NASA Tests Alternative Aviation Fuel
NASA is testing alternative aviation fuels using a DC-8. Photo: NASA Dryden/Tom Tschida
NASA’s Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment II is underway as scientists and researchers from 17 different organizations test a fuel called Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel.
What makes it renewable? Chicken fat.
The team is measuring essential gaseous and particulate emissions data from a DC-8 for the chicken-fat fuel, and for a 50-50 mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel and jet fuel only. NASA has been researching alternative aviation fuels since 2009 with the hopes of reducing the impact of flight on the environment and reduction America’s dependency on foreign oil.
If experiments go well, there’s a likely crossover with the U.S. military, which has already pledged to using 50 percent biofuel in its aircraft.
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As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
JH
posted on March 30th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
The linked NASA article claims chicken fat fuel is “Eco-friendly”. Think someone needs to educate these folks about the environmental horrors of factory farming. You too, Earth 911… It’s embarrassing.
brian
posted on April 1st, 2011 at 5:38 am
Really? How does this help the environment? The amount of pollution pumped into our skies, fields, rivers and oceans by factory farms is astounding. Not to mention the horrible conditions these animals (and workers) must live in. This would only make things worse as animals are raised simply for their fuel worth, all the time being fed food that would better be used to feed people in the first place. First we take the grain and vegetables, keep it from the people, and turn it into fuel. Now we will take that same food, feed it to living animals, and turn THEM into fuel? Seriously?