The DOE's Breakthroughs in Aircraft Energy Storage Technologies

Department of Energy (DOE)

DOE invests in energy and environmental challenges including R&D in renewable fuels for aviation, hypersonics, new materials and new manufacturing processes applicable to many aspects of the aeronautics industry. For example, the DOE will continue its role as a lead agency in the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Grand Challenge through funding R&D that will enable delivery and conversion of sufficient volumes of biomass and waste feedstocks to biofuel intermediates that can meet industryrelevant cost and performance requirements, with a focus on SAF capable of >70% reduction in GHG emissions relative to petroleum. In addition, DOE supports scale-up of high-volume, cost-effective biofuel production pathways for SAF capable of >70% GHG reduction by enabling the construction and operation of demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries, while continuously advancing innovation to reach net-zero emissions. The goal is to produce enough net-zero aviation fuels to meet the demand of the aviation industry by 2050.

DOE conducts R&D to develop materials and processes to reduce the cost and improve the performance of batteries for stationary storage and ground vehicle applications. Advances could be used potential of use in small aircraft for intracity passenger travel and cargo delivery. Research, testing, and prototyping of new innovative on-aircraft energy storage technologies will be conducted across the full range of aircraft sizes. DOE’s investment in hydrogen production and silicon-carbide nanofiber composites can support the future of small hydrogen-powered aircraft and continued investment in lowering the cost of advanced materials, such as aluminum-cerium alloys can lower the weight and increase the strength of structural components for aerial vehicles.

DOE stewards a suite of national scientific user facilities that provide researchers with the most advanced tools of modern science – from the most powerful light sources for characterizing new materials and devices to the most advanced supercomputers operating at exascale. These facilities will be leveraged to advance innovative aeronautics concepts through advanced materials development and artificial intelligence and machine learning aided co-design.