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The Air Force is the largest user of jet fuel within the Department of Defense, and plans to have all of the aircraft in its inventory certified to fly using alternative fuels by the end of 2012. The current fleet of aircraft consumes 2.4 billion gallons of jet fuel per year. The A-10 test flight went well with “no problems whatsoever” according to the pilot.

Biofuel used in the A-10 flight is referred to as hydrotreated renewable jet, or HRJ. The biomass-derived fuel is created from animal fats and plant oils. The camelina plant, the feedstock for the demonstration flight, is just one of the biofuels being looked at by the military.



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Col Hogan wrote:After people and healthcare, fuel is the biggest cost in operating the Department of Defense...so it's beneficial to the economy (and environment) that Defense looks for ways to cut fuel costs...

And a small, but really major, step has taken place with the successful flight of a fighter plane...an A-10 attack jet which is used extensively in Afghanistan... using a biofuel blend...

The Air Force is the largest user of jet fuel within the Department of Defense, and plans to have all of the aircraft in its inventory certified to fly using alternative fuels by the end of 2012. The current fleet of aircraft consumes 2.4 billion gallons of jet fuel per year. The A-10 test flight went well with “no problems whatsoever” according to the pilot.

Biofuel used in the A-10 flight is referred to as hydrotreated renewable jet, or HRJ. The biomass-derived fuel is created from animal fats and plant oils. The camelina plant, the feedstock for the demonstration flight, is just one of the biofuels being looked at by the military.



Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/03 ... z0jfoVpPQZ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Airlines are watching these Air Force tests as they too are looking for ways to cut fuel costs and reduce overall oil consumption...

Benne wrote:

Col Hogan wrote:After people and healthcare, fuel is the biggest cost in operating the Department of Defense...so it's beneficial to the economy (and environment) that Defense looks for ways to cut fuel costs...

And a small, but really major, step has taken place with the successful flight of a fighter plane...an A-10 attack jet which is used extensively in Afghanistan... using a biofuel blend...



Airlines are watching these Air Force tests as they too are looking for ways to cut fuel costs and reduce overall oil consumption...

So private industry is watching the Feds to see how they can save money.

dbackjon wrote:Good for them.

bandl wrote:

dbackjon wrote:Good for them.

The algae or the DOD?

93henfan wrote:Algae-based biofuels, IMHO, are going to be huge before the end of many of our lifetimes. The crop-based biofuels like soy biodiesel and corn ethanol have proven that they aren't really feasible due to their competition with the food supply, but algae has no such conflict, and the quicker we can find more ways to farm it in mass quantities, the better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03907.html

dbackjon wrote:

bandl wrote:
The algae or the DOD?

Both.

Great that the algae are willing to die for our freedom.

Continental's primary role in the demonstration was to show that the biofuel blend would perform just like traditional jet fuel in our existing aircraft without modification of the engines or the aircraft," said Holden Shannon, Continental's senior vice president for global research and security, during a congressional hearing last month. "This is important because ... the current engine and airframe technology is unlikely to change materially for many years, so it is crucial that alternative fuel be safe for use with the current aircraft technology."

Zenk said the test flight showed that algae fuel gets better mileage than petroleum-based jet fuel. "We noticed a 4 percent increase in energy density in the fuels because of the lower-burning temperatures in the engine itself, which resulted in greater fuel mileage," he said.

AZGrizFan wrote:DOD was VERY green when I was active duty....had numerous nuclear powered surface ships that NEVER had to refuel....now they're all gone but the carriers.

AZGrizFan wrote:DOD was VERY green when I was active duty....had numerous nuclear powered surface ships that NEVER had to refuel....now they're all gone but the carriers.

dbackjon wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:DOD was VERY green when I was active duty....had numerous nuclear powered surface ships that NEVER had to refuel....now they're all gone but the carriers.

Agreed (although are the subs still nuclear powered?

AZGrizFan wrote:DOD was VERY green when I was active duty....had numerous nuclear powered surface ships that NEVER had to refuel....now they're all gone but the carriers.

Col Hogan wrote:

Benne wrote:
So private industry is watching the Feds to see how they can save money.

I think the airlines want to see how planes react with the fuels before putting them into their planes...where do you think lots of aviation research comes from (NASA, Air Force, Navy, etc)...

93henfan wrote:Algae-based biofuels, IMHO, are going to be huge before the end of many of our lifetimes. The crop-based biofuels like soy biodiesel and corn ethanol have proven that they aren't really feasible due to their competition with the food supply, but algae has no such conflict, and the quicker we can find more ways to farm it in mass quantities, the better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03907.html

kalm wrote:

Col Hogan wrote:
I think the airlines want to see how planes react with the fuels before putting them into their planes...where do you think lots of aviation research comes from (NASA, Air Force, Navy, etc)...

Shhhhhh, that's socialist talk.

Pwns wrote:

93henfan wrote:Algae-based biofuels, IMHO, are going to be huge before the end of many of our lifetimes. The crop-based biofuels like soy biodiesel and corn ethanol have proven that they aren't really feasible due to their competition with the food supply, but algae has no such conflict, and the quicker we can find more ways to farm it in mass quantities, the better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03907.html

Is it worth it after considering the energy costs of growing, harvasting, and processing the algae?

oldsloguy wrote:

kalm wrote:
Shhhhhh, that's socialist talk.

You can’t really use the military as an example to prove that the government can really run socialist operations successfully. The typical government bureaucrat has no skin in the game to motivate him. The military guys know that their lives depend upon their being prepared, efficient and effective. They are highly motivated. That difference in motivation is very easy to observe.

Pwns wrote:

93henfan wrote:Algae-based biofuels, IMHO, are going to be huge before the end of many of our lifetimes. The crop-based biofuels like soy biodiesel and corn ethanol have proven that they aren't really feasible due to their competition with the food supply, but algae has no such conflict, and the quicker we can find more ways to farm it in mass quantities, the better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03907.html

Is it worth it after considering the energy costs of growing, harvasting, and processing the algae?

93henfan wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:DOD was VERY green when I was active duty....had numerous nuclear powered surface ships that NEVER had to refuel....now they're all gone but the carriers.

Care to share what they did with their garbage?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Paci ... bage_Patch