Virgin Airlines Eyes Biofuel for Jets

link here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10066397/

Interesting. I think we just need these ideas to take hold. Once one company starts, others can't afford not to. A development to keep our eyes on.

edit for working link

For some reason, I always assumed a biofuel wouldn't be suitable for jet engines, although I'm not sure where that came from. Probably thinking about bio-diesel too much.

He's still got the problem of where to to grow the huge amounts needed, though...

I would want some serious reliability checks though.

surplus jet power units usually burn diesel. I think this ould work if the mods to switch can be done cost effeciently.

I'm suprised they are using it. They must be short flights that they are using ethanol on.

he stuff left over in the fields after harvest, etc

About the short trips, am I right in assuming Virgin runs a small operation? Mostly quick connecting flights to and from US hubs?

Thanks for the welcomes. Cheers to all! :toast:

edit for short trips

One hopes that if they use biofuel, they will test it.

The specifications of fuel have some important safety and performance implications.

A blend called A-85 has been approved for PISTON engine aircraft. Jets burn JP4, which is very similar to kerosene and diesel. It is a filthy, first rough crack from petroleum. The simplest refinery will take pipeline crude and make two products: JP4 and asphalt. This just PR Spin to keep the rubes buying tickets for a transportation system that is killing us.

Do you really feel safe with all these jets blasting in and out of our population centers? Consider, there are 3000-6000 flights overhead at any given moment, spewing their toxic clouds of exhaust not only over our cities and farms, but also dumping tons of it into the stratosphere as they slice holes in the ozone layer.

And we have all seen what a few dedicated people with box cutters could do with just 4 of them...yeh, we keep funding those petroleum warlords with cheap flights to the latest eco-tourism hot spot and our addiction to big fast cars, one to person.

One year of jet airline industry losses would fund 15 years of Amtrak, just imagine how good it could be if we hadn't been brainwashed into believing speed is everything. Have you ever traveled overnight in a sleeping car on a train?

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Biodiesel requires very specific antigell agents for temps below about 35 degrees F. That being said I think Alge produced Biodiesel has potential to replace a great deal of Dino based diesel.