Originally Posted by
jsfBoat
I'm glad that Boeing is doing this. I'm very concerened about the envrionmental future, but i'd hate to see aviation the last ones to develop this wonderful technology. I don't want my kids, and future grandkids to suffer the consequences of OUR actions towards the environment, but still want to see aviation have a strong position in the world's economic, and technological area.
Don't get too excited...bio jet fuel is slightly cleaner than petroleum based kerosene (due to fewer contaminants), but fundamentally it is pretty much a very similar chemical mixture. It is just produced by a different process. If it weren't similar, it would not work in our current aircraft...they are designed for fuel with a very specific set of properties. Anything too different won't work, for a wide variety of reasons. I think the biofuel does have less energy density, which means shorter range.
The big advantage to bio-fuel is you can get it from some nice folks in Nebraska...no need to sup with screaming, psychotic, arab fanatics.