Optimizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compositions to reduce the climate impacts of contrails and improve local air quality

Another effort to reduce aviation’s environmental effects focuses on soot emissions. Jet engines burning hydrocarbon fuels emit not only CO₂ but also tiny soot particles that harm human health and worsen climate change. Different fuels produce varying amounts of soot, and these researchers have developed a method to measure this tendency. This seed grant will enable them to rank a wide range of fuels, including more costly sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), based on their soot emissions. Demonstrating that some SAFs produce lower particulate emissions strengthens the economic case for their adoption. Additionally, the researchers will use a machine learning tool to identify next-generation aviation fuels with lower soot emissions.