U.S. Navy Plans to Test Biofuels for Super Hornet

August 21, 2009 by Miranda Marquit Biofuel for the Navy

(PhysOrg.com) -- The U.S. Navy is getting ready to run flight tests using an assortment of biofuels. The tests will be run using an F/A-18 Super Hornet. The tests are scheduled to begin taking place at Patuxent River, Md. by spring or summer 2010. The idea is to create a drop-in system so that those in the field won't know the difference.

The biofuels being tested are camelina, jatropha and algae. Navy.mil reports on the process expected to be used:

For the upcoming static and flight tests, the biofuels will be mixed in a 50-50 blend with conventional petroleum-derived jet fuel to provide the necessary specification properties. Biofuels are not as dense as conventional jet fuel, have less lubricating ability and contain no aromatic compounds, a group of chemical compounds able to penetrate the rubberlike materials that make up gaskets and seals.

The Navy hopes to test properties and chemistry, seeing how the fuels react in the environments associated with high-speed military plans. The tests should be able to determine whether or not it is feasible to use biofuels as part of the fuel source for jet planes. The hope is that the most promising candidates will be available by 2013.

Rate this story - 3.5 /5 (10 votes)

rank
1
2
3
4
5

view popular

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.

Display comments: newest first

kuro - Aug 22, 2009
- Rank: not rated yet
Next year around they'll try to fit a mouth and a digestion system to the jets probably, perhaps for the case where they might be shot over Venezuela?
- report abuse
- - Current rank
  - 1
  - 2
  - 3
  - 4
  - 5

Other News

Teachers begin using cell phones for class lessons

Technology / Hi Tech

1hour ago | 3 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- Ariana Leonard's high school students shuffled in their seats, eagerly awaiting a cue from their Spanish teacher that the assignment would begin. "Take out your cell phones," she said in Spanish.

Government delays new ban on Internet gambling

Technology / Internet

4 hours ago | 1 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are giving U.S. financial institutions an additional six months to comply with regulations designed to ban Internet gambling.

Fujitsu Develops Technology for Low-Temperature Full-Service Direct Formation of Graphene Transistors on Large-Scale Sub

Technology / Semiconductors

4 hours ago | 5 / 5 (4) | 0

Fujitsu Laboratories today announced, as a world first, the development of a novel technology for forming graphene transistors directly on the entire surface of large-scale insulating substrates at low temperatures ...

Signal fading on radio traffic reports

Technology / Other

2 hours ago | not rated yet | 1

(AP) -- For more than 20 years, Mike Nolan was known to radio listeners as the "eye in the sky." He flew over Southern California freeways in his single-engine plane, reporting on the nation's worst traffic.

'Avatar' video game to expand film's alien world

Technology / Software

4 hours ago | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- James Cameron was thinking beyond the big screen when he created the alien world of Pandora. The "Titanic" director worked in tandem with video game developer Ubisoft Montreal on the game based on ...