Scientists from Switzerland have just created a new technique to make jet fuel from water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight. Experts hope that the revolutionary technology could pave the way to reducing the sky-rocketing carbon footprint of air travel.
Synthetic Fuel: The Future of Air Travel
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A recent study published in the journal Joule, titled "A solar tower fuel plant for the thermochemical production of kerosene from H2O and CO2," explains how scientists built a solar tower capable of handling the entire process of synthesizing kerosene. The tower utilizes solar energy to produce the fuel alternative.
Supposedly, the kerosene created by the solar tower is ready for normal aviation use, including storage and flying.
Aldo Steinfeld, the co-author of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering study, says in a press statement that the solar technology developed has demonstrated how the team can produce synthetic kerosene from CO2 and water instead of conventionally deriving it from fossil fuel.
Adding that the amount of CO2 emitted during the combustion of kerosene in aviation equals the amount consumed during its production in the solar plant. This makes the fuel carbon neutral, especially if the CO2 is directly captured from the air. Researchers are hopeful that the technology will become commonplace in the near future, reports Futurism.
Finding an alternative method for energy production has become increasingly important. Many in the US feel the tight squeeze of gas price increases, with numerous countries struggling to meet power demands and seeking energy dependence from Russia.
While a few power grids in the US are failing, states such as California are working to provide renewable energy that doesn't feed the worsening climate change.
Kerosene, according to MadeHow, is an oil distillate used commonly as fuel or solvent. The thin, clear liquid consists of hydrocarbons with a boiling range of 302 to 527 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it can be extracted from wood, oil shale, and coal, kerosene is primarily derived from refined petroleum.
Before the age of electric lights, kerosene was widely used in oil lamps and was a vital component of refinery products. Today, it is primarily used as heating oil, fuel for jet engines, and as a solvent for varying products like insecticide sprays.
Byproducts of petroleum have been widely used since ancient times. Over 2,000 years ago, scientists explored how to distill petroleum into individual components that can be used for specialized purposes. Kerosene was discovered by Abraham Gesner, a British physician, in 1853. He developed the process of extracting inflammable liquid asphalt from a petroleum mix.
Before the days of electric lighting, kerosene was a vital commodity and was the first material to be chemically extracted on an industrial scale. Mass refinement of kerosene and various petroleum products began in 1859 when oil was first discovered in the United States.
In the late 1990s, the US annual kerosene production grew to roughly 1 billion gallons.
