Lecture 3D: Sustainable Aviation Fuels

So far you have learned that aircraft is very difficult to operate on “clean” fuel: A fuel is required which has a high energy content both per kilogram (as we have to lift it into the air), and a high energy content per litre (as space is limited on an aircraft). Several options are available: pressurized or liquefied hydrogen, green methane, and bio-ethanol. However, these fuels are either logistically challenging to use, or harmful to the aircraft, environment, or nature. A more promising option is to synthesize kerosene from captured CO2 using the well-known Fischer-Tropsch reaction:

In the last lecture of this module, Dr. Wim Haije, a researcher at the TU Delft faculty of Applied Sciences, will take you through our options for creating sustainable aviation fuels in detail.