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Near term, we should be slamming money into batteries and energy density of said batteries, if we want to decarbonize air-travel. Electric planes have numerous
by WhompingWindows 7y ago
Near term, we should be slamming money into batteries and energy density of said batteries, if we want to decarbonize air-travel. Electric planes have numerous advantages, but jet fuel is just so much more energy dense than a battery at the current juncture. Hopefully by 2050, we will be able to scale up from smaller electric airplanes in the 2020-2030 timeframe, such that jet liners will be decarbonized too.
- elihu 7y agoIt seems to me that synthetic or plant-based carbon-neutral fuels are more feasible in the near-term, though I don't know what the current state of the art is. In the long term, electric planes would be ideal if we can figure out energy storage (or perhaps wireless energy transmission).
- m4rtink 7y agoThis is ideal - if you use a C02 neutral power source & use atmospheric CO2 (either directly or via plants) you are effectively making planes flow battery powered. With the flow battery using synthetic fuel you produce & atmospheric oxygen to produce energy & CO2. Which will then get captured again by your synthetic fuel factory. Win win. :)
- bluGill 7y agoMy understanding of the laws of physics that govern batteries is we are already close to the limits. There might be a doubling or two of capacity left, but that doesn't get us anywhere near the weight/energy ratio of jet fuel. There are options to make fuels from other sources - but every time someone brings this up we get the oil shrills screaming about why use food for fuel, or their tired old energy neutral studies that haven't changed their numbers in 20 years.