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B-52 fleet certified to use synthetic fuel blend
Valley Press on ^ | Thursday, August 9, 2007. | JAMES RUFUS KOREN

Posted on 08/09/2007 3:23:04 PM PDT by BenLurkin

The Air Force's fleet of B-52s, the nation's oldest active-duty aircraft, was certified Wednesday as the first that can use one of the Air Force's newest innovations: a cleaner-burning, domestically produced synthetic fuel blend. The certification is the culmination of a year-long test program conducted at Edwards, which was visited Wednesday by Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne to thank and congratulate the engineers, pilots and others who worked on the project.

"This is a great day for the United States Air Force," Wynne said, "And another milestone for the Flight Test Center."

Wynne called the B-52 fleet's certification "the tip of the spear for national energy independence."

The synthetic fuel blend is a half-and-half mixture of JP-8, or regular jet fuel, and Fischer-Tropsch, or F-T synthetic fuel, which is derived from natural gas or coal.

By using the fuel blend, the United States and its military can lessen dependence on foreign oil, instead using the nation's ample coal deposits for fuel, Wynne said.

The Fischer-Tropsch process was pioneered by German scientists in the 1920s, and F-T fuel was used during World War II to compensate for Germany's lack of oil supplies.

F-T fuel also has been used for aviation and diesel fuel in South Africa.

"With crude oil at, as of 8:42 this morning, $72.67 a barrel and gas topping $3 per gallon, at least in California, people are looking for answers and alternatives, and so is the United States Air Force," said Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards.

He said the new synthetic fuel blend is "not the only answer, not the final answer," but noted that the fuel has lower exhaust emissions and is less toxic than JP-8 jet fuel while performing well and handling long-term storage.

(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...


TOPICS: US: California
KEYWORDS: aerospacevalley; antelopevalley; b52; b52s; edwardsafb; syntheticfuel
"EFFORTS PAY OFF - A full crowd attends the Wednesday morning ceremony of the signing of the synthetic fuel blend certification of the B-52 at Edwards Air Force Base. By using the fuel blend, the United States and its military can lessen dependence on foreign oil. KELLY LACEFIELD/Valley Press
1 posted on 08/09/2007 3:23:08 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin
Every little bit that we don't buy from the muzzies only helps. I am looking forward to the day when we no longer have to buy anything from the Saudis....

and they have to figure out how to turn crude oil into beef steaks.

2 posted on 08/09/2007 3:31:05 PM PDT by B.O. Plenty (Give war a chance......Keep your powder dry)
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To: BenLurkin

And the best part? It can be made from coal.

The technique is well-known, and proven over and over. With a minimum of modification, the fuel produced may be used in spark-ignition engines, or in Diesels, where it is cleaner-burning than petroleum-based distilled fractions.

In fact, probably old tire carcasses could be used as a feedstock for the F-T process, which could prove to be a win-win in terms of reducing a huge mountain of trash to a useful product. Not a perfect answer, but certainly one that should be plugged into the equation of balancing resources with demands.


3 posted on 08/09/2007 3:32:21 PM PDT by alloysteel (Never attribute to ignorance that which is adequately explained by stupidity.)
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To: BenLurkin
I thought they were using it already. :)


4 posted on 08/09/2007 3:38:58 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: BenLurkin
"He said the new synthetic fuel blend is "not the only answer, not the final answer," but noted that the fuel has lower exhaust emissions..."

.


5 posted on 08/09/2007 3:39:57 PM PDT by bjs1779
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To: BenLurkin

These planes are STILL in service?! WTF? One would have hoped that their replacements would have come online...during the REAGAN administraton! What gives? We can spent trillions on granny’s free pills but can’t afford to replace these aging planes? Mucho respect for those brave (crazy?) enough to fly on these dinosaurs.


6 posted on 08/09/2007 3:41:18 PM PDT by KantianBurke
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To: BenLurkin
Back in the fuselage: "Put your backs into it boys, we've got a headwind!"

(Just kidding around...the image just popped into my head)

7 posted on 08/09/2007 3:45:35 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: Gator101

dang! I hate when I forget a paragraph break and the preview check lines up just right so I doesn’t look like I did.


8 posted on 08/09/2007 3:48:04 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: KantianBurke
For brute force, they are still irresistible. They are constantly upgraded and still very effective.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7309904847520611793&q=b-52+carpet+bombing&total=8&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

9 posted on 08/09/2007 3:55:56 PM PDT by bjs1779
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To: KantianBurke

If it ain’t broke, don’t fiz it.


10 posted on 08/09/2007 3:59:46 PM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: B.O. Plenty

No, global market. India, China, and the Euros will buy the stuff USA doesn’t.


11 posted on 08/09/2007 4:14:19 PM PDT by carumba (The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. Groucho)
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: BenLurkin

Alright, coal fired bombers. I like it!


13 posted on 08/09/2007 5:48:12 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do.)
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To: Gator101

LOL Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.


14 posted on 08/09/2007 5:49:18 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do.)
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To: Little Rock Ag

Still coming off the assembly lines.


15 posted on 08/09/2007 7:38:42 PM PDT by ops33 (Retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant)
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To: BenLurkin
This is bigger than we all think.

This paves the way towards commercialization from a customer who pays on time and who's checks do not bounce.

It also puts the ball in the court once again to the military to "get'r done". By that I mean creating enabling technologies that are game changers. Ike did it with the Interstate Highway system (some Mil requirement there, or so I am told), The Internet so the military could communicate if the Ruskie's attacked.

These Military initiatives changed us for the better and did what the windbags in congress couldn't.

You combine this with the NATO requirement for "One Fuel" (JP5 JP8) in the theater by 2010, for everything (i.e. gen sets, UAV's) you have makings of a driver towards "One Fuel" on the domestic side as well.

I think propane is the fuel of the future for cars, but I can't stop the momentum of this move.

Read and listen to all Glenn Beck had to say about Coal to Oil found on this page of his site, once again, Glenn was way ahead of the curve:

http://www.glennbeck.com/perfectstorm/index.shtml

16 posted on 08/13/2007 4:05:07 AM PDT by taildragger
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