Posted on 03/01/2012 8:36:24 PM PST by U-238
In case you haven’t seen this, the Air Force is flying F-16s on biofuel derived from the camelina plant. Yup, years after the air service certified most of its aviation fleet to fly on coal-derived synthetic fuel (stuff that was pioneered by the Nazis and apartheid-era South African governments because no one liked them and the world cut off their oil supplies) it is now certifying its jets to fly on something a little more environmentally friendly.
(The Navy has been working to get its ships and planes certified to run on biofuels for a while now, too.)
Its plan to certify its aviation fleet to run biofuel is very similar to its previous effort with coal-based fuels. The F-16s are being checked out to fly on a 50/50 blend of camelina oil and regular JP-8 jet fuel. The service has long said that it wants to use its status as the government’s biggest energy buyer t drive the market for alternative fuels that are produced in the United States. This would reduce the military’s reliance on foreign oil, service officials have argued.
Here’s what the service has to say about the effort.
In a joint effort by Airmen from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, the F-16 Fight Falcon is currently undergoing a field service evaluation of biofuel.
As the largest consumer of energy in the Defense Department and $8 billion spent on fuel in fiscal 2011, Air Force officials are working toward making the fleet a little “greener” by researching, testing and ultimately implementing the use of alternative fuels.
(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...
Right, any g.d crazy ass thing they think of is worth it if we pretend it’s for our defense.
“something a little more environmentally friendly. “...has to be true, its got ‘bio’ in it.
You posted and hawked an article pushing biofuels yet your comments indicate that you have NO idea what a biofuel is.
I guess you did not read post 33. Do you need help?
I have a secret. Biodiesel has been around longer than handheld calculators. I wouldn’t count on that price dropping anytime soon.
I still have my Versalog.
I usually give new tech some leeway to prove itself. Again if it does not work move on.
When there is an EMP attack we may to bring them back
I was in Computer Science. We got time on the mainframes at 1 AM. Your program had to work the first time, cause you might not get a second run. Spent a lot of time in evenings hand checking code. I still have card decks, coding sheets, a 7tk tape, and other relics fron the late 60’s and early 70’s.
I’m prepared...
That or an abacus
Historical revelation.
Looks like Nazi Germany ran their country including tanks and planes on ethanol. I overlooked the history books that said the Germans stopped what they were doing to plant miles and miles of corn to burn in their tanks and planes. After all Hitler was very concerned with global warming. He was a global citizen.
The Nazis used the Fischer- Tropsch process, the same process biomass is produced
You did not read my post.I said they used the same tech as biomass is produced.
A little research tells me that, at best, this fuel will have half the energy content of conventional fuel. Maybe they should complain about the loss in range.
That I am concerned of but I am sure that they constantly check with pilots who use the stuff.
If the Air Force has certified for it use I guess its OK.
If the Air Force has certified for it use I guess its OK.
That sounds very scientific. So what is the raw energy source? the bio-source? Water?
You remind me of the poster that claimed that all the energy we needed was on the moon and we could just cart it back to use it.
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