Syntroleum (Nasdaq:SYNM), a leader in Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology, announced that its ultra-clean jet fuel will be tested in a landmark B-52 flight demo on the morning of September 19, 2006 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. This event signifies the first time that FT jet fuel has been tested in a B-52 flight demo.
The FT aviation fuel will be blended with traditional JP-8 jet fuel for the flight test. Syntroleum's FT jet fuel stems from more than five years of considerable research and development efforts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), focused on producing a high performance alternative fuel for military applications. The flight test is part of the DOD's Assured Fuels Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military's energy needs.
"Having access to adequate supplies of jet fuel is a national security issue, and with an assured source, price fluctuations are reduced which provides stable planning and budgeting," said Bill Harrison, a fuels expert with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
I hope Branson's 3 billion doesn't go to this effort.
Mr Branson if you want cleaner running aircraft support research into solid oxide high temperature fuel cells. They run on any liquid fuel, and by channeling the heated exhaust gases through a turbine, 75% efficiency can be attained.
That system would consume maybe 30% of the fuel that a typical aircraft turbine would consume for the same consumer miles flown. that's a huge reduction in greenhouse gas from aircraft.
A better place to put your dollars than synfuel from coal. Support synfuel from waste and algae groweing solar collector systems instead. It actually recycles CO 2 emmisions from powerrplants or utility grid fuel cells.
Posted by: amazingdrx | September 21, 2006 at 11:37 PM