The aviation industry accounts for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can mitigate climate impacts, but transitioning to SAF faces critical supply chain constraints. A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has developed a method to produce jet-grade fuel from food waste, contributing to a circular bioeconomy. In a new paper, published in Nature Sustainability, they focus on technical and economic considerations.
In a previous study, the researchers outlined the process of developing SAF that meets aviation standards. This study follows the same general approach, converting food waste to crude oil through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), a process that mimics natural formation of crude oil in a fraction of the time, and refining it with a catalyst.
“However, here we use a simpler approach with less catalytic intensity and greater focus on distillation, which is commonly used for industrial purposes. This is a more economical and environmentally friendly method. But the quality of the fuel is not as good, and it needs to be mixed with regular jet fuel,” said corresponding author Yuanhui Zhang, Founder Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and The Grainger College of Engineering at the U. of I.
Zhang compared this to the use of ethanol for cars; it must be blended with fossil fuel to work in car engines.
“It would be very difficult to produce enough SAF to meet industry needs, so it makes sense to take a biodiesel approach with a percentage blend,” he explained. “Our tests are based on a 50-50 blend, so it will certainly be feasible to use a 10% or 20% blend of SAF with regular fuel.”
The researchers conducted tests on key parameters to ensure their SAF product meets jet fuel standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Federal Aviation Administration.
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