However, there is an alternative....
Posted on 05/13/2008 7:50:28 AM PDT by Dead Dog
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Research on SwiftFuel©
Swift Enterprises Ltd. has unveiled a new general aviation fuel that is less expensive, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendlier than any on the market, said co-founder John Rusek.
The general aviation industry includes all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial. Data on Swift Enterprises' 100 percent renewable general aviation fuel was presented April 28 at an annual meeting of an international committee that oversees aviation fuel standards. Unlike current biomass fuels, SwiftFuel is comprised of synthetic hydrocarbons derived from biomass. Rusek said it can provide an effective range (distance between refueling) greater than petroleum while its projected cost is half the current petroleum manufacturing cost.
The innovation by Swift Enterprises' propulsion and energy researchers meets or exceeds the standards for aviation fuel as verified by nationally recognized laboratories, said Rusek, a professor in Purdue University's School of Astronautics and Aeronautics Engineering.
Swift Enterprises, founded seven years ago at Purdue Research Park, is led by Rusek and his wife, Mary, who have been involved in the field of energy more than two decades. The meeting was held by the Coordinating Research Council of ASTM International in Alexandria, Va. ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world.
"Our fuel should not be confused with first-generation bio-fuels like E-85, which don't compete well right now with petroleum,” Rusek said. "For general aviation aircraft, range is paramount. Not only can our fuel seamlessly replace the aviation industry's standard petroleum fuel, it can outperform it."
The general aviation industry each year uses nearly 570 million gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, which is toxic, increasingly expensive and non-renewable. In contrast, testing has shown SwiftFuel© is 15 percent to 20 percent more fuel efficient, has no sulfur emissions, requires no stabilizers; has a 30-degree lower freezing point, introduces no new carbon emissions, and is lead-free, John Rusek said. In addition, he said, the components of this fuel can be formulated into a replacement for jet/turbine fuels.
The aviation industry has been the only form of transportation to use leaded fuel (tetraethyl lead) since an Environmental Protection Agency ban went into effect 30 years ago. However, that lead-free exemption will cease in less than two years.
"The general aviation industry, both domestic and foreign, is demanding a solution to this dilemma," said Mary Rusek, Swift Enterprises' president. "Our new, patented technology can provide the 1.8 million gallons per day required by the industry in the U.S. by utilizing only 5 percent of this country's existing bio-fuel plant infrastructure."
"John and Mary Rusek have devoted their lives to coming up with practical, renewable energy," said Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and chief operating officer of the Purdue Research Foundation, which manages the Purdue Research Park. "This fuel could change aviation history and be an economic boon for the state of Indiana and the Midwest, where we can abundantly grow the resources to produce SwiftFuel©."
Swift Enterprises officials are in discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration, which has initiated a cooperative agreement with the company to evaluate the fuel.
About Swift Enterprises Ltd.
Established in 2001, Swift Enterprises aims to use renewable resources to end the energy crisis. Swift Enterprises works with hydrogen peroxide and novel chemicals as new components in fuel cells and propellants. The scientists at Swift bring a combination of military, academic and private enterprise experience to the fundamental research and development of propulsion, ordnance and power technologies, and hardware. In the mid-1980s, the company founders worked at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where they conducted research on rockets and rocket fuel for the government. Swift Enterprises has completed research for Lockheed-Martin Astronautics, DARPA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy.
To the Purdue Research Park, http://www.purdueresearchpark.com
Note to journalists: Rusek is pronounced RUSS ek.
PHOTO CAPTION: Swift Enterprises co-founders Mary and John Rusek, conduct research on SwiftFuel, a lead-free aviation fuel for small aircraft that can provide an effective range (distance between refueling) greater than petroleum at half the manufacturing cost. (Photo provided by Purdue Research Park)
Media contacts: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, (765) 413-6013 (mobile), casequin@prf.org
Jeanine Phipps, (765) 494-0748, (765) 413-5579 (mobile), jeanine@purdue.edu
Sources: John Rusek, (765) 464-8336, john.rusek@swiftenterprises.com
Mary Rusek, (765) 464-8336, mary.rusek@swiftenterprises.com
Does not have an affinity for water
Costs half that of 100LL to produce..with components orderd from commercial venders..ie...no economy of scale Better lubricity than avgas and Jet A
http://www.avweb.com/podcast/files/2008-05-12.mp3
http://www.swiftenterprises.net/Swift%20Fuel.html
And...it ain’t AGE85.
Thought this would be interesting for those folks paying $6.00 a gallon.
The Avweb interview in post1 is better than the text.
So why isn't the guy a billionaire? I'll believe it when I see it.
It’s a pretty recent program. They are just starting to build a research plant to develop processes.
The best thing is they aren’t out chasing grants...check out the avweb podcast. These guys talk like conservatives.
bump
Well, Rusek is real, his company’s real and he is at Purdue and he’s been there for a while so it’s not an obvious scam. The only thing I see against it is that his publications seem to be about hydrogen peroxide fueled systems, but he might very well have kept this other stuff close to his chest.
Important if true, not obviously untrue.
Alright man, you were around when I drank the AGE85 coolade
I certainly wish them much success! I honestly hope the guy makes billions! I'm just always skeptical when I hear people saying that they can achieve a 50% cut in costs for any product.
I would expect that their process uses H2O2 as a catalyst or reagent.
I hear yah. It’s a healthy skepticism. If they were on some federal grant..I’d assume they were hucksters.
Wait till the first pilot tries to take advantage of the range boost. Can you say “Touch and go...”?
However, there is an alternative....
ping for later.
Aviation ping
He will be just as soon as you and about 5,000 other suck.. investors send him $200,000 apiece.
If any are interested, google Purdue Research Park. Part of what I found is this:
John Rusek
“John Rusek, Swift’s founder and chief engineer, and an adjunct professor in Purdue University’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Swift also holds patents involving highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide as it relates to propulsion.
With a $172,000 grant from the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, the Ruseks founded Swift Enterprises in 2001 and began obtaining federal research grants, including a Pentagon research contract for an experimental fuel cell able to power missiles sent into space to hunt down incoming ballistic missiles. Since then the company has filed applications for eight hydrogen peroxide-related patents and presently employs seven technologists.”
This is taken from a Purdue Research Park website. This fellow is NOT some La Jolla venture capitalist selling algae farms in the Arizona desert.
Irrespective of this guy’s claims, if there is no lead, then we are going to need a lead substitute additive or retrofit the engines to work without lead.
>Lead? What for.
Do you always answer your own questions and then act as if you just didn’t?
>It is an OWT that it helps cool or lube the exhaust valves
The auto industry had this problem back in the 70s when it had to re engineer those same valves and seats.
Still does.
Some aircraft engines are allowed the FAA approved Mogas conversion with the proper STC.
Almost all of them are not so allowed.
What will we do with them?
I wonder how this new fuel would affect fuel lines, O rings and the like.
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