Navy Scientists Are Figuring Out How To Turn Seawater Into Jet Fuel

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is on the verge of a breakthrough process that transforms seawater into jet fuel.

Though it sounds too good to be true, the scientists at NRL are developing a process that extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) and produces hydrogen gas (H2) from seawater. The gases are then converted into liquids and combined, thus creating viable jet fuel.

The successful implementation of this technology could mean unlimited fuel resources for the Navy, and would address the current difficulty of refueling at sea. The new technology would also be less of an environmental—as well as financial—burden, and would allow the U.S. Navy to become more independent of foreign oil sources.

"The potential payoff is the ability to produce JP-5 fuel stock at sea reducing the logistics tail on fuel delivery with no environmental burden and increasing the Navy's energy security and independence," research chemist Dr. Heather Willauer said in a Navy press release.

Aircraft of the Future Could Capture and Re-Use Some of Their Own Power

Capturing energy direct from a plane's landing gear and 
recycling it for the aircraft's own use really could work.

Tomorrow's aircraft could contribute to their power needs by harnessing energy from the wheel rotation of their landing gear to generate electricity.

They could use this to power their taxiing to and from airport buildings, reducing the need to use their jet engines. This would save on aviation fuel, cut emissions and reduce noise pollution at airports.

The feasibility of this has been confirmed by a team of engineers from the University of Lincoln with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The energy produced by a plane's braking system during landing -- currently wasted as heat produced by friction in the aircraft's disc brakes -- would be captured and converted into electricity by motor-generators built into the landing gear. The electricity would then be stored and supplied to the in-hub motors in the wheels of the plane when it needed to taxi.

'Engine-less taxiing' could therefore become a reality. ACARE (the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe) has made engine-less taxiing one of the key objectives beyond 2020 for the European aviation industry.

Focus On Fuel Savings

As mergers, consolidation and a stressed operational environment reshape commercial aviation, fuel efficiency has risen to the top of airline business concerns. Not only is it the industry’s single biggest expense, but economic and environmental pressures are forcing carriers to watch fuel consumption like a hawk.

According to Airlines for America’s (A4A) January 2012 state-of-the-industry report, the fuel price per gallon has been the greatest cost input increase of the past decade, up 267% between 2000 and the second quarter of 2011. A4A points out that even as airlines use less fuel, they must pay more for it. In 2010, U.S. airlines used 47.4 million gallons of fuel a day, totaling $38.8 billion that year, based on an A4A analysis of Bureau of Transportation Statistics data. The numbers for November 2011 show airlines used 48.3 million gallons of fuel daily, up about 1.9% from 2010, but paid $49.8 billion to fill their tanks, up more than 28%. Moreover, A4A notes jet fuel prices have been climbing steadily since mid-December 2011.

Searching for new ways to economize on fuel has become a priority of the highest order. Whether adopting best practices via mergers, as United and Continental have done, or looking to technology for solutions, airlines are looking into all corners of their operations to push down fuel costs.