Jet fuel alternative on standby

AP via Boston.com ^ | August 16, 2008 | Unknown

[Abathar]

PHOENIX - With the price of oil holding above $110 a barrel, everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel. But when it comes to airplanes, finding the right mix poses a special challenge.

"When you're in an airplane, you don't want your fuel to start solidifying," said Robert Dunn, a Department of Agriculture chemical engineer who is studying biodiesel jet fuel.

The airline industry is aggressively pushing for homegrown alternatives to petroleum-based jet fuel, while leaning on customers with a variety of new travel charges to help control a projected $61 billion industrywide fuel expense this year. A number of alternatives to standard jet fuel have been studied for years, though aircraft manufacturers say the challenge is to find ideas that will work now.

Jet engines can be retrofitted to run on hydrogen, for example. But hydrogen does not pack the same punch as traditional jet fuel - kerosene - and would require airlines to buy planes designed with massive tanks. That is a tough choice for cash-strapped carriers, said Billy Glover, managing director of environmental strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

[Abathar]

Hydrogen for airplane fuel?

My would that make a good BOOM during an accident.

[Night Hides Not]

My would that make a good BOOM during an accident.

Democrats would simply say, "buy the brand of hydrogen that doesn't go boom in an accident."

Problem solved...

[taxcontrol]

Yeah, I guess the Hindenburg is so long ago that many have lost or forgotten the lesson.

[petercooper]

How about ultra-clean synthetic fuel converted from coal, natural gas, or municipal solid waste, etc...

http://www.rentechinc.com/

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=RTK

[Army Air Corps]

I had heard about that company on TV. Sounds interesting.

[steveo]

[thackney]

That would be the wet kind, already combined with the oxygen.

It doesn’t burn very well. But it is much more readily available than the “boom” kind.

[taxcontrol]

Though to be technically honest, the wet/oxygen kind can also go boom given the right containment and temperature.

[wink]

[Red Badger]

"When you're in an airplane, you don't want your fuel to start solidifying,"

Yeah, it could ruin your whole day...........

[Night Hides Not]

That would be the wet kind, already combined with the oxygen.

That stuff is MUCH more dangerous when inhaled!

Darn! Looks like we're back to square one, i.e. JP4.

[BurbankKarl]

I believe the B-1, B-52 have been signed off on Synfuel already.

[SkyDancer]

From what I’ve read that jet bio-fuel thing was some sort of hoax .... that only 10% of the fuel driving that one engine was bio .....

[Arkansas Toothpick]

Actually, the Hindenburg fire was primarily a problem with the highly flammable aluminum coating used on the fabric covering. The hydrogen itself burned away in a relatively harmless manner, from what I understand.

[brityank]

For your info:

Fuel research platform

In September 2006, the B-52 became one of the first US military aircraft to fly using 'alternative' fuel. Syntroleum Corporation, a leader in Fischer-Tropsch process (FT) technology, announced that its Ultra-Clean jet fuel had been successfully tested in a B-52. It took off from Edwards Air Force Base with a 50/50 blend of FT and traditional JP-8 jet fuel which was burned in two of the eight engines on the aircraft. This marked the first time that FT jet fuel was tested in a military flight demo, and is the first of several planned test flights.[64]

On 15 December 2006, tail number 61-0034, Wise Guy took off from Edwards with the synthetic fuel blend powering all eight engines, the first time an Air Force aircraft was completely powered by the mixture. The test flight was captained by Major General Curtis Bedke, commander of the Edwards Flight Test Center, the first time in 36 years that the installation's commander performed a first flight in a flight test program. The flight lasted seven hours, reached an altitude of 48,000 feet, and was considered a success.[64]

On 8 August 2007, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne certified the B-52H as fully approved to use the FT blend, marking the formal conclusion of the test program.[65]

This program is part of the Department of Defense Assured Fuel Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military energy needs. The Pentagon hopes to reduce its use of crude oil from foreign producers and obtain about half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016.[64] With the B-52 now approved to use the FT blend, the USAF will use the test protocols developed during the program to certify the C-17 Globemaster III and then the B-1B to use the fuel (the first B-1 test flight took place in March, 2008). The Air Force intends to test and certify every airframe in its inventory to use the fuel by 2011.[65]

Snagged from WikiPedia.

Now what is the total cost difference in creating Synfuel against JP-8?

[BurbankKarl]

The B-1 went vertical and broke the sound barrier....the pilot said the fuel was smoother than JP-8.

The Wall Street Journal said it broke out to $4/gallon, but that the company that made the test batches wouldnt be doing anything further without a huge contract....

[PC99]

According to Obama and Schwarzeneggar, all the airlines need to do is check the inflation of the landing gear tires. Energy problem solved.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Forgive me if I am naive, but, wouldn't they test this bio-fuel in labs under different temperatures and pressures to make sure it would not solidify in a actual flight test ?

[BerryDingle]

everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel.

everything from wood chips to chicken fat is being scrutinized as an alternative to traditional fuel excuses for not drilling. There, had to fix that.

[brityank]

I would hope so; but as we should all know, what is tested in labs doesn’t always work in reality.

[sionnsar]

Hydrogen for airplane fuel?
My would that make a good BOOM during an accident.

No more than you would get a BOOM of our gasoline or jet fuel. More like a high-level whoosh:

[Clint Williams]

According to Obama and Schwarzeneggar, all the airlines need to do is check the inflation of

Bill Clinton had some suggestions regarding inflation also, but they could not be printed in a family venue...