A REEACH for Carbon Neutral Commercial Aviation

Commercial aviation enables the safe, low-cost and rapid movement of people and products but is also responsible for a significant and growing contribution to anthropogenic emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels. In order to address this challenge, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is supporting the development of all-electric carbon neutral aircraft propulsion technologies. The critical element of such propulsion/power generation systems is the ultra-efficient conversion of the chemical energy in carbon neutral liquid fuels (CNLFs) to useful work. To tackle this part of the electrified propulsion system framework, ARPA-E initiated the Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH) program to develop ultra-efficient, yet light-weight, conversion technologies. If successfully developed, these systems would enable carbon-neutral commercial aircraft up to a narrow body frame size with payloads and missions that are commensurate with incumbent systems.