A team at Caltech has developed a solar-thermal heating system that can generate jet fuel with net-zero carbon emissions. The system, known as a photothermocatalytic reactor, uses a spectrally selective solar absorber to capture the sun’s energy and convert it into heat. This heat is then used to drive a chemical reaction that produces jet fuel. The reactor is designed to be modular and scalable, with the potential to be used in a variety of applications, including the production of fuel for airplanes.
The team, led by Dr. Harry Atwater, demonstrated the technology at a lab scale and used it to produce liquid alkene products with the same range of carbon atoms as jet fuel. The system does not require solar tracking, making it more cost-effective than traditional concentrated solar technology.
The process starts with the production of ethylene, which is typically derived from fossil fuels. However, the LiSA team has recently developed a process to make ethylene from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight. The new paper demonstrates the second step in the process, which is the oligomerization of ethylene to produce longer hydrocarbon chains.
The team’s goal is to create a sustainable fuel synthesis system that uses only solar energy as the input. The paper, “A photothermocatalytic reactor and selective solar absorber for sustainable fuel synthesis,” has been published in the journal Device and demonstrates the potential for a new generation of solar-thermal engines.