U.S. Defense Department Successfully Completes B-52 Test Flight Using Syntroleum's Fischer-Tropsch Fuel
Tulsa, OK - Syntroleum, in Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology, announced recently that its ultra-clean jet fuel has been successfully tested in a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress Bomber aircraft. According to sources the plane lifted off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., with a 50/50 blend of FT and traditional JP-8 jet fuel which was burned in two of the eight engines on the plane. This marks the first time that FT jet fuel has been tested in a military flight demo, and is the first of several planned test flights. This landmark event is a result of more than four years of successful research and development efforts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), focused on producing a high performance alternative fuel for military applications.
The fuel was produced at Syntroleum's FT believed to be demonstration facility near Tulsa, Okla where it has produced over 400,000 gallons of ultra clean products. This flight test is part of the DOD's Assured Fuel Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military's energy needs. The Pentagon hopes to reduce its use of crude oil and foreign producers and get about half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016.
According to Syntroleum, Syntroleum's jet fuel has shown superior performance characteristics compared to traditional aviation fuels. Prior testing by the military on the company's FT fuels have shown a reduction in particulate matter and soot emissions of greater than 90 percent depending upon the turbine engine type compared to aviation fuels produced by refining crude oil. The reduced particulate matter and soot emissions significantly improve engine efficiency, performance and overall air quality. In addition to the company's work with the DOD, Syntroleum's technology and FT products have been successfully tested in several government programs through the U.S. Department of Energy's ultra clean fuels program and with academic research institutions and auto manufacturers. In fact, one of the shuttle buses used today at Edwards Air Force Base is running Syntroleum's diesel fuel as part of an ongoing road test.
Company added that the jet fuel that was used today was produced from natural gas using Syntroleum's proprietary FT process, but the company believes the fuel can also be produced from the vast domestic coal resources. The potential to produce these fuels from domestic resources and the opportunity for long-term supply agreements with the DOD provides a mechanism for diversifying the nation's energy supply and increasing domestic job growth. In addition to military applications, successful testing of Syntroleum's FT jet fuel could lead to opportunities with commercial airlines.
SOUREC: Syntroleum