The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a solicitation calling for the exploration of energy alternatives and fuel efficiency efforts in a bid to reduce the military’s reliance on traditional fuel for aircraft.
DARPA is looking for processes that will efficiently produce alternative non-petroleum based military jet fuel from agriculture or aquaculture crops. Current commercial processes do not produce alternative fuels that meet the higher energy density and wide operating temperature range necessary for military aviation uses.
Given DARPA’s track record, these guys are liable to do a better job than anyone else in government at developing biofuels.
Maybe in 50 years or so the US will invade some 3rd world country to secure some corn fields …. 😉
If the gangsters running this barracks stay in charge — they’ll be doing it in five years.
Many people don’t know it and this is slightly OT but there is a huge problem in the aviation community. Most piston engined aircraft use 100 Octane Low Lead gasoline. There are very few refineries that produce this fuel and its price is increasing faster than unleaded auto fuel.
Many smaller piston engined planes can use auto fuel but the FAA approval specificly disallows fuels with ethonol. So unless something changes soon there is going to be a major problem for light aircraft.
Cessna has a single engine plane out that runs on diesel and probably biodiesel
The airplane food will still suck nonetheless, maybe they use the leftover biodiesel to cook it.
Actually, the fuel problem isn’t just energy density — the freeze point of the any carbon based fuels — where it gets waxy and stiff, and does nasty things like plugging fuel lines, etc. — is a prime concern. Let’s face it, the temperatures on a sunny day above say, 18,000 feet aren’t a Hawaiian vacation.
They won’t come up with anything before 2009, and maybe 8 years after that. They wouldn’t want Gore taking credit for their work again.