B-52 flying fortress flying with 'artificial' fuel

On December 15, 2006, the US Air Force announced that it had completed the test flight of a B-52 with eight engines using a new fuel: a mixture of synthetic fuels by the Fischer method - Tropsch (FT fuel).

Earlier, on September 27, 2006, the United States Air Force for the first time tested this 'artificial' fuel on another B-52 airship, but only on 2/8 engines. only and with the rate of 50-50 phase (artificial gasoline, natural gas). A US Defense Vice Minister accompanied the crew on this test flight. That time, especially for environmental testing, the result was: 50% reduction in emissions compared to before.

FT synthetic fuel is a liquid hydrocarbon fuel synthesized from non-oil raw materials such as natural gas, coal, wood, renewable biomass materials . The United States has a plan to study the perfect production technology of this fuel source in order to target the year 2025: using technology to replace more than 75% of oil imports from the Middle East.

(Photo: TTO)

Because the synthesis process is completely controlled by humans, this fuel will be less polluting than the oil-derived type, especially sulfur (sulfure).

Kevin Mulnenin, vice president of Integrated Concepts & Research Corp. of Advanced Vehicle Technologies, which won the bid to test fuel quality, said: 'This test proves that this ultra-clean fuel is very likely. become a source of civil and military fuel '. There will be many more tests before this fuel is granted a 'circulation license'.

In fact, this fuel was also used in limited time in Germany during World War 2, but at the time, this project was put into a drawer because the price was too expensive for oil.

The synthesis of this fuel was invented by 1920 German scientists Fischer-Tropsch, described by the following chemical reaction equation: (2n + 1) H ₂ + nCO • C _n H _{2n + 2} + nH ₂ O with iron and cobalt-based catalysts.

The initial effects in the above reaction (CO and H ₂ ) can be produced from incomplete combustion of methane (CH ₄ ) in natural gas, according to the chemical reaction: CH ₄ + 1 / 2O ₂ • 2H ₂ + CO or from calcining coal or biomass material: C + H ₂ O • H ₂ + CO.

Sixty years later, crude oil prices have skyrocketed, causing the US air force to record the file since 1999, with calculations: the US Air Force alone has " consumed " 2.6 billion gallons of jet fuel. Every year, worth 4.5 billion USD, US civilian airlines consume 53 million gallons a day (multiplied by 365 days is a huge number).

(Photo: TTO)