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Air Force Tests Synthetic Fuel in N.D.-made domestically from coal or natural gas

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by hb06, Feb 18, 2007.

  1. hb06

    hb06 Member

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    "Millman, pilot of a B-52 bomber, helped test a synthetic fuel blend that could be made domestically from coal or natural gas as the Air Force seeks to wean its dependence on foreign crude and defray soaring fuel costs."

    "The cold-weather ground tests of the fuel showed it compared well to conventional petroleum-based military aviation fuel, known as JP-8, Air Force officials said."

    "It behaves exactly the same as JP-8, no more no less," Millman said."

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BOM...EMPLATE=DEFAULT
     
    #1 hb06, Feb 18, 2007
  2. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    #2 jayman, Feb 18, 2007
  3. hb06

    hb06 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman @ Feb 18 2007, 06:10 PM) [snapback]392605[/snapback]</div>
    The original posted link does mention the coal-to fuel plants used previously by Germany during World War II and apartheid-era South Africa, faced with embargoes who also built coal-to-fuel plants. It is encouraging, however, that the Air Force is revisiting this process for jet fuel should our global oil supply be disrupted in the present day with resources currently available in the United States. This could potentially lead to new processes in the manufacturing of other synthetic fuels and not just for jets.
     
    #3 hb06, Feb 19, 2007
  4. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    You can swap out the coal and substitute biomass. The Fischer-Tropsche process doesn't just apply to coal, though that's been the cheapest/easiest way to go about it.
     
    #4 tripp, Feb 19, 2007
  5. chogan

    chogan New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Feb 18 2007, 08:58 PM) [snapback]392600[/snapback]</div>
    Wikipedia has a readable article that mentions this test as well, as the last of several that have been made of the output of that synfuels plant:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer-Tropsch_process

    Wikipedia cites a study that says coal-based synfuel generates about twice as much C02 overall as fuel refined from crude oil. That;s in line with what I've heard about this before. So if coal is the feedstock this appears to be a carbon-intensive way to make fuel.
     
    #5 chogan, Feb 19, 2007
  6. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HBO6 @ Feb 19 2007, 03:02 AM) [snapback]392728[/snapback]</div>
    Yep, that's why I mentioned that OSTI link about the technical paper from the early 1980's
     
    #6 jayman, Feb 19, 2007
  7. viking31

    viking31 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ Feb 19 2007, 03:50 PM) [snapback]392935[/snapback]</div>
    I'll take the extra carbon rather than spend US money on MidEast, African, or South American oil.

    Rick

    #4 2006
     
    #7 viking31, Feb 21, 2007
  8. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(viking31 @ Feb 21 2007, 12:48 PM) [snapback]394085[/snapback]</div>
    The EROI isn't much worse, however. We'll have to consume more of our coal just to stand still. The price of coal would likely skyrocket as well. The best approach is to simply make the oil irrelevant. Not only would it increase our security while simultaneously depriving the various crackpots out there of cash flow.

    Coal isn't a viable pathway because it will simply cause us equally significant problems in the mid-term.
     
    #8 tripp, Feb 21, 2007
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