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Virgin to use eco-friendly jet fuel on commercial flight this October
Virgin Atlantic is about conduct a real-world test of its greener jet fuel. The airline plans to use LanzaTech's sustainable fuel for the first time in a commercial flight this October, with a Boeing 747 relying on the low-carbon liquid for a trip from Orlando to London's Gatwick airport. The journey will both "raise awareness" for the more environmentally friendly technology and show that it's viable for more than just experimental flights.
Virgin Atlantic turned industrial waste into greener jet fuel
Illinois-based LanzaTech and Virgin Atlantic have been working on an alternative fuel source for Sir Richard Branson's flagship airline since 2011. This week, the two companies announced a breakthrough that could drastically reduce the airline industry's carbon emissions. LanzaTech has produced 1,500 US gallons of jet fuel derived from the industrial gases given off by steel mills.
Jet-fueled electronics are coming
Fuel cells may be a practical reality, but there aren't many choices for the fuel itself -- you usually have to rely on hydrogen, which dictates where and how those cells work. The University of Utah may have a clever alternative in store, however. Its researchers have developed a cell that runs on JP-8, a jet fuel used by American warplanes in harsh climates. The cell uses enzymes to turn propellant into electricity without requiring lots of heat or a perfectly clean mixture; it works at room temperatures even when there's sulfur in the mix, making it far more useful than previous attempts at JP-8 cells.
Virgin Atlantic launches low-carbon fuel, aims to halve carbon footprint (video)
Richard Branson was in London today to announce "one of the most exciting developments of our lifetime." Right, so that'd be SpaceShipFour, we presume, capable of landing on the moon? No, not quite, but a low-carbon fuel would definitely be our second guess. Virgin Atlantic is partnering with LanzaTech, a company that specializes in carbon re-use technology, to recycle waste gasses from 65 percent of the world's steel mills. In Branson's own words, they'll be "taking much of the s**t from up the chimney stacks and turning it into aviation fuel." By capturing those gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, Virgin would be able to reduce its overall carbon footprint without necessarily reducing the carbon output of its individual aircraft. The airline plans to have the fuel ready for commercial use by 2014, and will begin trials on its routes from London to Shanghai and Delhi around that time -- two cities that have become synonymous with pollution. Jump past the break for an audio-less demonstration video -- that's right, there's nothing wrong with your speakers.
