Can Biofuels Solve the Problem of Price / Supply of Fuel for the Aviation Industry
There is recent news about the development of algae-based biofuel to be refined into jet fuel being promoted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an office of the US Department of Defense. In addition to DARPA’s funding, Exxon is also investing heavily in the research and development of this alternative to fossil-based fuel.
This holds promise for all aviation industries to provide a stable and environmentally friendly fuel source for jet aircraft.
Quoting from a post in the UK Guardian (guardian.co.uk, Saturday 13 February 2010):
Unlike corn-based ethanol, algal farms do not threaten food supplies. Some strains are being grown on household waste and in brackish water. Algae draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when growing; when the derived fuel is burned, the same CO2 is released, making the fuel theoretically zero-carbon, although processing and transporting the fuel requires some energy.
The industry received a further boost earlier this month, when the Environmental Protection Agency declared that algae-based diesel reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% compared with conventional diesel. The Obama administration had earlier awarded $80m in research grants to a new generation of algae and biomass fuels.
For Darpa, the support for algae is part of a broader mission for the US military to obtain half of its fuel from renewable energy sources by 2016. That time line meant that the Pentagon needed to develop technologies to make its hardware “fuel agnostic”, capable that is of running on any energy source including methane and propane.
Unlike corn-based ethanol, algal farms do not threaten food supplies. Some strains are being grown on household waste and in brackish water. Algae draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when growing; when the derived fuel is burned, the same CO2 is released, making the fuel theoretically zero-carbon, although processing and transporting the fuel requires some energy.
The military anticipates testing of the fuel to begin next year with full scale production in 2013.
Commercial Aviation has been plagued with unstable pricing of both Jet Fuel and Aviation gasoline. The extreme price swings have wrought havoc on the profits of the airlines and air charter providers around the world.
DARPA is projecting that this fuel can be produced initially for around $3.00 per gallon which is not too far off the prices we are currently paying. Initially the fuel will be supplied to the military but if proven commercially viable, why can’t the rest of aviation benefit as well?
This makes sense for the United States to produce and develop fuel supplies domestically, keeping the money and jobs at home.
Whether you are in the global-warming environmentalist camp or not, you have to agree that it would be great to have a fuel supply that is not based on buying fuel from countries that are not so friendly to the U.S. Let Hugo Chavez and the terrorist supporting states in the Middle East sell their oil to someone else.
NexGen Cockpit Upgrades: Who pays for it?
The airlines and congress can’t agree on who will pay for the cockpit upgrades that will be required to implement the NextGen Air Transportation System technology. While my belief that airlines create a lot of their own misery leaves me often unsympathetic, in this case, I believe that they seem to have a reasonable argument for help.
Uh-Oh. Here Comes The Sun.
Glass cockpits have replaced many gauges and dials with heads-up displays and automatic computation. Once at cruising altitude, aircraft fly themselves, as some Northwest passengers unwittingly found out. But what happens when these automations are interrupted?
Will the HondaJet be part of the Solution of Bridging the Gap?
In recent posts I have talked about the need to bridge the price gap between travel using private aviation (corporate jets) and using air mass transit ( the airlines) if private aviation is to expand its market. Can Honda help bridge that gap?
In Search of the Economic Warp Drive
The Next Economic Paradigm is a very simple idea yet the overwhelming majority of people have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about. I wonder what they will call it?
We’re Listening: The Austin Tragedy and its Impact on General Aviation
On 23 February, Allen Howell questioned the ramifications of the Austin tragedy for General Aviation. This is what you had to say…….
FAA Forecast for Aviation for next 20 years: What does it mean for us in Private Aviation?
Passengers on U.S. airlines will pay relatively small increases in airfares over the next 20 years, but they should expect more flights crowding the nation’s busiest airports.
The Experience Gap Between Private Aviation and Air Mass-Transit
The ability to measure the traveler’s experience on either a private aircraft or an airline and compare that to the alternate experience, would give us a more meaningful comparison between the two. That comparison could then be quantified and translated into a monetary measurement, which would go towards offsetting the price gap; thus, becoming a valuable marketing tool for private aviation services.
Safety Management System Debate Gets Hot
The fact is that Safety is the most critical issue the aviation industry faces. We cannot afford to do anything that does not allow us to operate at the highest level of safety. And, Safety Requires Thought and Time Investment! Safety Costs Money!
The Time Gap Between Private Aviation and Air Mass-Transit
There is a huge gap between the time it takes to get from origin to destination by Private Aviation and the time it takes on the Airlines. In some cases, even a small, single-engine, propeller aircraft can get you there quicker than the airlines. In all cases, a business jet aircraft can get you there quicker. What is your time worth?