Dubbed the Solar-Jet program, the carbon-neutral fuel production process works by taking ceramic material named ceria and removing all of its oxygen. When the material is finally devoid of oxygen, concentrated sunlight is used to heat the ceramic to 700°C. Once gleaming hot, water and atmospheric CO2 are introduced to the system and the resulting chemical reaction forms a cloud of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. That cloud can then be rendered into kerosene that can be used as fuel.
While the Solar-Jet process seems relatively straightforward, the system’s one complication comes from heating a surface to 700°C using only sunlight. To achieve these incredible temperatures researchers created an optimized reactor to concentrate sunlight and catapult ambient sunlight to an infernal realm.
Still in its early prototype phase, the Solar-Jet is at least 10 years away from economic viability. By that time researchers believe they will be able to achieve 20% efficiency, making the Solar Jet technology capable of competing with crude oil priced at $200 a barrel.
Although a $200 barrel of fuel is nearly double the current market rate, if a carbon tax were ever implemented on crude oil or power production the price of Solar Jet fuel could become more reasonable. What’s more, researchers could improve their reactor system bringing Solar Jet’s economic viability further down the unit cost curve.
If either of those scenarios do play out, solar generated fuel could be a carbon neutral answer for keeping planes in the air, cars on the road and street lights burning well past the date that fossil fuels become too costly.
Image and Video Courtesy of ARTTIC