuel” developed for cars, trucks, trains, and of course, aircraft.

Learn more from the Washington Post interview above…

It’s the first time a plane powered by a hydrogen cell has left the ground with a pilot at the controls. Boeing said there’s still a lot to do before hydrogen fuel cells will power commercial airliners. As the technology progresses, Boeing says traditional jet fuel will be phased out as renewable sources take its place.

Source

Continental Airlines, Boeing, and GE Aviation have scheduled a biofuel test flight for early 2009, citing the desire to identify sustainable fuel alternatives for the aviation industry. Continental may be the first US carrier to do so and, in the words of president and CEO of GE aviation, is “taking an important step in advancing the use of sustainable biofuels in aviation.”

The three companies are working together to identify a non-food based, second-generation biofuel that won’t significantly impact forests or water resources. No details on the fuel are available, but it will have to be production ready in quantities sufficient to power the test-flight and mix seamlessly with kerosene aviation fuel (Jet-A).

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Virgin Atlantic Airlines has used a sustainable fuel from biomass mixed with traditional jet fuel to power one engine on a 747 flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. The fuel was supplied by Imperium Renewables of Seattle, Washington, a commercial biodiesel refiner.

As promised in their earlier news releases, Virgin Atlantic said they would use a sustainable fuel made from feedstock not normally used for food products. Both coconut oil and babassu oil are used in cosmetic products, lip balm and other such applications. The raw materials were harvested from existing, mature plantations in Brazil.

Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic is quoted as saying,

“Today marks a biofuel breakthrough for the whole airline industry, Virgin Atlantic nd its partners have proved that you can find an alternative to
traditional jet fuel and fly a plane on biofuel. This pioneering flight
will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions
to go on developing the fuels of the future, fuels which will power our
aircraft in the years ahead.”

There was wide speculation that an algae-based biofuel would be used in the test, but that, of course, proved false even though Virgin Atlantic hinted strongly at the possibility.

According to Radio Netherlands the Boeing 747 landed at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport after a successful flight.

Engineers will now study results of tests taken during the trip to determine if sustainable biofuels will fit into commercial aviation and lessen CO2 emissions.

Not everyone agrees, however, that biofuels will “fly”, as noted here by  Pem Charnley, contributor to Green Options’ EcoWorldly blog.  His feelings are outlined here, Pies in the Sky.

Source

In what has become a somewhat confusing change in terminology, Boeing has announced it will use a first-generation feedstock for the fuel to be used in its upcoming demonstration flight this month.

It was first reported in January that Virgin Atlantic would test flight a Boeing 747 jetliner using a biofuel, without naming the fuel. An algae-derived biofuel was, however, mentioned as a strong possibility for the flight between London Heathrow airport and Amsterdam. The plane will carry a limited flight crew and no passengers.

Next, an official of the UK Department of Transport claimed in a document leaked to Flight International that a 20% mixture of algae biofuel and regular jet fuel will be used in one engine for the test.

The latest comes from a Boeing official who said, in an interveiw with Flight at the Singapore air show, the Virgin Flight will definitely not use algae-derived biofuel in the test. Instead, a first-generation feedstock, such as soy, canola, babassu or palm oil will be the source of the biofuel.

The use of a hydrogenated fuel would, as one expert put it, “be a good demonstration of proof of concept.” He did say, however, that algae will be considered as a fuel source in the future.

Well, whatever they use, it’ll be a first for the commercial aviation industry. An Airbus 380 flew with a gas-to-liquid biofuel a few weeks ago, proving that a biofuel was an option, but in their case it was a fuel derived from fossil deposits.

The test is slated for the end of February, so we’ll know soon what fuel was used in the flight.

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Virgin Atlantic Airways will use a 20% blend of algae-derived biofuel in a demonstration flight later this month. The fuel will be fed to one engine through an independent system in order not to mix with the fuel going to the other three engines.

In January, Virgin announced it would conduct the test flight, and only hinted at the use of an algae-based biofuel for the test. Flight quoted a document verifying the use of the algae biofuel, and indicated there were no fears of a miscue during the flight.

A limited crew will fly the empty 747 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam. Following the flight, officials said the aircraft’s fuel system will be completely flushed as a precaution to remove any residual biofuel. The engine being used is said to be due for a major overhaul after the test.

Airbus used a gas to liquid fuel, derived from natural gas, in its flight from Filton, UK to Toulouse, France in mid January.

Developers of algae-based biofuels say they can tweak certain varieties of algae to produce a fuel that would power a jet engine without using it as an additive. Pond scum seems to have gained dignity and appears headed for a real future.

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Airbus beat Boeing to the punch and flew the first commercial aircraft using an alternative fuel in one engine. The really interesting thing is the two airlines are using different alternative fuels in their test flights.

Boeing announced in January they would test an alternative fuel in one engine of a 747, but did not disclose what that fuel would be. They did, however, talk a great deal about an algae-derived fuel, without being specific.

Airbus, meanwhile, said it used a liquid fuel processed from gas (Gas to Liquids - GTL), mixed with regular jet fuel in the number one engine. The flight, from Filton, UK to Toulouse, France, took three hours. The plane is powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, and said to be the most fuel efficient in the air today.

Boeing, meanwhile had planned their test in late February, as explained in this story: Algae-Based Biofuel to Power Virgin Atlantic 747 Jet?, filed on Jan. 15.

A Boeing 747 jet, using 20 percent biofuel in one engine, is expected to take off from London’s Heathrow Airport and fly to Amsterdam in late February. The test flight will be without passengers and is part of a research project being conducted by the airline, Boeing and the maker of the engine, GE Aviation.

Interestingly, sources were specific that the biofuel used will be from a very sustainable source, but not one that would compete with food or fresh water sources. Algae is mentioned several times in the story.

Certain varieties of algae have been identified as a possible feedstock, which contains a much higher energy content than oilseeds and can be far less demanding on the environment.

The engine to be used in the test, GE’s CF6, will not require any modification for the flight, and the use of biofuel is not expected to have a negative effect on the engine’s performance or range.

Not everyone has the same definition for the term ‘renewable-fuel’.

The United States Air Force is well on their way to becoming coal-powered. On Monday, the USAF carried out a transcontinental test flight using a 50-50 blend of standard jet fuel and coal-based ’synfuel’.

“The Air Force is taking a leadership role in testing and certifying the use of synthetic fuel in aircraft,” Secretary Wynne said. “We’re working very closely with our Army and Navy colleagues to ensure that this fuel is capable of operating in all of our aircraft. This is especially important because JP-8 military jet fuel is commonly used in the battlefield by the Army and Marines tactical vehicles and generators, as well as our respective aircraft.”

While synthetic fuel has the capacity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it could also double CO2 emissions produced by military flight. At the time of this writing, synfuel is made via Fischer-Tropsch process from either coal or natural gas to produce a somewhat cleaner burning but extremely greenhouse-gas intensive product.

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