Biofuels test flight was a promising demonstration, Air Force says

The Air Force flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, operating solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend Thursday, March 25, in a major step toward the service’s goal of diversifying its sources for aviation fuel.

Officials from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who are overseeing the biofuels research were on hand at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., for the nearly 90-minute test flight, the first of a series planned. The University of Dayton Research Institute helped develop and test the fuel which was derived in part from camelina, a common plant grown since ancient times for its oil that has been used for lamp fuel and ointments.

The airplane performed normally on the 50-50 blend of the camelina-based fuel and conventional JP-8 jet fuel, said Maj. Chris Seager, a test pilot with the 40th Flight Test Squadron based at Eglin.

“I couldn’t tell the difference between that and the JP-8 we use every day,” Seager said in a conference telephone call afterward with reporters. “It was very predictable, it was uneventful.”

The Air Force’s goal is to certify all of its planes to be able to use the 50-50 blend by 2012, and to be able to obtain enough of the fuel to use it systemwide by 2016, said Jeff Braun, who is overseeing the effort for the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson.

Plant or animal oils or wood waste could be a source for the alternative fuels, said Tim Edwards, an Air Force Research Laboratory scientist involved in the project.

Air Force officials said they are working with commercial airlines which have flown some flights using biofuels in an engine. But it could be years before the fuel’s demonstrated reliability and availability can support commercial aviation’s massive demand for fuel, industry analysts said.

“There are reasons to be optimistic for new fuels that are eight to 10 years away, particularly algae-based ones. Experiments like these help the industry on its long road there,” said Richard Aboulafia , a defense industry analyst with Teal Group Corp. in Fairfax, Va.

UDRI’s work for the Air Force includes experimentation with algae, which produce oil that can be an energy source.

The Air Force said the morning flight at Eglin Air Force Base marked the first time that either a military or civilian airplane was flown using a biofuels blend in all engines, rather than just one engine. Both of the A-10’s engines were using the biofuels blend, Air Force Maj. Michelle Coghill said.

Biofuels burn more cleanly without the sulfur and other compounds present in conventional jet fuel, but the absence of those ingredients can reduce the biofuel’s engine lubricating capabilities and its stability in storage, said Dilip Ballal , UDRI’s division head for energy and environmental engineering.

By blending biofuel with conventional JP-8 jet fuel, researchers were able to develop a mix suitable for flying the A-10 aircraft, Ballal said.

The Air Force’s long-term goals are to reduce engine emissions of air pollutants and cut the service’s dependence on foreign sources of oil by developing suitable alternative fuels.

“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,” the Air Force said.

About the Author