Fri, Mar 26, 2010
Biomass And Conventional Fuel Combined To Power An A-10
Warthog
An Air Force test pilot flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet
aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida Thursday morning on a
blend of biomass-derived and conventional JP-8 jet fuel. This was
be the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a
biomass-derived jet fuel blend.
The biomass-derived fuel used for this event is referred to as
hydrotreated renewable jet, or HRJ, and is part of a class of fuels
derived from either plant oil or animal fat feedstocks. The
feedstock source of the biomass powering the A-10 demonstration is
camelina oil, a flowering plant in the same family as mustard,
cabbage and broccoli, but not used as a food-source.
Biomass-derived fuels offer the potential to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. While additional testing will be conducted to
explore the full extent of their benefits, test data show that
particulate emissions are reduced during combustion of
biomass-derived fuels.
This event marks the next phase in the Air Force's alternative
aviation fuel program and represents a milestone in worldwide
development of alternative aviation fuels, paving the way for
future Air Force HRJ certification flight tests of the F-15 Eagle,
F-22 Raptor and C-17 Globemaster III to begin this summer.
File Photo
The A-10 demonstration flight supports the Air Force's 2010
Energy Plan goal to be prepared to cost-competitively acquire 50%
of domestic aviation fuel from an alternative fuel blend by
2016.
"The Air Force recognizes its role as a leader in energy
management," said Mr. Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air
Force for installations, environment and logistics. "This
demonstration underscores our commitment to advancing technologies
that increase our use of renewable energy and reduce our
consumption of imported foreign oil."
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