U.S. Air Force testing coal powered planes

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Examiner

Houston-based company Accelergy has begun production of biojet fuel using a mix of Camelina oil and liquefied coal for evaluation by the US Air Force (USAF).

The company says it has come up with a way to convert the coal into an economical, clear, and arguably clean form of jet fuel.

USAF currently uses JP-8 fuel in all of its aircraft and has been looking for a commercially viable 100% synthetic alternative to petroleum based fuels. To date, synthetic fuels have required blending with petroleum feedstocks on a 50% basis to be suitable in aviation applications.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-42287-Chicago-Green-Technology-Examiner~y2010m5d19-US-Air-Force-testing-coal-powered-planes

[wtmusic]

1. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. nt

[Oregone]

2. I love coal. We should use it to power our solar plants

[elias49]

20. Hahahaha!

Love it!:applause:

[laurel46]

3. Perhaps they can run on tar balls.

[nyc 4 Biden]

4. clean mean coal?

[Kolesar]

5. Then the Navy can use it for ships! eom

[unhappycamper]

6. http://www.kookamunga.net/

This is a picture of my 1966 PA28/180C. It is the only known flying example of the incredibly rare, coal fired, steam powered Cherokee. It is based at CYXD - the City Center Airport, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. I luv it! nt

[EXneoCON]

14. I lol'd at that, unhappycamper...

:toast:

[marasinghe]

19. the men who stare @ goats have taken over the pentagram.

& satan wept.

:applause:

[Turborama]

7. Algae to solve the Pentagon's jet fuel problem

They might have begun production of some foul concoction to give the USAF for evaluation but it looks like the Pentagon have already made their minds up about this one...

Algae to solve the Pentagon's jet fuel problem

Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 13 February 2010 16.04 GMT

The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent.

The claim, which comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) that helped to develop the internet and satellite navigation systems, has taken industry insiders by surprise. A cheap, low-carbon fuel would not only help the US military, the nation's single largest consumer of energy, to wean itself off its oil addiction, but would also hold the promise of low-carbon driving and flying for all.

Darpa's research projects have already extracted oil from algal ponds at a cost of $2 per gallon. It is now on track to begin large-scale refining of that oil into jet fuel, at a cost of less than $3 a gallon, according to Barbara McQuiston, special assistant for energy at Darpa. That could turn a promising technology into a market-ready one. Researchers have cracked the problem of turning pond scum and seaweed into fuel, but finding a cost-effective method of mass production could be a game-changer. "Everyone is well aware that a lot of things were started in the military," McQuiston said.

The work is part of a broader Pentagon effort to reduce the military's thirst for oil, which runs at between 60 and 75 million barrels of oil a year. Much of that is used to keep the US Air Force in flight. Commercial airlines – such as Continental and Virgin Atlantic – have also been looking at the viability of an algae-based jet fuel, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/28/china-algae-carbon-capture-plan">as has the Chinese government.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/13/algae-solve-pentagon-fuel-problem

[caseymoz]

10. Where are they going to grow tons of algae?

I hope they're not thinking of the oceans.

[Turborama]

11. Algae production takes up a surprisingly small amount of land compared to other biofuels.

It's possible to grow mass amounts of algae and produce 20,000+ gallons of bio-fuel on one acre. With the amount of farm space of 1/10 the size of New Mexico we could produce enough fuel to fulfil the United States' need for oil.

Some facts and figures:

1 acre of corn = 18 gallons of oil per year

1 acre of palm = 7 to 800 gallons of oil per year

1 acre of open pond algae = 20,000 gallons of oil per year

1 acre of vertically grown algae = 100,000 gallons of oil per year

I posted more details here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8296980&mesg_id=8297424

[caseymoz]

13. I'm somewhat skeptical.

But I'll wait and see.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. The Gulf of Mexico, now that they made it one giant dead zone.

[Tesha]

17. (Nevermind -- previous poster beat me to it) (NT)

[Mr. Sparkle]

9. If it is more cleaner than oil, i guess this is good news.

it is still hard to get excited about coal though.

[Crowman1979]

15. Well I have another solution to solve the military fuel problem, but it will cause freeper/...

...teabaggers heads to explode.

Reduce our aircraft/ship inventory!

[LongTomH]

16. Liquid fuels from coal have been around a long time.

Hitler's war machine in WWII was powered by 'synthetic oil' made from coal. Liquid fuels derived from coal were studied by the DOE during the energy crisis of the '70s.

[Old Troop]

18. You know that this will end with some poor enlisted slob

shoveling coal at mach 2.