Researchers at Caltech recently devised a new solar-powered method for jet fuel production. By prompting the required chemical reactions through a "photothermocatalytic reactor," the process of making jet fuel can now sidestep fossil fuels altogether and yield net-zero carbon pollution.
Published in the journal Device, the study outlines the use of solar energy to provide the heat that catalyzes chemical reactions. The reactor designed by the Caltech team involves a multilayer solar absorber — designed to retain as much solar energy as possible — to induce the ethylene oligomerization reaction needed to generate jet fuel, Caltech's Kimm Fesenmaier wrote in a post on Tech Xplore.
"In the new paper, the Caltech scientists were able to make liquid alkene products with the same range of carbon atoms [as jet fuel] using solar energy as the only driving force," Fesenmaier wrote.
The reactor focuses on harnessing solar energy without solar tracking — that is, without following the sun's movements to maximize the energy absorbed. While the reactor absorbs less as a result, the scientists deemed solar tracking expensive and unnecessary for jet fuel purposes.
"We're not competing with concentrated solar technology … We're looking for a complementary technology that can be used in areas where concentrated solar is not feasible," explained Aisulu Aitbekova, one of the researchers, per Tech Xplore.
Typically, the production of kerosene jet fuel releases about half a kilogram of carbon pollution for every kilogram of fuel generated, according to the Carbon Offset Guide. With each airplane traveling thousands of miles per day on average, the amount of jet fuel produced has to keep up with these massive numbers, and the carbon pollution quickly adds up.
Carbon pollution is the leading source of rising global temperatures and their repercussions for our weather, food, and public health. Even though jet fuel production is only a small part of the carbon problem — especially since its combustion releases far more carbon dioxide than its production — taking steps to lower our planet-warming contributions in whatever way possible is a start.
While researchers find strategies to chip away at our global pollution levels, finding sustainable alternatives to our modern fuel-heavy processes, you can help address carbon pollution from your home. Making small improvements, such as solar installations and waste repurposing, can lower your contributions to our climate problem.
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