Near-Term Feasibility of Alternative Jet Fuels

Abstract

density, high volatility, and high flash points, pose operational and safety issues that make them inappropriate for use in aircraft. Similarly, biodiesel and biokerosene, because they may break down during storage or operations and because of their high freezing temperatures, are also inappropriate for use in aviation.Regarding the benefits derived from producing and using alternative jet fuels, the study found that the economic benefits of producing alternative liquid fuels extend to all petroleum users. In particular, producing alternative liquid fuels yields benefits to commercial aviation, whether or not those fuels are used in aviation. Finally, moving to an ultralow-sulfur (ULS) specification for Jet A would reduce aviation's impact on air quality.From its findings, the research team recommends the following:Preface v manufacturers, and decisionmakers at the federal, regional, state, and local levels who are responsible for energy and environmental policy with respect to commercial aviation. This report draws on a 50-plus-year history of research and analysis performed by MIT and RAND on alternative fuel resources for aviation and the effects of fuel use on operations. Examples of this previous work include the following:

Drop-in biofuels production from microalgae to hydrocarbons: Microalgal cultivation and harvesting, conversion pathways, economics and prospects for aviation

“…Having a typical boiling range of 150 to 300 °C, jet fuels can be used for civil or military aviation, implying lots of specifications and requirements [40,44]. In the 1960s, the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) established the specifications for Jet A-1 [45], which limit the concentration of aromatics at a maximum of 25% v/v, together with 3% for naphthalene and 3000 parts per million (ppm) for sulfur among other aspects [46][47][48]. Correspondingly, for drop-in biojet fuels to meet the ASTM standards and be compatible with existing fuel infrastructures, they have to fill in a range of characteristics including [46,49]:…”