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Officials say synthetic fuel to be used in B-52H fleet

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE --  Air Force officials made a significant announcement Aug. 8.
   Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne publicized the Air Force's certification to use synthetic fuel in the B-52H fleet.
   Mr. Wynne's declaration certifies the synthetic fuel is mixed with Jet Propellant 8 fuel at a ratio of no more than 50 percent.
   The announcement came after a year of testing, in which Tinker Air Force Base was an instrumental part.
   "For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil," said United States President George W. Bush. "And this dependence leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists - who could cause huge disruptions in oil shipments, raise the price of oil, and do harm to our economy."
   Experts tested the use of the synthetic fuel, Iso-Paraffinic Kerosene, mixed with JP-8 fuel, a kerosene-based fuel the U.S. government has used since 1990. They used the Fischer-Tropsch method, which results in a synthetic petroleum substitute.
   The Fischer-Tropsch method was created by German researchers Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch in the 1920s.
   Among the reasons Air Force officials selected the B-52H for synthetic fuel testing is its eight engines. The B-52H's engines are split in four pods and engines can isolated, so only a single pod is used at a time.
   Tinker's 327th Aircraft Sustainment Group, 448th Engine Propulsion Group and the 76th Maintenance Wing and Air Force Materiel Command Headquarters and Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, tested the B-52H engines and synthetic fuel.
   Testing at Tinker occurred between June and July 2006. After the engine cells were run, the engines were disassembled to make sure there were no adverse results.
At Tinker, the outcome yielded positive results, said Col. Michael Hirka, 327th ASCG commander and single manager for the B-52 weapons systems.
   "The SECAF (then) asked for the entire B-52 fleet to be certified," Col. Hirka said.
   The engines were flight tested in the B-52H at the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., and cold-weather tested at Minot AFB, N.D.
   Experts learned the pure synthetic fuel had the same performance features as the JP-8 fuel, yet the synthetic fuel burned cleaner and is better for the environment. Overall, the synthetic fuel proved to be a safe, suitable and efficient alternative fuel for the B-52H.
   "This is an Air Force mission with a national focus that has economic and political objectives," Col. Hirka said. "Team Tinker was critical in meeting the objectives."
   Other government agencies that participated in the research and testing included the Arnold Engineering Development Center at Arnold AFB, Tenn., Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, Va., and the Air Force Petroleum Agency in Fort. Belvoir, Va.