Synthetic fuel tested on fighter jet engines

Synthetic fuel tested on fighter jet engines
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday May 6, 2008 6:05:41 EDT

Air Force engineers have started testing synthetic fuel on fighter jet engines, the latest effort in a movement to fly all of the service’s aircraft on the coal-based fuel.

Working from an Arnold Air Force Base lab in Tennessee, scientists are evaluating how a J-1 simulated altitude jet engine test cell handles the fuel.

This engine is described as the “power plant” for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

By 2016, the Air Force wants synthetic fuel, a more renewable coal-derived mixture, to account for half of the fuel burned by its aircraft. The service plans to kick-start production of this fuel by pushing industry to open a “coal-to-liquid” fuel plant outside Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.

The Air Force has already certified the synthetic fuel on B-52 bombers and C-17 transport jets.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/airforce_fighter_synthetic_fuel_050608/