A recent issue of the journal PNAS highlights the work done at the University of Berkeley in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel.
In a report published ahead of its printing in PNAS, a team of researchers reportedly have developed a sugarcane-derived jet fuel that purportedly cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. This is big news because although alternative fuels to power cars, buses, and trucks have been created from a variety of natural gases and biomasses, no such fuel for planes had been found until now.
A viable alternative to jet fuel has been elusive due to the high demands of airplane engines. Finding a substitute for traditional jet fuel that was oxygen-free and with the right boiling point was difficult enough. However, the fuel had to also be stable at extremely low temperatures yet still possess the necessary degree of lubricity so as to avoid eroding the turbines.
The Berkeley team, led by Alexis Bell, claims to have accomplished this by turning sugarcane biomass into fuel. This was done not in the traditional manner of using enzymes, but by substituting a catalyst to produce the required chemical reaction.
The work, which was funded by British Petroleum, will certainly boost the university’s standing and will likely increase funding once the information has been given to a Print company in laymen’s terms to be presented to the public.Get a Free Quote for Print
