Tank shredding, the eco-friendly way
Discussion
From here:
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123196647
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123196647
Article said:
3/24/2010 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- An Air Force test pilot is scheduled to fly an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base March 25 on a blend of biomass-derived and conventional JP-8 jet fuel. This will be the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend.
The biomass-derived fuel used for this event is referred to as hydrotreated renewable jet, or HRJ, and is part of a class of fuels derived from either plant oil or animal fat feedstocks. The feedstock source of the biomass powering the A-10 demonstration is camelina oil, a flowering plant in the same family as mustard, cabbage and broccoli, but not used as a food-source.
Biomass-derived fuels offer the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While additional testing will be conducted to explore the full extent of their benefits, test data show that particulate emissions are reduced during combustion of biomass-derived fuels.
This event marks the next phase in the Air Force's alternative aviation fuel program and represents a milestone in worldwide development of alternative aviation fuels, paving the way for future Air Force HRJ certification flight tests of the F-15 Eagle, F-22 Raptor and C-17 Globemaster III to begin this summer.
The A-10 demonstration flight supports the Air Force's 2010 Energy Plan goal to be prepared to cost-competitively acquire 50% of domestic aviation fuel from an alternative fuel blend by 2016.
"The Air Force recognizes its role as a leader in energy management," said Mr. Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics. "This demonstration underscores our commitment to advancing technologies that increase our use of renewable energy and reduce our consumption of imported foreign oil."
So is there anything of value in this for the future of aviation? Aircraft use a heck of a lot of fuel and don't really have the alternatives that other forms of transport have to develop. Is this a way to keep us flying despite OPEC's best efforts?The biomass-derived fuel used for this event is referred to as hydrotreated renewable jet, or HRJ, and is part of a class of fuels derived from either plant oil or animal fat feedstocks. The feedstock source of the biomass powering the A-10 demonstration is camelina oil, a flowering plant in the same family as mustard, cabbage and broccoli, but not used as a food-source.
Biomass-derived fuels offer the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While additional testing will be conducted to explore the full extent of their benefits, test data show that particulate emissions are reduced during combustion of biomass-derived fuels.
This event marks the next phase in the Air Force's alternative aviation fuel program and represents a milestone in worldwide development of alternative aviation fuels, paving the way for future Air Force HRJ certification flight tests of the F-15 Eagle, F-22 Raptor and C-17 Globemaster III to begin this summer.
The A-10 demonstration flight supports the Air Force's 2010 Energy Plan goal to be prepared to cost-competitively acquire 50% of domestic aviation fuel from an alternative fuel blend by 2016.
"The Air Force recognizes its role as a leader in energy management," said Mr. Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics. "This demonstration underscores our commitment to advancing technologies that increase our use of renewable energy and reduce our consumption of imported foreign oil."
Lots of work going on to develop fuel from Algae, as the places where the military go tend not to have refineries nearby, the logistics of supplying huge amounts of fuel create an achilles heel, with vulnerable tankers, and huge fuel costs actually getting fuel to the front.
If each unit could have a mini algae fuel plant supplying it it would be much cheaper and less vulnerable to interruption.
For the US Military there is also a bit of 'we are cutting down on the use of imported oil' too.
If each unit could have a mini algae fuel plant supplying it it would be much cheaper and less vulnerable to interruption.
For the US Military there is also a bit of 'we are cutting down on the use of imported oil' too.
Simpo Two said:
Like bio-diesel, the drawback is that it removes agricultural land from food production.
I'm hearing suggestions of a breakthrough in the cultivation and ginetic manipulation of the bacteria and algea that do the work. At the moment they can only process suggars and starch meaning bio mass for human consumption needs to be diverted for it. The development would allow a very wide range of bio mass to be processed, therefore using the waste from food production that's usually left to rot anyway.If it keeps the price of fuel low and doesn't drive up the price of food, I'm all for it!
Ravell said:
If it keeps the price of fuel low and doesn't drive up the price of food, I'm all for it!
It makes good sense but low fuel price will only encourage us to use our nasty cars more and kill more children - it's the 'wrong message' you see - so even if the fuel is cheaper to start with, it will be taxed to the same price as what we currently take up the s
tter.OK the post is about aviation, but that's under the cosh as well - all those people flying about the world enjoying themselves? Have to stop that (unless it's a party of politicos on their way to a climate change jolly in Tenerife...)
Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 28th March 10:53
There's a US research programme looking at a drone vehicle that would be capable of harvesting biomass and converting it in to biofuel. A few people immediatly started envisaging an invasion of flesh eating robots, and I was particularly impressed that the researchers name is Dr Finklestien 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=b...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=b...
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