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Air Force flies across U.S. using synthetic fuel blend
By ROB SPAHR Staff Writer, 609-978-2012
Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2007

McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE - On the 104th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic first flight, the nation's leader in jet fuel consumption accomplished something that could revolutionize the aviation industry.
On Monday, a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane became the first airplane to fly across the continental United States powered by a synthetic fuel mixture when it traveled from McChord Air Force Base in Washington state to McGuire.

The synthetic fuel, which can be produced from almost any carbon-based biomass such as coal or wood, is more environmentally friendly because it emits less carbon dioxide and sulfur than traditional jet fuel. Jet engines tested so far have not needed any changes to use the fuel, Air Force officials said.

Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne said he plans to have the entire Air Force fleet certified for synthetic fuel use by 2011.

"There's no doubt everyone is becoming a lot more conscious of their impact on the environment. … The Air Force is taking a leadership role in the testing and investigating of synthetic fuel, but I do hope that it will eventually bridge across to the commercial aircraft," said Wynne, who said the C-17 was chosen for flight due to the similarities of its engine to those in commercial aircrafts. "This really is the frontier of a new industry."

The fuel burns cleaner than standard petroleum, which Wynne said could also save a significant amount of money.
"Cleaner fuel means the engine doesn't have to work as hard, which hopefully means less time and money will need to be spent on maintenance," said Wynne, adding this could also entice commercial airlines into using synthetic fuel.

But even though the synthetic fuel is cheaper and better for the environment, it is unlikely that it will eliminate the U.S. air fleet's dependence on petroleum.

Jeff Braun, a member of the Air Force's Alternative Fuel Certification Office at Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, said the fuel used on the flight was a 50-50 mixture of the synthetic fuel and petroleum.

"This fuel is meant to be dropped into (standard fuel) and by doing so it reduces sulfur emissions by half," said Braun, who added that when the certification process is finished with this 50-50 mixture the Air Force would begin investigating whether the percentage of synthetic fuel used could be increased.

The driving force behind the switch to synthetic fuel was a need for the federal government to find a secure source of domestic fuel in order to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign fuel, Braun said.

However, what that source will be is still unknown.

"I don't think going straight to one source is a smart idea. There is no silver bullet, but there are a lot of small solutions," Wynne said. "By allowing many flowers to bloom in this garden it will enable us to ensure a bright and better future for America."

While Wynne said the Air Force is still looking for a long-term contract to secure domestic fuel sources, coal seems to be a strong candidate.

"This country has 240 years worth of domestic coal available for use. It is a massive, untapped well of clean diesel fuel," said Corey Henry, a spokesman for the Coal-To-Liquid Coalition. "If the Air Force spends millions every year on synthetic fuel, it would be an economic boom for any state with a large coal supply and at the same time it would create thousands of new jobs for people to work in those mines."

And Betty Rodriguez of the Air Force's Alternative Fuel Certification Office said that carbon dioxide released by the coal during conversion to jet fuel could be contained and stored for other uses.

U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd, called the Air Force's switch to synthetic fuel a "very special and meaningful mission," as important to the nation as it was to the Air Force.

"It is indeed encouraging that an alternate fuel source was found for such a highly-utilized platform," Saxton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said of the various duties the C-17 performs.

The pilot of the transcontinental flight called the trip "unremarkable" in that the plane flew the way it always does.

This is exactly what Wynne wanted to hear.

"Unremarkable is perfection," he said.


To e-mail Robert Spahr at The Press:

RSpahr@pressofac.com

Boeing expands biofuel strategy
Flight International 12/20/2007
Author: Stephen Trimble


Boeing's biofuel strategy has greatly expanded as the airframer prepares to select a specific fuel source for two demonstration flights scheduled next year.

A series of laboratory tests completed by Boeing in the third quarter confirmed that biofuel for large aircraft can be practically derived from far more feedstocks than previously believed, says Bill Glover, Boeing's director of environmental strategy.

Boeing's tests showed that a variety of feedstocks, such as algae, can produce biofuels with kerosene-like freezing characteristics. Boeing also now believes a number of such biofuels can be affordably mass-produced for the aviation industry.

These findings have widened Boeing's vision for the future use of biofuel by airlines. Instead of a single, huge repository of biofuel feedstock to supply the world's airlines, Boeing envisions the growth of a distributed network with multiple feedstocks harvested for biofuel around the world, says Glover.

The shift in strategy may have serious implications for the future of the energy industry. Glover likens the change to the way personal computers overtook mainframes about 20 years ago.

Industrial energy production may shift from monolithic producers of petroleum to a distributed network of biofuel providers, each cultivating the feedstock most appropriate for its geography and climate, he says.

Each biofuel type will be produced to meet the industry's current fuel standard, he adds. So an airliner fuelled by one feedstock type can be refuelled by another biofuel source.

Boeing believes its role will be to serve as a catalyst for a distributed biofuel production system that it sees emerging within the next five years. Unlike an airline, Boeing does not buy fuel in bulk, but it may be able to provide other means of financing and technical support.

The first step is to prove the feasibility of biofuel-powered commercial aircraft. Boeing has teamed with Virgin Atlantic to test a General Electric-powered 747 and with Air New Zealand to test a Rolls-Royce-powered 747.

The flight-test programme is likely to consist of a single flight and consume a total of about 3,800 litres (1,000USgal) of biofuel, says Glover. The company is close to selecting a feedstock for the flight-test programme, but Glover emphasises that this biofuel type is for demonstration purposes only.