To catalyze technological change in business aviation, NetJets is sponsoring the Next Generation Jet Fuel Project at Princeton University along with the University of California, Davis. The project is based at Princeton’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, a world-leading jet propulsion research center.

The Next Generation Jet Fuel Project will address technology and policy issues related to co-processing coal and biomass along with carbon capture and storage so as to produce an alternative jet fuel source that theoretically would have near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The research team pursuing this work includes researchers in the Princeton Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department (Fred Dryer, Yiguang Ju), energy analysts from the Princeton Environmental Institute (Robert Williams, Eric Larson), and collaborative efforts with University of California, Davis’ Institute for Transportation Studies.

The Principal Investigator of the program, Professor Fred Dryer, is also the Principal Investigator for a Multi-Disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) recently awarded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The goal of the MURI is to develop fundamental database models, and methodologies to enable improved combustor designs and to facilitate incorporation of jet fuels that encompass both petroleum and alternative resource-derived compositions.

As the project progresses, NetJets intends to use our position as the leading purchaser of business jets to help recruit other key industry players to jointly sponsor the effort. In addition, NetJets will work with major engine and airframe manufacturers from which we buy to incorporate environmental impact considerations into the design of their products.

Through these interrelated efforts, NetJets is committed to playing a leadership role to help shift the aviation industry onto a more environmentally-sustainable footing.